- Mike Stavrinos Blasts to Provisional No. 1 in Pro Mod with Stunning 5.688 at Gainesville
- HART, CAPPS, C. COUGHLIN & A. SMITH START 75TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON WITH PROVISIONAL NO. 1 SPOTS AT GAINESVILLE
- Cody Coughlin Edges out Hartford for the Pprovisional No. 1 spot During Round 2 of Pro Stock
- Capps Tops Funny Car Qualifying after Round 2 at the Gator Nationals
- Josh Hart Provisional #1 in Top Fuel Qualifying after Round 2 at the AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals
- XTREME RACEWAY PARK JOINS NHRA MEMBER TRACK NETWORK IN DIVISION 4
- Monster Energy Joins Maddi Gordon, Ron Capps Motorsports for Multi-Year NHRA Partnership
Mike Stavrinos Blasts to Provisional No. 1 in Pro Mod with Stunning 5.688 at Gainesville
GAINESVILLE, FL – The Pro Mod class turned up the heat in the latest qualifying action at the 57th annual AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA 
Gatornationals, as Mike Stavrinos stormed to the provisional pole position with a career-highlight 5.688-second ET at a blistering 252.14 mph in his #3 entry.
Stavrinos’ explosive run – the quickest and fastest of the weekend so far – catapults him to the top of the ladder, edging out the field in what has been a wildly competitive Pro Mod session at Gainesville Raceway. This marks a strong rebound and statement for the Fort Lauderdale-based driver as the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series kicks off, with Pro Mod’s raw horsepower and doorslammer drama on full display.
The top spots shuffled dramatically:
HART, CAPPS, C. COUGHLIN & A. SMITH START 75TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON WITH PROVISIONAL NO. 1 SPOTS AT GAINESVILLE
GAINESVILLE, FL – Ocala’s Josh Hart made the fastest run in Gainesville Dragway history on Friday to open the 2026 NHRA season, 
taking the Top Fuel provisional No. 1 position at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals.
Ron Capps (Funny Car), Cody Coughlin (Pro Stock) and Angie Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the first of 20 races during the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
Selections were also made for the opening round of the big-money Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout bonus race, which takes place on Saturday. Top seed and reigning event winner Doug Kalitta selected Clay Millican in a first-round rematch from last season. Shawn Langdon picked Shawn Reed, while Antron Brown chose Hart with the next pick in a matchup of two former Callout winners. That left Tony Stewart and Justin Ashley as the remaining matchup for the eight-car field.
Hart went 3.658-seconds at a track-record 340.30-mph in his 12,000-horsepower Burnyzz/Speedmaster dragster to close out the first two rounds of qualifying and mark a wildly-successful debut in his first race with John Force Racing.
Cody Coughlin Edges out Hartford for the Pprovisional No. 1 spot During Round 2 of Pro Stock
Gainesville, FL – The AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, the powerhouse season opener for the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing 
Series and the thrilling launch of the organization’s 75th anniversary season, wrapped up Friday night qualifying action with a tight battle in Pro Stock at Gainesville Raceway on March 6, 2026.
Cody Coughlin grabbed the provisional No. 1 spot in Round 2 with a sharp 6.523-second ET at 210.01 mph in his No. 9 entry, edging out the field on a night where consistency and low reaction times were key on the Gainesville surface. The Coughlin family name continues to shine, with multiple drivers in the mix.
Matt Hartford slotted into second at 6.533/210.41 in the No. 3 machine, while Matt Latino took third at 6.533/210.37 in the No. 166 car—highlighting the razor-thin margins in Pro Stock. Deric Kramer (No. 52) held fourth at 6.535/209.82, and Greg Stanfield (No. 445) rounded out the top five at 6.538/208.49. Continue reading
Capps Tops Funny Car Qualifying after Round 2 at the Gator Nationals
Gainesville, FL – The AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, the high-octane season opener for the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing 
Series and the exciting start to the organization’s 75th anniversary celebration, delivered more nitro-fueled drama in Funny Car qualifying at Gainesville Raceway on Friday, March 6, 2026.
Ron Capps powered to the provisional No. 1 position in Round 2 with a sharp 3.890-second ET at 334.07 mph in his No. 28 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra. Capps’ strong pass vaulted him to the top of the ladder as teams adjusted to the challenging track conditions and chased consistent performance.
J.R. Todd remained firmly in contention, holding the No. 2 spot with a 3.912 ET at 334.15 mph in the No. 373 DHL Toyota GR Supra. Paul Lee secured third at 3.920/331.12 in the No. 6 entry, followed closely by Chad Green in fourth at 3.926/326.08 in the No. 7 machine—continuing his momentum as the defending Gatornationals Funny Car winner. Continue reading
Josh Hart Provisional #1 in Top Fuel Qualifying after Round 2 at the AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals
Gainesville, FL – The field is stacked with champions and contenders: Antron Brown (4th, 3.694/331.85), Tony Stewart (5th, 3.703/339.96 
– huge speed!), Doug Kalitta (6th, 3.703/334.07), and Tony Schumacher (7th, 3.710/338.61). Tripp Tatum, Billy Torrence, Shawn Reed, and Justin Ashley round out the current top 10-11, all in the low-3.70s or better.
Lower qualifiers showed some challenges – tire smoke, shake, or shut-offs – but expect big moves Saturday as the track preps for Q3 (around 12:35 PM ET) and Q4 (3:00 PM ET). The Right Trailers NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout also looms, with top qualifiers calling shots for bonus action.
Full provisional Top Fuel qualifying order after Q2:
XTREME RACEWAY PARK JOINS NHRA MEMBER TRACK NETWORK IN DIVISION 4
Track owner and Quarter-Max owner Clyde Scott also partnering with NHRA for 51 Legends of NHRA Divisions presented by Quarter-Max Racing
INDIANAPOLIS – NHRA officials are excited to announce that Xtreme Raceway Park has joined the NHRA Member Track Network in 
NHRA’s South Central Division (Division 4).
Track owner Clyde Scott, who is the owner at Quarter-Max Racing Components, has also partnered with NHRA for a special “51 Legends of the NHRA Divisions presented by Quarter-Max” program during NHRA’s 75th anniversary season in 2026.
Quarter-Max will celebrate a memorable aspect of NHRA’s 75-year history, as 51 legends in each of NHRA’s seven divisions will be named and awarded with a branded medallion at every divisional banquet across the country.
Quarter-Max will also contribute a $10,000 purse to support the Division 4 Top Sportsman and Top Dragster Points Fund, along with backing the new “Battle for the Buckle” Division 4 Bracket Series. Continue reading
Monster Energy Joins Maddi Gordon, Ron Capps Motorsports for Multi-Year NHRA Partnership
Monster Energy will support Gordon’s rookie Top Fuel campaign as Ron Capps Motorsports expands to a two-car program for the 2026 NHRA season
GAINESVILLE, FL – Monster Energy has joined NHRA Rookie of the Year candidate Maddi Gordon and the championship-winning Ron 
Capps Motorsports team in a multi-year partnership beginning with the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. Announced today at Gainesville Raceway ahead of qualifying for the season-opening NHRA Gatornationals, the partnership will see Monster Energy support Gordon’s rookie campaign competing in the sport’s premier Top Fuel class as a major associate-level partner.
“This is a huge weekend for us,” said RCM team owner and NAPA Auto Care Funny Car driver Ron Capps. “We’re debuting as a two-car team with Carlyle Tools, it’s Maddi’s first-ever Top Fuel race, the start of NHRA’s 75th anniversary season, and now the cherry on top – we get to announce a partnership with Monster Energy. It’s a brand that carries a lot of weight and has always backed some of the coolest, most extreme athletes in the world, and there’s not much more extreme than what we do, driving these nitromethane-burning beasts at 330 miles per hour. It’s an incredible brand to be aligned with, and I’m beyond proud that Ron Capps Motorsports gets to make this announcement today.” Continue reading
PRO STOCK’S DALLAS GLENN RETURNS TO GAINESVILLE AS REIGNING WORLD CHAMPION
GAINESVILLE, FL – Last season at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals was the kickoff to Pro Stock driver Dallas Glenn’s first world 
championship season. This season, he’s looking for another win at Gainesville Raceway at the 2026 NHRA Mission Drag Racing Series season opener, which starts NHRA’s 75th anniversary season.
Glenn wheels the RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro for Pro Stock powerhouse KB Titan Racing. Last year’s Gainesville win was his first of eight wins en route to his championship, enjoying another banner season in the Pro Stock ranks. As he and the rest of the stars of the NHRA Mission Drag Racing Series return to the legendary facility, Glenn is thrilled to be back at Gainesville.
“It feels really good to get back to the track just because of how busy we’ve been at the shop during the off-season,” said Glenn. “I’m really excited to be back out competing and seeing all the people in this traveling circus and all of our friends. I’ve had success at Gainesville before, and I would really like to continue that success there.”
Glenn’s 2025 Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals marked his first win over his KB Titan Racing teammate and six-time Pro Stock world champion Greg Anderson. The two battled all season for the points lead and the championship, but Glenn’s performance in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs gave him the edge, as he won four of the five races in the postseason. Continue reading
TONY STEWART MAKES ELITE MOTORSPORTS DEBUT; AARON STANFIELD LOOKING TO CARRY OVER MOMENTUM
GAINESVILLE, FL – Elite Motorsports enters this weekend’s Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, the first of 20 
events on the Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series schedule, with their stable of six Pro Stock cars and the debut of their Top Fuel dragster program.
The Elite Motorsports R+L Carriers Top Fuel dragster will make its competition debut at the season opener with motorsports legend Tony Stewart at the wheel. Stewart is in his third season as a Top Fuel pilot. He earned two victories in 2025 and secured the regular season championship before finishing fifth in points. Last year at Gainesville Raceway he had a quarterfinal exit after qualifying 11th.
“I’m about as ready as I’m going to be for the Gatornationals, and I mean that in a good way. Testing has been great, we’ve put up some impressive numbers that have this whole R+L team pretty pumped for the weekend,” said Stewart who laid down a 340-mph run on the last day of testing. “When you see numbers on the board like that, you can’t help but feel optimistic. This whole crew has been working hard so it’s going to be nice to see it officially pay off once we get the Gatornationals started. We’re definitely going to start the season strong, I’m excited about it.” Continue reading
XXI MARTINIS JOINS TONY STEWART RACING IN NHRA
BROWNSBURG, IN – Tony Stewart Racing has announced Award Winning XXI Martinis as their newest partner for the NHRA 75th 
anniversary season. Distilled and bottled in the United States, XXI Martinis offers a collection of ready to serve flavored martinis.
“We’re excited XXI Martinis has come on board with TSR for the 2026 NHRA season,” said Tony Stewart, owner of Tony Stewart Racing. “They’re becoming a well-known brand, and we look forward to building their popularity, sales and distribution into our fanbase and family of partners.”
Co-Founded by serial entrepreneur Shannon Keeran and legendary Las Vegas bartender, Angelo Bottley, XXI Martinis was developed and launched in 2021. The brand, known for their flagship Espresso Martini, has quickly grown to become a national brand and is also available in the British Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, and is offered in over 4,000 bars, restaurants and retail stores nationwide. Continue reading
