TICKETS ON SALE FOR 2023 NHRA SEASON OPENER AT HISTORIC AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS
INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 22, 2022) – With excitement high for the upcoming 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, tickets are now on sale for the season-opening race, the historic 54th annual AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals on March 9-12 at Gainesville Raceway.
The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season will begin in Gainesville with incredible action in all four professional classes (Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle), along with the action-packed Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout specialty race. The eight-car shootout features a unique callout format, with the No. 1 seed getting their pick of opponents in the field.
For more than five decades, Gainesville Raceway has been hallowed grounds for drivers in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, as each NHRA star has been eager to leave their mark at the storied facility in front of what has always been a huge crowd. The first event of the year will also celebrate the 2022 world champions with a ring ceremony, along with a pre-race kickoff party in Gainesville to help set the tone for a must-see season opener.
“The Gatornationals have such a rich history, and we are thrilled to begin our 2023 NHRA season in front of what will be another great crowd in Gainesville,” said NHRA Vice President of Track Management and Operations, Kasey Coler. “With the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout and a host of other special events to kick off the season, we look forward to starting the year in memorable fashion and I know our race teams will be eager to put on an incredible show.”
In 2022, Tripp Tatum (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Karen Stoffer (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all picked up victories during a record-breaking weekend in Gainesville. Hagan earned the first-ever victory for Tony Stewart Racing, while Karen Stoffer made the quickest pass in Pro Stock Motorcycle history at 6.665-seconds en route to the win. Erica Enders also set the record in Pro Stock for the quickest pass in class history, going 6.450. Tatum earned his first career victory in March, as a first-time winner picked up the victory for a second straight year in Top Fuel.
Along with racing in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, the Gatornationals will also feature the first race of the season in the FuelTech NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by D-Wagon and Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown, as well as action in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.
The Gatornationals have seen incredible racing throughout its history. Funny Car legend John Force leads active NHRA drivers with eight Gainesville victories, while Pro Stock Motorcycle veteran Eddie Krawiec has six wins to his credit. Top Fuel’s Tony Schumacher and Pro Stock’s Greg Anderson each own five wins, while 2021 Funny Car world champ Ron Capps and current points leader Robert Hight both have four Gatornationals victories.
Action will start next year with qualifying on Friday and Saturday, leading into eliminations on Sunday as all the NHRA stars will look to open their 2023 season in standout fashion. The race will also count toward the Pep Boys NHRA Funny Car All-Star Callout, which takes place in Indy later in the year.
To purchase tickets to the 2023 AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. 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.
Wayne Minick from Chicago, Illinois USA (Comp Number: 301) 1985 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: AA/FC, Div: 3 "Chi-Town Hustler" Owned by John Farkonas, Austin Coil, Pat Minick from Chicago, Illinois USA '84 Dodge Daytona by Tony Casarez | Powered by a 500 cubic inch Keith Black Hemi by Austin Coil with 2 speed […]
Art Gravatt from Melbourne, Florida USA 1985 - Category: TOPDRAG, Type: PN, Class: Super Comp, Div: 2 "Art Gravatt" Owned by Art Gravatt from Melbourne, Florida USA Dragster by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by a 388 cubic inch Chevrolet with automatic transmission 1/4 Mile ET: 8.300 at 1985 | 1/4 Mile MPH: 181.00 […]
Ulf Jonsson from Sollentuna, Sweden (Comp Number: 373) 1985 - Category: TOPFUEL, Type: TE, Class: TF, Div: 9 "Sollentuna" Owned by Ulf Jonsson from Sollentuna, Sweden '80 Dragster by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by a 484 cubic inch Keith Black Hemi with 2 speed manual transmission 1/4 Mile ET: 6.010 at Unknown | […]
Don Holm from Oregon USA (Comp Number: 6089) 1985 - Category: ALKYFC, Type: CN, Class: TA/FC, Div: 6 "Borrowed Time" Owned by Don Holm from Oregon USA '83 Dodge Charger by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by a Unknown cubic inch Keith Black Hemi with 3 speed manual transmission 1/4 Mile ET: 6.900 at […]
Jeff Hamelink from Savage, Minnesota USA (Comp Number: 585) 1985 - Category: ALKYDRAG, Type: DN, Class: TA/D, Div: 5 "Jeff Hamelink" Owned by Jeff Hamelink from Savage, Minnesota USA Dragster by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by a 444 cubic inch BAE Keith Black Hemi with 3 speed manual transmission 1/4 Mile ET: 6.960 […]
Wayne Vanouck from Wetaskiwin, Alberta Canada (Comp Number: 624) 1985 - Category: ALKYDRAG, Type: DN, Class: TA/D, Div: 6 "Sorcerer I" Owned by Wayne Vanouck & Sjogren from Wetaskiwin, Alberta Canada '80 Dragster by Wayne Vanouck | Powered by a Unknown cubic inch Rodeck Chevrolet with 3 speed manual transmission 1/4 Mile ET: 6.709 at […]
Paula Peterson from Washington USA 1985 - Category: ALKYDRAG, Type: DN, Class: TA/D, Div: 6 "Peterson & Roth" Owned by Paula Peterson & Roth from Washington USA '84 Dragster by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by a Unknown cubic inch Keith Black Hemi with 3 speed manual transmission 1/4 Mile ET: 6.990 at Unknown […]
Bill Phillips from Burnaby, British Columbia Canada (Comp Number: 619) 1985 - Category: ALKYDRAG, Type: DN, Class: TA/D, Div: 6 "Phillips & Zimmerman" Owned by Bill Phillips & Zimmerman from Burnaby, British Columbia Canada '84 Dragster by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by a 498 cubic inch Phillips Rotary with 3 speed manual transmission […]
Gary Henderson from Memphis, Tennessee USA (Comp Number: 220) 1985 - Category: ALKYFC, Type: CN, Class: TA/FC, Div: 2 "Iron Mike Express" Owned by Mike Lafaye from Memphis, Tennessee USA '83 Dodge Omni by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by a Unknown cubic inch Keith Black Hemi with 3 speed manual transmission 1/4 Mile […]
Russ Piattoni from Northlake, Illinois USA 1985 - Category: ALKYDRAG, Type: DN, Class: TA/D, Div: 3 "Motion Dynamics" Owned by Russ Piattoni from Northlake, Illinois USA '85 Dragster by Rich Pauza | Powered by a 440 cubic inch Chevrolet by Motion Dynamics with 3 speed manual transmission 1/4 Mile ET: 6.770 at Unknown | 1/4 […]