After a day where rain played havoc with the schedule, the final day of qualifications yielded only one new face atop the NHRA Gatornationals qualifying leaderboard. Past NHRA Top Fuel champion Shawn Langdon was all too happy to be the lone wolf. 

Langdon was joined by Austin Prock (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock), and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

Langdon showcased the alliance in his reunion with Brian Husen, a tuner he’d won a championship with back in 2013 when the two raced together at Al-Anabi Racing. He earned his first No. 1 spot since 2020, the same year he won his last race, running a 3.682 at 334.15. 2020.

This nitro Funny Car thing is working out quite well for Austin Prock – at least initially.

Prock, substituting for Robert Hight who is on leave to address medical concerns, hit the grounding running.

Fresh off earning $250,000 for winning the inaugural SCAG Power Equipment PRO Superstar Shootout event at Bradenton (Fla.) Motorsports Park on Feb. 10, Prock hasn’t taken his foot off the throttle.

Steve Torrence finished second in NHRA’s 2023 Top Fuel points standings which didn’t sit well with him.

Torrence, who believed he let the championship slip away by not driving up to his world championship standards, didn’t waste any time getting his 2024 season going.

Torrence’s Capco entry had the quickest ET in both qualifying sessions Friday at the Gatornationals and took the provisional No. 1 spot with his 3.690-second elapsed time at 333.08 mph in Q2 at Gainesville Raceway.

Austin Prock broke the Gainesville Raceway track record on Friday, securing the provisional No. 1 position in his NHRA Funny Car debut at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals. He transitioned from Top Fuel to Funny Car this season, filling the seat for multi-time NHRA  champion Robert Hight, who stepped away for health reasons. 

Prock was joined atop the leaderboard on the first day by Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

The NHRA opened their 73rd season on Thursday at the NHRA Gainesville, Fla., running sportsman qualifying to completion. A round of Top Alcohol qualifying was completed.

Monty Bogan Jr. started his 2024 season exactly how he wanted: on top of Competition Eliminator. The Jonesville, SC-based driver, who has won in all three NHRA class racing eliminators, got the party started by qualifying No. 1 behind the wheel of Lee Sharp's 2007 Pontiac G5.

Thursday's effort marked the first time Bogan has qualified No. 1 in Competition Eliminator. 

John Force Racing is gearing up for the 2024 season with a fresh theme, #2024ORCE (Twenty-twenty-force), symbolizing renewed vigor and ambition. Led by patriarch John Force, alongside daughter Brittany Force and Austin Prock, standing in for sidelined Robert Hight, the team aims to reclaim their championship status. 

The resolute #2024ORCE theme underscores their determination to ascend back to the summit of NHRA competition.

Brittany Force expressed the team’s readiness for the upcoming season, affirming their quest to reclaim their historic position atop NHRA ranks. 

Top Fuel driver and reality television personality Jordan Vandergriff is set to join the NHRA on FOX team as a reporter for select events in the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season. Vandergriff’s debut will be at the 55th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, where he’ll engage the audience during the FS1 broadcast and on NHRA’s social media platforms.

Vandergriff, known for his Top Fuel debut in 2019 and appearances on reality shows like The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise, expressed his enthusiasm for the opportunity.

“This is a great opportunity for me to stay involved in the sport, and I’m looking forward to working with NHRA on FOX and NHRA social media teams,” Vandergriff said. “The television side of things has always been a passion of mine, and this is a fantastic chance to learn that side of the sport and be a part of a great team, both on the television and social media side. Hopefully, it can help create some added exposure for our sport and keep me close to the action on the racing side as well.”

The consensus is when something isn’t broken, one shouldn’t attempt to fix it. For five years, the Drag Illustrated World Series of Pro Modified event at Bradenton Motorsports Park has understandably worked and worked well. 

Just days after the latest high-dollar Pro Modified event, race officials announced the event will abandon the traditional Friday through Sunday format in favor of starting on Thursday and ending Saturday. The 2025 World Series of Pro Mod will take place Feb. 27-March 1 at Bradenton Motorsports Park. 

In Doug Kalitta’s decorated NHRA Top Fuel career which began in 1998 – he has never been in this position.
 
When Kalitta opens the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season it will be as the reigning world champion for the first time in his career.

Kalitta first taste as a world champ will come when he competes in the 55th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at legendary Gainesville (Fla.) Raceway, March 8-10.

Stock Eliminator standout Randi Lyn "RL" Butner is diversifying her race schedule for the 2024 season, adding Mountain Motor Pro Stock to her repertoire alongside her husband, 2017 Pro Stock world champ Bo Butner. With seven wins in NHRA's Stock Eliminator category and a Division 3 Stock championship to her name, RL is poised to tackle the challenges of the 800-plus-cubic-inch series.

RL's decision to venture into Mountain Motor Pro Stock reflects her affinity for embracing the unknown, a sentiment she shares as she delves into this new racing endeavor. Drawing parallels to her experience obtaining a pilot's license, RL underscores the importance of pushing boundaries and exploring one's capabilities beyond familiar territories.

With the guidance of Elite Motorsports team owner Richard Freeman, teammate Erica Enders, and seasoned class veteran Frank Gugliotta, RL, and Bo Butner are set to campaign a pair of Johnson's Horsepowered Garage-branded Chevrolet Camaro Mountain Motor Pro Stockers.