NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Call Out Brings Added Excitement To Open ’25 GatorNationals

Story By: NHRA – GAINESVILLE, FL – The chance to start the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods with a strong statement is there for eight Top Fuel standouts who will compete in the Top Fuel All-Star Callout bonus race on Saturday, March 8 as part of the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at legendary Gainesville Raceway.
The excitement-filled kickoff to the 2025 campaign takes place March 6-9, with all the stars descending upon the historic venue to try and win one of the NHRA’s biggest races.
For eight standouts in Top Fuel, there’s an opportunity for even more, as big money and bragging rights are on the line for the special All-Star Callout bonus race. Steve Torrence secured the top spot in the one-day specialty event for a second straight year, while the full eight-car field looks like this:
2025 NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout Standings
- Steve Torrence
- Doug Kalitta
- Shawn Langdon
- Justin Ashley
- Antron Brown
- Brittany Force
- Clay Millican
- Tony Schumacher
With the unique callout aspect of the bonus race, Torrence will get the first opportunity to select his first-round opponent. If he doesn’t select Kalitta, the 2023 champ will get the second pick, moving down the line until all first-round matchups are set. The driver who makes the quickest winning run in the first round will then select their semifinal opponent, locking in the other matchup.
Those first-round selections take place at 12 p.m. ET on Friday, March 7 in the Top Eliminator Club, with the opening round of racing slated for 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. The semifinals follow at 3 p.m. and the final round takes place at 4:30 p.m. A special Callout broadcast will air at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday on FS1.
Torrence won the inaugural Top Fuel All-Star Callout in 2022, with the four-time champ capturing the victory after weather pushed the completion of the bonus race to Indy. Local native Josh Hart provided a feel-good story in 2023 by earning the victory from the No. 8 position, while Brown’s championship run started with his memorable specialty race victory a year ago.
Brown defeated Brittany Force in the final under the lights in Gainesville in 2024, setting the stage for a run at his fourth world championship. In all, it’s a loaded, star-studded field that includes six world champions, with Torrence, Kalitta, Langdon, Brown, Force and Schumacher combining for 20 world titles in their incredible Top Fuel careers.
With a big purse, a special Callout trophy and plenty of bragging rights on the line, it can also provide the perfect boost to open the season at one of the most historic races on the NHRA schedule.
In 2024, Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), J.R. Todd (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won the Gatornationals to open the year. It marked the first double-up victory for Kalitta Motorsports, while six-time world champ Enders won the historic race for the first time. This year’s race will again be broadcast on FS1, including eliminations at 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 9.
AMALIE MOTOR OIL RETURNS AS TITLE SPONSOR OF NHRA GATORNATIONALS TO OPEN 2025
The NHRA announced today that Amalie Motor Oil will continue as the title sponsor of the 56th annual NHRA Gatornationals at legendary Gainesville Raceway on March 6-9.
The historic Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals will open the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season for the third consecutive year, as the NHRA begins its 74th season of racing. Tickets for the famed event are currently on sale, as all the stars in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle look to put their name in the famed Gatornationals history books.
The NHRA Gatornationals has been of the biggest weekends on the NHRA circuit for more than five decades and Amalie Motor Oil has been a longtime title sponsor of the historic race, with the partnership continuing for the highly-anticipated 2025 race.
“AMALIE Motor Oil is proud to continue as the title sponsor of the NHRA Gatornationals, one of the most iconic events in drag racing history. The Gatornationals represent passion, power, and performance — values AMALIE shares with racers and fans alike,” said AMALIE Motor Oil President and CEO Harry J Barkett. “As we gear up for the 2025 season, we’re excited to fuel the excitement and tradition that make this event a cornerstone of NHRA drag racing. Here’s to another thrilling year at Gainesville Raceway!”
In 2024, Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), J.R. Todd (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won on the hallowed grounds of Gainesville Raceway to open the year. It marked the first double-up victory for Kalitta Motorsports, while six-time world champ Enders won the historic race for the first time.
This year, the loaded weekend at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals will also include the big-money Top Fuel All-Star Callout specialty race on Saturday, March 8, as well as the first race of the 2025 season in the Congruity Pro Mod Drag Racing Series, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown, and action in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series.
“Amalie Motor Oil has been a tremendous partner for so many years and they’ve been a name synonymous with the Gatornationals, one of the biggest races on the NHRA tour,” NHRA Vice President and Chief Development Officer Brad Gerber said. “We’re thrilled to see them continue as the title sponsor of a prestigious event to kick off our 2025 season. Starting the year at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals has provided plenty of excitement the last two seasons and we’re looking forward to another great season of NHRA racing.”
The Gatornationals have been filled with record runs and magical moments for more than 50 years, including eight victories from Funny Car legend John Force. Top Fuel legend Tony Schumacher and reigning Pro Stock world champ Greg Anderson both have five wins at the historic race.
Three-time NHRA Funny Car world champ Ron Capps has four Gatornationals victories, while other stars in action in Gainesville include reigning world champs Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Austin Prock (Funny Car) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle), Brittany Force, Matt Hagan, Doug Kalitta, Tony Stewart, and many more. Two qualifying sessions will take place on both Friday and Saturday, with the Top Fuel All-Star Callout also taking place on Saturday. That leads into eliminations on Sunday, with drivers aiming to grab a victory to kick off the 2025 NHRA campaign.