Brittany Force seeks Las Vegas luck as
Monster Energy team heads back west
LAS VEGAS (March 28) – Brittany Force has a lot of memories of racing her family at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This weekend, she wants to create a new one – for herself and her Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster team.
Force seeks her fourth career NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Top Fuel victory and first in Las Vegas in Sunday’s NHRA Nationals.
“I love going to Vegas,” said Force, who enters the weekend fifth in Top Fuel points standings. “For me, it’s close to home – jump in the car, drive up there. I’ve been going there since I was little. I drove there in Super Comp, drove up there with my sister next to me to race her Super Comp dragsters, and our A/Fuel dragsters. So, really so many memories there.”
Not only is Force seeking her first victory at Vegas, she expects to advance past the quarterfinals for the first time. She’s won opening-round matchups twice in the Las Vegas spring race before losing in her quarterfinals races. She’s had similar showings in the fall race, winning three opening-round matchups but falling in quarterfinal rounds.
But there’s no reason to believe Force won’t go further this time. She’s won all three of her opening-round elimination races this season and she’s consistency putting together good runs. She advanced to the finals of the NHRA Nationals last month at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, setting five of the top 10 quickest times of her career in the process.
Already filled with confidence, she’ll also rely this weekend in part on fan support in addition to support from her team, she said.
“The fans get you pumped for the weekend and give you an extra spark to attack and go after the win,” Force said. “The Monster Energy team’s plan is to make four solid runs to get us set up for race day. After a weekend off I’m ready to get back in my seat and I’m looking for another win, and there’s no better place than to do that in Sin City.”
The NHRA Nationals begins Friday, with the first two rounds of qualifying, followed by two more rounds of qualifying Saturday. Elimination rounds Sunday will be televised starting at 6 p.m. Eastern.
4-Second Reads:
Brittany Force has competed in the spring race at Las Vegas four times, and every year since 2013, the first year she competed in the event.
Force is seeking her first career finals round matchup at Las Vegas this weekend. She has made it to the quarterfinals five times in eight tries.
Force’s record in elimination round races in the Las Vegas spring race is 2-4, and overall is 5-8.
Force’s best qualifying position at the NHRA Nationals was No. 4 last season.
Force is 2-2 in first-round NHRA Nationals matchups.
In her career, Force has three victories and 92 round wins.
Force is currently fifth in the Top Fuel points standings, down two spots from third from the previous race.
Force’s best time/speed at Las Vegas – 3.728 seconds (2016 No. 2 Q2); 325.69 mph (2014 No. 2 E1)
Force’s best time/speed of career – 3.676 seconds (most recently 2017 Phoenix E1); 331.53 (2015 Reading Q)
Force, along with father John and sister Courtney, will attend the NHRA FanFest autograph session Thursday evening at the New York New York Las Vegas Hotel & Casino. The FanFest is located on the Brooklyn Bridge Plaza.