8.9 The Insiders Talk Gainesville and Phoenix, Hartford Breaks Down His Win

8.9 The Insiders Talk Gainesville and Phoenix, Hartford Breaks Down His Win

From NHRA Insider Podcast by Brian Lohnes

March 17, 2026 · 1h 19m

About this episode

Matt Hartford discusses his Pro Stock victory in Gainesville and the implications for the upcoming Phoenix race.

On this episode of the NHRA Insider powered by Speedmaster, Matt Hartford joins the show to talk about his hard-fought Pro Stock victory in Gainesville, Tony Pedregon and Kevin McKenna join to recap the Gatornationals, and a whole lot more. Pedregon and McKenna open the show with a freewheeling discussion about all the big stories that came out of the Gators both on and off the track. The dramatic wins, the dramatic DNQs, the energized crowd, and what it all seems to mean for the season to come. The guys talk about how teams will deal with the challenging conditions of a red-hot Phoenix weekend on the horizon and many other topics. A truly rollicking chat. Matt Hartford's win at the Gators was a long time coming. After making four final rounds in the 2025 season and winning none of them, he won the first final he appeared in to start 2026. Matt talks about the team's approach, their strategy, and how sometimes letting it all hang out is the best way to do business in Pro Stock. Hartford is candid, interesting, and provides valuable insight into his home track of Firebird Motorsports Park where the action will take place for race two of 2026. An episode you'll want to hear every…

People in this episode

Guests: Matt Hartford, Tony Pedregon, Kevin McKenna

Topics covered

  • Gainesville
  • Phoenix
  • Pro Stock
  • NHRA
  • Gatornationals

Keywords

  • victory
  • strategy
  • Firebird Motorsports Park
  • season preview

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Pro Stock, Speedmaster

Places: Gainesville, Phoenix

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