Team Chevy opens the 2024 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing season at Gainesville Dragway for the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals March 8-10, 2024.
Chevrolet closed out the 2023 NHRA season capturing a record-extending 28th Manufacturers Cup since 1966, the most of any other manufacturer in professional drag racing.
Team Chevy raced to the NHRA nitro winners’ circle five times in 2023, with overall holding 159 Funny Car victories in the series since 1967.
John Force Racing enters the 2024 season after closing out 2023 runner-up in the NHRA Funny Car Championship standings with Robert Hight and the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS team.
John Force Racing heads to Gainesville with 13 wins in hand, with eight of those coming from drag racing legend and team owner John Force (1992-1996, 1999, 2001, and 2017), four from Robert Hight (2012, 2014, 2016, and 2019), and one from Brittany Force (2016).
Collectively, the drivers of John Force Racing also have 12 No. 1 qualifiers at Gainesville Raceway, the most recent coming from B. Force in 2023.
Already an event winner this year, Austin Prock and his Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car team at John Force Racing look to start the season strong with another visit to the Winner’s Circle after winning the PRO Superstar Shootout in Bradenton, Fla., and notching his first win in his first race behind the wheel of a Funny Car.
Prock has stepped into the driver’s seat for John Force Racing teammate Robert Hight as he tends to personal medical issues at the start of the 2024 season.
Prock will make his NHRA Funny Car competition debut in Gainesville, pairing up with his father Jimmy, and brother Thomas, who serve as co-crew chiefs along with Nate Hildahl.
John Force, driver of the PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car and team owner of John Force Racing, enters Gainesville seeking his 156th Wally trophy, as well as Chevrolet’s 80th in a Camaro SS-bodies Funny Car. 24 of Team Chevy’s wins have come from John Force and his team.
Legendary driver and team owner J. Force and his PEAK Chevrolet team are led by crew chief Chris Cunningham, entering the 2024 season on the hunt for a record-extending 17th Funny Car championship. J. Force is first on the most NHRA World Series Championships list, ahead of Bob Glidden (Pro Stock) with 10.
Looking to capture her 17th Top Fuel victory in NHRA with her Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster team, Brittany Force heads to Gainesville seeking a needed return to the winner’s circle with John Force Racing.
B. Force and her team are once again led by decorated crew chief David Grubnic at the helm, competing for a third NHRA Top Fuel World Championship this season along with her 18th Top Fuel victory in the series, starting at Gainesville.
Gainesville Dragway is near and dear to B. Force’s heart, being the site of her first win in NHRA Top Fuel in 2016. Since then, she’s amassed two championships, 16 wins, and 46 No. 1 Qualifiers in her career thus far.
Quotes:
BRITTANY FORCE, DRIVER OF THE MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET TOP FUEL DRAGSTER:
“The 2024 NHRA Drag Racing season is starting and we kick off in Gainesville at the Gator Nationals. I’m excited to get this year rolling after a tough season and a tough test in Bradenton. Our team got our first win in 2016 here in Florida and we’re looking for another one this season. We want to start off strong, we want to qualify well, make use of every qualifying lap we make, and not only win this thing but win the Pep Boys All-Star Callout. Our Team Chevy Dragster is ready for battle. It’s an exciting way to open the season with two races in one. Top Fuel kicks it off, and it’s the second or third year of the Pep Boys Callout. The fans love it. Drivers get up there and call out other drivers, and it’s just this new, exciting race within a race.”
AUSTIN PROCK, DRIVER OF THE CORNWELL TOOLS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS FUNNY CAR:
“I’ve been a part of the Chevrolet family my entire career, but this year is special. I get to be behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Camaro SS for the first time in competition. Can’t wait to get this hotrod in the winners’ circle!”
JOHN FORCE, DRIVER OF THE PEAK ANTIFREEZE & COOLANT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS FUNNY CAR:
“I’ve raced in Gainesville for years. Everybody came out of Canada and the north, you know, Boston and places. And we’ve got fast Chevrolets and, you know, Chevrolet builds great race cars. We’re very excited. We’re excited to get out here. These cars will run 338. They’ll run 340. And they’ve got big pushes with their current fleet and their electric cars. But we’ve got big pushes with our hot rods too. Our Camaro SS cars, we love to race them and we love to drive them on the streets too. And all their trucks, I love them too. It’s going to be a great year.”
How to Watch:
The 2024 Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Dragway kicks off with Friday’s qualifying airing Saturday, March 9, 2024, at noon ET from Gainesville, Fla. Following qualifying, the Top Fuel All-Star Callout airs Saturday evening at 7 p.m. ET. Saturday’s qualifying session airs Sunday at 8:30 a.m. ET with Finals Round 1 and 2 airing following at 10:30 a.m. ET.
Sunday’s eliminations wrap up the weekend, with the remaining final rounds airing at 9 p.m. ET. All sessions from Gainesville Dragway air with NHRA on FOX on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Coverage streams live throughout the weekend on NHRA.tv, and is available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices.
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