COURTNEY FORCE EXCITED TO BE RETURNING TO NEW ENGLAND NATIONALS

EPPING, NH (May 31, 2016) — The 4th Annual NHRA New England Nationals may be one of the most exciting and anticipated events for Courtney Force this season. The 27-year-old NHRA Funny Car points leader won the inaugural New England Nationals at New England Dragway in 2013 by dismissing her father John Force in a thrilling final round match-up. It was the 2012 Auto Club Rookie of the Year’s seventh final round of her Funny Car career and third victory of her career.

“I’m excited to be back in Epping where our Traxxas team won the inaugural race in 2013! We’ve done well at this track in the past and even qualified in the No. 4 spot here last year. We went all the way to the semis so we have high expectations for ourselves this week. This is the first of four back-to-back races so we hope to start things off on the right foot. The fans, the atmosphere and the track are going to make for a fun weekend for our Traxxas team,” said Force.

It was the 220th Funny Car win for John Force Racing and was the 38th time JFR had two Funny Cars in a final. It was Force’s seventh final round appearance in 34 races. It took her famous father 62 races to reach seven finals.

“The fans at New England Dragway are going to be in for a great show because there are bound to be a number of three-second runs in Funny Car. After our last race in Topeka and seeing the ETs and speeds these teams were laying down makes me so excited to get to the next track and push our car to do even better. We are going for our ninth career win and I hope we can get it at Epping this weekend.”

“There’s a lot of tough competition right now in all the pro classes but we are excited to get up for the challenge. We’ve been running consistently in this Traxxas car and with my team and crew chiefs working diligently, I don’t see why we can’t get a win again soon, especially if we want to stay in the points lead! The pressure is definitely on this weekend,” said Force.

Today, John Force Racing has 243 Funny Car victories and has had two Funny Cars in the final round a total of 45 times. The Traxxas Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car driver holds eight of those wins, as well as nine No. 1 qualifiers and seven runner-up finishes. She raced to her eighth win in Funny Car at Houston this season and is the winningest female Funny Car driver.

“Leading the points has pushed our team harder to make every point count. Our Traxxas team works hard on every run and we try to be the quickest in every round of qualifying, but also focusing on not throwing anything away. Every point adds up and our competition is catching up so we need to keep pushing ourselves to gather as many points throughout qualifying as we can and just keep going rounds on race day.

“We are taking this year one day at a time, but I am so incredibly thrilled to be a part of this team and representing Traxxas, The Fastest Name in Radio Control. I hope all the fans are as excited as we are for Epping and I encourage them to come by the Traxxas display in the midway to see me on Saturday for autographs and pictures. Their midway display is one of the best hands-on displays at the races and they are great about answering questions on their Traxxas products. They have cars, trucks, boats and helicopters for different age groups, male or female so come try them out with me on Saturday,” said Force.

BRITTANY FORCE FOCUSED ON NEW ENGLAND NATIONALS

EPPING, NH (May 31, 2016) — The 2016 season has been a whirlwind for fourth year pro Brittany Force. Heading into the 4th annual NHRA New England Nationals Force, a two-time winner and widely recognized championship contender, is looking to get into a racing groove over the next four weeks.

Last race Force took herself out of competition with a surprising red-light foul in the second round but the 2013 rookie of the year and driver of the Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster is not dwelling on a misstep from the Kansas Nationals.

“I have let go of that last race. In the past I might have held onto the memory of a red light as a driver but this time I have let it go. I think I have taught myself to move on and start focusing on the next run. If you think about something like that for two weeks that doesn’t get you anywhere. It probably screws you up more in qualifying. I have already let it go and moved on from it,” said a focused Force.

In 2015 Force raced to the semi-final round before being defeated by world champion Larry Dixon at New England Dragway. That was Force’s best effort in three starts at the New England Nationals. That recent success combined with her confidence from a strong 2016 season so far has Force ready to get back on the track in Epping.

“I am just excited to be heading into four races in a row. Epping is a good race track where you will see good numbers. I am anxious to get there with my team. Four straight races is awesome. There is no down time. You get right back into that seat weekend after weekend that is where I feel most comfortable as a driver,” said Force.

Throughout her career which started in the Lucas Oil Series driving a Super Comp dragster Force has been able to handle the understandable butterflies and nerves that come along with piloting some of the fastest accelerating racecars on the planet. In Topeka Force set the national elapsed time record with a historic 3.676 second run in qualifying. With the national record in hand Force joined an impressive list of record setters that all happen to be her relatives.

“I think it is neat to be able to join my family with their list of accomplishments. The fact that we all now have set a national record at one time or another is cool,” said Force.

“It would be awesome to beat that record and just hang onto it. I would like for it to be ours for a while and maybe have it be something unbeatable. It does seem like nowadays the racecars are getting faster and quicker every race so I don’t know how long we will hang onto this record. I am hoping it last for a little while so we can enjoy it.”

Force has already checked off a number of goals so far this season most importantly picking up her first career win at the historic Gatornationals and then two weeks later becoming the first female to win the unique Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte. The success this season has been attributed to Force’s development under the tutelage of Top Fuel consultant Alan Johnson and Monster Energy crew chief Brian Husen.

“I can’t say enough about Alan and Brian. They have been so great to work with and this whole Monster Energy team has really come together. This whole team works really well together and they are a great group of guys. I am proud of every one of them and we all work so hard to try and get the win every race,” said Force.

FOUR IN A ROW HAS ROBERT HIGHT LOOKING FOR WIN STREAK

EPPING, NH (May 31, 2016) — Robert Hight and the Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro Funny Car team are looking at the next four races as a chance to get into a racetrack rhythm that can establish them as favorites for another Mello Yello Funny Car championship. While Hight sits in the No. 5 points position the next month will be a great opportunity for the crewman turned world champion to generate some momentum to start the summer.

“I am looking forward to racing every weekend in June. We got off to a hot start this season and we have struggled the last three or four races. We are working through a couple issues and I am excited we’ll be making some runs with the new 2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car this weekend in Epping,” said Hight.

The much anticipated debut of the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car began in Topeka with team leader John Force unveiling the Funny Car on Friday in qualifying. Unfortunately, Force only made two passes before he had to retire the body after it scuffed the wall in the second qualifying session. Force will be back in the 2016 Camaro body and Hight will join him to give the team double the chances to get used to the redesign and give the fans another chance to see the Camaro.

“I have to thank everyone at Chevrolet and John Force Racing for putting in so many hours to get this body just right. So much goes into the process that it takes at least a year and a half to do it right. I am excited to get to make some runs in this Auto Club Camaro at the New England Nationals,” added Hight.

The past two years at New England Dragway Hight has been upended by a teammate in the second round of eliminations. In 2014 it was John Force and then last year teammate and sister-in-law Courtney Force advance to the semis. Hight wants to make sure history does not repeat itself three years in a row.

“The goal for our team is to get all three of our Chevy Funny Cars in the top four in qualifying. You achieve a couple goals when that happens. One you get some qualifying bonus points hopefully which as tight as the Funny Car standings are will come in handy later in the season and most importantly if we are all in the top four we won’t race each other until the semifinals or final round. I don’t mind racing a teammate in the final round but it is tough when it happens early on race day,” explained Hight.

Hight locked himself into the Traxxas Shootout with a win at the Gatornationals earlier this year and the significance of that win bolstered Hight and the Auto Club team moving into the season.

“Last year we didn’t our first win of the season until Brainerd and it was the last chance for us to lock up a Traxxas Shootout spot. That is a lot of pressure and this year we have our spot guaranteed thanks to the win at the Gators and now we can focus on getting consistent and getting geared up for Indy, the Traxxas Shootout and the Countdown. This stretch of the season will be a good test for our team to get into a groove of racing every weekend and hopefully going rounds on Sunday. We have a big AAA presence in the New England area so I definitely want to do well,” said Hight.

DEFENDING EVENT WINNER JOHN FORCE ENERGIZED FOR RETURN TO EPPING

EPPING, NH (May 31, 2016) — Last year John Force powered his PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car into the winner’s circle for the 143rd time outrunning No. 1 qualifier Tommy Johnson Jr. in the process and securing his first win at the NHRA New England Nationals. New England Dragway became the 25th different track for Force to capture a win and the emotion of the moment was not lost on the 16-time champion at the top end.

“I raced here 38 or 40 years ago before most of you were born to come back and have one race on the circuit that I couldn’t win; I needed this race win. One of these days I am going to go out and it is going to break my heart but I ain’t leaving until I win all of them and now I’ll try and win all of them twice. This was a great day,” exclaimed Force to an awestruck TV audience. “My daughter (Courtney Force) spanked me in the inaugural race and I tried to screw her up in the first race but I couldn’t do it. I taught her too well. I am giving this trophy to PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant and BlueDef.”

Now in 2016 Force is coming back to Epping on the heels of a tough outing in Topeka, Kansas where on Friday he brushed the wall with his much anticipated and brand new 2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car. Force had to go to a back-up Funny Car for the rest of the weekend and immediately following the race he went to the team’s Brownsburg, Indiana shop to fix his racecar.

“I have been at the shop in Indy since after Topeka working with my team. It had been great since I usually just come in for a day and try to get something done quickly. We have been able to go through the car and really get me fitted and comfortable,” said a focused Force. “I have been able to spend some time with the Aerodine to work on the body I brushed the wall with and I think we made it a little better. So many people have worked on this new Camaro body we are excited to get it back at the track. My Camaro will be ready for Epping and so will I.”

Force started the season with a runner-up finish in Phoenix and two semi-final finishes at the Winternationals and the Las Vegas Spring NHRA national event. The winningest driver in NHRA history has been hit with three consecutive first round losses but he has remained positive based on the team’s hard work over the off-season.

“I want to get into the winner’s circle more than anyone I think. You want your team to have success but when you are trying to get one of the last spots in the Traxxas Shootout plus get that win for our sponsor PEAK Antifreeze and BlueDef you put a lot of pressure on yourself. I can handle the pressure and so can my team,” said Force. “I got my first win for PEAK last year in Epping and I think I have a great chance to get another win for them. We aren’t just racing for PEAK or Chevy but also for Auto Club, Traxxas, Monster Energy, Lucas Oil and Mac Tool. You never take winning for granted and I know I have won a lot but I want to keep winning and teaching my kids.”

The 4th annual NHRA New England Nationals will start a stretch of four races in four weeks for the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The extended run of races does not seem daunting to Force at all. In fact the 16-time champion and defending New England Nationals winner has already been on the road for nearly a month.

“I haven’t been home in a month already. I don’t do vacations. I was at the Indy 500 for Chevy and we signed autographs with Linda Vaughn and Courtney on Saturday. I was all over the race track talking with fans and media people. I have been in Indy working on my race car and new sponsors,” said Force. “I can’t wait to get to the race track and get into my race car. We are going to test on Tuesday in Indy before Epping and then we’ll get on an airplane and head up to the track. I think the best way to get off to a good start is to just focus on each race. If you start thinking about trying to get on a win streak you won’t be thinking about what you need to do on that run.”

Heading back to the northeast also has Force excited about continuing to grow the sport that he loves and has devoted his life to dominating.

“Epping is a great market for NHRA and we see a bigger crowd every year. Courtney won the first race there and I won last year. The fans have always been great and we are close to Boston which is a big media market. I know Courtney and Brittany are coming in early to work the media so I think we will see big crowds again,” summed up Force.