PEAK driver John Force loses close first-round
matchup in NHRA Heartland Nationals

TOPEKA, Kan. (May 21) – John Force lost a close first-round matchup in Sunday’s NHRA Menards Heartland Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka, the eighth round of the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.

Force – driving the PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS – was the No. 6 qualifier and matched up against No. 11 Bob Tasca III. With lane choice, Force took the left lane and ripped off a .054-second reaction time. However, Tasca – who admitted he guessed on the Christmas Tree – pulled off a reaction time of .028 seconds to get the early advantage.

That made all the difference. With both cars making near-flawless passes, Tasca never trailed, and at the finish took a holeshot victory by about 0.0037 seconds, or less than two feet. Force set the better pass on time – 3.907 seconds at 332.34 mph, while Tasca’s pass was 3.930 seconds at 317.49 mph.

“Didn’t get the job done today,” said Force, who lost for only the sixth time in the first round in 34 races. “I got beat up out there.”

Despite the first-round loss, Force set track career bests for time (3.850 seconds) and speed (332.59 mph) – both in the final round of qualifying. The team will test later this week at Lucas Oil Raceway in Brownsburg, Ind.

“We’ll go back to test and we got to get better,” Force said. “All my cars ran good today; I just didn’t get the win.”

Force and the PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro team return to action June 2-4 for the NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H.

4-Second Reads:

Best Qualifying Effort: 3.850 sec./332.59 mph (Round 3), No. 6 qualifier
Elimination Round 1 (Left Lane): 3.907 sec./332.34 mph, lost to No. 11 Bob Tasca III, 3.930 sec./317.49; vs. Tasca – now 11-12 all-time; 0-1 this season; 0-2 at Topeka
This was only Force’s second first-round loss in eight races this season.
This was Force’s 698th race for which he has qualified and 201st consecutively.
Force is now 11-7 this season in 18 elimination rounds.
Force is now 73-25 at Heartland Park Topeka in 98 elimination rounds.
Force is now 82-46 all-time in 128 elimination rounds from the No. 6 qualifying spot.
Force is now 1,274-550 all-time in 1,824 elimination rounds.
Funny Car Points Standings: 1. Ron Capps, 748; 2. Matt Hagan, 644; 3. John Force, 524; 4. Robert Hight, 518; 5. Jack Beckman, 502; 6. Courtney Force, 464.