Gatornationals Postponed Until Late September


Gatornationals Postponed Until Late September

A little over a year ago life could not get any better for NHRA Drag Racing fans in Florida. Record crowds attended the traditional track walk for a stroll down the newly repaved Gainesville Raceway and mingled with the world’s fastest race car drivers and teams. Richie Crampton (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Bo Butner (Pro Stock), and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) proudly hoisted their special edition gold Wally trophies, as class winners at the historic 50th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals.  In the E3 Spark Plugs Pro Mod division, Steve “Fast” Jackson made the quickest pass in Pro Mod history but didn’t get the win. North Carolina native Todd Tutterow collected his first career win with quicker start of .008 on the Tree to Jackson’s .036 second reaction time.

No doubt race fans were living the high life and the 50th annual Gatornationals did not disappoint. But… that was then and now we are all having to adjust to the “new normal”. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, sanctioning bodies worldwide are scrambling to release race schedules that are still plagued by layers of uncertainty. Unfortunately, the 2020 running of the historic event that was originally postponed back in March and rescheduled for June 5-7 at Gainesville Raceway was again delayed, when the most recent wave of coronavirus hit Florida, and officials in Alachua County had to cancel numerous events based on directives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Florida Department of Health.

The National Hot Rod Association has tentatively rescheduled the 51st Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals for September 25-27. Alachua County remains in constant communication with stakeholder event producers as well as officials at Gainesville Raceway, which is owned by the NHRA, to provide the most accurate and complete information regarding future closures and postponements due to the COVID-19 crisis. As you make plans to attend the rescheduled activities in Gainesville, it is advisable to check the NHRA’s social media and website for updates. Currently, the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and E3 Spark Plugs Pro Mod Series are scheduled restart the 2020 season in Indianapolis on July 18-19 at Lucas Oil Raceway.