JOHN FORCE POWERS INTO ENGLISHTOWN WITH MOMENTUM
ENGLISHTOWN, NJ (June 2, 2015) — John Force and his Peak Antifreeze Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car team are starting to come together at the perfect time of the year. By Force’s own admission he is learning a whole new team, new sponsors and getting a new attitude all the while battling some of the toughest Funny Car competitors of his career. Led by crew chief Jon Schaffer, Force has two final round appearances this season including a dominant performance two weeks ago at the Kansas Nationals where elapsed time and speed records fell at a historic rate.

“We had a good weekend. We are learning and trying a lot of new stuff. It is starting to work for all the cars. I couldn’t get the win but I got close. We had a quick race car and we almost got the win. I told my guys that they gave me a great race car that probably ran in the threes every run but I rolled it in on the starting line. (Peak Antifreeze crew chief)Jon Schaffer and this young team are really doing a great job. We’ll take Peak with us to the next race and I am going to get them that trophy soon,” said Force after a close runner-up finish to Jack Beckman.
Force’s Peak Antifreeze Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car is also flying new logos from Lucas Oil, Chevrolet and Monster Energy to go along with long standing sponsors Auto Club, Traxxas and Mac Tools. The transition has been smooth and it has re-energized Force, the winningest driver in NHRA history.
“A smart man named (Auto Club’s) Tom McKernan told me to remember the sponsors that got you here and stood by you. We had a tough eighteen months with me and Robert (Hight) chasing money and with the new Monster Energy deal that my girls sold we are in a good financial position. We aren’t back to where we were two years ago and I am not sure we will ever get back there. We have money to race for championships and race with the best safety equipment. Those are the two most important things; championships and safety,” said Force.
It has been a while since Force celebrated in the Summernationals’ winner’s circle. The four-time winner picked up his last Wally at the famed track in 1999 and since that win he has added three runner-up finishes to his ledger with two of the coming against his teammates. In 2004 Force was runner-up to teammate Gary Densham and three years before that it was Tony Pedregon taking the win in 2001. Force raced to four straight final rounds from 1998-2001 at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. Force also has three No. 1 qualifying efforts to his credit at Englishtown (1998, 1993 and 1994).
“My career got a big boost when I started match racing in Englishtown. Vinnie Napp was the owner and he would put on some of the biggest shows you have ever seen. He was a great promoter and now his kids have taken over. I love coming to Englishtown because this place has so much history,” said Force.
Force will coming into Englishtown No. 5 in the Mello Yello points standings just five points behind the No. 4 driver and less than two rounds out of third place.

HIGHT WANTS TO START SUMMER WITH WIN IN ENGLISHTOWN
ENGLISHTOWN, NJ (June 2, 2015) —- Since his rookie season in 2005 Robert Hight and his Auto Club Funny Car team have won more Funny Car races – 34 national event wins – than any other team. Hight has won some of the most iconic events including three wins at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, multiple wins at the historic Gatornationals and at the Auto Club Raceway in Pomona home of the Winternationals and Auto Club Finals. The one “Major” that has eluded the 2009 Mello Yello Funny Car champion is a win at the famed Old Bridge Township Raceway Park’s Toyota Summernationals.
NHRA held its first national event at the famed race track in 1968 and since that event history and memories have been the hallmark of one of the most active tracks in the northeast.
“I want to get a win in Englishtown for sure. We were close last year. This is one of the tracks that I consider a ‘Major’ since there is so much history at this track. My boss John Force started match racing here and I have been to this track many, many times as a crew man and for the past two decade as a driver. This Auto Club Chevrolet team has been consistent this season but we need to string four good runs together on Sunday,” said Hight, who sits No. 6 in the Mello Yello point standings
Last year Robert Hight qualified No. 3 with a strong 4.014 second pass and raced to a semi-final finish. He took out Bob Tasca III in the first round. In the second round Hight used a great starting line advantage to take out Alexis DeJoria. Unfortunately Hight went up in smoke in the semi-finals beside eventual runner-up and friend Del Worsham.
Hight’s best qualifying performance in Englishtown was his 2010 start when he started the race from the No. 1 spot. He was afforded a bye run in the first round but in the second round he was taken out by eventual runner-up finisher Del Worsham in the quarterfinals.
This season Hight has raced to three semi-final finishes as well as a runner-up finish at the Las Vegas race behind the wheel of his Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car. The consistency has kept Hight at the top of the Mello Yello point standings and he is currently in the No. 6 position just 71 points out of third place. So far this season there have been five different winners in the Funny Car class leaving two open guaranteed spot for the 2015 Traxxas Nitro Funny Car Shootout.
“We are headed into a stretch of three races in a row starting this weekend at Englishtown. I love this time of the year because you get in a really good groove. Mike Neff, my crew chief, won this race in 2011 as a driver for JFR and he has a great handle on this tune-up. We are excited to be getting back to the track and putting on a great show for the fans,” said Hight.

TRAXXAS BACKED COURTNEY FORCE FOCUSED ON WINNING IN ENGLISHTOWN
ENGLISHTOWN, NJ (June 3, 2015) — Courtney Force is going into her 80th professional Funny Car race this weekend at the 46th annual Toyota NHRA Summernationals, the ninth stop along a 24-event NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour. The 2012 Auto Club Rookie of the Year plans to enjoy the hustle and bustle of New York City with her family prior to the race weekend at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J.
“This is always a fun race track to come to because my family and I get to turn it into a mini vacation and we still get to race! Every year we come up early and take a train into New York City to walk around, find a new lunch spot and pick up our favorite Soapology soaps and scrubs. There are so many great memories here, both on and away from the race track. Our friends come down from the city and watch us race every year here and show their support for our teams. I can’t wait to get back out to this race track that is filled with so many memories,” said Force.
So far this season, the 26-year-old Traxxas Chevrolet Camaro SS driver has qualified in the top spot twice, raced to top speed of the weekend at three events (Pomona, Gainesville, Topeka) and set the national speed record in Funny Car with a 325.06 mph pass during the third and final qualifying session two weeks ago at the NHRA Kansas Nationals in Topeka.
“My 2014 season seemed to be my most consistent year with my race car, but even struggled at this track. Now I feel that lately we’ve gotten our old race car back and are getting back on our feet as a team. My Traxxas car is continuously improving with consistency every weekend and we just hope we can come out of the box flying so we have more qualifying runs to learn from,” said Force.
In 2012 during Force’s rookie season, she qualified No. 13 and beat Tim Wilkerson and Matt Hagan before losing to Ron Capps in the semi-finals. In 2013, Force put her Traxxas Chevrolet in the No. 9 position before losing to Johnny Gray in the opening round. Last year at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, the young driver made three consistent, back-to-back passes to qualify in the No. 7 spot and enter race day with lane choice over Tim Wilkerson. Unfortunately, Force’s 4.11 was no match for the veteran driver, who lit up the scoreboard with a 4.07 second run.
Force sits just seven points out of the Top Ten going into the NHRA Summernationals.
“The struggle that we have had since the start of this season has been an eye opener for myself and my team, and being that we are currently seven points out of the Top Ten makes us push ourselves even harder each weekend. We know what’s at risk and know that we need to turn things around quickly, but I know I’ve got the right team behind me to do that, and as long as I can do my job consistently, we can get back on track,” said Force.
CONFIDENCE AT ALL-TIME HIGH FOR BRITTANY FORCE HEADED INTO ENGLISHTOWN
ENGLISHTOWN, NJ (June 2, 2015) — Less than a month ago Brittany Force and her Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster team received a major boost with the primary sponsorship announcement coupled with a strong semi-final finish at the NHRA Kansas Nationals in Topeka. The third year driver has a new focus and has been steadily building confidence with every round of racing.
Two weeks ago Force raced to the semi-finals on the strength of strong starting line reaction times that helped power the Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster past veteran Steve Torrence and 8-time Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher before she lost a tight race to eventual winner Richie Crampton. It was the second year in a row for Force to race to the semi-finals at one of the best performance tracks on the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour. The success on race day moved the 2013 Auto Club Road to the Future Award winner ever closer to the Top Ten.
“I am proud of the entire Monster Energy Top Fuel team. We needed those rounds and we needed those points. This whole team is building confidence now from the crew chiefs to me. When you go out first round a lot you go up to the starting line you start over thinking things. You aren’t confident going up there and you can’t race like that. This Monster Energy team is ready for Englishtown,” said Force, at the end of race day.
Force is just 27 points out of eighth place in the point standings and with her success in Topeka she has closed the gap on the four drivers in front of her in the standings.
Headed into the Toyota Summernationals Force has the momentum of only posting three first round loses this season and also consistently running with the top multi-car teams in the class. Last year Force raced to four-final rounds and grabbed three No. 1 qualifiers along the way to a Top Ten finish in the Mello Yello point standing.
Last year in Englishtown Force qualified No. 5 and raced to a quarter-final finish defeating Spencer Massey in the first round before losing to Morgan Lucas. In 2013 the rookie driver qualified 13th and picked up an upset win over Doug Kalitta before coming up a little short against Spencer Massey in round two.
“I have had some success at Englishtown even going back to my A-Fuel days. I want to continue the momentum this Monster Energy team has been building the last couple of events. I think going into a stretch where we have three races in a row will be good for this team because I like to get into the routine of being in my race car all the time. I am excited to get some more round wins for Monster Energy and all our sponsors,” said Brittany Force.