CHEVROLET AT JOLIET
What:
19th K&N Filters Route 66 NHRA Nationals
When:
Friday, July 8-Sunday, June 10
Where:
Route 66 Raceway, Joliet, Illinois
TV:
FS1: Qualifying – 10 p.m. ET Saturday (taped highlights)
FS1: Eliminations and finals – 2 p.m. ET Sunday (live)
Chevrolet Drivers Seek to Add More Victories to Highly Successful Season
K&N Filters Route 66 NHRA Nationals near Chicago kicks off second half
DETROIT (July 6, 2016) – In a sport whose building blocks for success are consistency and performance, Chevrolet Racing teams have laid a strong foundation through the first half of the 24-event National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) season.
Chevrolet drivers have amassed 16 victories in Top Fuel (two by Brittany Force in the Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster), Funny Car (one each by Courtney Force in the Traxxas Chevrolet Camaro SS and John Force Racing teammate Robert Hight driving the Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS), and Pro Stock (seven by Jason Line in the Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro SS and five by KB Racing teammate Greg Anderson).
Additionally, Brittany Force set the Top Fuel national elapsed time record of 3.676 seconds at Topeka, Kansas, in May, and Chevrolet COPO Camaro drivers have enjoyed unprecedented success in the Super Stock and Stock Eliminator categories. Also, David Barton has raced his Chevrolet COPO Camaro to three consecutive Factory Showdown wins.
The K&N Filters Route 66 NHRA Nationals this weekend in Joliet, Illinois, kicks off the second half of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season and the push to claim a spot in the Countdown to the Championship.
“It’s been a great accomplishment for the KB team, John Force Racing and for Chevrolet to have had such a strong start to the season,” said Roger Allen, Chevrolet Racing’s NHRA program manager. “Winning 12 Pro Stock races is not unprecedented, but in the first year of a new technical rules package it is quite impressive what KB Racing has done so far. With the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS coming on line for all three John Force Racing drivers, we’re looking for continued success in Funny Car. And Brittany Force has demonstrated that she is a championship contender in the highly competitive Top Fuel class.
“The first half of the season has been exciting, and we expect more of the same from all the Chevrolet teams and drivers starting this weekend at Route 66 Raceway.”
Courtney Force, who moved to second in the Funny Car standings with her runner-up finish two weeks ago at Norwalk, Ohio, will be on the racetrack for the first time with the new Chevrolet Camaro SS. John Force Racing teammates John Force and Hight have been fine-tuning the aerodynamic and high-performance car the past few races, and both have recorded personal bests. Courtney Force holds the track speed record of 322.50 mph, set in June 2014.
“Our performance numbers have been steadily getting better. Now we are working on consistency,” said Hight, who has been the No. 3 qualifier each of the past three events and is coming off a semifinal appearance at Norwalk. “This class is really competitive and all three of these John Force Racing Camaros are working together in qualifying. I am glad Courtney will get her 2016 Camaro this weekend in Chicago because then we will all have the same body and that will help across the board.”
Added Allen: “It’s been great to get two of the new Camaros out in competition, and with Courtney getting hers out this weekend we hope to make a strong run heading into the Countdown. Expectations were that this new car’s performance would be as good or a touch better than the former model because it’s lighter and has more downforce on the front of the car.
“As the team fine tunes and uncovers more of the potential that was incorporated in the new design, but not necessarily incorporated in the first build, they can look at the setup of the car by dialing some of the downforce out and reduce drag. The header configuration to optimize performance is also something they’re developing to go along with the body shape.”
Brittany Force, who has qualified no lower than fourth in the past five events, also has been coming on strong. In addition to securing the first and second wins of her young Top Fuel career, Force has a runner-up finish and has advanced to the semifinals in two of the past three events. Allen expects more steady progress in the second half.
“Brittany has been in the points lead or close to it through the first half of the year, and we look for more victories from her the rest of the year based on her performance,” Allen said. “She’s qualified near the top in the majority of the races and continues to make strides with driving experience.”
Chevrolet drivers occupy four of the top five and eight of the top 10 spots in the Pro Stock standings, led by Line in first place. Anderson is second and Bo Butner (Butner Auto Sales Chevrolet Camaro SS) is third. Drew Skillman (Ray Skillman Chevrolet Camaro SS), five-time semifinalist this season, is fifth, followed by Vincent Nobile (Mountain View Tire Chevrolet Camaro SS), Chris McGaha (Harlow Sammons of Odessa Chevrolet Camaro SS), Shane Gray (Valvoline/Nova Services Chevrolet Camaro SS), and Alex Laughlin (Gas Monkey Garage Chevrolet Camaro SS).
Line, who has three Pro Stock wins at Route 66 Raceway, had a spectacular first half in which the Minnesota native reached the final round in 11 of the 12 races. Four runner-up finishes complement Anderson’s five victories in the Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro SS, and both drivers – who have a combined round record of 78-12 and already have qualified for the Countdown to the Championship – will be aiming to continue their dominance in the reinvented class for 2016 that features electronically-controlled throttle body fuel injection systems and an NHRA-controlled 10,500 rev limiter.
“Greg and Jason and the KB guys figured it out first and have been able to take advantage of it,” Allen said. “Others may catch up, but at the same time the KB team will be able to step it up right along with them. It’s obvious that they get down the track every time, and the other guys are setting up their cars more aggressively just to compete.”
Jeff Strickland, a Stock Eliminator class winner last month in his Chevrolet COPO Camaro, leads 10 Chevy drivers competing in Super Stock or Stock Eliminator this weekend.
“We’ve had a tremendous year in Stock Eliminator with three national event wins, which is more than we’ve won in past years, and we have three Chevrolet COPO drivers in the top 10 in national Sportsman points,” Allen said. “It’s another real encouraging thing that we have very competitive racers in COPO Camaros doing well.”
FOX Sports 1 will telecast taped qualifying highlights at 10 p.m. ET Saturday. FS1 will telecast three hours of live eliminations and finals starting at 2 p.m. ET Sunday.
Chevrolet also will welcome fans to its Chevrolet Performance Display during the weekend. It will include a number of Chevrolet’s award-winning production vehicles, examples of Chevrolet engines, and a selection of performance parts and accessories that are available for fans to purchase from their local Chevrolet dealer.