The 35th season of the All Harley Drag Racing Association (AHDRA) Championship Series got off to a roaring start this past weekend at the AutoPlus Raceway in Gainesville, Florida. As expected, the crowd at the Florida Nitro Nationals were treated to the largest field of competitors in ADHRA history.
In the Pro Classes we saw some of the fiercest competition to date, while the Sportsman Classes were no less exciting.
AHDRA Background
AHDRA has its origins in a racing club first started holding Harley drag races back in the late 1970s. Through the years, the club underwent various name changes before All Harley Drag Racing Association become the sanction’s official licensed name in 1991. Since its early days, the AHDRA has seen rider entries jump from 50-60 up to 450 today. Likewise, attendee numbers have skyrocketed, reaching an upwards of 12,500 at some of the most popular events.
Track Info
The Gainesville Raceway (AutoPlus Raceway) has been considered one of the premier drag strips in the US since it held the first Gatornationals event in 1970. Numerous records have been set on this legendary track, including eight of ten national records that were set during the 2000 Mac Tools NHRA Gatornationals. It is by far one of the fastest tracks on any drag racing circuit. Pro Class Results
Screamin Eagle Top Fuel
In the AHDRA’s fastest Pro Class, Randal Andras worked his way up through the three eliminating rounds to beat out Mike Pelrine in the final round. Randal won the class with an ET of 6.395 at 220.25. Top speed in the class was achieved by Tommy Grimes at 221.02 in the first round.
Pro Modified
Reserved for non-street legal Buell, FX, and XL models, the Pro Modified class saw a top speed of 160.5 reached by Jason Adams in Round 1. The class winner, Frank Capone ran a decent 8.503 in the final round, but won on Joey Thompson’s foul start.
Pro Drag
This nitro burning drag class was dominated by Steve Piper who ran the eliminator’s best time of 7.273 in the first round. In the third round he beat out Rocky Jackson with an ET of 7.475 and top speed of 171.31.
Catch the next event in the series, the Carolina Spring Nitro Nationals, on May 5th & 6th in Rockingham, North Carolina.
