COURTNEY FORCE BACK IN THE FIGHT
ST LOUIS (September 23, 2014) — Driver Courtney Force and her Traxxas Ford Mustang Funny Car team have a new wave of confidence approaching the third race in the 2014 Countdown to the Championship, the 3rd annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals, Sept. 26-28 at Gateway Motorsports Park.

The team redeemed themselves last weekend at the AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex. After making a first round exit in Charlotte during the Countdown kick-off race, the third-year driver entered the second Countdown to the Championship race in seventh and moved up three positions throughout the weekend to take over the No. 4 spot.
“After a first round loss in Charlotte, the first race in the countdown to the championship, we needed that comeback in Dallas when we got the win and earned some points back to keep our head in the game. Our motivation is back up after our win and we feel like now we can still have a shot at this Championship. We needed that win this weekend to stay in the fight and need to continue to go some rounds if we want to stay ahead of the rest and in order to catch up with the points leader, my dad,” said Force.
Force set the track record on both ends for elapsed time and speed with her 4.039 second run at 314.90 mph. She has now posted top speed at nine races this season including Dallas. Throughout the weekend she picked up qualifying bonus points, became No. 1 qualifier for the fourth time this season and the seventh time in her career, and scored her third win of the season in her Traxxas Ford Mustang Funny Car.
“We left Dallas on a high note after picking up our third win of the season and we can’t wait to roll our cars into St Louis this weekend. Our Traxxas team plans to keep our momentum going this weekend and hope to continue our climb in the points,” said Force.
The 26-year-old is currently the winningest woman driver in Funny Car history with six tour victories. She shares with Alexis DeJoria the record for most Funny Car wins in a season by a woman driver with three.
Force won the 100th pro race by a woman driver when she prevailed in the Kansas Nationals at Topeka, Kansas on May 25 this year. She also owns the fastest Funny Car speed in the history of 1000 foot drag racing at 325.37 miles per hour (last March at Las Vegas). She has qualified No. 1 four times this year and has won all three of her 2014 titles from the No. 1 spot. Her sister, Ashley, qualified No. 1 15 times in her career but never won from No. 1.
“It’s cool to think that we’ve been able to win every race this season from the #1 spot being that most people think it’s a curse. I feel like starting No. 1 gives our team that extra boost of confidence we need going into race day and I hope we can get after it again in St Louis. We need start the weekend strong and keep our focus starting with Q1,” said Force.

MAXIMUM EFFORT FOR FORCE AT MIDWEST NATIONALS
ST LOUIS (September 23, 2014) — As the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello drag season begins to wind down, the 16-time NHRA Mello Yello Funny Car champion is still going full throttle despite the fact he has a solid points lead heading into the third race of the Countdown. He knows one’s position in the Countdown is moving target and one minor mistake can set him back and potentially take him out of contention. As the Castrol GTX High Mileage team rolls into Gateway Motorsports Park for this weekend’s 3rd annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals, John Force will again be focused on getting win number 142.
Force will also be sure to not get into a situation that could upset his routine. It’s his consistent race day routine that has made him the winningest driver in NHRA history. However, during the final round of the postponed NHRA Carolina Nationals that was being contested at last Saturday during the AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals, the seasoned veteran sidestepped the clutch too early and had an uncharacteristic red light in the finals against rival Matt Hagan. It was the second time this season John’s red lighted during eliminations.
“I got all jacked when they ran the Charlotte finals in Dallas last weekend. I broke from my routine and I got all screwed up and red lighted again Hagan. I knew better and I let my team and sponsors down as my hot rod ran quicker and faster than his. We should’ve won that race and it was all my fault, I was so embarrassed,” said John Force.
With the intensity and passion John exhibits, he has no problem putting last weekend’s performance results behind him. Despite going out in the quarterfinal during Sunday’s eliminations at the Texas Motorplex; the reigning NHRA Funny Car is raring to climb back into his 8000-horsepower Mustang and attack the third race of the Countdown. However, John will be directing some of his focus and energy to his daughter, Brittany Force, and her Castrol EDGE Top Fuel Dragster as she failed to make the field last weekend in Dallas.
“Brittany’s struggling a bit but I have great brain trust with guys like Jimmy Prock, John Medlen, Mike Neff, Ron Douglas, Dean Antonelli and Todd Smith, and everyone’s going to help out and pull together this weekend. We’re going get the Castrol EDGE Dragster to qualify better and go rounds,” said John Force.
With Force’s a runner-up early this month at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, his 10th final round appearance this season that includes three wins (NHRA Winternationals, Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, NHRA Northwest Nationals), John Force is leading the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown chase with 2258 points over teammate Robert Hight who’s not too far behind in second place with 2213 points. John Force wants nothing more than to win 17th NHRA Mello Yello Funny Car championship and with his drive and attitude, he could ultimately rewrite the NHRA history books one again.
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HIGHT EYES WIN AT AAA INSURANCE MIDWEST NATIONALS IN ST. LOUIS
ST. LOUIS (September 23, 2014) —- Robert Hight was won more Funny Car races this season than any of his fellow competitors on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The AAA Insurance backed team is looking to add to that win total this weekend at the AAA Insurance Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park. In the last eight races John Force Racing has had at least one Funny Car in the final round winning with Hight getting the win in the Denver final in July.
That was the last win for Hight this season and the last final round as well. He has been knocked out of competition by his teammates twice during this stretch including last weekend when he lost to Courtney Force, the eventual winner of the AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals .
“You hate to run teammates early in the day but they made a good pass. They went on to win the race to it all worked out for JFR. We had a busy weekend for AAA Texas and we are heading to St. Louis as the No. 2 Funny Car in the Mello Yello points. I am excited to be heading to St. Louis which is another Auto Club sponsored race,” said Hight, a two-time AAA Texas FallNationals winner.
Last year in St. Louis Hight qualified No. 2 and was storming towards his second AAA Insurance Midwest Nationals but he ran into a red-hot John Force in the semi-final round. Force took out Hight and went on to win the race. It was a springboard moment for Force as he went on to claim his 16th Mello Yello Funny Car championship.
Hight, the 2010 Midwest Nationals winner, is hoping St. Louis can be his launching point for a run at his second Mello Yello championship. The team has had a finalist in 16 different races this season and has had multiple finalists six times. With eleven wins so far and Hight accounting for nearly half of those Hight’s confidence has never been higher. A big part of that confidence is the partnership Hight has with crew chief Mike Neff.
Neff was runner-up in St. Louis in 2008 during his rookie season. That race day was historic on a number of fronts for JFR as it saw Neff earn his first round win immediately after team leader John Force secured his record setting 1,000th round win. Neff charged to the final round that day.
“Mike knows his race track and we have a good hot weather tune up. This is the second race in a row that is sponsored by my primary sponsor so you want to perform. Last weekend Joey Logano who is sponsored by Auto Club won in New Hampshire and my teammate Courtney Force won in Dallas for an Auto Club double win and this weekend I would like to get the AAA Insurance win on the NHRA side. I definitely think I have the Funny Car to go rounds,” said Hight.
Over the course of Hight’s career he has averaged 25 round wins and won at least two Funny Car events every season he has raced. No other Funny Car driver has started his or her career with that kind of success. His 34 wins since 2005 is the most for any Funny Car driver over that period.
“I am proud of how well this team has done but we are really focused on success this year. We went to six finals in a row earlier in the season and we have five wins. I would like to get four more wins to wrap up the season. It will be tough since JFR is 1-2-4 in the Funny Car points. No matter what we just want to be in the fight at the end of the season with my teammates,” said Hight.

BRITTANY FORCE SETS SIGHTS ON ST. LOUIS
ST LOUIS (September 23, 2014) — After suffering a DNQ last weekend at the AAA Texas FallNationals, Brittany Force has put it all behind her and moved on. The 2013 NHRA Auto Club Rookie of the Year knows this minor setback will not diminish her goals to get her Castrol EDGE Dragster to the winner’s circle before the end of this season. Brittany also knows she’s ready move up the points standings. When Brittany fires up her 10,000-horspower dragster at this weekend’s 3rd annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest, she’s going to remain upbeat and positive.
“My team’s focus is to put our best effort into these final four races so we can stand a chance next to all our tough competitors. The entire team feels this pressure but we are ready to dive right into it. I will admit there is definitely an added pressure going into the Countdown. I think it’s the combination of competing in my first Countdown ever but also knowing that every move you make can cost you. At this point in the game you can’t afford too many mistakes. Every pass we make has to count,” said Brittany Force.
There’s also that confidence booster that Brittany earned her way into this year’s Countdown contention after being shut out from last year’s NHRA “playoffs”. Brittany Force knows she’s a good driver and has a solid team. Now, she’s more determined than ever in winning despite some recent setbacks.
“We were bummed we didn’t qualify last weekend, it was not the plan. Right after that final qualifying session last Saturday, we had a team meeting and decided we’re going to hold our heads up and work hard and remain upbeat, it doesn’t do any good to be depressed and it affects the way we work as a team. We are No. 10 in the points right now and we can’t go any lower so we’re ready for this weekend and we’re going to go some rounds. We want this bad and we want be fighting it out on the racetrack next to the Top Ten best teams. Having a shot at it this year is still an incredible feeling,” said Brittany Force.
The 2014 NHRA Mello Yello season has been a metamorphous for the Castrol EDGE team. With crew and personnel changes, Brittany’s Castrol EDGE Dragster has been in the finals three times and has raced from the top half field on Sunday 12 times, three of those from the No.1 spot. Led by seasoned tuners Todd Smith and Dean “Guido” Antonelli, Brittany knows she has the best crew in the pits. She also knows she’s a capable driver and can give her opponents this weekend a run for the money.
“Taking home a win at any point in this 2014 season would be unreal. With the Countdown in full swing, going after our first win is at the top of our list. Our team has a lot to do but it is nothing we aren’t capable of handling. Our plan with the final races is to no longer make minor mistakes and to make every run count. We need to qualify in the top half of the field to have a chance to battle it out. I need to make sure my driving routine stays consistent next to my team and our car’s performance,” said Brittany Force.