Gatornationals – Syndication Server

Kalitta Motorsports scores nitro sweep at NHRA Gatornationals

For the first time in team history, Kalitta Motorsports doubled-up in the nitro categories on Sunday at Gainesville Raceway, as Shawn Langdon and J.R. Todd picked up wins in Top Fuel and Funny Car, respectively, to kick off the 2024 NHRA Mission …

Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won the first of 21 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

After 18 previous attempts to win in both Top Fuel and Funny Car in one weekend, Langdon wrapped up the successful nitro sweep for Kalitta Motorsports on Sunday, picking up his first victory in Gainesville with a run of 3.711s at 335.40mph in his Kalitta Air Careers Toyota dragster in the final round against Billy Torrence.

Langdon qualified No. 1 with new crew chief Brian Husen and rolled off a string of strong runs on Sunday to collect his 18th career victory and first since 2020, knocking off Cody Krohn, Justin Ashley and Antron Brown to reach the final round. There, he quickly tracked down Torrence, setting off a memorable first-time celebration for Kalitta Motorsports.

“It feels really good,” Langdon said. “You keep your head down and keep working hard, and I’m just with a great group. J.R. and I are out here having fun and living our dreams. I can’t say enough [about] Brian. It’s his first race as a crew chief and he gave me an absoluty flawless car.

“There were so many pressure situations going into the final round: going for my first Gatornationals win, the first double-up for Kalitta Motorsports. But I just took a deep breath and told myself, ‘Don’t screw this up.’ We’ve had a rough time [in recent seasons], but we’ve just kept our heads down and kept working.”

Torrence reached his 13th career final round by knocking off Brittany Force, Mike Salinas and his son, Steve Torrence.

Before Langdon finished the job for the nitro sweep, Funny Car’s J.R. Todd picked up his second Gatornationals victory with a run of 3.889s at 329.10mph in his DHL Toyota GR Supra to knock off No. 1 qualifier Austin Prock. Todd struggled to make a clean run through the first three rounds but found himself in the final round after getting past Blake Alexander, Ron Capps and Bob Tasca III.

Todd, though, and the team delivered in the championship round, making their best run of the weekend with the Wally and the Golden Gators trophy on the line. It gave Todd his 21st career victory and special moment being part of the Kalitta Motorsports double-up.

“It’s probably the most bizarre day I’ve had in drag racing and the final round was the first clean run we’ve had all weekend,” Todd said. “We’ve been trying to double up for a while and for whatever reason, we couldn’t get it done. The stars just aligned here in Gainesville and it’s pretty awesome.

“I’m proud of my guys for digging deep and not giving up. You can’t take anyone lightly in this class and it’s so tough from top to bottom, but this sets a good tone and gives us momentum. All the greats have done well at this race and you want to put your name on that list [in Gainesville]. It’s always great to win here.”

Prock, making his NHRA Funny Car debut, rolled to his ninth career final round by defeating John Smith, John Force and Chad Green.

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The wait for a Gatornationals victory is over for six-time and reigning Pro Stock world champion Erica Enders, as motorsports’ winningest female won in Gainesville for the first time on Sunday after defeating Elite Motorsports teammate Cristian Cuadra in the final round with a standout pass of 6.494s at 211.93mph in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/SCAG Power Equipment car.

She picked up her 48th career Pro Stock win in the process, knocking off Kelley Murphy, Aaron Stanfield and longtime rival Greg Anderson to reach the final round. After qualifying No. 1 with a 6.549s, Enders dipped into the 6.40s three times during eliminations, including a stunning 6.483s at 211.96mph to defeat Anderson in the semifinals. That helped set up a memorable final round for Enders, who claimed Gatornationals glory on Sunday, as well as the special Golden Gators 55th anniversary trophy.

“We’ve been chomping at the bit to get this done,” Enders said. “I’ve been to three final rounds here and we finally got it done. It’s pretty cool to win this one. There’s certain track that have special [trophies] and to get the Golden Gator and the 55th win, it’s awesome. It will sit proudly on our shelf and seeing a packed house at the Gators, it’s so special. Being able to check off these boxes and get a win like this, it’s really special and we’re just going to keep working.”

Cuadra reached his second career final round on Sunday, taking down Larry Morgan, Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Dallas Glenn.

At the site of his first career Pro Stock Motorcycle victory a year ago, Gaige Herrera was simply dominant on Sunday in Gainesville, capping off a spectacular day with a run of 6.636s at 204.39mph on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki in the final round to get past Matt Smith. Herrera, who was also the No. 1 qualifier, won his sixth straight race dating back to his remarkable championship season in 2023, and earned his 12th career victory and not much was in doubt on Sunday. He put together four straight runs in the 6.60s at more than 200mph, defeating Joey Gladstone, John Hall and Angie Smith leading into the final round.

That included a track-record best of 6.629s at 204.54mph in the second round, which was the second-quickest run in class history, behind only his record-setting run last year in Dallas.

“Today was good and we ran really well,” Herrera said. “The weather was really close to Dallas [last season], where I set the national record. Everyone kind of picked up in the class and we expected to as well. Overall, I had a very consistent motorcycle. We actually hurt the motor in the semifinals, so we had to swap motors for the finals. Overall, I had a very consistent, smooth motorcycle all day. As long as I didn’t miss a beat, the bike didn’t miss a beat. Even though I didn’t do any testing during the off-season, it felt like I didn’t even have an off-season and I’m glad to come home with a win.”

Matt Smith went to the finals for the 76th time in his career thanks to round wins against Chris Bostick, Mark Ingwersen and LE Tonglet.

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to action March 21-24 with the 64th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Pomona, Calif.

Brown wins TF All-Star Callout as Langdon goes No. 1 at NHRA Gatornationals

Antron Brown picked up the victory in the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout on Saturday at Gainesville Raceway in front of a capacity crowd, knocking off Brittany Force in the final round of the specialty race as part of this weekend’s 55th …

Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), Austin Prock (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all qualified No. 1 at the first of 21 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

Brown went 3.709s at 332.43mph in his Matco Tools Toyota dragster, taking down Force’s 3.730s at 328.70mph. It gave Brown, who defeated Langdon and Steve Torrence earlier in the day, his first Pep Boys All-Star Callout victory, a big payday in the specialty event and a stellar way to start his 2024 NHRA season.

“Our guys had a chance to keep picking at it, and keep picking at it, and we knew it was going to be a tough round against Brittany, another world champion,” Brown said. “Everyone we raced today was a world champion. We knew we had to step it up against her, but we had the added pressure of qualifying. So to go out there and do what we did and run that 3.709s and move up to fourth on the ladder and get this Pep Boys All-Star Callout win is pretty special.

“It’s going to be tough competition tomorrow on race day. The field is tight, but hopefully we can parlay that and get better tomorrow. We’ve been getting better and better with each lap, and that’s when you get dangerous. I’m focused, and my boys are giving me a hot rod that can do the job, and that’s what it takes. We have an incredible team and we’re looking forward to this 2024 season.”

Langdon earned his first No. 1 spot since 2020, closing out qualifying with a 3.682s at 334.15mph under the lights in his Kalitta Air Careers Toyota dragster. After naming Brian Husen crew chief heading into the season, Langdon is already off to a great start, making a pair of runs in the 3.60s this weekend. He’ll now look to pick up his first win since the 2020 NHRA U.S. Nationals as well.

“That just shows the changes we’ve made, with Brian coming in, the changes have shown great rewards so far,” Langdon said. “Brian has a really good control of the car right now. It’s really cool to see and I’m really proud of him. I’m excited that he has this opportunity and I’m really lucky to be his driver. We know what this team is capable, so we’re looking forward to a great year.”

Torrance took the second spot with a 3.690s at 333.08mph and defending event winner Mike Salinas qualified third after going 3.705s. Tony Stewart qualified ninth in his Top Fuel debut with a 3.725s at 310.34mph.

In Funny Car, Prock maintained the No. 1 spot on the strength of Friday’s track-record run of 3.820s at 334.65mph in his Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS. It was a sterling qualifying performance in his first NHRA Funny Car race, as Prock made three strong passes heading into eliminations, where he’ll face off with John Smith in the opening round.

“I’m very excited for tomorrow. We really couldn’t have done much better,” Prock said. “I’m happy with this No. 1 qualifier and we’re really going to have to see what it looks like in the morning. If the track is like what it was today or Friday, you’re going to be throwing Hail Marys. I’m really looking forward to getting out there in my first NHRA Funny Car start and get this car in the winner’s circle.

Bob Tasca III stayed second with his 3.829s at 337.75mph, also setting a new track speed record on Saturday after going 338.09mph. Ron Capps took the third position with a 3.871s at 333.00mph.

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Erica Enders stayed No. 1 in Pro Stock, picking up her 35th career top qualifier, after going 6.549s at 208.10mph in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/SCAG Power Equipment car. She’ll open up eliminations against Kelley Murphy and has a great opportunity to win the Gatornationals for the first time.

“We’ve got a really great race car this weekend, so it seems to be translating very well,” Enders said. “But there’s a lot of really great cars out there and great drivers, so we just have to put our heads down and go to work, and hope for no parts failures or weird things happening. But I feel good and I feel confident in the cockpit.”

Enders’ Elite Motorsports teammate Cristian Cuadra stayed second after a run of 6.552s at 209.10mph on Friday and Dallas Glenn’s 6.556s at 208.59mph gave him the third slot.

Gaige Herrera improved on Friday’s two runs, taking his 10th straight No. 1 qualifier on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki with a run of 6.746s at 200.50mph. It continues a remarkable run for the defending event winner, who won his first race in the class a year ago in Gainesville. He’ll look to repeat that on Sunday, opening eliminations against Joey Gladstone.

“I’m very pleased and we were happy to improve a little bit,” Herrera said. “I’m feeling comfortable and confident going into tomorrow. It’s very cool to come back here and start off where we left off to end last year. I’ve got to give all the credit to my team. They haven’t missed a beat, so it feels good to come back here and basically start like we did last year.”

Matt Smith improved to a 6.768s at 202.45mph to stay second, while LE Tonglet qualified third with a 6.771s at 197.88mph.

Eliminations for the 55th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals begin at 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday at Gainesville Raceway.

Prock fastest at NHRA Gatornationals in Funny Car debut

Austin Prock set the Gainesville Raceway track record in his Funny Car debut on Friday for John Force Racing, powering to the provisional No. 1 position at the 55th Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. Steve Torrence (Top …

Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the first of 21 races during the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

Prock, the 2019 NHRA Rookie of the Year, moved from Top Fuel to Funny Car before the season and enjoyed an impressive start to the 2024 NHRA campaign, going 3.820s at 334.65mph in his Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS. If that holds, it would be his fourth No. 1 qualifier and first in his new class.

“When you’re running this quick, it’s right on the ragged edge and you have to be perfect,” Prock said. “It’s been a lot to take in, but the way this car is running and the way my dad (crew chief Jimmy Prock) is feeling, it’s definitely been a fun experience. We’re all on the same page and my whole family has the same passion for this sport. To be successful is one thing, but to do it with your family is really special. I’ve really been looking forward to this season and this was a heck of a way to start.”

Bob Tasca III was right behind, going 3.829s at 337.75mph, with the speed mark setting a track record. Ron Capps took the third position with a 3.871s at 333.00mph.

Torrence made the quickest run in both Top Fuel qualifying sessions on Friday, as the four-time world champ went 3.690s at 333.08mph in his Capco Contractors dragster. If that holds, Torrence would earn his 38th career No. 1 position and sets him up nicely for Saturday’s Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout. Torrence is the No. 1 seed in the specialty race and will get the first selection for his opening-round opponent. The eight-car shootout features a big payout and bragging rights and also includes Doug Kalitta, Mike Salinas, Brittany Force, Justin Ashley, Antron Brown, Shawn Langdon and defending Callout winner Josh Hart.

“It gives me more confidence going into tomorrow,” Torrence said. “The car is performing like we want and we’ve got a good car right now. Those two runs are a product of the last [one to two] years coming to fruition. It gives my team confidence as well and it says a lot to be No. 1 [in the Callout]. In this field, you’ve got some of the toughest competition out there. This place was packed today and I look forward to putting on a show in front of these fans tomorrow.”

Langdon posted an impressive run to close out his day, jumping to second with a 3.697s at 332.43mph. Salinas’ 3.717s at 321.19mph puts him third after two sessions. Racing legend Tony Stewart, who is making his Top Fuel debut this weekend, went 3.739s at 327.82mph.

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Looking to conquer Gainesville Raceway for the first time in her stellar career, defending and six-time Pro Stock world champ Enders enjoyed a strong start on Friday, going 6.550s at 207.88mph in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/SCAG Power Equipment car. That closed out the day and sent the reigning champ to the No. 1 spot. If it holds, it would be Enders’ 35th career top position, but motorsports’ winningest female is more interested in winning in Gainesville for the first time.

“We’ve obviously not had a lot of great luck here,” Enders said. “We qualified No. 2, we got beat out by our teammate Troy Coughlin for the No. 1 spot last year. I went to hit the start button for first round and she did not crank so the gator bite continued, but we’re determined to change that this weekend. This is one of the last tracks on the circuit we have left to accomplish so it’s high on our to-do list. It doesn’t mean it’s going to happen, but it definitely means we’re going to give it every bit of effort we have.”

Enders’ Elite Motorsports teammate Cristian Cuadra is second after a run of 6.552s at 209.10mph and Dallas Glenn’s 6.556s at 208.59mph currently puts him third.

Herrera picked up right where he left off in Pro Stock Motorcycle, both from his championship-winning 2023 season and last year in Gainesville, going to the No. 1 spot with a run of 6.752s at 198.64mph on his RevZilla/Mission Foods/Vance & Hines Suzuki. Herrera dominated the 2023 campaign, winning 11 races and grabbing 14 No. 1 qualifiers – both single-season records in the category – and showed no signs of slowing down Friday in Gainesville. The defending event winner made the quickest runs of both sessions as he looks to repeat at the site of his first NHRA win.

“We started where we left off and all the credit goes to my team,” Herrera said. “They’ve worked really hard in the off season. I’m very happy with how I ran today. Everybody in this class has been working and it shows. This season is going to be very exciting and I’m really looking forward to it. Andrew (Hines, crew chief) works day and night in the shop and that’s where we shine. He keeps pushing and pushing, and this team never stops working.”

Matt Smith went 6.785s at 199.55mph to go into the second spot, while Steve Johnson is currently third after going 6.804s at 195.70mph.

Qualifying continues at 11 a.m. ET on Saturday at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.

Hagan, Salinas, Coughlin, Herrera win NHRA Gatornationals

In a matchup of the last two Funny Car winners at the 54th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, Matt Hagan drove past J.R. Todd in the final round on Sunday to kick off the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, also giving Tony …

Mike Salinas (Top Fuel), Troy Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won at the first of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Hagan powered to a run of 3.926s at 329.34mph in his Dodge Direct Connection Charger SRT Hellcat, winning the Gatornationals for the second straight season. Both Hagan and Todd posted identical reaction times on the starting line, but Todd ran into trouble late in the run and Hagan claimed his 44th career win. He also defeated Tim Wilkerson, Bob Tasca III and Alexis DeJoria, making three straight runs in the 3.80s to reach the final round. After going his entire career without winning in Gainesville, Hagan, a three-time world champ, now has back-to-back wins at the historic race.

“For this team, we were just running strong, and to come out and win the first race of the season, it’s just amazing,” said Hagan, who is fourth all-time in Funny Car wins. “I’m just in awe of our team right now.

“I knew it was going to be a good race and honestly J.R. poked out there in front of me, and then something happened over there to him and we drove around him and turned on the win light. This car is just running strong. It’s just…it’s an honor to just even be in that caliber of drivers… It’s a huge honor for me to be able to be fourth all the time.”

Todd, who won in Gainesville to open the 2021 campaign, also impressed on Sunday, beating Blake Alexander, Robert Hight and Chad Green to reach his 42nd career final round.

In Top Fuel, Salinas won for the first time in Gainesville and the eighth time in his career, slipping past Steve Torrence in the final round with a 3.700s at 330.31mph in his Valley Services dragster. After winning a career-best four races last year, Salinas was determined to improve upon that in 2023. He impressed throughout eliminations, too, beating Justin Ashley, defending world champ Brittany Force and Leah Pruett to reach the final round, running as quick as 3.669s on raceday.

“I think we’re going to be really good all year long, but we’re fighting with the best in the world,” Salinas said. “The teams out here are no joke. You better bring your ‘A’ game every time, but everyone is beatable. It’s special what we have right now. These guys have taught me how to win and it’s a mindset. You appreciate wins like these because they’re so hard to come by.”

Torrence, the four-time world champ, reached the final round for the 82nd time in his career, knocking off Scott Palmer, Tony Schumacher and Doug Kalitta, who set the track E.T. record with a run of 3.646s earlier in the day.

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Coughlin’s magical weekend in Pro Stock ended with his first Gatornationals victory, as he closed out the day with a run of 6.637s at 208.71mph in his JEGS.com/White Castle/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro to defeat Mason McGaha in the final round. It’s the third career win for Coughlin, who also qualified No. 1 and beat Larry Morgan, Deric Kramer and Dallas Glenn to set up the matchup with McGaha. Coughlin was excellent on the starting line and cemented his strong start to the 2023 campaign.

“I was a little fired up today,” Coughlin said. “At Elite Motorsports, it’s a little newer than the JEGS so-called legacy. It doesn’t date back to 1960, but it’s the same type of honor to me. You look at Erica (Enders), she’s a five-time world champion and you’re driving for a team that wins championships. They have that same demeanor when they drive through the gates. They expect to win and we’re one big family. That’s the coolest thing about it. When one car is out, we all work together.”

McGaha knocked off Fernando Cuadra, Kyle Koretsky and five-time world champ Greg Anderson to reach his second final round.

Herrera finished off a star-making weekend with one last dominant performance in the final round, going 6.706s at 202.15mph on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Suzuki to beat Angie Smith and earn his first career NHRA victory. It was also Herrera’s first career race with Vance & Hines, and the young standout put together a marvelous performance, qualifying No. 1 and setting the track speed record in the process. He knocked off Ron Tornow, teammate Eddie Krawiec and Jianna Evaristo to reach the final round, making the quickest pass of each session before finishing the job in the finals.

“This is a dream,” Herrera said. “Vance & Hines is such an awesome team to work with. They help so much and it shows. I’m at a loss for words. I’m just out here having fun and I can’t believe I’m holding this Wally. To make this Vance & Hines team happy, it’s just an unbelievable feeling. To win out here and to do it in front of all these fans, it’s just amazing.”

Smith advanced to her second straight final round in Gainesville, going 6.845s at 181.84mph in the championship round. She knocked off John Hall, Joey Gladstone and rookie Chase Van Zant earlier in the day.

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series returns to action with the NHRA Arizona Finals on March 24-26, which is the final race at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Phoenix.

Force, Capps, Coughlin, Herrera No. 1 qualifiers for NHRA Gatornationals

Top Fuel’s Josh Hart picked up the victory in the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout on Saturday at this weekend’s 54th Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, beating Mike Salinas in the final round to win the bonus event in front of a sellout …

Brittany Force (Top Fuel) Ron Capps (Funny Car), Troy Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all qualified No. 1 at the first of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Hart, a local Ocala native, put together a run of 3.748s at 331.53mph in his 11,000-horsepower R&L Carriers dragster, knocking off Salinas who went up in smoke on the starting line in the specialty race. Hart beat Austin Prock and defending world champ Force to reach the final round. Two years ago, Hart won in Gainesville in his Top Fuel debut, following it up with Saturday’s impressive showing.

“First of all, I guess I’ll just say that nice guys don’t finish last,” Hart said. “The team gets all the credit. That consistency to get it done every time makes me so very, very proud of the team. It’s a huge, huge accomplishment for our team. To go out and win a specialty race right off the trailer is pretty awesome. But I’m just the jockey that gets to hit the gas.

“I don’t think I knew I was supposed to be nervous or knew that I was supposed to have butterflies two years ago but when you taste it, and then it gets taken away from you and your sophomore season you want to get back to that place. I think we found a little bit of magic and Gainesville has always been good to us. We’ll do our best to get this thing in the winner’s circle more often.”

Force’s 3.699s at 336.99mph from Friday in her 11,000-horsepower Monster Energy dragster handed the defending world champion her 43rd top spot. She’ll open eliminations against Keith Murt, while Steve Torrence jumped to second with a 3.723s at 331.36mph. Doug Kalitta is third with a 3.723s at 327.82mph.

“It was a bummer to lose out on the All-Star Callout, but we got the No. 1 qualifier,” Force said. “We felt good going into (the Callout) and got to the semifinals, but we got beat, so our bigger focus now is race day tomorrow. We’ll put today behind us, and got in that last qualifying session, which was good, solid run for us.

“It’s outstanding, to be in different conditions run in and still be able to run that. We missed it the one time in the Callout, but we all feel pretty good.”

In Funny Car, Capps opened his title defense with an outstanding run to close out qualifying, going 3.874s at 333.25mph in his 11,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra. It gives Capps 36 No. 1 qualifiers in his standout career, and he’ll open race day against Terry Haddock. Capps lost in the final round of the season-opener last year and ended with his second straight world title, which has him hoping for a big showing this weekend in Gainesville.

“We all talked about how tough it was going to and you saw it in the last session,” Capps said. “Last year I end up winning Indy for the first time in my career, then we win the Callout in the same weekend and then we go on to win the championship and it’s just a dream year. So, it’s almost like how do you top that? But we show up here and we come from behind and we lay down low E.T. My gosh, what a way to start the year.”

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John Force is qualified second with a 3.878s at 332.59mph and Robert Hight was a spot behind after his 3.879s at 333.99mph.

Coughlin made a big move on Saturday in Pro Stock, jumping to the top spot and moving past his teammate, Erica Enders, with a run of 6.515s at 212.29mph in his JEGS.com/White Castle/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. After a breakout season a year ago, which included his first two professional wins, Coughlin is off to a quick start in 2023, taking his third career No. 1 qualifier. He’ll open eliminations against Larry Morgan.

“I’m very proud of what we’ve done so far. Kudos to Elite Motorsports and everyone on our team,” Coughlin said. “They all work hard and we are a complete family. The guys in the engine shop never stop working. I wish everyone could come to our shop and experience it firsthand. It’s just such an honor to be a part of.”

Enders, the reigning world champ, qualified second after going 6.515s at 211.73mph, just missing out on the top qualifier position. Mason McGaha took third thanks to his run of 6.519s at 211.59mph.

Making his debut for Vance and Hines, rising Pro Stock Motorcycle star Gaige Herrera enjoyed a tremendous day on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Suzuki, delivering a 6.685s at 203.49mph, breaking the track speed record. Herrera made his PSM debut last year and joined the Vance and Hines team in the off-season. He’s made a strong impression already and will go for his first win on Sunday, opening eliminations against Ron Tornow.

“I honestly don’t have words for this,” Herrera said. “Just being here with the best team in Pro Stock Motorcycle is a dream and then to run 6.68s on back-to-back runs and then go 203mph. It’s been an awesome journey so far. It’s still not real to me. When I got that phone call from (Vance & Hines crew chief) Andrew Hines in November it took a while to sink in. Then I got my new leathers and realized I’d be riding the best bike in the class.”

Steve Johnson’s 6.746s at 198.90mph kept him second and rookie Chase Van Sant took third in his first PSM race with a 6.747s at 200.80mph.

Eliminations for the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals begin at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday at Gainesville Raceway.

Force, Tasca, Enders, Johnson provisional No. 1s at NHRA Gatornationals

Reigning world champ Brittany Force opened the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season in impressive fashion, racing to the provisional No. 1 qualifier on Friday at the 54th Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. Bob …

Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Steve Johnson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the first of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. The second qualifying session in Top Fuel and Funny Car on Friday was cancelled due to inclement weather.

Force, who posted 10 No. 1 qualifiers in her championship season a year ago, went 3.699s at 336.99mph to kick off the season in her 11,000-horsepower Monster Energy dragster. Force’s first career victory in Top Fuel came in Gainesville in 2016 and she’s eager to repeat that to start her championship defense.

“It felt really good to come out at the first race and the first run of the season and go to the top,” Force said. “It was incredible. We spent a lot of hours and a lot of days testing this off-season, and we kind of picked up where we left off last year. It’s the same group of guys and it’s a great start to the season.

“We always want to improve and that’s our motivation. We had five wins last season and we want more, and ultimately we want a back-to-back championship. I look at that championship as motivation because we want to do it again.”

Selections were also made for the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout, which takes place on Saturday in Gainesville. Force picked Clay Millican with her first selection, while Steve Torrence, the defending Callout winner, chose Doug Kalitta and Justin Ashley picked Mike Salinas, making Josh Hart and Austin Prock the final matchup. The opening round takes place at 1:20 p.m. ET on Saturday.

In Funny Car, Tasca went 3.888s at 330.72mph in his 11,000-horsepower PPG Ford Mustang to jump to the top spot. If it holds, it would be his 10th career No. 1 qualifier. With new crew chiefs Aaron Brooks and Todd Okuhara in place for the 2023 season, it was an impressive showing for Tasca, who posted solid results in testing and has big hopes for the upcoming year.

“We lost all but two people on our team and we brought in Todd Okuhara and Aaron Brooks, and it’s exactly what my program needed,” Tasca said. “We didn’t do enough at the beginning and end of the season, and we need to make sure our car runs better at the beginning and the end of the season. I think you’re going to see a different Tasca Racing program going forward. I love the attitude of this team and their work ethic. I haven’t been this excited for a season in a long time.”

John Force is currently second after his run of 3.898s at 335.07mph and J.R. Todd took the third spot thanks to a 3.900s at 329.99mph.

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Enders, the reigning world champ, rolled to the No. 1 position in Pro Stock on Friday after her pass of 6.538s at 208.84mph in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/Scag Chevrolet Camaro. It was a dream season a year ago for Enders, who claimed her fifth world championship on the strength of 10 victories, but a victory in Gainesville remains atop her list. She lost in excruciating fashion a year ago at the Gatornationals, losing on a holeshot while making the quickest run in Pro Stock history and she’s determined to have a different result in Gainesville to open 2023.

“As far as my to-do list, we can start off with winning the Gatornationals,” Enders said. “I’m thrilled to be the provisional No. 1 qualifier tonight. We had one extra month in the off season so we’re ready to go to battle and to defend our title.”

Camrie Caruso was the quickest in the opening session and is now second after going 6.551s at 209.98mph. Bo Butner is right behind thanks to her run of 6.552 at 209.52mph.

Johnson delivered a 6.746s at 198.90mph on his Steve Johnson Racing Suzuki to take the provisional No. 1 spot in Pro Stock Motorcycle. It was a welcome sign for Johnson, who started strong last year before struggling down the stretch. The veteran still has championship aspirations in a class filled with talent and remained focused on improvement.

“Our sport is so diverse and exciting,” Johnson said. “I would love to come out here and win a championship. I’ve seen the mistakes I’ve made, and the teams out here work so hard, so it’s not easy. We’ve got a lot of great new riders and it’s hard to ride these motorcycles perfectly. I rode pretty well today and, for me, it’s all about fundamentals and when you can concentrate on that, the motorcycle is going to have a really cool response.”

Rookie Chase Van Zant enjoyed a strong debut on Friday, going 6.747s at 200.80mph. Gaige Herrera, who joined the Vance & Hines team in the off-season, is a spot behind with his 6.749s at 200.59mph.

Qualifying continues at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.