JOHN FORCE EYES SECOND WESTERN SWING SWEEP

SEATTLE, WA (August 3, 2016) — Only one Funny Car driver in the history of the NHRA has swept the Western Swing. In 1994 three-time Funny Car champion John Force won Denver, Sonoma and Seattle, ironically this weekend Force now a 16-time Funny Car champion could wrap up his second sweep of the swing exactly 22 years to the day with a win at the 29th annual ProtectTheHarvest.com NHRA Northwest Nationals. In 1994 Force won Denver on July 24th, Sonoma on July 31 and then Seattle on August 7th. Force has secured the first two victories needed a feat he also accomplished in 2003 when he won Denver and Seattle and raced to a semi-final finish in Sonoma where he was defeated by Gary Scelzi and his then crew chief Mike Neff.

“It doesn’t matter how good you are. How much you are out running the pack. I am not outrunning the pack I am running with it. The (Del) Worshams are right there and so are all of the Schumacher teams. My daughter Courtney is out running me every week just like Robert Hight,” conceded Force. “It is the toughest Funny Car pack I have ever seen. To win the Swing a lot comes into play. The pressure comes in from the media and the fans. Then you can’t let your mindset change. You have to be able to run with the pack. Keep your mindset right and you need destiny.”

This season Force and the PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car have struggled by their own high standards. They races to a runner-up finish in Phoenix and then once they took possession of the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car battled a variety of issues associated with the new body. On the first day of competition Force brushed the wall at Heartland Park Topeka hard enough to take his brand new blue PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant Camaro SS out of commission for the rest of the race. In the second qualifying session in Chicago Force crossed the centerline and almost “rubbed” competitor Matt Hagan after the finish line.

The team went to Lucas Oil Raceway for two days of testing that ultimately revealed a sight line issue that was easily corrected by welding a St. Christopher medallion to the super-charger to give the then 143-time Funny Car national event winner a sort of sight to help him line up his 10,000 horsepower Funny Car. Since the addition of St. Christopher Force has won two races and is one win away from more history.

Heading into Denver Force was racing a one race camo design Realtree PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant Camaro but after the win in Denver and struggles with the original blue PEAK body crew chief Jon Schaffer recommended a swap back to the camo Realtree body.

“We fixed (PEAK Camaro body) twice and it just keeps coming apart and I can’t run it. We got a new body and trying to get it mounted because we are just starting to get bodies in. So I got to talk to PEAK since Realtree was a one race deal in Denver, even though they are a partner to ours, but now I have to run it in Seattle. These things have a little magic sometime. My chances to win the Swing? As good as anybody else’s. I like Seattle, good air, good race track. The fans are great, let’s see if we can go give them a show. That is what we are trying to do. I want to win championships,” said Force.

The ProtectTheHarvest.com NHRA Northwest Nationals have been fertile ground for round wins for Force. His career round win record of 55-19 is unmatched by any competitor and he has eight wins in ten final round appearances. His last win at Pacific Raceway came at the expense of long-time friend Gary Densham in 2014. Force has six No. 1 qualifiers at Pacific Raceway and since 1979 he has only qualified in the bottom half of the field twice.

When it comes to repeating as the only Funny Car driver to sweep the Western Swing, Force understands the complexities involved. Over his illustrious career he has won two races in a row 28 times but has only been able to parlay that streak to three in a row 12 times, including 1994 for his lone Western Swing Sweep. Force almost repeated the Western Swing sweep in 2003 winning Denver and Seattle and racing to a semi-final finish in Sonoma.

COURTNEY FORCE RETURNS TO SITE OF FIRST FUNNY CAR VICTORY

SEATTLE, WA (August 3, 2016) —- With the just one more race remaining in the 2016 Western Swing Courtney Force is looking for her ninth career Funny Car win. The 2012 Rookie of the Year currently holds the No. 2 position in the NHRA Mello Yello point standings in the Funny Car category and is anxious to race at the track the granted her first ever Top Alcohol Dragster win as well as her first Funny Car win.

“It is so awesome being No. 2 in the points at this point in the season. This is so much better than the position we were in last year at this time struggling for No. 10. I’m so proud of my team and the turn around that we have had and most importantly the support of our sponsors, especially Traxxas, and the fans. It has been so fun for us this season and I can’t wait to get the Countdown started,” said Force.

The 29th annual ProtectTheHarvest.com NHRA Northwest Nationals will give the youngest Force daughter a chance to overcome obstacles set by her teammates in the last two races. In Denver, Force went to the final round and was defeated by her father. The next race in Sonoma Force’s day ended in the semi-finals when she was ousted again by the 16-time champion.

“It’s been tough getting beat by my dad the past two races, but at least we have been getting beat by the winner of the race and a teammate. It really shows we’ve got a competitive car, but hope we can turn things around and outrun him if we have to face him again this weekend,” said Force.

The 28-year-old’s best finish ever at Pacific Raceways was in 2012 during her rookie season when she won the race in just her third ever final round appearance. The rookie driver defeated three Funny Car world champions – Cruz Pedregon, John Force and Matt Hagan – as well as veteran driver Bob Tasca III en route to her first win.

“I’m thrilled to be returning to Seattle this coming weekend. My first win in both Top Alcohol Dragster and Funny Car were at this track so it has always been a special one for me. We have only been taken out by my dad so far on the Western Swing and looking to turn our luck around this weekend in Seattle in our Traxxas Chevy Camaro SS,” said Force

Today, Force has eight Funny Car victories, making her the winningest female in the Funny Car category. Her most recent win was Houston earlier this season.

“Since the start of the season I have been extremely proud of my Traxxas team and my crew chiefs Dan Hood and Ronnie Thompson and the performance we have had on the race track. We have had one of the most consistent race cars and as a driver I’m trying to perform my best so we can have that full package.”

“I’m lucky to have the team that I do, some of them have even been with me since my rookie year, and can’t wait for this weekend. I’m thrilled to say that this season has gone better than expected, and for the first time we have clinched a spot in the Countdown to the Championship already, at Sonoma. I’m excited for the next few races and can’t wait to get the Countdown underway,” said Force.

HIGHT SURGING TOWARDS WIN AT NORTHWEST NATIONALS

SEATTLE, WA (August 3, 2016) — The Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car and Robert Hight are looking to pick up their first win of the 2016 Western Swing. Last weekend in Sonoma Hight was running side by side with eventual winner and teammate John Force in the second round before his race car slowed just before the finish line.

“We lost a spark plug. That was a tough loss. We had the quickest run of the first round and I think we were about to run quicker. We were even with (Force) at half-track and I thought we were about to pull away. We are running really quick and qualifying well. This Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro will be ready for Seattle and I am excited about getting the Countdown started,” said Hight.

Hight and his crew chief Mike Neff have been one of the hottest driver/crew chief duos this season. They have racked up a win at the Gatornationals and five semi-final finishes. They were the Funny Car point leader from Gainesville until Houston when teammate Courtney Force slipped around them and they have maintained their midpoint Top Ten position throughout the season. They are 24 points out of fourth place which is essentially one round of racing. When the points reset for the Countdown in three races Hight and the Auto Club team could be within three rounds of the top spot.

In the Western Swing this season Hight has just run up against his equally as quick teammates in both of the first two races. In Denver’s semi-finals Hight was ousted by teammate Courtney Force and in Sonoma it was the eventual winner John Force that sidelined the 2009 NHRA Funny Car champion.

“We have three really quick Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Cars. In Denver we had three of the four Funny Cars in the semi-finals. Last weekend we were all on the same side of the ladder and we still got two Funny Cars to the semi-finals. We are pushing it hard in qualifying and our goal is always to put ourselves in position to win the race for all our sponsors,” said Hight.

The Auto Club team is looking for their first win at the Northwest Nationals and while Hight has had success in qualifying at Pacific Raceway he has been unable to translate that into race day round wins. Since 2005 Hight has qualified No. 1 four times and been a top half of the field starter five other times. Unfortunately the 37-time Funny Car winner only has one final round and one semi-final finish to show for his efforts.

“The air is usually great at Pacific Raceway. We should be able to run quick and fast. Last year we were behind a lot of the other teams but now I think we can run with anybody. I am excited to get this Auto Club Camaro out of the trailer and see what we can do. I want to start winning again and get some momentum for Indy and the Countdown,” said Hight.

BRITTANY FORCE RACES TO SEATTLE FOR FINAL LEG OF WESTERN SWING

SEATTLE, WA (August 3, 2016) — Last weekend even though Brittany Force did not hoist the winner’s trophy she still left Sonoma, California with some symbolic hardware. At the conclusion of the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals Force clinched her spot in the 2016 Countdown to the Championship and assured the fourth year pro of the chance to race for the Top Fuel championship. Coming into Seattle for the 29th annual ProtectTheHarvest.com NHRA Northwest Nationals the driver from Yorba Linda, California is focused on improving her play-off starting position and getting her third win.

“We started the season with a number of goals. We wanted to get that first win and we wanted to make the Countdown. I am so proud of these Monster Energy guys. Alan Johnson and Brian Husen have been great to work with and they give me an awesome dragster every week. I am looking forward to getting to Seattle,” said Force.

In the first two races of the Western Swing Force has qualified in the top half of the field, No. 4 in Denver and No. 6 in Sonoma. In both races the Monster Energy team advanced to the quarterfinals and then had to watch the rest of the race from the sidelines. The loss in Sonoma was especially tough for Force who continues to develop as a driver. Force’s dragster made the quickest run of the second round but did not advance. The 2013 Rookie of the Year took the second round loss hard but was picked up by her supportive teammates.

“I have my weekends and some weekends I will nail it other weekends I am off. Luckily for me I have a very supportive team. I have two very supportive crew chiefs in Brian Husen and Alan Johnson. They told me we are a team and they have my back no matter what. It is great to be surrounded with people like that. We will put this one behind us and go into Seattle. I’ll start over there. I have found it before and I’ll find it again,” confessed Force.

The addition of Husen and Johnson to the JFR Top Fuel program has shown immediate results including a historic win in Gainesville this season followed two races later by another win in Charlotte at the unique Four-Wide Nationals. A consistently quick race car that set the national elapsed time record this season in Topeka, 3.676 seconds, has raised the performance bar for the entire organization.

“There is definitely added pressure because I have a race car that I know will perform and a lot of the time it comes down to the driver,” admitted Force. “There is added pressure of having a great sponsor like Monster Energy. I am learning to use that pressure to get pumped up and motivated. I am going to use that to push me on the starting line.”

This weekend at Pacific Raceway in Kent, Washington Force will be looking to improve on her second round finish from last season. At the 28th annual Northwest Nationals Force qualified No. 4 and took out Troy Buff before losing to Larry Dixon.