Tony Stewart will race in the Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout for the first time in his NHRA career, as the motorsports legend and reigning NHRA Rookie of the Year is officially part of the eight-car bonus race that takes on Saturday, March 8, as part of the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at legendary Gainesville Raceway.
Stewart will move into the eighth spot as Tony Schumacher will not be racing in Gainesville. The eight-time Top Fuel world champion and 88-time event winner is expected to announce his racing plans for 2025 in the coming weeks.
The big-money specialty race takes place with a unique callout format, offering an opportunity for eight Top Fuel stars the chance for a major double-up weekend to kick off the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season in Gainesville.
“I’m looking forward to competing in the Top Fuel Callout at Gainesville,” Stewart said. “The field is stacked with talent and we won’t know who we are up against until we get there, so that adds an exciting element to the event. Hopefully we’re able to bring home the trophy and some extra bonus money for the team for all of their hard work.”
Four-time world champ Steve Torrence secured the top spot in the one-day specialty event for a second straight year, while the official eight-car field looks like this:
Final 2025 Right Trailers NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout Field
1. Steve Torrence
2. Doug Kalitta
3. Shawn Langdon
4. Justin Ashley
5. Antron Brown
6. Brittany Force
7. Clay Millican
8. Tony Stewart
With the unique callout aspect of the bonus race, Torrence will get the first opportunity to select his first-round opponent. If he doesn’t select Kalitta, the 2023 champ will get the second pick, moving down the line until all first-round matchups are set. The driver who makes the quickest winning run in the first round will then select their semifinal opponent, locking in the other matchup.
Stewart, who advanced to a pair of final rounds during his first Top Fuel season, will have his first opportunity to take part in the Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout, and being in the eighth spot, he will get called out by a driver in the opening round.
Those first-round selections take place at 12 p.m. ET on Friday, March 7 in the Top Eliminator Club, with the opening round of racing slated for 12:15 p.m. on Saturday. The semifinals follow at 2:20 p.m. and the final round takes place at 3:30 p.m. A special Callout broadcast will air at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday on FS1.
Torrence won the inaugural Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout in 2022, with the Texan capturing the victory after weather pushed the completion of the bonus race to Indy. Local native Josh Hart provided a feel-good story in 2023 by earning the victory from the No. 8 position, while Brown’s championship run started with his memorable specialty race victory a year ago.
Brown defeated Brittany Force in the final under the lights in Gainesville in 2024, setting the stage for a run at his fourth world championship. This year is a loaded field in the bonus race, as Torrence, Kalitta, Langdon, Brown and Force have won world titles. With a big purse, a special Callout trophy and plenty of bragging rights on the line, it can also provide the perfect boost to open the season at one of the most historic races on the NHRA schedule.
In 2024, Langdon (Top Fuel), J.R. Todd (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all won the Gatornationals 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 eliminations at 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 9.
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 3:00 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 9.
To purchase tickets to the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, visit www.nhra.evenue.net/. 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 before they sell out. For more info on NHRA, visit www.NHRA.com.
RIGHT TRAILERS NHRA TOP FUEL ALL-STAR CALLOUT SCHEDULE (ET):
Friday, March 7:
12:00 PM – Right Trailers NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout first-round selections in Top Eliminator Club (Get your TEC Tickets Today!)
Saturday, March 8
12:10 PM – Right Trailers NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout opening ceremonies
12:15 PM – First round for Right Trailers NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout
2:20 PM – Right Trailers NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout for round two. The winning driver who makes the quickest run in the first round will select their semifinal opponent.
3:30 PM – Right Trailers NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout final round
9:00 PM – Right Trailers NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout show airs on FS1
This story was originally published on February 24, 2025.
The post Tony Stewart to Move Into Eight Spot in Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout in Gainesville first appeared on Drag Illustrated.