The Randy Meyer Racing team kicked off the 2026 NHRA season this past weekend at the NHRA GatorNationals in Gainesville, Florida, placing both of their Top Alcohol Dragsters in the competitive 16-car field.
McKenna Bold led the team in qualifying, securing the No. 6 position with a 5.259-second pass at 267.64 mph in the purple Diezel Excavating dragster. Matt Cummings qualified No. 10 with a best run of 5.363 seconds at 266.69 mph in the GUNK dragster, setting the stage for both drivers to safely battle through eliminations.
Bold opened eliminations with one of the closest races of the round, defeating Kirk Wolf in a side-by-side finish. Bold ran 5.318 seconds at 265.06 mph to Wolf’s 5.32, with a margin of victory of just .0053 seconds, approximately two feet at the finish line.
Cummings also advanced out of the first round with a strong performance, defeating Sarah Allen with a 5.269-second pass at 273.16 mph to Allen’s 5.45.
In the second round, Bold ran a 5.26 against Jamie Noonan, but a starting line advantage gave Noonan the early lead and the holeshot win, ending Bold’s day in Gainesville.
Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals
Cummings continued his run in the second round, defeating Megan Smith with his best pass of the weekend, a 5.237 at 273.33 mph, advancing to the semifinals.
Cummings’ run to defend his 2025 GatorNationals event win came to an end in the third round on Sunday when the dragster smoked the tires at the hit, ending any chance to challenge Noonan, who ran a 5.21 and went on to win the event.
Randy Meyer Racing will remain in Gainesville this week to compete in the NHRA Division 2 “Baby Gators,” looking for another opportunity to bring home an NHRA Wally trophy in Florida after a strong start to the 2026 season.