Fans Persevere As Rain, Outages Disrupt NHRA Opener at Gatornationals

GAINESVILLE — Fate threw everything it could at the 2025 Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals. From rain delays to power outages, the drag-racing circuit’s season-opening event at Gainesville Raceway endured a chaotic weekend that tested both racers and fans alike.

NHRA officials tried to get ahead of the rainy weather by moving Sunday’s Top Fuel opening round to 9:30 a.m. ET. But an earlier start meant sacrificing optimal track conditions, and cooler temperatures wreaked havoc on drivers. Four lane swaps occurred in the first six pairs, with Ida Zetterström spinning her tires at the launch in her matchup against Doug Kalitta. In the next race, Tripp Tatum’s car went sideways and slammed into the left wall, bringing out the NHRA Safety Safari. Tatum exited the car on his own.

As the cleanup wrapped, the skies opened, drenching the track and stands. Fans scrambled for cover, including Rita Taulbee and her mother-in-law, Mary, who retreated to their car to dry their socks and shoes with the heater.

“As a racing fan you’ve got to be willing to roll with the weather,” Rita Taulbee said. “We’ve been rained on before.”

Mary Taulbee recalled another race day that was canceled mid-event due to cold temperatures. But despite the weather, fans stayed upbeat.

Rita, a Gainesville native, she hadn’t known about Gatornationals until meeting her husband, but has attended regularly ever since. 

“Everyone was just having fun and doing their thing,” Rita said, “It’s been fun and interesting. There’s always something new every year.”

Jeff Fox, who has traveled annually from Port St. Lucie for Gatornationals since childhood, waited out the storm under the stands.

“True fans will stay,” Fox said.

After a break in the rain, the NHRA Safety Safari got to work drying the track—only for another downpour to roll through. About an hour later, the skies cleared again, and racing was set to resume. But just as the engines were about to fire, Gainesville Raceway suffered a power outage.

It was the only moment the crowd became antsy, unaware of the issue at first, Fox said. And as if the weekend couldn’t get more bizarre, the FOX TV drone crashed into the top of the media tower, plummeting three stories before smashing to the ground.

>Finally, after a delay of more than four hours, the first round of Top Fuel concluded, and in true Florida fashion, the sun reappeared. There were still minor hiccups, but all four main classes—Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle—got their runs in.

The remaining classes voted on whether to stay and compete or finish at another venue. Stock, Super Gas, Top Alcohol Funny Car and Top Alcohol Dragster all ran but didn’t conclude in Gainesville.

A weekend of unpredictable twists may have tested patience, but for NHRA fans, it was just another weekend in the sport’s wild legacy.