Racers from around the world will soon enter a flurry of smoke and fumes at the Amalie Motor Oil National Hot Rod Association Gatornationals.
The 47th annual drag-racing competition begins Thursday at 8:30 a.m. and ends Sunday at 3:45 p.m.
Gainesville Raceway, situated at 11211 N. County Road 225, will host the races.
Sara Slaughter, an NHRA media relations manager, said the tour includes drag racing classes Funny Car, Pro Stock Drag Racing and Pro Stock Motorcycle.
A full list of times and categories can be found on the NHRA website.
The event is special, Slaughter said, because even general admission tickets function as pit passes.
“You can go down and meet the drivers, get their autographs, take pictures and go down and see them work on their cars and engines in between each run they make,” Slaughter said.
Adult general admission is $22 Thursday, $42 Friday and $64 both Saturday and Sunday, according to the website.
Anthony Vestal, the NHRA director of media, said the event is one of 24 stops in the 2016 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.
Gatornationals is also the series’ first event on the East Coast, Vestal said.
“Definitely one of our biggest events of the season and one of the most tradition-rich races,” he said.
Starting and rebuilding of dragster
Featuring Tim McMillen’s Oil XtermiGator, Noon on Wednesday at Piesanos Stone Fired Pizza, 1250 W. University Ave.
Gainesville Raceway
Races Thursday to Sunday, 11211 N. County Road 225
Fun Fact
Don “Big Daddy” Garlits was the first driver in NHRA Drag Racing history to pass 270 mph at Gatornationals in 1986
Top Fuel series drag racer J.R. Todd drives down the quarter-mile track at Gainesville's Auto Plus Raceway during a qualifying round at the 2015 Gatornationals on March 14, 2015.
John Force races down the quarter-mile track at the Auto Plus Raceway in Gainesville during the 2015 Gatornationals on March 14, 2015.
