We arrived at 8:30 a.m. on a Friday, and the track was already abuzz with movement. The skies were clear, and the sun was shining, but it was only 58°. I recall my uncle mentioning that if it's hot, the car will run slower. We could smell the food the vendors prepared for the day's crowd. Suddenly, the roar of the engines came to life, and the wife heard the announcer say, "Welcome to the Gaternationals; it is a gorgeous day for racing." The drag racers rolled to the staging lanes with their dragsters doing burnouts. They carefully pulled into the pre-stage beams. Finally, there was the first yellow, the second yellow, and the third yellow, and then it was full throttle down the track. We watched reigning Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown produce a 3.685-seconds at 334.24 mph run in his 11K horsepower Matco Tools dragster. Also, Jack Beckman took the top qualifier in a Funny Car with 3.832 seconds at 334.65 mph in his 11K horsepower PEAK Chevy Camaro SS. Most importantly, every ticket is a pit pass for those who have never been to an NRHA event, meaning you can watch the crews prepare and adjust their dragsters. I noticed that we were lucky to sit in the stands without being surrounded by cigarette smokers. We've had a problem with several venues in the past overlooking smokers. The restrooms were well-maintained, the food vendors were ample, and currently, the venue allowed coolers at a max of 14" x 14" x 14". We took our seat cushions, but they can't be bigger than 18" x 10". However, alcohol, dope, and glass containers were not allowed. While we were there enjoying the event, I looked back at 2024 as a very challenging year since I lost my uncle to cancer, and being at an NHRA keeps his memory fresh for us. read more