2025 NHRA SEASON KICKS OFF AT HISTORIC GAINESVILLE

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 6, 2025) – In one month, the hallowed grounds of Gainesville Raceway will again come alive with the sights and sounds of 11,000-horsepower, 330-mph nitro machines, as the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series kicks off its 2025 season with the highly anticipated 56th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals on March 6-9.

The legendary event promises to deliver all the racing action and must-see attractions NHRA fans expect from the pinnacle of drag racing. It is the first of 20 races during the 2025 season and fans can look forward to a weekend filled with action, including two qualifying sessions on both Friday and Saturday, leading into eliminations on Sunday, where all the stars in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle look to win a season-opening Wally and the special Gatornationals “Golden Gator” trophy.

Gainesville Raceway will also continue to give fans a memorable experience including free general parking at the state-of-the-art facility.

This year’s Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals will again host the Top Fuel All-Star Callout, featuring the top drivers in the category for a one-day specialty race on Saturday, March 8. Reigning Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown hopes to become the first driver to win the unique Callout race for a second time, following his 2024 win. Four-time champ Steve Torrence will have his pick of opponents of the eight-driver field, making it one of the marquee draws of the weekend.

In 2024, Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), J.R. Todd (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won the Gatornationals to open the year. It marked the first double-up victory for Kalitta Motorsports, while six-time world champ Enders won the historic race for the first time. This year’s race will again be broadcast on FS1, including eliminations at 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 9.

Todd, a former Funny Car world champion, earned his second Gatornationals win when he took out Funny Car newcomer Austin Prock in the final round. Prock quickly recovered and picked up eight race wins and ultimately the Funny Car championship in a dominant season for John Force Racing. Other stars to watch will be Jack Beckman, who will be racing for John Force in 2025, Matt Hagan, Ron Capps and Bob Tasca III as they all put their 11,000-horsepower machines to the test in Gainesville.

Enders, the winningest female in motorsports, was pleased to earn her first Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals win last season, but the remainder of her season did not go the way she had planned. The six-time champ went on to earn three runner-up finishes throughout the season and finished fourth in points. Taking the top spot and overall championship was her long-time rival, Greg Anderson. With six Gainesville wins and now six championships to his name, Anderson will look to take on the other stars like Dallas Glenn and Aaron Stanfield in the Pro Stock ranks.

The Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals will also see the season debut in the highly competitive Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series and the Flexjet NHRA Factory Stock Showdown class, as well as a full slate of sportsman classes in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, which features some of the sport’s top drivers.

Before the race, fans will again be invited to a special “Gatornationals Kickoff Party and Fanfest” at Josh Hart’s Burnyzz Speedshop in Ocala. In what’s become an exciting pre-event tradition, the event will take place from 6-9 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5. The fun-filled kickoff event will include driver appearances and autographs from 7-8 p.m. at the massive facility and much more.

Race fans at Gainesville Raceway can enjoy the special pre-race ceremonies that introduce and celebrate each of the drivers racing for the prestigious Wally on Sunday and includes the fan favorite SealMaster Track Walk, which benefits the Darrell Gwynn Foundation in Gainesville. The final can’t-miss experience of any NHRA event is the winner’s circle celebration on Sunday after racing concludes, where fans are invited to congratulate the event winners of the season-opener.

The Nitro Alley Stage is a huge attraction all weekend and is the main entertainment hub in the pits when the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series competitors are not on the track, hosting Nitro School, NHRA Insider Live, meet and greets and much more. Before the first round of eliminations on Sunday, fans can enjoy a C-17 flyover from the Mississippi Air National Guard’s 172nd Airlift Wing.

As always, fans get a pit pass to the most powerful and sensory-filled motorsports attraction on the planet. Fans can see their favorite teams in action and servicing their cars, get autographs from their favorite drivers and more. They can also visit NHRA’s Manufacturers Midway, where sponsors and vendors create an exciting atmosphere of interactive displays, merchandise, food and fun.

NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features two rounds at 2 and 4:30 p.m. ET on Friday, March 7, and the final two qualifying rounds on Saturday, March 8 at 12:30 and 3:10 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 9.

The first round of the Top Fuel All-Star Callout takes place on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET and the semifinals at 3 p.m. The finals are slated for 4:30 p.m. A special Callout broadcast will air at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday on FS1.

To purchase tickets to the 2025 Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. Children 12 and under are free in general admission areas with the purchase of an adult ticket. General parking is free and limited preferred parking is available for purchase. Get your tickets now for the Top Eliminator Club because these will sell out. For more info on NHRA, including the full weekend schedule in Gainesville, please visit www.NHRA.com.