Gainesville Legends – NHRA Photo
NHRA legends Don Garlits, Don Prudhomme, Kenny Bernstein, Shirley Muldowney, Joe Amato, Darrell Gwynn, and Bob Frey will help kick off NHRA’s 75th Anniversary season at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 3, 2026) – An incredible list of NHRA legends
will help kick off NHRA’s 75th anniversary season, as some of the
biggest names in NHRA history will be appearing at the Amalie Motor Oil
NHRA Gatornationals on March 5-8 at famed Gainesville Raceway.
Don Garlits, Don Prudhomme, Kenny Bernstein, Shirley Muldowney, Joe
Amato, Darrell Gwynn and Bob Frey are all slated to appear in
Gainesville, a spectacular contingent of NHRA legends to open the
milestone year in style.
Throughout the weekend, fans will have the chance to meet and interact
with each legend, who each played instrumental and iconic roles in
NHRA’s 75-year history. A full list of weekend appearances by the
impressive group of legends will be released soon, while a comprehensive
list of legends appearing at all 20 national events will be released in
the coming weeks.
In Gainesville, it won’t get much bigger than the seven scheduled to
appear to ring in NHRA’s 75th anniversary season.
* The iconic Garlits was named the No. 1 driver in NHRA history during
the 50th anniversary celebration, winning 35 Top Fuel races and three
world titles. The popular “Swamp Rat Alley” will also return to
Gainesville, featuring a trio of historic Garlits cars (Swamp Rat 1-B,
Swamp Rat 8 and Swamp Rat 28A).
* Bernstein made history in Gainesville with the sport’s first
300-mph run in 1992, one of many highlights in an illustrious career
that included four Funny Car world championships and two Top Fuel world
titles.
* Prudhomme has long cemented himself as one of the sport’s biggest
stars, winning four world titles. “The Snake” had an incredible
Funny Car run in Gainesville as well, winning five times between 1974
and 1987 as a driver.
* Muldowney was a trailblazer as a dominant female in drag racing,
winning three world championships in the Top Fuel ranks. She won 18
career races, including back-to-back Gatornationals in 1981 and 1982.
* Amato was a remarkable force in Top Fuel, as the standout won five
world championships. He thrived in Gainesville, winning four times en
route to 52 career victories in the loaded category.
* Darrell Gwynn was also a star in the Top Fuel ranks, winning 18 times,
and Frey’s legendary calls as the voice of the NHRA helped bring the
sport to new levels.
Bernstein’s magical 300-mph run will be celebrated as the race’s
historic moment, a theme that will take place at all 20 races during the
spectacular 2026 campaign. Bernstein will be featured in the
commemorative ticket for the Gatornationals. Fans can scan onsite signs
in Gainesville to purchase the commemorative ticket, which will be
available for purchase online all season and will be distinctive to each
race in 2026.
Other special items during the 75th anniversary season-opener in
Gainesville includes:
* A free, limited-edition NHRA 2026 season poster to the first 6,500
fans in attendance on Sunday.
* A new-look Nitro Mall, special displays and 75th anniversary stage
in Nitro Alley.
* Race winners will get the special NHRA 75th anniversary Diamond
Wally, along with the Gatornationals traditional Golden Gator trophy.
The weekend in Gainesville includes Friday qualifying, the Top Fuel
All-Star Callout specialty race on Saturday, eliminations on Sunday and
action all weekend long in the Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, NHRA Flexjet
Factory Stock Showdown and the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.
Last year, Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Chad Green (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn
(Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won on the
hallowed grounds of Gainesville Raceway to open the year. This year’s
race will again be broadcast on FS1, including eliminations at 12 p.m.
ET on Sunday, March 8.
This year, fans will see a host of major stars, including Top Fuel
reigning world champ Doug Kalitta, motorsports legend Tony Stewart,
local standout Josh Hart, who joined John Force Racing, and the return
of star driver Leah Pruett. In Funny Car, the stars include back-to-back
world champ Austin Prock, Ron Capps, Matt Hagan, Jack Beckman and new
John Force Racing driver Jordan Vandergriff, while Pro Stock features
champ Glenn, Greg Anderson and Erica Enders, who each have six
championships, Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Aaron Stanfield.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Herrera is after a fourth straight Gators win,
while Richard Gadson begins his title defense against Matt Smith, Steve
Johnson and Angie Smith.
Upgraded experiences in the Gainesville Top Eliminator Club [1] –
which features a premium experience and a number of exclusive benefits
at one of the biggest races of the season – are also available for
purchase [2].
Before the race, fans are invited to a special “Gatornationals Kickoff
Party and Fanfest” at Josh Hart’s Burnyzz Speedshop in Ocala. In
what’s become a pre-event tradition, the event will take place on
Wednesday, March 4. The fun-filled kickoff event will include driver
appearances and autographs at the state-of-the-art facility and much
more.
To purchase tickets to the 2026 Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals,
fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets [3]. Children 12 and under are free
in general admission areas with the purchase of an adult ticket. For
more info about the NHRA, visit www.nhra.com [4].
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