NHRA Revs Up 2025 Season With Gatornationals in Gainesville, Adds Pair of Sony HDC-P50A POV Cameras

This year marks the motorsports property’s 10th year on FOX platforms

The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series kicks off its 2025 season today with the four-day Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville (FL) Raceway, marking the motorsport’s 10th season on FOX Sports outlets. The finals air Sunday on FS1 starting at 7 p.m. ET.

“We’re excited to rethink how we give the fans the best experience and the best coverage,” says Rob Hedrick, senior director, production, NHRA. “Through a combination of storytelling and technology, we’re able to bring fans more-comprehensive coverage for a sport that hits over 300 mph many times per event.”

Game Creek Video Nitro A, B, and C units are deployed at Gainesville Raceway.

The NHRA connects its television compound with Cobalt gear, including tools that allow the team to seamlessly link Game Creek Video Nitro A, B, and C units to deliver content for multiple shows: the NHRA on FOX, the in-venue experience at the raceway, and online at NHRA.TV, the sports property’s subscription streaming service.

Ahead of the 2025 season, the NHRA strengthened its streaming service via a relationship with live-video-delivery platform Zixi. Through Zixi’s Zen Master product, according to Hedrick, the production can combine two onsite contribution streams: one from a new ATEME Titan encoder, the other from LiveU. Zen Master watches both streams to ensure redundancy. Even if there are transmission-site issues, he notes, NHRA fans will be able to watch coverage of the event.

Meanwhile, all of NHRA’s hard cameras are super-slo-mos, a mix of Sony HDC-4300’s and a Sony HDC-4800. In addition, the production features dozens of point-of-view cameras as well as a full-time drone, regular use of the Lucas Oil helicopter, and aerial shots from the Goodyear blimp through a longstanding partnership with the tire-manufacturer brand.

3GMedia, a broadcast-engineering-services company, provides the motorsport’s wireless audio for reporters; four RF cameras, including handhelds; RF jib setups; and all in-car cameras.

The front bench in Game Creek Video Nitro

NHRA is also adding two Sony HDC-P50A 4K/HD HFR compatible POV cameras to a pair of its jib systems. Compact and highly versatile, the HDC-P50A combines a 3-chip 2/3-inch 4K CMOS sensor for extremely high picture quality with the flexibility of SDI and IP output options. “We were able to help Sony test these before IBC last year at our event in Sonoma,” says Hedrick. “The images from the P50a are just mind blowing, it’s incredible seeing this kind of performance from such a compact camera. Adding these to our two JIB cameras will give our talented operators more tools to paint the pictures.”

The NHRA will deploy Sony’s new portable data transmitter, a camera-top encoder and monitor allowing the team to stream live from the Sony FX3 cinema cameras that its social-media group uses around the event. “We can now record their shots in real time and take them live or roll them in from tape,” Hedrick says. “This gives our Director Chris Meadows and our EP Steve Reintjes more tools to help cover all of the excitement of an NHRA event.”

This season, the team is also adding LiveU backpacks for onsite setups to allow expansion of experiential coverage, including more pit-cam footage and offsite contributions from reporters, according to Hedrick. The NHRA will continue to be recorded in Dolby Atmos, which it has done since 2017.

The REMI room at NHRA’s Indianapolis facility

The NHRA production traditionally incorporates REMI workflows. The motorsport’s REMI facility in Indianapolis features five positions for staffers to work remotely and contribute to the shows, according to Hedrick. Meadows, Assistant Director Melissa Armstrong, Pit Producer Todd Veney, Tape Operator Josh Baker, and Feed Assistant Director Breanna Manley regularly work from the REMI facilities.

Says Hedrick, “This team is one of my favorites I’ve ever worked with. This is also my 10th year with the NHRA, and it has been a privilege to work with the NHRA leadership, from our President Glen Cromwell; to my boss, VP of Broadcasting Steve Reintjes; and everyone onsite in the compound. Television is a special world where we become family with the people we work with the most.

“Next year is the 75th anniversary of the NHRA,” he continues. “In the fastest motorsport in the world, it takes a team this good and the commitment of dedicated storytellers, technicians, and people who love what they do. We’re fortunate to have that.”