Reigning NHRA Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown started 2025 with the provisional No. 1 qualifier position, taking the top spot on Friday at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the first round of the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.
Selections were also made for the opening round of the big-money Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout bonus race, which takes place on Saturday. Top seed Steve Torrence selected Tony Stewart as his opening-round opponent, while Doug Kalitta picked Clay Millican for his first-round matchup. Shawn Langdon and defending world champion Brown will face off, while the final first-round pair features Justin Ashley and Brittany Force.
Brown went 3.685 seconds at 334.24 mph in his Matco Tools dragster during the second session, starting the year strong after earning his fourth world championship in 2024. If Friday’s run under the lights holds, the 80-time event winner would pick up his 51st career No. 1 qualifier.
“We weren’t trying to go out there and kill it, but we knew the track could hold anywhere in the mid-60 range, and we just wanted to be in the top half the field,” Brown said. “Lo and behold, it ran really strong out the back door. It was smooth all the way down, it just went straight as an arrow and I got to the finish line.”
Tripp Tatum also went 3.685 at a slower 326.58 to take the second spot and Langdon is third after going 3.690 at 335.23.
Funny Car’s Jack Beckman was the quickest in both sessions on Friday, slipping past Bob Tasca III under the lights with a stellar run of 3.832 at 334.65 in his PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS. Named the full-time driver for John Force during the 2025 campaign, Beckman picked up where he left off last year, following his NHRA Finals victory with a pair of terrific runs on Friday.
“When the season ended last year, I wasn’t sure if I’d be back. I thought I’d get the nod but I wasn’t sure,” Beckman said. “There is a part of me that expected to see someone run 3.81 but I’m happy with a 3.83. We were low of both sessions in completely different conditions.
“I can’t put into words how awesome it is to be strapped into John Force’s Funny Car and have John walk by and give you a thumbs up before they fire up. I am unbelievably lucky.”
Tasca was also strong on Friday, going 3.833 at 333.82 and Capps’ 3.857 at 335.73 puts him third after the first day of qualifying.
In Pro Stock, Greg Anderson made NHRA history in an unbelievable performance on Friday under the lights at Gainesville Raceway, going 6.443 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro to set the Pro Stock world record. It’s the quickest pass in Pro Stock history and made for a surreal moment for the reigning world champion.