Everything was set on March 12.

The 2017 Camaro was out of the trailer and his pit was set up.

Veteran Pro Stock racer John Gaydosh Jr. was ready to go racing at the Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla. 

Then, that day – March 12 – when in consideration of the ever-evolving COVID-19 pandemic and in accordance with the recommendation of the Florida governor, NHRA officials postponed a portion of the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals and Gaydosh Jr.’s NHRA debut with the Beaver Motorsports Team was scratched.

“We had the car hooked up and we were going to body template (in Gainesville) and we were coming back to put the race motor in,” Gaydosh said. “Then, they called the race.”

Now in the latest revised scheduled racing is supposed to begin July 11-12 with NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, including the Pro Stock, and Gaydosh can’t wait.

“We’re still going to run 10 races and we will be at the first Indy (July 11-12) and we will pick up at the U.S. Nationals (Sept. 3-6) and will go all the way until the end of the year if we have enough money and we do well enough. We have a two-year commitment that we are going to try and do so we will see what happens.” 

Beaver Motorsports, owned by Mark Beaver, is making its Pro Stock team debut with the support of Strutmasters.com, Beaver Bonding, T Parke Services, MB Auto, Gaydosh Performance, RacerDirect.com, Norwood Towing, and a technical alliance of Kenny Delco Racing and engines from Frank Iaconio Racing Engines.

Beaver most recently campaigned trucks in NASCAR’s Truck Series. Beaver Motorsports is based out of Shelby, N.C.

“We went to Orlando (Fla.) (March 6-8) for the (inaugural Drag Illustrated World Doorslammer Nationals),” Gaydosh said. “I went down there just to do testing, but we wound up making the race. We’re trying to get together with (Kenny) Delco and Alan Prusiensky and myself and see if we can up to Cecil County Dragway in Maryland and try and make some hits in a week or two and get ready for Indy.”

Having his race season put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic is something Gaydosh has kept in perspective.

“Things have not been that different for me because I have been working all of the time because I’m a truck mechanic,” Gaydosh said. “It really hasn’t affected me that much. It just affected me in that we didn’t get to go out racing when were ready to. We have a pretty nice race car we have some good power and we want to go out and do some damage this year. We have just been put on hold.”

The 2017 Camaro Gaydosh will be driving was acquired from Pro Stock racer Shane Tucker.

“It’s such a nice car and I fit in it good,” Gaydosh said. “It’s probably the most comfortable car I have ever sat in as far as driving Pro Stock. I have always bought somebody else’s car, the first one was Jim Yates, the next one was Justin Humphreys and the third was from Jonathan Gray and that car was actually built for Dave Connolly. I have never had a car built for a big guy except for this one. The car I have now was built for a bigger guy and I have room in the car now and makes it that much nicer.”

 Gaydosh Jr. competed in the NHRA’s Pro Stock class for 10 years before walking away from the sport after he competed in Pro Stock at the 2018 NHRA Mello Yello Series event in Reading. Pa.

Following the 2018 Reading race, Gaydosh Jr. sold his 2013 Camaro to another racer based in Sweden.

“I love driving in Pro Stock,” he said. “It’s just natural for me. It’s like riding a bike. I get in and I just go. Mark (Beaver) has the backing to make this happen and being able to get the parts and the pieces to make it exactly where we want it to be. When Mark and I talked, I told him I’m not coming out here to do this just to go make laps. I want to be able to come out here and win races or at the least go rounds. He said he wasn’t coming out here to make laps and that he never went to a NASCAR race to make laps. We are doing this full force with everything we have got.”