Brittany Force ready to take consistent Monster Energy
Top Fuel dragster to Seattle winner’s circle
SEATTLE (Aug. 5) – The key to success in NHRA drag racing is often consistency. The team that can make four good runs on Sunday usually ends up in the winner’s circle.
Brittany Force and her Monster Energy team hope that’s the case in the Northwest Nationals on Sunday at Pacific Raceways. Force has been remarkably consistent through qualifying, making three solid passes and snaring the No. 5 qualifying spot for final eliminations.
“It’s a great start to the weekend for the Monster team,” Force said. “To make three solid passes down the race track, especially in the heat, and our last run was the best run of the weekend, we’re super pumped about that.”
Force and her team saved their best for last, too. Her run in the final qualifying session was her best of the weekend: 3.780 seconds at 324.05 mph.
“We’re getting ready to go into race day,” Force said. “We’re set up well, No. 5, and we race Troy Buff. I think we’re going to have a good, long day tomorrow. We’ve been running consistently all weekend, and that’s what you need to keep up and battle all day long.”
Force indeed faces Buff, the No. 12 qualifier, in the first round. Buff’s best pass of the weekend was 3.862 seconds at 309.98 mph, and Force knows she’ll have to make another good run to advance to the second round.
“We’re feeling good right now,” Force said. “Three great runs, especially the one in Q4, really sets the tone, sets the mood for getting ready for tomorrow.”
Force has history on her side. In nine previous races in which she qualified No. 5, she’s won in the first round eight times.
Elimination rounds for the Northwest Nationals begin at 11 a.m. Pacific on Sunday. FOX will televise three hours of live coverage beginning at 4 p.m. Eastern/1 p.m. Pacific.
4-Second Reads:
Qualifying Round 1 (Right Lane): 3.792 seconds/323.89 mph; strong pass and quickest of the session (No. 1 of session and No. 1 overall; three bonus points in session)
Qualifying Round 2 (Right Lane): 4.216 seconds/197.22 mph; lost traction a third of the way down the track and slowed (No. 13 of session and No. 2 overall; no bonus points in session and three bonus points overall)
Qualifying Round 3 (Left Lane): 3.801 seconds/313.95 mph; straight down the track (No. 4 of session and No. 3 overall; no bonus points in session and three bonus points overall)
Qualifying Round 4 (Right Lane): 3.780 seconds/324.05 mph; ran her quickest and fastest pass of qualifying (No. 4 of session and No. 5 overall; no bonus points in session and three bonus points overall)
This marks the fourth time this season and 10th time in her career Force has qualified No. 5. The last time Force qualified No. 5 was in June at Bristol Dragway in Tennessee. She is looking for her second career victory and third career final round from the No. 5 position.
Force has a record of 14-8 in 22 elimination rounds from No. 5. She has also won eight of nine first-round matchups after qualifying No. 5.
This marks the first time Force has qualified No. 5 at Pacific Raceways. Her career-best remains No. 4, which came in 2015.
Force’s first-round matchup against Troy Buff marks the fourth time the two will compete against each other, with the last meeting coming in April 2016 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Force holds a 2-1 advantage in the previous three meetings.