The Gatornationals is an annual National Hot Rod Association

National Hot Rod Association

The National Hot Rod Association is a drag racing governing body, which sets rules in drag racing and host events all over the United States and Canada...

 (NHRA) national drag racing

Drag racing

Drag racing is a competition in which specially prepared automobiles or motorcycles compete two at a time to be the first to cross a set finish line, from a standing start, in a straight line, over a measured distance, most commonly a ¼-mile straight track....

 event held each March at Gainesville Raceway

Gainesville Raceway

Gainesville Raceway is a quarter-mile dragstrip just outside Gainesville, Florida. It opened in 1969 and is most famous for hosting the NHRA's prestigious Gatornationals event since 1970...

 in Gainesville, Florida

Gainesville, Florida

Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...

. The event was held for the first time in 1970. The traditional East Coast opener and the season’s first of 16 events for Pro Stock Motorcycle riders and first of 10 for NHRA Get Screened America Pro Mod Drag Racing Series racers moves back to the second spot on the calendar. The event is one of the sport’s most revered with a rich tradition of history-making performances. This hallowed ground has entertained spring-break-loving fans for decades with such notable occasions as the first 260-mph Top Fuel and Funny Car runs in 1984 and the first 270-mph and 300-mph Top Fuel passes, in 1986 and 1992, respectively. Its 675-foot ­concrete launchpad is one of the longest on the tour.

How to Get There: The track is on County Road 225, eight miles north of Gainesville Regional Airport. If traveling north on I-75, use Exit 382, Williston Road (CR 331), and turn left (east). Williston Road will become Waldo Road (State Route 24) after it crosses U.S. 441. Continue on Waldo Road to NE 53rd Avenue, turn left, then immediately right onto CR 225 and continue 3.5 miles to the track. From I-75 north or south, use Exit 390, 39th Avenue (SR 222), go east to Waldo Road (SR 24), turn left, go to NE 53rd Avenue, turn left, then immediately right onto CR 225 and continue 3.5 miles to the track.

Winners

Year	Top Fuel Top Fuel Top Fuel racing is a class of drag racing in which the cars are run on a mix of approximately 90% nitromethane and 10% methanol rather than gasoline or simply methanol. The cars are purpose-built for drag racing, with an exaggerated layout that in some ways resembles open-wheel circuit racing...	Funny Car Funny Car Funny Car is a drag racing car class. In the United States, other "professional" classes are Top Fuel, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle. Funny cars have forward-mounted engines and carbon fiber automotive bodies over the chassis, giving them an appearance vaguely approximating manufacturers'...	Pro Stock Pro Stock Pro Stock Drag Racing is a class of drag racing featuring 'Factory Hot-Rods'. The class can be known as "all motor," as the cars cannot use artificial induction such as turbocharging, supercharging, or nitrous oxide, and there are very strict rules governing the modifications allowed to the...	Pro Stock Motorcycle Pro Stock Motorcycle Pro Stock Motorcycle, formerly known as Pro Stock Bike is a drag racing class that is the two-wheeled equivalent of Pro Stock. It has been a feature of NHRA drag racing since the 1980s when it was added to the professional class structure and has since spread around the globe. Their 1st Points...
2010	Tony Schumacher	Tim Wilkerson	Jason Line	Eddie Krawiec
2009	Larry Dixon	Bob Tasca III	Jason Line	Hector Arana
2008	Tony Schumacher	Tony Pedregon Tony Pedregon Tony Pedregon is a 2-time NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Funny Car Champion from Torrance, California. He is also the youngest of the Pedregon brothers. His brother Cruz Pedregon is the 1992 NHRA Full Throttle Series Funny Car Champion.-Early Days:In 1993 Pedregon qualified for his first...	Jeg Coughlin	Matt Guidera
2007	Tony Schumacher	Ron Capps	Greg Anderson Greg Anderson (driver) Greg Anderson is a current NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Pro Stock driver for KB Racing, driving the Summit Racing car. He began his Pro Stock career in 1998. Greg previously served as Crew Chief for current pro stock driver Warren Johnson and tuned Warren to three pro stock championchips...	Karen Stoffer
2006	David Grubnic	Ron Capps	Tom Martino	Angelle Sampey
2005	Doug Kalitta Doug Kalitta Doug Kalitta is an American auto racing driver from Ypsilanti, Michigan.Kalitta formerly raced in USAC events. He was the 1991 USAC rookie of the year in the midget series, and won the 1994 championship in the sprint car category. Kalitta won 21 USAC events: 14 in midget races and 7 in sprint...	Whit Bazemore	Jason Line	Steve Johnson
2004	Tony Schumacher	Del Worsham Del Worsham Del Worsham is an NHRA driver who began his professional career in Pomona, California, in 1990. Worsham drives for Al-Anabi Racing, whom he joined in 2009. Through the first five races of the 2011 season, he has amassed 28 career victories, three in the Top Fuel Series and 25 in the Funny Car...	Greg Anderson	Andrew Hines
2003	Brandon Bernstein Brandon Bernstein Brandon Bernstein is and American Drag Racer, and son of NHRA Legend Kenny Bernstein.-Early life:Bernstein was born in Dallas, Texas on August 2, 1972 the son of 6 time NHRA Champion Kenny Bernstein. He worked on his dad's team when he was a teenager...	Gary Densham	Kurt Johnson Kurt Johnson Kurt Johnson is a professional American drag racing driver. He was born in Virginia, Minnesota, and currently resides in Buford, Georgia. He competes in the NHRA’s POWERade Drag Racing series, driving a Chevrolet Cobalt in the Pro Stock category...	Angelle Sampey
2002	Larry Dixon Larry Dixon (drag racer) Larry Dixon, Jr. is a professional drag racer in the NHRA. Larry is the son of Larry Dixon, Sr., who won one national event.-1980s and 1990s:...	Tony Pedregon Tony Pedregon Tony Pedregon is a 2-time NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Funny Car Champion from Torrance, California. He is also the youngest of the Pedregon brothers. His brother Cruz Pedregon is the 1992 NHRA Full Throttle Series Funny Car Champion.-Early Days:In 1993 Pedregon qualified for his first...	Darrell Alderman	Craig Treble
2001	Larry Dixon	John Force John Force John Harold Force is an NHRA drag racer, a 15-time Funny Car champion driver, and a 17-time champion car owner. Force owns and drives for John Force Racing. He is one of the most dominant drag racers in the sport with 133 career victories...	Jeg Coughlin	Matt Hines
2000	Doug Kalitta Doug Kalitta Doug Kalitta is an American auto racing driver from Ypsilanti, Michigan.Kalitta formerly raced in USAC events. He was the 1991 USAC rookie of the year in the midget series, and won the 1994 championship in the sprint car category. Kalitta won 21 USAC events: 14 in midget races and 7 in sprint...	Jerry Toliver	Warren Johnson Warren Johnson Warren Johnson is an NHRA drag racing driver. He is the driver with the most wins in pro stock with 97 career wins, earning himself the nickname The Professor of Pro Stock.-Career:...	David Schultz
1999	Mike Dunn	John Force John Force John Harold Force is an NHRA drag racer, a 15-time Funny Car champion driver, and a 17-time champion car owner. Force owns and drives for John Force Racing. He is one of the most dominant drag racers in the sport with 133 career victories...	Warren Johnson Warren Johnson Warren Johnson is an NHRA drag racing driver. He is the driver with the most wins in pro stock with 97 career wins, earning himself the nickname The Professor of Pro Stock.-Career:...	Angelle Sampey Angelle Sampey Angelle Sampey, born Angelle Monique Sampey, August 7, 1970, New Orleans, Louisiana, was an American Pro Stock Motorcycle racer. She won the NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle championship three times...
1998	Kenny Bernstein Kenny Bernstein Kenny Bernstein is an American drag racer and former NASCAR and IndyCar team owner. He is nicknamed the "Bud King" for his success in the Budweiser King dragster, he has also been nicknamed "The King of Speed," because he was the first driver to break 300 miles per hour in the standing-start...	Cruz Pedregon Cruz Pedregon Cruz Pedregon is a 2-time NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Funny Car Champion from Torrance, California. He is the brother of Tony Pedregon also a two-time Funny Car Champion.-Early Days:...	Warren Johnson	Matt Hines
1997	Joe Amato	Al Hoffman Al Hoffman Al Hoffman , a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame since 1984, was a hit songwriter active in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, usually co-writing with others and responsible for number one hits through each decade, many of which are still sung and recorded today...	Jim Yates	David Schultz