MOTORSPORT AMERICA PHOTOS of FRIDAY'S ACTION at the NHRA GATORNATIONALS • Motorsport America

NHRA 75th Anniversary Trophy

NHRA Legend Darrell Gwynn gets a laugh out of Tony Stewart.

Full House in Gainesville, Florida for the NHRA Gatornationals

NHRA Southern Nationals May 1st-3rd at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Adel, Georgia

Cody Coughlin crew readies his Pro-Stock Dragster.

With nearly 30 years in the NHRA, Jeg Coughlin Jr.’s crew readies his Pro-Stock Dragster.

It’s a Coughlin family shoot out at Cody goes up against his Uncle Jeg, Jr. Cody ran a 6.544 at 210.37 to Uncle Jeg’s 6.563 at 209.43

Ron Capps NAPA Crew gets ready for the run.

Cruz Pedregon’s crew in action in Gainesville.

Leah Pruett’s Dodge Top Fuel Dragster

It was announced in 2025 that three-time world champion and NHRA team owner Ron Capps had selected Maddi Gordon to drive his team’s first Top Fuel car and second entry with the support of Carlyle Tools

Top Alcohol Dragster Matt Cummings doing a burnout in Gainesville.

55-year-old Angelle Sampey is out of New Orleans, Louisiana and drives the Hangsterfer’s Top Alcohol Dragster.

Threatening Skies in Gainesville

One of the many rain-delays this year in Gainesville.

Tony Stewart in the near lane vs Justin Ashley. Stewart makes the first pass in the Elite Top Fueler. He kept it hooked up to move into the top half of the show. Ashley launched hard and was straight down the groove to the number two spot.

Josh Hart in the near lane vs Antron Brown. Hart launched hard and kept it hooked up, hitting on all eight to go to the number one spot. He has top speed of the day at 335.40 mph. Brown with a good clean pass to go to the number three spot.

Scott Farley in the near lane vs Tripp Tatum. Farley starts to lose traction around 300 feet and clicked it off. Tatum launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number one spot.

Billy Torrence in the near lane in Friday’s Q1 vs Will Smith, who was up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off.

Leah Pruett at the Gatornationals

Maddie Gordon is a 3rd generation drag racer having grown up around the dragstrip working on her family’s Top Alcohol Funny Car: Father, Doug, is a three-time NHRA TAFC champion; sister, Macie, competes in the Super Comp and Top Dragster categories; Grandfather, Mike, raced TAFC for seven years and won multiple regional events and one Jegs All-Star Race. Gordon spent the 2024 and ’25 seasons driving the family entry. She became the 100th woman in NHRA history to win a national event when she picked up her first of three TAFC national event victories.

Matt Hagan driving for Dodge vs. Austin Prock who left John Force Racing and is now driving for Tasca. Hagan was mixing up cylinders late in the run but he makes a full pass and gets in the second spot to end this session. Prock had traction problems and was off of the throttle early.

Ron Capps in the near lane vs Jack Beckman. Capps rattles the tires off of the line and the chute deploys about 300 feet out. Beckman gets about 500 feet out and has problems.

Buddy Hull in the near lane takes on Hunter Green. Green goes down the groove with a full pass, and he takes the early pole. Hull has traction problems and is off of the throttle early.

Julie Nataas’ Hedinger’s Equipment Toyota GR Supra

Erica Enders in the near lane vs Eric Latino in the far. Latino is straight down the groove to the number four spot. Enders with severe tire shake and pushes the clutch in.

Husband vs Wife with Matt Smith in the near lane taking on wife Angie who has problems and is off of the throttle early. Matt goes down the groove with a good pass for the conditions and takes the top spot.

Clayton Howey in the far lane vs Ryan Oehler. Howey makes a clean, straight pass, the quickest of his career, an ET of 6.833 at 197.74 mph, and he takes the top spot for now. Oehler was drifting to the right all the way through the run and got within a couple of feet from the wall.

Lyle Barnett in the near lane vs JR Gray in Pro Mod Q1. This was a good side-by-side drag race. Barnett is a substitute driver for Billy Banaka this weekend. Barnett was straight down the groove to go to the number five spot with a 5.794 ET at 247.84 mph. Gray kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to go to the number three spot with a 5.778 ET at 248.39 mph

Mike Castellana in the near lane vs. Mike Stavrinos. Castellana with tire shake and clicked it off. Stavrinos launched hard and kept it hooked up and goes to the number two spot. Mike Stavrinos wins with a 250.23

Kevin Rivenbark in the near lane vs Chip King in Q1 action in the Pro Mod class.

Cody Coughlin in the near lane vs Matt Hartford in the Q2 round. Coughlin launched hard and kept it hooked up to go back to the number one spot. Cody pulled a 210.01 vs Matt’s 210.41

Matt Latino in the near lane vs. Dallas Glenn in the Q2 round. Dallas held on for the win with a 209.79 mph vs. Latino’s 210.37

Cody Anderson, son of six-time NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Pro Stock world champion Greg Anderson, takes on his Dad in the Q2 round. Cody made his Professional debut at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals after earning his license at Rockingham Dragway.

Pro Stock’s Matt Hartford

J.R. Todd’s burnout in Gainesville.

John Force Racing’s Jordan Vandergriff

Cruz Pedregon is a two-time NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Funny Car Champion from Torrance, California.

TSR Nitro’s Matt Hagan at the NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway in Florida.

Dave Richards Wellington, Florida reset career-best speed in Sonoma at 325.61 mph in 2025.

Spencer Hyde made his nitro Funny Car debut at Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals.

Terry Haddock of Hackettstown, New Jersey reset career best record for speed in Gainesville at 317.87 mph.

Billy Torrence returned to the seat of the Capco Contractors Top Fuel dragster for a full schedule for the first time since 2023.

Antron Brown’s Burnout at Gainesville Raceway

Antron Brown faces off against Gary Pritchett, who is making his 2nd start in TF. This is the first time Pritchett and Brown have faced each other in eliminations. Brown with the starting line advantage and was straight down the groove for the win. Pritchett drove into tire smoke and clicked it off.

Josh Hart earned career-first No. 1 qualifier award with a Gainesville Raceway track-record setting 3.733

Dan Mercier from Valleyfield, Quebec Canada

Jasmine Salinas in the near lane vs Leah Pruett. This is the first time Pruett and Salinas have faced each other in eliminations. Pruett with the starting line advantage and was straight down the groove for the win. She makes her fastest pass of the event. Salinas is up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off.

Maddie Gordon’s crew

NAPA’s Ron Capps is credited with the win, after Chad Green smokes the tires at the start and pulls the plug.

Daniel Wilkerson in the far lane vs. J.R. Todd. Daniel takes the Q4 round with a 4.018 to Todd’s 4.021

Matt Hagan in the near lane vs Julie Nataas in Q4. Nataas goes down the groove with another good run. Hagan has traction problems and is off of the throttle early.

Cruz Pedrego in the near lane vs Jack Beckman in Q4. Beckman goes down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend of 4.029 at 324.83 mph.

Austin Prock goes up in smoke early in Q4 and the reigning world champion will not qualify to race tomorrow. Hunter Green goes down the groove with a full pass.

Buddy Hull in the far lane vs Terry Haddock. Hull was on a good pass, but he gets about 600 feet down and the engine blows in a big ball of flame. Hull goes through the lights, the car starts moving back and forth, then he crosses over and gets tangled up with Haddock’s car, putting Haddock into the wall. Haddock had a cylinder out early in the run but ran well enough to get him in the field. Both Haddock and Hull exit their vehicles safely.

Spencer Hyde made his Nitro Funny Car debut last year at the NHRA Gatornationals.

Billy Torrence and Will Smith await their run.

Will Smith in the staging lanes at the Gatornationals.

Tony Stewarts Burnout at the Gatornationals

Tony Stewart with the starting line advantage and never trailed for the win. Clay Millican in the far lane lost traction right at the hit and then had some parts coming off the car. His chutes were out early. Stewart with the win with a run of 338.68 mph.

In Friday’s Q2 action, JR Todd in the near lane vs Julie Nataas who was on a good pass, but the flames disappeared about 700 feet out. Todd went down the groove with a full pass and moves up to the second spot in the order.

Ron Capps in his NAPA Funny Car.

Chad Green in the far lane vs Jordan Vandergriff. A good side-by-side, both down the groove with full passes. Green improves and moves up to the second spot for now. Vandergriff makes a decent pass, but the engine comes apart just past the finish line. He comes to a stop and there is a long trail of oil behind the car. Jordan Vandergriff was charged with an oildown, #1 for the season. That will cost 5 points and $1K.

in Q3, Spencer Hyde rattles the tires off of the line, gets about 100 feet out and clicks it off. Terry Haddock makes a good pass but looks like he may have hurt a few parts as he went through the lights.

Billy Torrence in the near lane vs Jasmine Salinas. Billy won it with a time of 3.741 vs Jasmine’s 3.791

MOTORSPORT AMERICA PHOTOS of FRIDAY’S ACTION at the NHRA GATORNATIONALS • Motorsport America

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