American Muscle NHRA Gatornationals Photo Gallery
By Evan J. Smith
Photography by the author and Dakota Summerton
Florida is a hotbed for drag racing in March and the heat was turned up last weekend as NHRA season kicked off at the 54th Annual Gatornationals. The Gators falls in between the NMRA season-opener and the NMCA kick-off, where this weekend racers take to the track at Orlando Speed World.
Since 1970, Gainesville Raceway has hosted the NHRA Gatornationals, which is wildly popular with fans from around the globe. The Gatornationals saw the first 260-mph Top Fuel and Funny Car runs in 1984 by Joe Amato and Kenny Bernstein respectively, and the first 270-mph and 300-mph Top Fuel passes by Don Garlits and Kenny Bernstein in 1986 and 1992, respectively.
And speaking of Don Garlits, “Big Daddy” was in action this year making passes in the Dream Giveaway 807 HP Dodge Challenger Hellcat Jailbreak. This is the exact vehicle you can win, in fact, using the promo code EVAN at DreamGiveway.com gets you double chances to win on entries over $25!
The 2023 Gators saw a capacity crowd and those fans, were treated to Nitro runs with Earth-shaking power and speeds topping 335 mph! There was also great racing in Pro Stock, Pro Mod and the host of sportsman classes, some of which are the same ones contested in NMCA action. These include Micro Strategies Stock and Micro Strategies Super Stock, where racers can cross over between NHRA and NMCA. It was a sea of Ford, Buick, Chevy, Dodge, Plymouth, OIdsmobile and other make Muscle Cars mixing it up on the quarter-mile.
Team NMCA was on hand to capture the highlights including pit action, celebrities, burnouts, wheelies, and flames being tossed from the header pipes. And with the Gators in the rearview, we’re off to Orlando for SDPC NMCA Muscle Car Mayhem presented by Holbrook Race Engines and we hope to see you there.
By Evan J. Smith
Photography by the author and Dakota Summerton
Florida is a hotbed for drag racing in March and the heat was turned up last weekend as NHRA season kicked off at the 54th Annual Gatornationals. The Gators falls in between the NMRA season-opener and the NMCA kick-off, where this weekend racers take to the track at Orlando Speed World.
Since 1970, Gainesville Raceway has hosted the NHRA Gatornationals, which is wildly popular with fans from around the globe. The Gatornationals saw the first 260-mph Top Fuel and Funny Car runs in 1984 by Joe Amato and Kenny Bernstein respectively, and the first 270-mph and 300-mph Top Fuel passes by Don Garlits and Kenny Bernstein in 1986 and 1992, respectively.
And speaking of Don Garlits, “Big Daddy” was in action this year making passes in the Dream Giveaway 807 HP Dodge Challenger Hellcat Jailbreak. This is the exact vehicle you can win, in fact, using the promo code EVAN at DreamGiveway.com gets you double chances to win on entries over $25!
The 2023 Gators saw a capacity crowd and those fans, were treated to Nitro runs with Earth-shaking power and speeds topping 335 mph! There was also great racing in Pro Stock, Pro Mod and the host of sportsman classes, some of which are the same ones contested in NMCA action. These include Micro Strategies Stock and Micro Strategies Super Stock, where racers can cross over between NHRA and NMCA. It was a sea of Ford, Buick, Chevy, Dodge, Plymouth, OIdsmobile and other make Muscle Cars mixing it up on the quarter-mile.
Team NMCA was on hand to capture the highlights including pit action, celebrities, burnouts, wheelies, and flames being tossed from the header pipes. And with the Gators in the rearview, we’re off to Orlando for SDPC NMCA Muscle Car Mayhem presented by Holbrook Race Engines and we hope to see you there.
