NHRA
PROCK, TORRENCE, ENDERS AND HERRERA GET PROVISIONAL NO. 1 SPOTS AT AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS
GAINESVILLE, FL – Austin Prock set the Gainesville Raceway track record in his Funny Car debut on Friday for John Force Racing, 
powering to the provisional No. 1 position at the 55th Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.
Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the first of 21 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.
Prock, the 2019 NHRA Rookie of the Year, moved from Top Fuel to Funny Car before the season and enjoyed an impressive start to the 2024 NHRA campaign, going 3.820-seconds at 334.65 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS. If that holds, it would be his fourth No. 1 qualifier and first in his new class.
SIX-TIME PRO STOCK CHAMP ERICA ENDERS LOOKS TO FINALLY CONQUER AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS
GAINESVILLE, FL – Of all Erica Enders’ incredible accomplishments throughout a sterling Pro Stock career, there has only been one thing 
that has eluded the six-time NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season and that’s a win at legendary Gainesville Raceway.
She’ll have an opportunity to grab that victory at this weekend’s 55th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals and Enders is determined to knock that off her bucket list. It’s the only track on the current NHRA tour where motorsports’ winningest female has not won and Enders would love to change that to kick off the year.
Last year, Enders’ car wouldn’t start before the first round of eliminations, the latest in a string of unfortunate and downright unlucky occurrences in Gainesville. But the back-to-back world champ remains determined to pick up a Gatornationals win in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/SCAG Power Equipment car and add another notch to her impressive legacy.
GAIGE HERRERA RETURNS TO GAINESVILLE RACEWAY WITH HOPES TO CONTINUE HIS NHRA PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE DOMINANCE
GAINESVILLE, FL – After his incredible showing in the 2023 NHRA season, reigning Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Gaige Herrera returns 
to where his dominance started last season: the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals.
The NHRA returns to the famed Gainesville Raceway for its season kick-off this weekend for a new era as the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series begins its multi-year partnership as the new title sponsor of the pro classes.
Herrera, rider of the RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki, kicked off his 2023 season with an impressive win in Gainesville. From there, he continued to impress fans and reign supreme over the Pro Stock Motorcycle field.
“Coming back to Gainesville as now the defending champion, I feel like there’s more pressure now than there was last year,” Herrera said. “I raised the bar for myself very high last year. I have a lot I have to live up to. All in all, I’m very excited. I have a new teammate (Richard Gadson) and a new primary sponsor in RevZilla. There’s going to be a lot of awesome things to happen in the offseason, so it’s definitely every exciting to get back to Gainesville.”
STANDOUT FIELD KICKS OFF CONGRUITY NHRA PRO MOD DRAG RACING SERIES SEASON IN GAINESVILLE
GAINESVILLE, FL – A huge field loaded with championship contenders ensures a must-see start for the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag 
Racing Series presented by LearnEV+ this weekend as part of the 55th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.
The star-studded field includes an impressive 26 Pro Mod entries to kick off the 2024 season. It’s the first of 10 races during the 2024 season and this weekend’s event is powered by FuelTech, a company well-represented in the NHRA Pro Mod world.
“We are thrilled to be the Pro Mod sponsor for Gatornationals, kicking off the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Series Presented by LearnEV+. Pro Mod exemplifies FuelTech’s continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of automotive performance, it is where adrenaline meets precision engineering, and we are proud to support this exceptional racing community,” said Luis de Leon, Chief Operating Officer at FuelTech USA.
TOP FUEL DRIVER AND REALITY TV STAR JORDAN VANDERGRIFF SET TO JOIN NHRA ON FOX TEAM
INDIANAPOLIS – Top Fuel driver and reality television star Jordan Vandergriff will be part of the NHRA on FOX team as a reporter for 
select events during the upcoming 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
The season opens at this weekend’s 55th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at legendary Gainesville Raceway and Vandergriff will be in attendance, engaging the audience during the FS1 broadcast and on the NHRA social media pages.
Qualifying coverage begins Saturday at 12 p.m. and FS1 coverage kicks off the season that night with a special Pep Boys Top Fuel All-Star Callout broadcast at 7 p.m. ET. Qualifying coverage continues Sunday with a recap show on FS1 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. ET, followed by live eliminations coverage of the first two rounds from 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. ET. Final round coverage will conclude on FS1 Sunday night from 9-10:30 p.m. ET with semifinal and final round coverage.
REIGNING FUNNY CAR CHAMP MATT HAGAN AFTER CONTINUED SUCCESS AT AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS
GAINESVILLE, FL – It wasn’t long ago that Funny Car standout Matt Hagan struggled at legendary Gainesville Raceway, the site of this 
weekend’s 55th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals.
But the reigning world champ and star driver for Tony Stewart Racing has enjoyed an impressive turnaround at the historic facility, winning the last two years in Gainesville. The victory in 2022 was his first in Gainesville and the first overall victory for Tony Stewart Racing, while he opened 2023 with another Gatornationals triumph.
That was the first of six wins for Hagan, who ended the year with his fourth world title, also claiming the first title for Tony Stewart Racing. A third straight Gatornationals win in his 11,000-horsepower TSR Direct Connection Dodge//SRT Hellcat to kick off the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season would also give the four-time world champ his 50th career win and a significant place in Gatornationals history.
LINEUP SET FOR AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS FANFEST AT BURNYZZ SPEED SHOP
GAINESVILLE, FL – The 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season begins this weekend at historic Gainesville Raceway with 
the 55th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals and leading into the legendary event, Top Fuel standout Josh Hart will host the second annual Gatornationals Kickoff Party and Fanfest from 6-9 p.m. on Wednesday at Burnyzz Speed Shop in Ocala.
The free event offers an epic fanfest to head into one of the biggest events of the year in Gainesville. Featuring a massive car show, live music, food trucks, and a driver autograph session from 7-8:30 p.m. that will include NHRA legends and current standouts, the fanfest promises something special to help kick off the 2024 season. Fans will also get a chance to see the special “Golden Gators” trophy that will be given to winners on Sunday and celebrates the Gatornationals 55th anniversary.
“Last year’s event exceeded our expectations from fans who showed up and the number of cars for the car show,” said Hart, a multi-time Top Fuel winner. “This year we want to make it even bigger and better. This is one of the most historic motorsports events in the country and we are excited to have it in our backyard and celebrate with everyone from Ocala and around central Florida. I want to thank everyone at Burnyzz Speed Shop for supporting this great event.”
AFTER FIRST WORLD TITLE, TOP FUEL’S DOUG KALITTA EAGER TO START 2024 NHRA SEASON IN GAINESVILLE
GAINESVILLE, FL – For the first time in his career, Top Fuel veteran Doug Kalitta will enter the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series 
season with a “1” on his 11,000-horsepower Mac Tools dragster to signify his world championship in 2023.
It’s a well-earned honor for the popular Kalitta, who will now look to open his first title defense on a strong note at this weekend’s 55th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at legendary Gainesville Raceway.
The championship was a long time coming for the longtime standout, as Kalitta earned that first world title on the final pass of the season, a winner-take-all final round with Leah Pruett at the In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals in Pomona. That memory is still fresh in Kalitta’s mind, but it’s also kept his team plenty motivated heading into this weekend’s highly-anticipated 2024 opener in Gainesville.
FLYIN’ RYAN OEHLER AND EL BANDIDO YANKEE TEQUILA SET SIGHTS ON MORE SUCCESS IN 2024
MILTON, DE – Continuing to build one of the most dynamic and fan-centric marketing programs on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing 
Series tour, El Bandido Yankee Tequila will once again sponsor standout Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Flyin’ Ryan Oehler for the entire 2024 NHRA season. In addition to a new-look Buell Pro Stock Motorcycle, El Bandido Tequila will have several at-track marketing initiatives, including being named the Official Tequila of Indianapolis Raceway Park and Texas Motorplex. The horsepower of Oehler on the track and El Bandido Tequila off the track will be a potent marketing combination.
“We have been building a strong marketing presence the past few seasons with El Bandido Tequila across the country with our Pro Stock Motorcycle team,” said Ryan Oehler, the 2020 U.S. Nationals Pro Stock Motorcycle champion. “Through at-track events and marketing tie-ins at off-site fanfests we have been working towards this season of dynamic El Bandido activations and introducing this delicious tequila to even more NHRA fans.”
Throughout the season, Oehler and El Bandido Tequila will promote monthly giveaways that will include Burromax electric minibikes. The season will kick off on March 7-10th at the Gatornationals, providing fans with the opportunity to enjoy El Bandido Yankee Tequila for the first time at this historic event. Fans will be able to sample and even purchase the product while they enjoy watching Oehler battle for his first Gatornationals victory.
CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR LEGENDARY TEAM OWNER AND DRIVER DON SCHUMACHER TO TAKE PLACE AT NHRA NATIONAL EVENT IN CHICAGO
INDIANAPOLIS – NHRA officials announced today that a special celebration of life for motorsports icon Don Schumacher will take place at 
his home track, Route 66 Raceway in Chicago, on Friday, May 17 during the Gerber Collision & Glass NHRA Route 66 Nationals presented by PEAK Performance.
The longtime NHRA team owner and Funny Car pioneer passed away on Dec. 20 after a lengthy battle with cancer, but not before leaving an incredible legacy in NHRA drag racing. Those numerous honors and achievements will be recognized during the celebration of life, which will take place at a display tent at the track before the first round of qualifying in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. Fans are welcome to attend the proceedings, which will include remarks from NHRA on FOX announcer Brian Lohnes and Racers for Christ (RFC).
An autograph session with drivers that were a part of Don Schumacher Racing over the years will also take place at the display tent on Friday and will include a special Don Schumacher hero card. Schumacher, who was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2013 and was a recipient of the NHRA’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022, built a multi-car powerhouse over the years, winning 367 NHRA events (including the five he won as a Funny Car driver) and 19 world championships. In all, more than 25 standout competitors raced for the legendary team owner.
