NHRA Gatornationals Results: Reigning Champs Antron Brown, Gaige Herrera Strike First
The former Pro Stock Bike racer counted this 81st overall victory and 65th in Top Fuel at the season-opener as "a true blessing," because, he said that in the offseason, "all these teams did their homework." It was Brown's 149th final-round appearance.
Funny Car team owner Chad Green earned his second victory ran away from tire-smoking three-time series champion Ron Capps in the final to join Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) in the winners circle.
The Pro Stock showdown was a rematch of last November's Finals in which Greg Anderson beat his KB Titan Racing teammate Glenn by two-thousandths of a second to record his fifth championship. "This is payback," Glenn, 34, said of his 64-year-old mentor after posting his 14th victory. "Greg's one who's had my number. Even though he's an old guy, he's still got it."
The Pro Stock Motorcycle class, always with at least a little melodrama, had some in the classic final-round match. Herrera, who entered as the class champion for the past two seasons, patiently waited for opponent and keenest rival Matt Smith to get his motor to fire.
Herrera won with a one-thousandth-of-a-second margin over the six-time champion. Herrera's Vance & Hines crew chief, Andrew Hines, said of Smith, "We took the high road. But the ready line is back there. He should've had his stuff ready."
So despite an extensive rain interruption, a Top Fuel wreck, significant problems with the racing surface, a facility-wide power outage, and a FOX Sports drone that crashed into the tower and plunged three stories to the pavement in pieces - all in the first round - the season's first race is in the books. The series heads west for races later this month at Phoenix and Pomona, Calif.
Final Finishing Order
Final finish order (1-16) at the 56th annual AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. The race is the first of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.
TOP FUEL:
1. Antron Brown; 2. Shawn Langdon; 3. Steve Torrence; 4. Jasmine Salinas; 5. Tony Stewart; 6. Clay Millican; 7. Dan Mercier; 8. Doug Kalitta; 9. Doug Foley; 10. Shawn Reed; 11. Krista Baldwin; 12. Justin Ashley; 13. Josh Hart; 14. Brittany Force; 15. Ida Zetterstrom; 16. Tripp Tatum.
FUNNY CAR:
1. Chad Green; 2. Ron Capps; 3. Matt Hagan; 4. Alexis DeJoria; 5. Jack Beckman; 6. Bobby Bode; 7. Buddy Hull; 8. Bob Tasca III; 9. Daniel Wilkerson; 10. Terry Haddock; 11. John Smith; 12. Blake Alexander; 13. J.R. Todd; 14. Cruz Pedregon; 15. Austin Prock; 16. Paul Lee.
PRO STOCK:
1. Dallas Glenn; 2. Greg Anderson; 3. Jeg Coughlin; 4. Cory Reed; 5. Eric Latino; 6. Troy Coughlin Jr.; 7. Mason McGaha; 8. Derrick Reese; 9. Deric Kramer; 10. Kenny Delco; 11. Chris McGaha; 12. Brandon Miller; 13. Matt Hartford; 14. Aaron Stanfield; 15. Erica Enders; 16. Greg Stanfield.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:
1. Gaige Herrera; 2. Matt Smith; 3. Chase Van Sant; 4. Angie Smith; 5. Richard Gadson; 6. Kelly Clontz; 7. Jianna Evaristo; 8. John Hall; 9. Ron Tornow; 10. Ryan Oehler; 11. Brandon Litten; 12. Chris Bostick; 13. Marc Ingwersen; 14. Brayden Davis; 15. Geno Scali; 16. Lance Bonham.
Sunday's final results from the 56th annual AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. The race is the first of 20 in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:
Top Fuel -- Antron Brown, 3.673 seconds, 333.99 mph def. Shawn Langdon, 3.684 seconds, 332.67 mph.
Funny Car -- Chad Green, Ford Mustang, 3.921, 329.18 def. Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 6.500, 110.23.
Pro Stock -- Dallas Glenn, Chevy Camaro, 6.549, 211.13 def. Greg Anderson, Camaro, Broke.
Pro Stock Motorcycle -- Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.722, 200.23 def. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.723, 203.19.
Final round-by-round results from the 56th annual AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, the first of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:
TOP FUEL:
ROUND ONE -- Clay Millican, 4.365, 283.49 def. Josh Hart, 6.599, 94.69; Tony Stewart, 3.722, 329.91 def. Brittany Force, 8.643, 74.73; Shawn Langdon, 5.020, 235.19 def. Justin Ashley, 5.682, 130.61; Antron Brown, 4.664, 253.18 def. Krista Baldwin, 5.241, 183.67; Doug Kalitta, 5.575, 193.13 def. Ida Zetterstrom, 11.004, 74.49; Dan Mercier, 4.161, 308.28 def. Tripp Tatum, Foul - Outer Boundary; Steve Torrence, 3.749, 335.15 def. Doug Foley, 3.757, 318.47; Jasmine Salinas, 3.753, 330.23 def. Shawn Reed, 4.100, 275.79;
QUARTERFINALS -- Brown, 3.721, 333.25 def. Millican, 3.772, 324.90; Salinas, 3.751, 333.99 def. Mercier, 3.848, 310.91; Torrence, 3.975, 278.63 def. Kalitta, 4.051, 281.07; Langdon, 3.739, 333.82 def. Stewart, 3.742, 331.53;
SEMIFINALS -- Langdon, 3.727, 332.84 def. Salinas, 3.777, 328.94; Brown, 3.754, 324.36 def. Torrence, 3.773, 329.10;
FINAL -- Brown, 3.673, 333.99 def. Langdon, 3.684, 332.67.
FUNNY CAR:
ROUND ONE -- Buddy Hull, Dodge Charger, 4.048, 313.37 def. Daniel Wilkerson, Ford Mustang, 4.177, 322.88; Chad Green, Mustang, 3.959, 324.20 def. Paul Lee, Charger, 13.373, 54.52; Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 5.161, 209.62 def. Austin Prock, Chevy Camaro, 13.050, 56.62; Ron Capps, Toyota GR Supra, 3.964, 325.30 def. John Smith, Charger, 5.644, 132.14; Jack Beckman, Camaro, 4.359, 309.42 def. Blake Alexander, Charger, 6.782, 95.47; Bobby Bode, Mustang, 5.811, 159.70 def. J.R. Todd, GR Supra, 7.190, 104.54; Alexis DeJoria, Charger, 3.921, 329.75 def. Terry Haddock, Mustang, 4.202, 280.19; Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.275, 221.20 def. Cruz Pedregon, Charger, 10.461, 77.23;
QUARTERFINALS -- Green, 4.106, 312.78 def. Hull, 5.293, 146.56; Hagan, 3.987, 327.74 def. Beckman, 4.678, 214.48; Capps, 3.951, 330.07 def. Bode, 5.155, 145.03; DeJoria, 3.999, 322.58 def. Tasca III, 6.565, 103.18;
SEMIFINALS -- Green, 3.922, 330.88 def. Hagan, 3.988, 324.20; Capps, 4.012, 280.78 def. DeJoria, 5.949, 115.35;
FINAL -- Green, 3.921, 329.18 def. Capps, 6.500, 110.23.
PRO STOCK:
ROUND ONE -- Derrick Reese, Ford Mustang, 6.594, 208.75 def. Erica Enders, Chevy Camaro, 13.199, 67.63; Mason McGaha, Camaro, 6.932, 207.75 def. Matt Hartford, Camaro, 6.983, 206.20; Troy Coughlin Jr., Camaro, 6.555, 210.18 def. Aaron Stanfield, Camaro, 7.237, 153.51; Jeg Coughlin, Camaro, 9.193, 110.95 def. Greg Stanfield, Camaro, Foul - Red Light; Dallas Glenn, Camaro, 6.547, 210.93 def. Brandon Miller, Dodge Dart, 6.746, 198.12; Cory Reed, Camaro, 6.539, 210.08 def. Deric Kramer, Camaro, 6.610, 209.33; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.540, 210.44 def. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.657, 207.85; Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.538, 211.03 def. Kenny Delco, Camaro, 6.630, 208.26;
QUARTERFINALS -- Glenn, 6.571, 209.65 def. Coughlin Jr., 6.591, 209.36; Anderson, 6.541, 209.56 def. Reese, 13.207, 64.75; Reed, 6.539, 209.69 def. M. McGaha, 6.622, 207.18; J. Coughlin, 6.565, 208.97 def. Latino, 6.553, 210.31;
SEMIFINALS -- Anderson, 6.541, 210.54 def. J. Coughlin, 6.572, 209.23; Glenn, 6.542, 210.60 def. Reed, Foul - Red Light;
FINAL -- Glenn, 6.549, 211.13 def. Anderson, Broke.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:
ROUND ONE -- Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.827, 197.83 def. Ryan Oehler, 6.907, 194.02; Angie Smith, Buell, 6.818, 196.73 def. Brayden Davis, Suzuki, 7.078, 191.92; John Hall, 6.885, 195.99 def. Ron Tornow, Foul - Red Light; Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.809, 199.88 def. Marc Ingwersen, 7.015, 192.63; Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.857, 198.12 def. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.996, 193.79; Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.821, 198.38 def. Brandon Litten, Suzuki, 6.990, 190.16; Matt Smith, Buell, 6.753, 201.91 def. Lance Bonham, Buell, 7.291, 181.54; Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.766, 200.11 def. Geno Scali, Suzuki, Foul - Red Light;
QUARTERFINALS -- Van Sant, 6.790, 198.29 def. Gadson, 6.814, 198.82; A. Smith, 6.810, 198.99 def. Evaristo, 6.872, 199.11; Herrera, 6.765, 199.23 def. Clontz, 6.833, 196.64; M. Smith, 6.763, 202.21 def. Hall, 6.914, 194.94;
SEMIFINALS -- Herrera, 6.764, 198.88 def. Van Sant, Foul - Red Light; M. Smith, 6.738, 202.15 def. A. Smith, 6.819, 195.22;
FINAL -- Herrera, 6.722, 200.23 def. M. Smith, 6.723, 203.19.
Point standings (top 10) following the 56th annual AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, the first of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:
Top Fuel
1. Antron Brown, 121; 2. Shawn Langdon, 99; 3. Steve Torrence, 75; 4. Jasmine Salinas, 72; 5. Doug Kalitta, 57; 6. Clay Millican, 53; 7. Tony Stewart, 52; 8. Dan Mercier, 51; 9. Tripp Tatum, 39; 10. Brittany Force, 35.
Funny Car
1. Chad Green, 111; 2. Ron Capps, 97; 3. Alexis DeJoria, 73; 4. Matt Hagan, 72; 5. Jack Beckman, 64; 6. Bob Tasca III, 59; 7. Bobby Bode, 54; 8. Buddy Hull, 52; 9. Paul Lee, 37; 10. Daniel Wilkerson, 35.
Pro Stock
1. Dallas Glenn, 119; 2. Greg Anderson, 101; 3. Jeg Coughlin, 72; 4. Cory Reed, 71; 5. (tie) Troy Coughlin Jr., 55; Eric Latino, 55; 7. Derrick Reese, 53; 8. Mason McGaha, 52; 9. Deric Kramer, 39; 10. Matt Hartford, 36.
Pro Stock Motorcycle
1. Gaige Herrera, 123; 2. Matt Smith, 102; 3. Angie Smith, 78; 4. Chase Van Sant, 74; 5. Richard Gadson, 55; 6. Jianna Evaristo, 54; 7. John Hall, 53; 8. Kelly Clontz, 52; 9. Ryan Oehler, 33; 10. (tie) Chris Bostick, 32. Marc Ingwersen, 32. Ron Tornow, 32.
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