SELLOUT CROWD to Open NHRA’s 75th Anniversary Season in Gainesville

GAINESVILLE, FL – March 7, 2026 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – NHRA officials announced a sellout crowd on Saturday at Gainesville Raceway to open its 75th anniversary season at the 57th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals.

The race kicks off the celebratory 2026 season and fans packed the legendary fanbase packed the legendary facility in Gainesville.

The massive crowd enjoyed two rounds of qualifying and the Right Trailers NHRA Top Fuel All-

Star Callout to open the milestone campaign, which will celebrate 75 years of incredible NHRA action.

“It’s incredibly exciting to open NHRA’s 75th anniversary season with a sellout crowd at the first race of the season in Gainesville,” NHRA President Glen Cromwell said. “The Gatornationals has always been one of the most special events in our sport and a day like today to open such a memorable year is a tribute to the awesome NHRA fans.”

The opening weekend sellout to start NHRA’s 75th anniversary season comes on the heels of an action-packed 2025 that included six sellout crowds across the country.

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

About NHRA

NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series and NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™ at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With more than 100 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Source: National Hot Rod Association

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