Through three rounds of qualifying at the season opening Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals, Jonathan Allegrucci powered his Ford Mustang Cobra Jet to the No. 1 qualifier position heading into race day with a category quickest elapsed time of 7.714 seconds at 178.26 mph. Allegrucci and his Ford lead two Camaros driven by Richard Hord and Alex Anderson in the top three spots in the 16-car qualified field of the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series. The driver from Scott Township, Pa. will be looking for his second career win when he takes on reigning world champion Mark Pawuk in the first round.
“I hate being number one for obvious reasons,” said Allegrucci, with a smile. “You either win it, which is expected, or you get upset. The tune up we have coming off the starting line is good, so we feel confident. The track out there is tricky and it is going to change, but we’re working on it. We have good notes and we’re going to do our best.”
The Gatornationals is the first of nine national events for the Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown Series. The NHRA is celebrating its 75th anniversary season in 2026 and the Flexjet Factory Stock program is a featured class that Allegrucci, who races a beautiful Ford Mustang Cobra Jet, is proud to represent.
“It’s [the Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.] the hardest one to get to, but the best one to get to, for sure,” said Allegrucci, who drove down with his wife, who is expecting their third child. “We have good teammates. There is nothing better than racing this Mustang.”
The three qualifying sessions were full of surprises as Allegrucci ran to No. 1 in the first session with a strong 7.797-second pass. The second session was contested under the lights at Gainesville Raceway with much cooler conditions. Allegrucci was pushed off the No. 1 spot but charged back to the top with his 7.714 second pass that held up through a third round that was much warmer.
Reigning world champion Pawuk surprisingly struggled with a new race car and enters race day as the No. 16 qualifier. Pawuk will be looking for his second Gatornationals title and a strong start to his campaign to win a third world championship with his Hemi-powered 2026 Dodge Charger Empaco Hustle Stuff Drag Pak by Direct Connection. Pawuk will also have the Flexjet $1,000 bounty on his head going into the first round.
While Pawuk will be looking to improve, he will be joined in eliminations with his son Kyle who is making his debut in the class as the No. 15 qualifier. Championship contending driver Lee Hartman will also be joined on race day by his son Matt Hartman. The Hartmans are qualified No. 4 and No. 10, respectively. The duo could meet in an all-Hartman final round if they win the first three rounds of racing.
This story was originally published on March 7, 2026. 
