Florida’s Gainesville Raceway played host to the traditional season opening event for the Eastern scene with the 39th running of the ACDelco Gatornationals. The event’s Professional and Top Alcohol fields were set based on only two qualifying runs after persistent rain storms washed out action scheduled for Friday.

The event was highlighted by marquee victories by three defending NHRA POWERade Champion drivers with Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Tony Pedregon (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) all emerging victorious.

Tony Schumacher built upon his overall POWERade points lead in TF when he piloted the U.S. Army sponsored dragster to an exciting final round win over the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster driven by Brandon Bernstein. Schumacher’s 2nd win in three NHRA races so far this season came after a 4.603 secs 325.37 mph to 4.667 secs 323.27 mph decision.

Schumacher, who qualified 5th, beat J.R. Todd, Antron Brown and Larry Dixon in earlier competition.

Top Fuel racing featured a surprise pole sitter in Alan Bradshaw who drove Dexter Tuttle’s new VisViva-sponsored dragster to a 4.547 secs for his first career #1 qualifying effort. Class racing also featured strong “final four” placings by recent Phoenix winner Larry Dixon as well as lady racer Hillary Will.

Tony Pedregon’s Q-Racing Chevrolet Impala team shrugged off any and all reside effects from their massive incident during the season opening Winternationals to win big in FC. Pedregon’s victory came from the pole (4.780 secs – low ET) and featured a super exciting wire-to-wire final round decision over veteran and sentimental favorite Gary Densham, also driving a Chevy Impala. Pedregon won by a narrow 4.921 secs to 4.924 secs margin.

Pedregon had stopped Jerry Toliver, Ashley Force and Jim Head in earlier competition.

FC class competition included the two most notable event incidents. New York’s Tony Bartone did a big half track wheelstand driving Jim Dunn’s car during the first qualifying session and then collected both guardwalls, ending his event prematurely. Cruz Pedregon had a massive engine explosion while winning round one over Ron Capps which shredded the body of his Advance Auto Parts Chevy Impala. Pedregon’s team made the necessary repairs between rounds but lost out in round two.

Ohio’s Jeg Coughlin won over a ferocious Pro Stock field driving the Jeg’s Mail Order Colbalt. Coughlin combined a superior RT with a final round 6.652 secs ET to edge out 2006 NHRA World Champion Jason Line who ran 6.656 secs driving his all new Summit-sponsored Pontiac GXP.

Coughlin qualified 3rd (6.680 secs) before speeding by Ron Krisher, Greg Anderson and Johnny Gray in earlier action.

Pro Stock racing at Gainesville attracted 29 cars including three from Europe – Richard Sundblom (Finland) and Adam Flamholc and Jimmy Alund (from Sweden) all of who did not qualify.

Class racing did feature strong qualifying efforts from a couple of new Mopar Pro Stock cars. 20-year old new comer Rickie Jones (son to Rick Jones) qualified 9th and Matt Hartford who drove a new car fielded jointly by Jerry Haas and David Nickens.

California’s Matt Guidera drew first season blood in the ’08 POWERade Pro Stock Motorcycle category when he rode the Mohegan Sun/Rocklin Motorsports Buell to a very impressive win.

Guidera qualified #1 and ran both low ET and top speed at 6.922 secs and 192.85 mph while recording his 2nd career NHRA event victory. He beat 3X NHRA POWERade Champion Andrew Hines in the final – 6.949 secs 191.54 mph to 6.985 secs 189.55 mph.

NHRA’s Jegs Pro Mod Challenge series also hit the track for the first time this season.

Floridian Joe Baker, who was a late event entry, scored a huge upset victory winning from the 16th qualified slot driving a supercharged ’41 Willys that was formally owned by Mike Ashley. Baker had great luck when he benefited from some unexpected miscues by opponents during each round of competition. Favorites Mike Ashley and Kurt Kuhns both went into violent tire shake and Scott Ray had a red-light foul. Then in the final, Baker himself shook the tires hard only to then witness a boundary violation from opponent Canadian Raymond Commisso, who crossed the centerline and clipped the guardwall. That awarded Baker an automatic win.

Raymond Commisso was the fastest PM entered at Gainesville. He drove his new Al Billes-tuned R2B2 Firebird to both low ET and top speed at 5.935 secs and 247.34 mph.

Top Alcohol racing featured the 73rd career win by Frank Manzo who drove his Lucas Oil-sponsored Chevy Monte Carlo to victory. Manzo had low ET and top speed for the TAFC class and beat the impressive new Mustang driven by Marc White in the final.

New York’s John Finke won a classic injected nitro vs. supercharged alcohol TAD final over Canada’s Ken Perry. Perry’s Ontario-based car appeared to headed to a sure win only to have mechanical difficulties at the 1000 foot mark which allowed Finke to take a come from behind win.

Defending NHRA Lucas Oil World Champion Bill Reichart set both low ET and top speed in TAD at 5.228 secs and 274.72 mph.