Home away from home: PEAK’s John Force
seeks 12th Funny Car victory at Brainerd

BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 15) – John Force’s home track of Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Calif., sits less than 30 miles from his Yorba Linda home and the John Force Racing headquarters.

But, in a sense, Brainerd International Raceway – more than 1,800 miles away – is a home track, because Force and many of his drivers have dominated there over the years. Force himself has 11 victories, the second-most of any track on the circuit, in 31 races, and his 74 elimination-round wins is also the second-highest at any track. Only at Pomona does he have more (16 victories and 127 elimination-round wins).

Of course, the memories are endless.

“I remember at Brainerd, in my early days, one of my cars caught on fire and burned to the ground,” Force said. “I went to the hospital, the team worked all night, and we came out the next day with (crew chief) Austin Coil and won the race. I have a lot of good friends up there.”

So, does the 12th win come this Sunday in the PEAK Coolant & Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS? Force doesn’t see why not, especially if he stays out of the ‘Zoo,’ an on-site campground well-known for its energy; boisterous atmosphere; and the limitless number of partygoers.

“I stay out of the ‘Zoo;’ I went to the ‘Zoo’ in my early days and got in trouble,” Force said. “I’ve got to focus at my age on winning. I’m excited to come back. We know the race track well; there could be killer conditions. National records could be run there. I’m struggling, but Robert (Hight), Courtney and Brittany (Force) are fast.

“We’re going to be running a whole new combination here that we’ve been working on for months. It’s going to come together, and when it does, John Force will be there. We’re hoping to start at Brainerd. That’s what we plan on doing, going for the win.”

Not only is he seeking the 12th win at Brainerd, Force is also attempting to land a spot in the Countdown to the Championship for the 11th time. He has been in every Countdown since the playoffs were put into place in 2007, and at seventh in the standings, a Brainerd win would go a long way to securing a spot in this year’s Countdown.

The NHRA Nationals begins Friday with two rounds of qualifying at 3:30 and 6 p.m. Central (television coverage beginning at 9 p.m. Central Eastern on Fox Sports 1). The final two rounds of qualifying are scheduled for 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. Central on Saturday (television coverage at 9 p.m. on FS1).

Elimination rounds are scheduled for 11 a.m. Central on Sunday (three hours of live finals coverage at 1 p.m. Central).

4-Second Reads:
John Force has competed in 31 races at Brainerd International Raceway and every race since 1986.
Force has a record 11 Funny Car victories at the track – 1988, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, and 2007. Overall, he has 15 finals appearances at Brainerd.
Force’s 11 victories at Brainerd are the second most of any track on the circuit. Only at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Calif., does Force have more victories (16).
Force is 74-20 in 94 elimination-round races at Brainerd. His 74 elimination-round wins are the second most of any track on the schedule; only at Pomona does he have more (127).
Force has a .787 winning percentage in elimination rounds at Brainerd, the highest of any current track on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule. His highest winning percentage is .815, at Richmond, Va.
Force has qualified No. 1 at Brainerd eight times – 1990, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2006, and 2014. Six of his No. 1s have resulted in victory.
Force is 26-5 in 31 first-round elimination matchups. His longest streak came between 1987 and 1992, when he won 16 consecutive first-rounds at Brainerd.
Force has qualified in the top half of the bracket 29 times in 31 attempts. His only qualifying efforts outside the top eight came in 2010 and 2011.
Force is currently seventh in Funny Car points standings. He has been as high as third in the standings earlier this season.
In 2017, Force has one victory, a 15-15 record in elimination rounds, and one No. 1.
In his career, Force has 148 victories and 1,277 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 Brainerd – 3.915 seconds (2016 Q2); 328.06 mph (2016 Q2)
Force’s best time/speed of career – 3.832 seconds (2017 Gainesville Q2); 337.16 mph (2017 Sonoma Q4)