Gatornationals

The Gatornationals is a drag racing event in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series that has been held annually each March at Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, Florida since 1970.^[1]

The Gatornationals was the site of the first 260-mph Top Fuel and Funny Car runs in 1984, achieved by Joe Amato and Kenny Bernstein, respectively. It also hosted the first 270-mph and 300-mph Top Fuel passes, completed by Don Garlits in 1986 and Kenny Bernstein in 1992, respectively. The track features a 675-foot concrete launchpad, which is one of the longest on the tour.

As of 2014, the Gatornationals is the fourth-oldest active event on the NHRA Professional tour, behind the Winternationals, U.S. Nationals, and the NHRA Finals. The event is currently sponsored by the Amalie Oil Company. Previous sponsors have included the Ford Motor Company and Stanley Black & Decker.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, some sportsman races were held behind closed doors, while the national event and top sportsman classes were postponed to September and held with spectators. In 2021, the race became the season opener for all classes, also as a result of the pandemic. The Gatornationals has remained the season opener since 2023, due to logistical changes related to the NFL season schedule that caused the Winternationals to be moved later in the year.