It's March and that means GATORNATIONALS!

It's March 1st and for Gainesville, that means the GATORNATIONALS are coming !

Our Gainesville Raceway is the proud home to the SEASON OPENER for the NHRA Racing Season. March 12th -15th will be a thrill event with 4 days of packed events. Tickets are on sale now! And you can't get a hotel room in this area as the race teams will start rolling into town a week before the event begins! Loyal race fans book their hotel rooms a year in advance!

The Gainesville Raceway has a rich heritage of the NHRA.

Gainesville Raceway opened in 1969 and held its first Gatornationals event in 1970.

The Gainesville Raceway is proud to be known as one of the fastest tracks on the NHRA circuit, it was from this, legendary launch point that drivers clocked the first 260-270- and 300-mph Top Fuel runs.

It also was from this starting line, during the 2000 Mac Tools NHRA Gatornationals, that eight of 10 national records were set in the professional classes. This years event is the ACDELCO NHRA Gatornationals!

You will see new renovations made to the raceway this year.

On the raceway's main web site, I found descriptions of these renovations: "The concrete launchpad at the starting line of the ultra-quick drag strip was extended to the 675-foot mark and the remainder of the racing surface, the shutdown area, as well as areas in the professional pits were repaved. A new television compound was constructed for the ESPN crew on the north side of the drag strip, which frees up space in the pit area. The timing tower had the restroom facilities upgraded, and new carpet and windows were installed in several of the corporate suites. The storm drainage system in the parking lots was upgraded and several of the access roads to the sportsman pit areas were improved"

My favorite event is the TOP Fuel Dragsters! I love the pits and the noise.

This is a great family event and we love it!

Thanks to crazybry for all this great photos of Gatornationals Events.

Gainesville is a Great Place to Live!

Written and Posted By: Chris Bohn, GRI- ABR-ePro- The Gainesville FL Real Estate Blog. Copyright © 2009 Chris Bohn, RE/MAX Professionals, Inc., is a Florida Realtor® who specializes in Gainesville, FL and communities in Alachua County, FL . To find out more information about her real estate services please visit her profile . You are welcome to contact her by phone at 352-375-1002 or by email at chris@eHomesGainesville.com . You can click to view her listings or visit her website.