16-time Funny Car champ John Force takes PEAK Chevrolet to No. 3 for Summit Racing Equipment Nationals

NORWALK, Ohio (June 24) – John Force earned his best NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying effort since the Four-Wide Nationals, and will start No. 3 for Sunday’s Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park.

Force, driving the PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS, earned a best pass in Friday’s second session – at 3.911 seconds at 319.98 mph, though a mechanical issue caused an eruption and damage to the car.

He still made two strong passes Saturday in spite of considerably warmer temperatures, which bodes well as Sunday’s race will also be held in the same time frame in similar weather conditions.

Force’s best pass Saturday came in the fourth and final round, when he ran 4.075 seconds at 293.28 mph, just a thousandth of a second better than his third-round pass. Still, No. 3 is a good position for Force.

In 82 previous race qualifying No. 3, he has won 70 of his first-round matchups, and earned 24 victories in 35 finals appearances.

He’ll face No. 14 Dale Creasy Jr. in the opening round of eliminations. Creasy’s best pass was 4.076 seconds at 306.46 mph.

Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday. Fox Sports 1 plans broadcast three hours of finals coverage at 6 p.m. Sunday.

4-Second Reads:

Qualifying Round 1 (Right Lane): 4.375 seconds/199.43 mph; went silent about 300 feet down the track (No. 5 of session and No. 5 overall; no bonus points)
Qualifying Round 2 (Left Lane): 3.911 seconds/319.98 mph; went straight down the track but engine blew and caused an oil down after the finish line (No. 3 of session and No. 3 overall; one bonus point of session and one bonus point overall)
Qualifying Round 3 (Right Lane): 4.076 seconds/302.69 mph; straight down the groove (No. 7 of session and No. 3 overall; no bonus points in session and one bonus point overall)
Qualifying Round 4 (Left Lane): 4.075 seconds/293.28 mph; great pass until very end when engine let loose and caused second oil down of weekend and season (No. 10 of session and No. 3 overall; no bonus points in session and one bonus point overall)
This is the third time this season and 83rd time in his career Force has qualified No. 3. He also qualified No. 3 in Houston and Charlotte – both in April.
This is the second time Force has qualified No. 3 at Norwalk. He made the semifinals after his only other No. 3 at Norwalk, in 2011.
Force’s matchup against Dale Creasy Jr. marks the 18th time the two will compete against each other, with the most recent meeting in 2015 in Brainerd, Minn. Force holds a 13-4 advantage. This is the first time the two will compete against each other at Norwalk.