The latest update as of March 3, 2025

Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals Preview

The entry deadline for the event arrived earlier today and sadly there are only nine Top Alcohol Funny Cars entered. Three injected on nitro and six utilizing convential blown alcohol engines. The news isn't much better for the dragsters are just 12 cars are entered, only one of which is running supercharged. What used to be a well attended exciting season opener for the Pro Sportsman racers has fallen off badly. Other than the pandemic affected 2020 race, which also drew just 12 dragster competitors, there have been full and overflowing 16-car fields all the way back into the 1990's.

At least there are full fields in all the PRO categories, with Top Fuel seeing 17 entries, despite the loss of 2024 regular competitors Tony Schumacher and Ida Zetterstrom, Billy Torrence. Also conspicuous by his continued absence is Mike Salinas. In the Funny Car class, there's 18 drivers, including newcomer to the class, Canadian Spencer Hyde (driving the Jim Head entry). Still missing from the action are the two senior members of the JFR team: John Force and Robert Hight.

In the Pro Stock ranks, there's a bumper crop of 21 entrants, and 19 in the Motorcycle category. Rounding out the group are the ever popular Pro Mods, with 23 competitors entered. That total was bolstered by the late entry of last year's season champion, Canadian Jordan Lazic and his teammate Justin Bond, who are competing despite the very recent and very sudden loss of their Middle-Eastern sponsorship.

Qualifying commences for the PRO cars on Friday, with two sessions, and wraps up Saturday with two more rounds. NHRA has gone back to the four qualifying session scenario for all events this year, with the exception of three sessions at the Virgina Nationals, and the traditional five at the U.S. Nationals.