It always pays off to have a Plan B. And for Justin Bond, the Canadian from Mission, British Columbia, having an alternative option translated into victory at the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.

Bond tested and raced the previous weekend at the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Modified in Bradenton, Fla. When a new car didn't deliver the desired results, he and his team parked the new ride and went to last season's car, aptly nicknamed Old Faithful.  

So what does an Old Faithful do? For starters, Bond took his trusty Camaro to the provisional pole on Friday, and even though he slipped to second in the final session, it was No. 1 on race day.

 Last season saw a jumpstart in Troy Coughlin Jr.’s Pro Stock career.

Coughlin finished a career-best fourth in the points standings thanks to two wins and three-runner-up finishes. He kept that momentum rolling into 2023 as he won the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals Sunday.

Coughlin, driving the Jegs.com/Elite Performance Chevrolet Camaro, muscled past Mason McGaha in the final round.

It didn't take long for Gaige Herrera, the newest rider in the Vance & Hines camp, to find the winner's circle.

Herrera, who joined the renowned Vance & Hines team in the offseason, won the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals Sunday.

Herrera, on the Mission Foods Vance & Hines Suzuki, clocked a 6.706-second time at 200.89 mph to defeat Angie Smith's 6.845-second run on her Matt Smith Racing Buell in Gainesville, Fla.

Reigning NHRA nitro Funny Car world champion Ron Capps didn’t lose any momentum in the offseason.

Capps powered his NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra to a 3.874-second elapsed time at 333.25 mph in Q4 to grab the No. 1 qualifying spot at the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals Saturday.

“Yeah, very cool,” Capps said. “That round (Q4), for me, it was a little bit of anxiety because I couldn't see the Christmas tree. I could barely see the pre-stage, the blue, and then I started bumping it in and I could see the bottom half of the blue stage light, light up, but I couldn't see any ambers. I just said to myself, ‘Okay man, don't mess up and leave before the tree. Just wait until Robert (Hight) hits the gas and go, which is what I did. It was hard to go down the track because he is out in front of me, and you're used to just shutting it off when that car's out in front of you. I'm like, ‘Well, he is not pulling away, we're just staying there.’ Every time I do that, my brain would say, ‘Stop looking, focus on the track.’

Final round-by-round results from the 54th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, the first of 21 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series:

Point standings (top 10) following the 54th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, the first of 21 events in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series - 

There is just something magical about Gainesville Raceway for Top Fuel standout Josh Hart.

Just two years ago, the Ocala, Florida, native won his first race in his very first start in Top Fuel at the historic facility that has been a part of the NHRA professional tour since 1970. On Saturday, that magic continued as Hart won the Pep Boys All-Star Top Fuel Callout over Mike Salinas in his first try at the specialty race.

Now that is how you make a first impression.

Less than two months after being introduced as the newest rider with the Vance & Hines Pro Stock Motorcycle team, Gaige Herrera immediately established himself as a threat. With a lightning-quick final pass and a track speed record, Herrera took the No. 1 spot in his first NHRA race with his team and heads into race day with a shot to add a Wally at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.

“It has been a dream come true,” Herrera said. “It still doesn’t feel real to be at the Gatornationals. Not only that, but being on the top team with the Vance and Hines Mission Suzuki team. When I got that phone call in November from Andrew (Hines), that right there took forever to sink in. To be here and to be on top, I can’t ask for much more. It has been an awesome couple days of qualifying.”