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There are changes to the Saturday scheduling for this year\u2019s 55th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, held in just a couple of weeks on Gainesville Raceway\u2019s drag strip. The third annual edition of the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout that began in 2022 at this race, is scheduled to take place during Saturday\u2019s qualifying sessions.<\/p>\n
The Top Fuel Callout pits eight top-notch racers against one another in a unique shootout. It includes a hefty total purse of $130,000, a special Callout trophy (from artist Cold Hard Art), a belt similar to those doled out to boxers and bragging rights, of course. This year\u2019s field, led by top seed Steve Torrence, a four-time NHRA Top Fuel champion, also includes reigning titleholder Doug Kalitta, two-time champ Brittany Force, three-time champ Antron Brown, together with speedsters Mike Salinas, Justin Ashley, Leah Pruett and Shawn Langdon.<\/p>\n
As top seeded driver, Torrence makes the first selection of who he wants to race, while Kalitta, next in the seeding, chooses second, followed by Force and Salinas. Ashley, Pruett, Brown and Langdon are the fifth through eighth seeds. Whoever makes the quickest run in the first round selects their semifinal opponent, thereby locking in the other matchup.<\/p>\n
One wrinkle in this event is Leah Pruett\u2019s determination to start a family with husband Tony Stewart, owner of the Tony Stewart Racing Nitro squad that includes reigning, four-time Funny Car champion Matt Hagan and Pruett. Since she\u2019s decided to sit out the season in order to enhance her abilities to attain pregnancy, Stewart is driving her dragster in 2024. There is the chance that Pruett wouldn\u2019t race in the shootout if Stewart, who makes his Top Fuel debut at the Gatornationals, is not deeply qualified in the field after Friday\u2019s pair of qualifying attempts.<\/p>\n
If Pruett, using a separate dragster from the one Stewart will be campaigning for the full, 21-race season, doesn\u2019t race in the Callout, the final spot would go to Ocala, Fla. resident Josh Hart, who won the Callout last year at his home track, bumping Brown and Langdon to sixth and seventh, respectively. Under those circumstances, Stewart would be free to use Saturday\u2019s pair of qualifying sessions to try and improve his standing on the 16-car ladder.<\/p>\n
Should Stewart run well on Friday, Pruett would then take part in the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout, with Stewart possibly not making any qualifying attempts on Saturday. Confusing? Sure, but Pruett and Stewart\u2019s announcement of their family intentions at last December\u2019s PRI Show was bound to put some wrinkles into the 2024 proceedings of this Callout.<\/p>\n
Because of these changes that may or may not occur, depending on how well Stewart does on Friday, NHRA decided to place the autograph session for all eight scheduled Callout participants on Friday, at 12:30PM at the Pep Boys display within the Manufacturer Midway. The first-round Callout selections will be made at 10AM ET inside the Top Eliminator Club on Friday.<\/p>\n
The first round of this third annual Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout takes place on Saturday at 1:20PM; the semifinals are slated for 2:45PM with finals taking place at 4:25PM. A special Callout broadcast airs on Saturday, March 9 at 7PM on FS1.<\/p>\n
With all four NHRA Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series categories and nearly every Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series class performing at the Gatornationals, the professional start of the 2024 season, a Top Fuel Callout winner has the opportunity to double up by earning their Wally trophy on Sunday.<\/p>\n
In 2023, the winners of the 54th Gatornationals were Salinas in Top Fuel, Hagan for Funny Car, Pro Stock\u2019s Troy Coughlin Jr. for Elite Motorsports and champion-in-waiting Gaige Herrera, who won his first race in Pro Stock Motorcycle racing for Vance & Hines Motorsports.<\/p>\n
By Anne Proffit<\/p>\n
PEP BOYS NHRA TOP FUEL ALL-STAR CALLOUT SCHEDULE (ET):<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n