Gainesville Raceway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Gainesville Raceway

Gainesville Raceway, March 2018
Location	11211 N, N County Road 225, Gainesville, Florida
Time zone	UMT -0800
Coordinates	29°45′29.00″N 82°16′29.00″W / 29.7580556°N 82.2747222°W / 29.7580556; -82.2747222
Capacity	30,000
Owner	NHRA
Operator	NHRA
Opened	1969
Major events	Gatornationals
Drag Strip
Surface	Concrete
Length	0.25 mi (0.402 km)

Gainesville Raceway is a quarter-mile dragstrip located just outside Gainesville, Florida. It first opened in 1969. This track is most famous for hosting the NHRA's big Gatornationals event every year since 1970. A cool fact: Kenny Bernstein was the first drag racer to go over 300 miles per hour here! He hit that speed on March 20, 1992, during a qualifying run for the Gatornationals.

About Gainesville Raceway

Gainesville Raceway opened in 1969 and can hold up to 30,000 fans. It hosted its very first Gatornationals event in 1970. This track is known as one of the fastest places for drag racing. Drivers here were the first to reach amazing speeds like 260, 270, and even 300 miles per hour in Top Fuel cars. In 2000, during the Mac Tools NHRA Gatornationals, eight out of ten national records were broken in the professional racing classes right on this track!

The raceway also has a separate road course. This course was built in 2000 for vehicle testing and driving schools. It has 1.6 miles of asphalt, including a 1-mile-long outer loop. The road course has many connecting loops and turns. These are great for training exercises. It's often used for police training, high-performance driving lessons, and for drivers to test their cars. The road course can also host corporate events and other fun activities.

After the 2003 racing season, Gainesville Raceway got some big upgrades. The concrete starting area of the drag strip was made longer, reaching 675 feet. The rest of the track, including the shutdown area and parts of the pit area, was repaved. A new building for the ESPN television crew was also built. This helped free up more space in the pit area for teams.

In 2006, a large open-air building called The Pavilion was finished. It's 15,000 square feet and can be partly or fully enclosed. This building is usually the main hospitality area during the AMALIE Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals. It has also been used for banquets, car shows, and many other events.

Fancy skybox suites were built in 2007. These suites replaced older VIP areas. They are 50 feet above the ground, overlooking the grandstands. The skyboxes offer both indoor and outdoor seating. They have air conditioning and TVs, giving a great view of the races.

The current race control tower was built in 2008. This new tower brought together race control, a modern press and media center, and track offices. It's designed to be a unique and important building at the raceway.

In 2009, safety improvements were made to the gravel trap and top-end area of the track. The gravel trap, which helps stop out-of-control vehicles, was extended by 400 feet. The gravel was also made deeper. New catch nets were installed that are twice as tall as before. There's also a backup set of nets, followed by special impact barrels and a catch fence. These features make the track safer for everyone.

The east ticket building was also built in 2009. It connects the road course to the sportsman pit area. This makes it easier for fans to get to the drag strip from the road course parking area during big events.

In 2011, the restrooms were updated. They now have new water-saving fixtures. This helps the raceway be more environmentally friendly.

Up until 2019, the track surface had 675 feet of concrete, then switched to asphalt. Now, all the concrete from behind the starting line to 1,500 feet down the track has been replaced. Both lanes are over 30 feet wide. An additional 1,800 feet of asphalt in the shutdown area was also replaced. This means the track has a very smooth and consistent surface for racing.

Gainesville Raceway hosts many other special events each year. These include a Lucas Oil Division 2 Race, an NHRDA event, Import Face-Off, and Grassroots Challenges. Plus, there are weekly races during the spring, summer, and fall seasons.

How to Get There

The track is on County Road 225. It's about eight miles north of Gainesville Regional Airport.

If you are driving north on I-75, take Exit 382 (Williston Road, CR 331). Turn left (east). Williston Road will become Waldo Road (State Route 24) after you cross U.S. 441. Continue on Waldo Road to NE 53rd Avenue, then turn left. Immediately turn right onto CR 225 and drive 3.5 miles to the track.

If you are coming from I-75 (north or south), take Exit 390 (39th Avenue, SR 222). Go east to Waldo Road (SR 24), then turn left. Go to NE 53rd Avenue, turn left, then immediately turn right onto CR 225 and drive 3.5 miles to the track.

Gatornationals Winners