GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Jan. 13, 2025) – With the NHRA set for its 74th season of racing in 2025, the countdown is on for the start of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and it doesn’t get much bigger than the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, which kicks off the year March 6-9 at Gainesville Raceway.
The legendary facility will play host to the 56th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, long regarded as one of the marquee events on the NHRA tour. This season will be no different as all the stars in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle will look to win the historic race and start their year with a spectacular victory.
The season kickoff is loaded with a host of special events to make the Gatornationals even bigger, including the big-money Top Fuel All-Star Callout specialty race, which takes place on Saturday, March 8, as well as the first race of 2025 in the Congruity Pro Mod Drag Racing Series and NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown, and action in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.
The Gatornationals have drawn massive crowds for more than five decades, as fans in 2025 will get their first glimpse of the incredible 11,000-horsepower, 330-mph nitro machines and all the biggest stars on the NHRA tour, including reigning world champions Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Austin Prock (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
In 2024, Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), J.R. Todd (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won on the hallowed grounds of Gainesville Raceway 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 coverage of the Top Fuel All-Star Callout at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 8 and eliminations at 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 9.
Brown won the Top Fuel All-Star Callout a year ago, using that momentum to clinch his fourth world title. The standout will look to defend his title in the thrilling one-day bonus race, which adds the unique callout element to the big-money specialty event.
Action in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series will start with two rounds of qualifying on both Friday and Saturday, the Top Fuel All-Star Callout on Saturday and then eliminations on Sunday.
More top names that will be in action in Gainesville include Top Fuel’s Doug Kalitta, Brittany Force, reigning rookie of the year and motorsports legend Tony Stewart, and local native Josh Hart, Funny Car stars Matt Hagan, Ron Capps, Bob Tasca III and Jack Beckman, who will be driving for legendary champion John Force in 2025, Pro Stock’s Aaron Stanfield, Dallas Glenn and Jeg Coughlin Jr., and Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Matt Smith, Jianna Evaristo, Angie Smith, Richard Gadson and Chase Van Sant.
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 state-of-the-art facility and much more.
A host of additional special events – both off and on the track – as well as the full event schedule for the 56th annual NHRA Gatornationals will be announced in the coming weeks.
To purchase tickets to the 2025 Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. Upgraded experiences in the Gainesville Top Eliminator Club – which features a premium experience and a number of exclusive benefits at one of the biggest races of the season – are also available for purchase. Children 12 and under are free in general admission areas with the purchase of an adult ticket. For more information about the NHRA, visit www.NHRA.com.
About Mission Foods
MISSION®, owned by GRUMA, S.A.B. de C.V., is the world’s leading brand for tortillas and wraps. MISSION® is also globally renowned for flatbreads, dips, salsas and Mexican food products. With presence in over 112 countries, MISSION® products are suited to the lifestyles and the local tastes of each country. With innovation and customer needs in mind, MISSION® focuses on the highest quality, authentic flavors, and providing healthy options that families and friends can enjoy together. For more information, please visit https://www.missionfoods.com/
About NHRA
NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With more than 100 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
