Returning for a third year, the special “Swamp Rat Alley,” featuring historic cars from legendary “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, will again be a featured attraction at the upcoming 56th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, as the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series opens the 2025 season on March 6-9 at Gainesville Raceway.
The ”Swamp Rat Alley” inside the Hot Rod Junction at the famed Gainesville Raceway has been a popular destination for fans the past two seasons, giving fans a unique chance to check out historic cars driven by Garlits, one of the most iconic drivers in NHRA history. This year, “Swamp Rat Alley” will feature a variety of historic Swamp Rat 1 cars from the 1950s and will be a can’t-miss item during the Gatornationals.
Included in “Swamp Rat Alley” in 2025 will be:
- Swamp Rat I Purple Car: This Garlits painted SR-1 purple after watching Mel Heath win the 1956 U.S. Nationals in a purple car. This car went as quick as 10.4-seconds, reaching a top speed of 140 mph.
- Swamp Rat 1 – The 176 mph Car: Garlits made a flurry of chassis changes to this car, lowered the front end to make it less wind resistant and also completely modified the fuel delivery system. On the first run in Brookville, Fla, Garlits broke the track record with a run of 165 mph, and then went an incredible 8.79 at 176.40, setting the world record in a pass Garlits called “a shot heard around the world.”
- Swamp Rat 1 – First Time Out: This is a recreation of SR-1, as it appeared at the Brooksville, Fla. Airport in 1956, and went 128 mph at 10.3-seconds.
- Swamp Rat 1-B: This was built by Garlits in Tampa in 1959. Driven by Art Malone, the car went a record 183.66 on its first run in Sanford, Maine. In 1961, Garlits went 204.54, becoming just the second car in drag racing history to run faster than 200 mph. The car was retired in late 1961 and Garlits and Jim Hunnewell recreated an exact replica in 2004.
The “Swamp Rat Alley” section is one of many incredible items at Gainesville Raceway as part of the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season kick-off, making this a can’t-miss weekend for any race fan. Leading into the weekend, Garlits and the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame will induct its 2025 class on Thursday, March 6. Among the inductees this year is Charlie Allen, longtime NHRA National Dragster Editor Phil Burgess, Gary Dyer, Jim Head, Jay Howell, Gary Scelzi, Terry Vance, Byron Hines Debbie Bader and Paul Sergi.
The 56th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals promises to be one of the biggest races of the year, delivering 11,000-horsepower, 330-mph racing action, the NHRA’s biggest stars, the Top Fuel All-Star Callout, free parking for fans, pre-race festivities, and a host of events and action on and off the track.
In 2024, Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), J.R. Todd (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won on the hallowed grounds of Gainesville Raceway to open the year. It marked the first double-up victory for Kalitta Motorsports, while six-time world champ Enders won the historic race for the first time. This year’s race will again be broadcast on FS1, including coverage of the Top Fuel All-Star Callout at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 8 and eliminations at 7 p.m. on Sunday.
Brown won the Top Fuel All-Star Callout a year ago, using that momentum to clinch his fourth world title. The standout will look to defend his title in the thrilling one-day bonus race, which adds the unique callout element to the big-money specialty event.
Action in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series will start with two rounds of qualifying on both Friday and Saturday, the Top Fuel All-Star Callout on Saturday and then eliminations on Sunday.
More top names that will be in action in Gainesville include Top Fuel’s Doug Kalitta, Brittany Force, reigning rookie of the year and motorsports legend Tony Stewart, and local native Josh Hart, Funny Car stars Matt Hagan, Ron Capps, Bob Tasca III and Jack Beckman, who will be driving for legendary champion John Force in 2025, Pro Stock’s Aaron Stanfield, Dallas Glenn and Jeg Coughlin Jr., and Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Matt Smith, Jianna Evaristo, Angie Smith, Richard Gadson and Chase Van Sant.
Before the race, fans will again be invited to a special “Gatornationals Kickoff Party and Fanfest” at Josh Hart’s Burnyzz Speedshop in Ocala. In what’s become an exciting pre-event tradition, the event will take place from 6-9 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5. The fun-filled kickoff event will include driver appearances and autographs from 7-8 p.m. at the state-of-the-art facility and much more.
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying features two rounds at 2 and 4:30 p.m. ET on Friday, March 7, and the final two qualifying rounds on Saturday, March 8 at 12:30 and 3:10 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 9.
The first round of the Top Fuel All-Star Callout takes place on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET and the semifinals at 3 p.m. The finals are slated for 4:30 p.m.
To purchase tickets to the 2025 Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. Upgraded experiences in the Gainesville Top Eliminator Club – which features a premium experience and a number of exclusive benefits at one of the biggest races of the season – are also available for purchase. Children 12 and under are free in general admission areas with the purchase of an adult ticket. For more information about the NHRA, visit www.nhra.com.
This story was originally published on February 6, 2025.
The post Swamp Rat Alley is Back at Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals with Four Historic Cars From Legend Don Garlits first appeared on Drag Illustrated.