Just one week after competing at the NHRA Gatornationals, the Randy Meyer Racing team returned to the popular NHRA Division 2 “Baby Gators,” where McKenna Bold drove the Diezel Excavating Top Alcohol Dragster to victory in a dramatic final round.
Although the team remained at Gainesville Raceway between events, the Baby Gators featured a different track preparation than the national event the weekend prior, forcing team owner and tuner Randy Meyer to adjust his approach. Drawing on decades of experience, Meyer worked through the changes to keep both Randy Meyer Racing dragsters competitive in an extremely tight qualifying field.
The team also welcomed a last-minute addition to the driver lineup. Rookie TJ Tindle stepped in to substitute for Matt Cummings, who was forced to miss the event after undergoing surgery earlier in the week. Tindle had just licensed in Top Alcohol Dragster with Randy Meyer Racing the day before the race, but brought a strong background in sportsman competition as he prepared for his professional debut.
Qualifying proved to be incredibly competitive, with only an eight-car field; Tindle qualified No. 6 with a strong 5.269-second run at 273 mph in the GUNK dragster, while Bold secured the No. 7 spot with a 5.273-second pass at 268 mph. However, Tindle’s debut ended in the first round after smoking the tires, but the rookie gained valuable experience in his first Top Alcohol Dragster eliminations appearance.
Bold opened eliminations with a strong performance, defeating Jamie Noonan with a 5.231-second run at 272 mph to Noonan’s 5.25. She continued her momentum in the semifinal round against Jackie Fricke, where Bold combined a starting-line advantage with a 5.258 at 269 mph to advance to the final round.
The final round against James Stevens provided plenty of drama. After running in the left lane earlier in eliminations, Randy Meyer made a last-minute call to swap Bold into the right lane before the finals. Bold delivered another sharp reaction time at the tree, but encountered tire shake shortly after the launch and wisely aborted the run, coasting toward the finish line, a scenario that typically results in defeat.
However, Stevens red-lit at the starting line ended the race before it even began and handing Bold the victory. Adding to the suspense, Stevens’ car smoked the tires yet he continued to whack the throttle down track out of frustration, flying past Bold after half-track. From the starting line, the Randy Meyer Racing crew initially believed they had lost the race and delayed their celebration until they realized the win light had already come on in their lane, confirming Bold as the event champion.
“What a great way to start the season off and get some redemption after last weekend,” said Bold. “Randy gave me a fast car and I felt dialed in behind the wheel, which allowed me to nail the tree and do my job driving the car. This was a very competitive field with a 5.28 bump, so I knew it was going to take consistency from both me and the team to get it done, and we did just that! The diamond NHRA Wallys this year are so sick, and now the focus shifts to getting a bigger one in Charlotte!”
The Baby Gators victory marks an early-season highlight for Randy Meyer Racing and gives Bold momentum as the team continues its 2026 NHRA campaign. With one trophy already secured, the team now shifts its focus to the next opportunity to compete.