Race Weekend: Part Two – NHRA Gator Nationals

The next morning we left early and headed towards Gainesville for the Gator Nationals.  Can you believe it?  Two Vol fans headed for the home of the Florida Gators? 

Like all big races, we had to park a long way from the track.  We loaded up our camera and rain gear and headed for the track. 

While we were standing in line with our tickets, there was a lady in front of us, that we talked to.  She said she was the mother of one of the drivers, Alexis Dejoria.  She asked us if we had heard of her daughter and was surprised that we hadn’t.  Chuck told her this was our first NHRA race and that the only drag racer we knew was John Force.  She said that John Force was who her daughter was racing against first! 

What is different about NHRA drag races as compared to NASCAR is that the pits are on the outside of the track which gives the fans a chance to walk through the pits and see them working on the cars. 

The motors are huge!

Check out all the headers for one car:

And the pits were immaculate! 

We got a picture of Alexis Dejoria’s pit (this was the daughter of the woman we met at the ticket check-in):

And with our camera that zooms way up, we got a picture of John Force on the other side of the pits:

Then we made our way to the other side of the track where our seats were.  I saw they were selling funnel cakes.  I had not had a funnel cake since the last time we went to a Nashville Predators game.

Our seats were just about perfect.  14 rows up but straight across from where the cars took off. 

We could also see down the track from our seats:

We put our headsets on and got ready to watch.  How do you like my pink headsets?

The first 2 dragsters pulled up…spun their tires, staged, and then they were gone.  I could not believe the noise, the power, and the vibration.  It felt like you had a front row seat to a space shuttle launch.  Obviously I wasn’t quick enough because all I got a picture of was the smoke.

But Chuck told me to watch the Christmas tree...

And be ready to snap the picture as soon as the light goes green.

After the first burn-out, the pit crew cleans the tires and adjusts the wheelie bar in the back.

Then the funny cars started:

And the mother of the girl drag racer we saw in line?  Sure enough, there she was down at the track watching her daughter BEAT John Force. 

Unlike the go-karts, there were several women drag racers.  John Force’s daughter:

And this girl sponsored by Geico raced a motorcycle.

Unfortunately, it rained off and on all day until finally about 4 pm we decided to head back home.  I hated that it got rained out.  I have definitely become a drag race fan.  I have to say I enjoy watching the drag races more than NASCAR.  (Sorry, Dale, Jr.  I still like you but the drag races are much more fun to watch.)