Enders, Herrera, Langdon and Todd Score National Hot Rod Association Season-Opening Wins at the Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida
The opening national event for the 2024 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) season, the 55th annual Gatornationals, is in the books.
And while a big chunk of the focus was rightly directed to a team scoring the rare “double up” by winning two professional categories, another driver overcame the odds to win their first time at the storied Gainesville Raceway after multiple runner-up finishes.
The Gatornationals can be a mixed bag when it comes to weather; some years can be pleasant with spring time temperatures and plenty of sun, while others can be cloudy and cool.
This year’s Gatornationals had all that, plus rainy conditions that forced some classes to cut qualifying short.
But for final eliminations on Sunday, the sky would be clear and temperatures in the 50s and 60s would bring improved performances, but a tricky racing surface.
Funny Car
The Funny Car world was abuzz with recent Top Fuel transfer Austin Prock getting his first win in his first stint in a Funny Car at the recent at the PRO Superstar Shootout event at Bradenton Motorsports Park.
But another Top Fuel to Funny Car driver, JR Todd, would make waves of his own at the Gatornationals. Starting from the number six qualifying spot thanks to his 3.89 second pass, Todd opened with a victory in the first round over Blake Alexander. That moved him to a round match up with former class champion Ron Capps, and a rare red light for Capps got Todd a semifinal berth.
There Todd would face Bob Tasca III, and a traction-limited pedal fest found Todd’s 4.96 at 180 mph holding on over the 5.20 at 203 mph effort from Tasca. The final round put Todd against Prock, and on paper the favorite looked to be Prock. But when he suffered a loss of traction early in the run, he only watch as Todd sped to a 3.88 at 329 mph lap to secure the win for Team Kalitta.
Top Fuel
Team Kalitta would have two drivers qualify for the Top Fuel field, defending world champion Doug Kalitta, and past world champion Shawn Langdon, the latter of which qualified number one in the field with a 3.68 at 334 mph blast.
Langdon used a 3.69 at 335 mph pass to open eliminations with a win over Cody Krohn. The Indiana resident then used back-to-back 3.70 passes to defeat Justin Ashley in round two, and Saturday’s All-Star Callout winner Antron Brown in the semifinal round.
That earned Langdon a final round slot against Billy Torrence, and Langdon 3.71 at 335 mph pass easily handled the 4.05 at a slowing 228 mph from Torrence, securing the win for Langdon, and allowing him to join teammate JR Todd in the winner’s circle for the first ever double victory for Team Kalitta.
Pro Stock
Erica Enders, who came in fresh from a $125,000 win at the PRO Superstar Shootout at Bradenton Motorsports Park just a month ago, continue to hold the hot hand by qualifying number one in the field with a 6.549 at 208 mph.
She opened eliminations with a 6.49 at 212 mph pass to dismiss Kelley Murphy, then used a 6.50 at 211 mph to deny Aaron Stanfield’s holeshot-aided 6.53 at 211 mph by just three thousandths of a second.
A titanic semifinal round matchup put Enders against Greg Anderson, and although Anderson got a slight reaction time advantage, Enders used low of the meet at 6.48 to defeat the 6.50 from Anderson.
After more than a decade of trying and three final round appearances, could this be the year that Enders scored her first win at Gainesville Raceway? Cristian Cuadra would be her final round foe, and when Cuadra shook the tires just off the starting line, he could only watch as Enders disappeared to a 6.49 second at 211 mph pass to score her 49th NHRA win, and her first victory at the Gatornationals.
Pro Stock Motorcycle
Just one year after his winning debut on the Vance and Hines Pro Stock Motorcycle bearing the big number one for 2024, Gaige Herrera returned to Gainesville Raceway determined to show that his first season was no fluke.
Qualifying on top of the field with a 6.74 at 200 mph, Herrera would be one of two bikes to qualify over 200 mph. He started eliminations with an improved 6.63 at 204 mph to defeat Joey Gladstone in the opening round, then followed with a 6.62 at 204 mph dismissing the 6.80 at 201 mph from John Hall.
Herrera’s slowest pass of eliminations, a 6.68 at 202 mph, would be enough to deny Angie Smith’s 6.73 at 202 mph for a semifinal round victory and a date with number two qualifier Matt Smith in the final round.
A multi-time class champion, Matt Smith was the only rider to eclipse 200 mph besides Herrera in qualifying, and at the start in the final, Matt Smith got a slight reaction time advantage. But Herrera’s 6.63 at 204 mph blast would be too much for the 6.74 at 200 mph from Matt Smith, giving Herrera back-to-back Gatornationals victories.
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of NHRA and Thomas Gaines – Gaines Photography.
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