NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

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, and 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 NHRA 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, and 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.