Photos by Steve Gruenwald, Adam Cranmer, and Bryan Epps
12/1/04

For some racers the 23rd annual Citrus Nationals was a true Thanksgiving feast and for some others…well let’s say they just got the bird instead of a full meal. Regardless or which of the above category they happen to fall under a full house of racers and fans feasted on fast food and fast cars at this annual drag racing affair.

On Saturday night Floridian and NHRA Top Alcohol hitter Mike “under the” Gunderson gave the standing room only crowd a big dose of nitro fumes and header flames with a pair of laps that set a new Top Alcohol Dragster record for Moroso Motorsports Park’s drag strip. Gunderson’s injected nitro burner recorded Low ET and Top Speed of the meet with a 5.219 /274.22mphblast. But as it often is in this cruel sport the quickest and fastest aren’t always the winner. Gunderson obviously got a little greedy in the first round, losing traction and smoking the tires on his way to a first round loss to eventual winner Bruce Horner of Bergenfield, NJ.

The final round between Bruce “little Jack” Horner and last year’s winner Bill Evans was a classic. Horner left first with a .030 light followed by Evans who had a .054 bulb. Horner ran a 5.774/248 mph. while in the other lane Evans almost ran him down with a quicker 5.760/246 lap. Horner got to the stripe just 15 thousandths of a second before Evans.

Bruce Horner finally won the Citrus Nationals at Moroso Motorsports Park. After coming south, from his New Jersey home nearly every Citrus race there has ever been, Bruce made it to the final last year and lost to then newcomer Bob Evans' A/Fueler. He got his sweet revenge this year. After qualifying 8th, in an eight-car field,(only eight cars showed) in what turned out to be a one shot qualifying effort due to Mother Nature rearing her ugly head and raining out the final session. Horner had to face Gunderson in round one and was a surprise winner when the number one qualifier smoked the tire at the hit of the throttle Horner ran 5.90-197.28 for the win. He took a single in the semis, as only six cars answered the call for round one, and stepped it up a bit at 5.829-234.86. In the final Horner came up against Bill Evans, who won here last year, he used a slight starting line advantage with his .030 light to Evans .054 and held on for a close 5.774-248.00 to 5.760-246.57 holeshot win. It was easily the best race of the day.