Courtesy NHRA Communications
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 23, 2024) – NHRA announced today a pair of scheduling updates for the upcoming Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout, which takes place on Saturday, March 9 as part of the 55th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals.
The autograph session for the participants will now take place at 12:30 p.m. ET on Friday at the Pep Boys display, while the first-round Callout selections will be made at 10 a.m. ET in the Top Eliminator Club. Steve Torrence is the top seed in the big-money specialty race and has the first pick to call out his opening-round opponent.
The rest of the current lineup, in order, includes Doug Kalitta, Brittany Force, Mike Salinas, Justin Ashley, Leah Pruett, Antron Brown and Shawn Langdon. If Kalitta isn’t called out, the veteran picks next, going down the line until all four first-round matchups are set. Then, the driver who makes the quickest winning run that round selects their semifinal opponent, locking in the other matchup.
After qualifying sixth for the Callout, there is the chance Pruett wouldn’t race in the shootout if team owner Tony Stewart, who is making his Top Fuel debut in Gainesville, is not deeply qualified in the Gatornationals field after Friday’s two qualifying sessions.
Should Pruett, who would be using a separate car from Stewart, not race in the Callout, the final spot would go to Josh Hart, who won the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout last year at his home track, bumping Brown and Langdon to sixth and seventh, respectively. Stewart would then use Saturday’s two qualifying sessions to try and improve his spot in the Gatornationals field.
If Stewart qualifies well on Friday, Pruett would take part in the Callout, with Stewart possibly not making any qualifying attempts on Saturday.
The first round of the Pep Boys Top Fuel All-Star Callout takes place on Saturday at 1:20 p.m. ET and the semifinals at 2:45 p.m. The finals are slated for 4:25 p.m. A special Callout broadcast will air at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday on FS1.
The race, which started in 2022 and pits eight standouts against each other in a unique specialty shootout, includes a total purse of $130,000, a special Callout trophy and belt, and plenty of bragging rights at legendary Gainesville Raceway. It’s also a field that includes five world champions, with Torrence, Kalitta, the 2023 world champion, Force, Brown and Langdon owning 11 world titles combined.
It’s all part of a massive, marquee weekend that will give one Top Fuel driver the chance to win the Callout and then the famed Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals the next day, adding another surefire layer of excitement to the legendary event.
Last year, Salinas (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Troy Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock), and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won in Gainesville, adding the legacy-defining win to their resumés. Fans will also see action in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+ and Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown.
To purchase tickets to the 2024 Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. 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 because these will sell out. For more info on NHRA, please visit www.NHRA.com.
2024 Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout Final Standings
1. Steve Torrence
2. Doug Kalitta
3. Brittany Force
4. Mike Salinas
5. Justin Ashley
6. Leah Pruett
7. Antron Brown
8. Shawn Langdon
(Note: Torrence will get the first selection for the opening round, followed by the next-highest seeded driver until matchups are set.)
PEP BOYS NHRA TOP FUEL ALL-STAR CALLOUT SCHEDULE (ET):
Friday, March 8
12:30 PM – Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout autograph session at Pep Boys display
Saturday, March 9
10:00 AM – Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout first-round selections in Top Eliminator Club (Get your TEC Tickets Today!)
12:45 PM – Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout opening ceremonies
1:00 PM – First round for Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout
2:45 PM – Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout for round two. This will be conducted at the top end. The winning driver who makes the quickest run in the first round earns the right to select their semifinal opponent.
4:25 PM – Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout final round
7:00 PM – Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout show airs on FS1
