Courtney Force can’t ‘Advance’ her Chevrolet Camaro SS
from Denver’s No. 1 qualifying spot

MORRISON, Colo. (July 23) – Courtney Force and her Advance Auto Parts team started the Western Swing on the right foot, speeding to the No. 1 qualifier for the Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway.
But Force bowed out of the race too early when her Chevrolet Camaro SS struggled off the starting line before shutting off before the finish line.
“JFR being 1-2-3, that’s starting off the Western Swing right,” Force said. “Unfortunately, we had a hole out on the hit of the throttle, so immediately, our car left slow. I brought it back in the center, and it stayed hooked up, but once it got down to the top end our pan pressure was through the roof, and it shut my car off automatically, so we had to coast to the finish line.”

Force’s official pass was 4.271 seconds at a coasting 242.67 mph, and it wasn’t enough to beat Jim Campbell’s slowing 4.260-second run at 239.53 mph.
“It wasn’t the day for us,” Force said. “It actually looked like a close race, but we had to coast to the finish and couldn’t really do anything about it. That’s just how racing is, and it’s unfortunate.”
Denver marked the first of a three-race stretch in three consecutive weekends known as the Western Swing. The Swing continues in Sonoma, Calif., next weekend before concluding in Seattle.
“We’ve got to get this car figured out better in the heat. We don’t have a lot of qualifying passes that are in the kind of conditions that we run during race day. We’re going to have to guess and figure it out and learn off the runs we have made and try to figure out why this cylinder keeps dropping.”
The NHRA races in the Sonoma Nationals next weekend at Sonoma Raceway.
4-Second Reads:
Best Qualifying Effort: 3.889 seconds/328.30 mph (Round 1, Qualified No. 1)
Elimination Round 1 (Left Lane): 4.271 seconds/242.67 mph, lost to No. 16 Jim Campbell, 4.260 seconds/239.53 mph; dropped cylinder and car shut off near the end, falling by just a few feet of victory; vs. Campbell – 5-3 all-time; 2-3 this season; 1-1 at Denver
Now 144-124 (268 rounds) all-time in elimination rounds (.537)
Now 28-12 (40 rounds) all-time in elimination rounds after qualifying No. 1 (.700)
Now 8-6 (14 rounds) all-time in elimination rounds at Bandimere Speedway (.571)
Now 13-13 (26 rounds) this season in elimination rounds (.500)
Funny Car Points Standings: 1. Ron Capps 1,244; 2. Matt Hagan 1,058; 3. Robert Hight 973; 4. Jack Beckman 970; 5. Tommy Johnson Jr. 925; 6. Courtney Force 793; 7. John Force 757.