NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

A year after walking away from a devastating crash at the 2021 Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, Jasmine Salinas experienced the greatest retribution by driving her Scrappers Racing entry to her first national event victory in Top Alcohol Dragster, winning a battle of second-generation daughters of Top Fuel racers in Julie Nataas. Salinas was deadly on the Tree with a .028 and drove away to a 5.59 victory after Nataas smoked the tires in her OTG dragster. [video]

Thirteen years after tasting his first homestate victory, Florida Comp favorite and reigning Division 2 champ David Eaton collected another Gatornationals title when he powered his Oakley-backed A/AP Bantam roadster to a (-51) 6.67 to defeat 1999 U.S. Nationals runner-up Frank Affronti’s later-but-greater (-.53) 8.34 in his D/SMA Cobalt. [video]

After winning a pair of national events in Comp last season, Pete D’Agnolo returned to the winner’s circle with an impressive performance in Super Stock. D’Agnolo ran his record to a perfect 4-0 in finals with a narrow victory over Billy Ryan, winning by .001-second at the finish line. [video]

Following his win over Ron Urquhart in the final round of Stock, Jeff Strickland now has four Gatornationals victories in six final rounds. Strickland drove his COPO Camaro to the win with a 9.161 on his 9.17 dial. Urquhart, who won back-to-back events in Montreal and Englishtown in 1989, broke out by .039-second in his F/SA ’68 Camaro. [video]

Super Comp winner Hugh Meeks III collected career win No. 3 and his first since scoring a pair of Super Stock wins in 2005, putting together a stout package consisting of a .010 reaction and an 8.909 to force three-time Gatornationals winner Sherman Adcock Jr. into an 8.894 breakout. Meeks is now a perfect three for three in NHRA national event final rounds. [video]

Kevin MacNicol made good in his first national event final-round appearance, making the four-hour trek up Interstate 75 pay off with a thrilling Super Gas final-round victory over fellow Floridian Frank Altilio. After a near-even launch, MacNicol eked his ’68 Firebird past Altilio’s truck for a narrow .002-second margin of victory, one of several tight duels that MacNicol survived throughout the day. [video]

Two years ago, Wayne Landry won the NHRA Southern Nationals Top Dragster presented by Vortech Superchargers title in a race that was contested at Gainesville Raceway. Landry scored again in Gainesville with a final-round win against Clint Riley. Landry didn’t leave much margin for error with a .010 light and a 6.230 on his 6.20 prediction. Riley, the 2019 Atlanta champ, was just .010 behind at the finish line with a 7.003 on a 6.97 dial.  [video]

Following a runner-up finish at the 2021 U.S. Nationals, Allen Firestone claimed his third career national event title when he stopped Freddy Perkins in the final of Top Sportsman presented by Vortech Superchargers. Firestone aced the final with a .013 light and a 6.584 on his 6.56 dial. Perkins, a runner-up at the 2016 Epping event, broke out by .002-second. [video]