For the first time ever, a spinoff of the original Million Dollar Drag Race took place in the Sunshine State at the iconic Gainesville Raceway. The inaugural event, named the Mini Million Florida 40’s, sponsored by Laris Motorsports Insurance and presented by Hoosier Racing Tire, came as a full-circle moment for the Folk Family, who has been hosting the famed race since 1996. The decision to bring the event to Florida was inspired by Randy Folk’s love for the Florida winter series races; Randy himself is a 25-year veteran of the 5-Day Dick Moroso Memorial Race, which was held in West Palm Beach at Moroso Motorsports Park until 2021.
“Now that I live in Florida, I realize how few races there are for us here and how important it is to keep that tradition alive,” Jennifer Folk said. “Those thoughts turned into finding a way for us to bring a race back to the South and now we are proud to add our Mini Million Florida 40’s this year.”
A weekend cold front brought the air temperatures low while dicey track conditions at night forced the event to combine into three races total, starting with the VP Racing Fuels $15K race on Thursday followed by two $60K races. The capped event included 425 Top Bulb and 42 No Box entries, with racers traveling from all over the country to throw their chips on the table for big purses and even bigger bragging rights. In true Million fashion, numerous prizes were also given out, including the best losing package and best appearing car. Additionally, complimentary daily coffee and donuts, staging lane refreshments, and a Racer Appreciation dinner with open bar were provided by event sponsors.
Throughout the weekend, one racer distinguished himself from the rest. Claude Debonis from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, proudly parked his 2008 Worthy Race Cars dragster in the winner’s circle not once, but twice. Debonis first competed in the final round of Thursday’s warm-up $15K event against past Million winner Will Holloman.
During the final round, both drivers dialed an identical 4.47, but Holloman turned it .001 red against Debonism who had a .009 reaction time, scoring his first win of the weekend. The victory was an emotional one for Debonis, who thanked God, his family, and his friends, especially Ralph and Thomas Hester, the owners of his home track, Immokalee Regional Raceway, which is set to close permanently in March 2025.
“We’ve been racing at Immokalee for a long time. They’re shutting the track down and its heartbreaking,” Debonis said, fighting back tears during a top-end interview.
The second final round of the weekend took place Saturday afternoon with Paul Skinger and Chris Gulitti facing off in the Abruzzi Racing Transmissions $60K event. Skinger dialed a 4.65 against Gulitti’s 4.31, who had a .004 reaction time against Skinger’s .011. At the finish line, Skinger prevailed, running 4.656 in his brand new Racetech dragster over Gulitti’s 4.325. The race was separated by only two thousandths margin of victory.
“There’s a lot of things I did differently coming into this race, and I decided to go back to square one,” Skinger said from the winner’s circle. “I told the promotion team if I won, I wanted the gator mascot. And now it’s going back home with me.”
The Mini Million concluded on Sunday evening with the third and final Penske Racing Shocks and Brodix $60K event. Jonathan D’Aprile, the son of PDRA Pro Boost champion Tommy D’Aprile, faced Claude Debonis in his first-ever Million final round. D’Aprile dialed a 4.40 to Debonis’ 4.49, leaving the starting line separated by just eight thousandths. Debonis ultimately came out on top at the finish line, clocking a 4.512 against D’Aprile’s respectable 4.418.
“We came up a little bit short and the car was all over the racetrack. I tried driving it, but it wasn’t holding enough,” D’Aprile said. “I learned my lesson for next time and we’re going to come out here swinging. We’re not giving up.”
While the $60K race winner, Claude Debonis, is no stranger to competing in high-stakes final rounds, he finally achieved redemption for his runner-up finish at the 2002 Million Dollar Drag Race, which took place at the former Memphis Motorsports Park in Memphis, Tennessee. Now 61 years old, Debonis began his racing career in the South Florida bracket racing scene three decades ago on a motorcycle.
Over the weekend, he successfully turned on his win light more than a dozen times and was named the Titan MVP Award winner in what turned out to be a storybook ending for the veteran Florida racer. Despite competing against many brand-new, state-of-the-art race cars, he pushed his 16-year-old dragster to the limit, weeding out competitors to make his way back to the winner’s circle. Debonis’ remarkable performance proudly represented all South Florida bracket racers at the premiere event.
“It’s been a great weekend; we didn’t have to wrench on anything, I just got lucky,” Debonis said from the winner’s circle. “I’d like to thank my crew chief Tommy Eaton of Staging Lane Solution. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here right now, he makes it easy for me.”
Despite the battle with chilly air and racetrack temperatures, Folk Promotions and Race Director Dave Connolly hosted a successful event in the Sunshine State. While the return of the Mini Million is yet to be seen, racers can participate at the 30th anniversary of the original Million Dollar Drag Race, scheduled to take place September 16-20, 2025, at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois. For more information, visit www.themilliononline.com.
This story was originally published on November 25, 2024. 
The post Success in the Sunshine State: Inaugural ‘Mini Million’ Hosted at Gainesville Raceway first appeared on Drag Illustrated.