PEAK Chevrolet Funny Car driver John Force’s
message to fans: ‘Don’t worry. I’ll get there’
Photo credit: Gary Nastase / Auto Imagery
ENGLISHTOWN. N.J. (June 6) – To all the fans of PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car driver John Force, he has a message: He’ll be back to his winning ways.
Force, the 16-time Funny Car champion, races in the NHRA Summernationals this weekend at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. He’s struggled in recent races, falling in the first round in the last two events.
But take heart, Force fans.
“Don’t worry about John Force,” Force said. “I’ll get there.”
Force, the all-time leader in NHRA victories with 148, already has one victory this season – at Gainesville. And he’s watched as daughter Courtney Force took the Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS to the final round at Epping last weekend, when John Force Racing teammate Robert Hight also earned the No. 1 qualifying spot.
But he wants to be right there with them.
“I want to perform,” Force said. “It’s a long way to the Countdown (to the Championship). I’m fifth in the points, and I don’t like being fifth.”
The top 10 in the Funny Car standings advance to the Countdown – the final six races of the season that determine the champion. Force is hoping to get things turned around long before then.
“I can keep talking, keep making statements, but we’ve got to turn it around,” Force said. “We’re right there. We look in the computer, and it’s there. We couldn’t get it done in Epping. We tried to run .86, and we thought it would do it, and all of a sudden, everybody is running .95s. I don’t think anybody ran .80s, so we shouldn’t have tried.
Force is a four-time winner at Englishtown, one of the historic race tracks still in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.
“I started there with the Napp family with Jungle Jim, match racing,” Force said. “Great place. Great air there, if the weather’s good to us.”
Two rounds of qualifying are scheduled for both Friday (3:45 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. Eastern) and Saturday (1:45 and 4:15), with eliminations slated to begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
Fox Sports 1 plans to televise one hour of qualifying coverage Friday at 10 p.m., two hours Saturday at 2 p.m. and three hours of eliminations Sunday at 6 p.m.
4-Second Reads:
John Force has competed in 35 races at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park and every race since 1983. He also competed in the 1979 race, in which he contested his second career NHRA Funny Car final.
Force has four victories at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park – 1993, 1996, 1998 and 1999. He has made it to the finals 10 times.
Force is 58-31 in 89 elimination round races at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. His 58 round wins ranks 12th in his career for most round wins at a specific track. He has reached 60 round wins at 10 tracks.
Force has qualified No. 1 three times at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park – 1988, 1993 and 1994.
Force has qualified in the top half of the bracket 27 times in 35 previous races.
Force is 29-6 in first-round matchups at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.
Force is currently fifth in Funny Car points standings, having previously fallen two positions following the race at New England Dragway last weekend.
In his career, Force has 148 victories and 1,274 elimination round wins, both records. He has 155 No. 1 qualifying spots, of which 60 have resulted in victories, also both records.
Force’s most recent NHRA victory – 2017 NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.
Force’s most recent No. 1 qualifying effort – 2017 NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.
Force’s best time/speed at Epping – 3.964 seconds (2016 Q3); 316.90 mph (2016 Q1)
Force’s best time/speed of career – 3.832 seconds (2017 Gainesville); 335.15 mph (2017 Pomona 1)