On March 12, when in consideration of the ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic and in accordance with the recommendation of the Florida governor, NHRA officials postponed a portion of the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, which began Thursday and was scheduled to run from March 13-15. 

Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Pro Mod, Factory Stock Showdown, Top Alcohol Dragster, and Top Alcohol Funny Car were postponed and will be completed at a later date to be determined.

“It’s kind of hard because we were already here and we were set up and were in the frame all ready to run,” said veteran Pro Stock Motorcycle racer Hector Arana Sr. “We went through the preparation and we went to testing and we were looking forward to going and then suddenly we get this news they postponed it. Then I watched the news (March 11) when the President (Trump) encouraged no large gatherings and then I wasn’t that surprised by the decision (to postpone the race). Everything started escalating.”

In consideration of the ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic and in accordance with the recommendation of the Florida governor, NHRA officials are postponing a portion of the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals.

The sportsman categories contested on Thursday will complete competition this weekend without ticketed spectators.

Veteran NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Hector Arana Sr. planned on racing with is son, Hector Arana Jr. at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals March 13-15 in Gainesville, Fla.

With one caveat – this was going to be Arana Sr.’s final race driving.

“I was going to run just this event,” said Arana Sr., who won a PSM world title in 2009. “We are going to focus on one motorcycle (with Hector Jr.) so we can start doing better and from there we can see what happens in the future if I can get back and ride. We need to focus on one bike. We have to get our performance back. I’m after the championship. I’m not after qualifying. We want to win races, but mainly if Hector Jr. can win a championship and that would be two for Team Arana. That’s what we want. That’s what we worked so hard for.”

One moment Stevie "Fast" Jackson was finishing up a run at the Drag Illustrated World Doorslammer Nationals, the next he was in the wall. He's been doing this long enough to understand the perils of Pro Modified. It's not a matter of if you will crash, it's when you will.

The mishap has caused Jackson to seek an alternative universe this weekend.

Jackson will race a nitrous car this weekend.

A familiar face will be back competing in NHRA’s Pro Stock Motorcycle class at the Gatornationals this weekend in Gainesville, Fla.

Veteran Chip Ellis will be riding an Erik Buell Racing motorcycle for Matt Smith Racing at Gainesville March 13-15, the season-opening race for the Pro Stock Motorcycles.

In her first season with Jerry Savoie’s White Alligator Racing in 2019, Karen Stoffer was happy with the results. She finished a career-best fourth in the points standings on a Suzuki.

“We’re back and we have the same setup, everything is the same (for 2020),” Staffer said. “(Last year’s finish in the points) was probably some of the motivation to come back. We definitely had a good season. I’m hoping to improve upon that. I’m focusing a little bit more on my riding and continuing to support Tim (Kulungian, Stoffer’s crew chief) and anything I can do as a rider to help him be able to tune the bike. Jerry (Savoie, who finished second in the points) obviously had a fantastic year as well and he’s going to be gunning for a championship and anything I can do to assist I will do, but I will still try and win one myself.”  

This season, NHRA fans will see a familiar name at all NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events. POWERADE, the official isotonic of NHRA, will be providing fans and drivers with two new product offerings to sample and enjoy – POWERADE ULTRA and POWERADE POWER WATER. POWERADE, the sports drink consumers are both part of The Coca-Cola Company.  
 
For the first time in 13 years, POWERADE recently launched two new zero-calorie, zero-sugar products – POWERADE ULTRA and POWERADE POWER WATER. Additionally, the brand unveiled its new ION4-inspired packaging design. These new product and packaging innovations provide more hydration options to a variety of consumers. 

The best education isn’t one conveyed in the classroom, but one that’s useful, and applicable, in real-world situations.

That’s what a handful of students from the University of South Carolina have experienced at the past three NHRA national events at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte. Heading up a project to measure the energy produced by nitromethane-powered vehicles is Dr. Tom Owens, a professor at USC’s School of the Earth, Ocean and Environment since 1989. His area of specialty is seismology.

Attempts to measure the seismic effects of drag racing’s top classes isn’t something new, and stories about such things date back at least 15 years. In one account, the National Seismology Center reportedly measured an NHRA event at “1.5 to 2.0 on the Richter Scale.” Another report, published two years later, “measured the movement of the earth with a mobile seismograph” at “an astounding 3.9.”