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To say that Daniel Wilkerson and his Scag Power Equipment Ford Mustang Funny Car team are looking forward to this weekend’s NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway is an understatement.

“I'm excited to get the weekend started. The whole team worked really hard over the offseason, and we are ready to get this Scag /Summit Ford Mustang back on the track,” Wilkerson said. "We got our feet wet in testing. We learned a lot. I got to shake off some of the rust. And to test on the track leading up to the weekend, that's helpful. So, hopefully, we come out swinging."

Wilkerson, who earned his Funny Car license in 2009, will be fulfilling a 17-year dream when he gets his rookie campaign underway at Gainesville Raceway. He’ll be competing a full season looking for championship results and a NHRA Rookie of the Year award, all while racing for his father, veteran racer and crew chief Tim Wilkerson.

“Gainesville, the Gatornationals, is always a big race, especially now as the season opener. There’s a lot of anticipation,” Wilkerson said. “That's just multiplied on my end. By about 1,000. Getting the opportunity to run the full season, having Tim as my crew chief. It's a dream. Hopefully, we can start the season like a dream, too, with a win.”