Advance Auto driver Courtney Force earns No. 3 qualifying position for Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals
BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Sept. 3) – Courtney Force earned the No. 3 qualifying position in the Funny Car class for Monday’s Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, and she will take on Cruz Pedregon in the first round of the most prestigious race on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series circuit.
Force, driving the Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS, turned in the fastest of five passes Saturday evening with a run of 3.837 seconds at 334.90 mph. Both time and speed were her best efforts in six years of competing at Indianapolis.
“We’ve had a great weekend so far,” Force said. “We picked up some bonus points throughout all of our qualifying sessions, and I’m really proud of my Advance Auto Parts Chevy Camaro guys. I feel good that we have a good race car going into the biggest race of the season.”
Force ran well in four of her five qualifying runs, with four passes at 3.9 seconds or better, which netted her seven bonus points. Force’s first run Sunday and fourth overall also marked the first round of the annual Traxxas Shootout, for which she qualified through a fan vote and lottery drawing. Despite a solid run of 3.911 seconds at 329.91 mph, she fell to Ron Capps by a small margin.
“We didn’t go as far as we would have liked in the Traxxas Nitro Shootout,” Force said, “but definitely made some solid passes in the heat of the day, which is going to be important on race day.”
Force is still seeking her first career Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals victory. With five qualifying sessions – three of which came in similar conditions expected Monday – Force believes she can tally a win Monday.
“Having the opportunity to run on a hot track is exactly what we need, because we can gauge what we need to do for race day,” said Force, whose best previous Indianapolis result was a semifinals appearance in 2014. “It feels good knowing we can get down the race track in both hot and cool conditions. I know we have a great team and a great car, and these guys are motivated to get the win Monday.”
Elimination rounds begin at 11 a.m. Eastern on Monday. Fox Sports 1 will provide two hours of live eliminations at 11 a.m., while FOX will provide three hours of live eliminations at 1 p.m.
4-Second Reads:
Qualifying Round 1 (Left Lane): 3.847 seconds/302.28 mph; straight down the track and a then track record despite lifting early (No. 3 of session and No. 3 overall; two bonus points in session)
Qualifying Round 2 (Left Lane): 4.717 seconds/168.41 mph; hazed tires about 330 feet down track (No. 12 of session and No. 3 overall; no bonus points in session and two bonus points overall)
Qualifying Round 3 (Right Lane): 3.837 seconds/334.90 mph; straight down the track to improve time (No. 3 of session and No. 3 overall; two bonus points in session and four bonus points overall)
Qualifying Round 4/Traxxas Shootout 1 (Right Lane): 3.911 seconds/329.91 mph; strong run in the heat of the day … lost to Ron Capps in first round of Traxxas Shootout, falling just short despite a .076-second reaction time (No. 5 of session and No. 3 overall; no bonus points in session and four bonus points overall)
Qualifying Round 5 (Left Lane): 3.902 seconds/324.75 mph; straight down the track with solid run in the heat despite dropping a couple holes near the finish (No. 2 of session and No. 3 overall; three bonus points in session and seven bonus points overall)
This is the third time this season and 12th time in her career Force has qualified No. 3. She is looking for her third victory and fourth finals from the No. 3 position. Force also qualified No. 3 at Pomona, Calif., and Chicago, Ill. She has a 17-9 record in 26 elimination rounds from No. 3.
Force’s previous two victories from the No. 3 position came in 2013 at Epping, N.H., and 2016 at Houston, Texas, the most recent NHRA victory of her career.
This is the second time Force has qualified No. 3 at Indianapolis. She was No. 3 at Indy in 2013, when she advanced to the semifinals. Her best career qualifying effort at Indianapolis remains a No. 1 in 2012.
Force’s first-round matchup against No. 14 Cruz Pedregon marks the third time this season and 14th time overall the two will compete against each other. Force holds a 7-6 advantage, with wins in the last three meetings, including twice this season, and a 5-2 record in seven first-round matchups.