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NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout Brings Added Excitement to Open 2025 at Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals

2024 NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout winner, Antron Brown. NHRA photo

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

1.   Steve Torrence

2.   Doug Kalitta

3.   Shawn Langdon

4.   Justin Ashley

5.   Antron Brown

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6.   Brittany Force

7.   Clay Millican

8.   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.

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To purchase tickets to the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, visit www.nhra.evenue.net/. Children 12 and under are free in general admission areas with the purchase of an adult ticket. Get your tickets now for the Top Eliminator Club before they sell out. For more info on NHRA, visit www.NHRA.com.

This story was originally published on January 24, 2025. Drag Illustrated

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