Chevrolet Claims Provisional Top Qualifiers in Top Fuel, Pro Stock Brittany Force resets track elapsed time record; Greg Anderson widens points lead

Chevrolet Claims Provisional Top Qualifiers in Top Fuel, Pro Stock
Brittany Force resets track elapsed time record; Greg Anderson widens points lead

POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 10, 2017) – Brittany Force and Greg Anderson made championship statements on the first day of qualifications for the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) title-deciding event at Auto Club Raceway.

They are among Chevrolet drivers seeking professional championships in the Auto Club NHRA Finals – the crescendo of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship.

Two more rounds of qualifications are scheduled for Nov. 11. FS1 will telecast eliminations and finals at 4 p.m. ET Nov. 12.

Force reset the Top Fuel track elapsed-time record with a pass of 3.667 seconds at 330.31 mph in the Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster to ascend to the provisional No. 1 qualifier spot and cut front-runner Steve Torrence’s lead to 17 points.

“It was an awesome pass. We have a lot on our shoulders, but running like that pushes us. We’re going for the No. 1 spot,” said Force, who seeking her first Top Fuel title.

Anderson, seeking his fifth NHRA Pro Stock championship, topped both sessions in the Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro SS. Anderson’s pass of 6.541 seconds at 209.79 mph in the first round held up in the late-afternoon session. He gained eight bonus points to take a 48-point lead over KB Racing teammate Bo Butner (Jim Butner Auto Chevrolet Camaro SS) into the final two rounds of qualifying.

“It was definitely a good way to start the weekend,” said Anderson, who swept the 2016 races at Auto Club Raceway and was runner-up in the 2017 season opener at the racetrack. “It was as good as we could have expected. The two runs I made today, No. 1 for the session both times, we did all we could do today. Tomorrow is a new day and it’s all building up to Sunday, which is the day that matters. We’ll just have to execute like we did today and not make any mistakes.”

Drew Skillman was second at 6.555 seconds in the Ray Skillman Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro SS, and Jeg Coughlin Jr. was third in the JEGS.com Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro SS. Rookie Tanner Gray, who leads the class with five victories in the Gray Motorsports/Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro SS, was fourth. Butner was eighth and reigning Pro Stock champion Jason Line, who is third in the standings in the Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro SS, was seventh.

Courtney Force’s pass of 3.8781 seconds at 334.57 mph moved to the No. 2 spot through the two rounds of Funny Car qualifying.

“It was a heck of a run in our Big Machine Records Chevy Camaro,” said Force, who is seeking her eight No. 1 qualifier honor of the season.

Robert Hight, who sits atop the Funny Car standings by 15 points, didn’t lose any ground with a pair of sub-par runs in the Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS. He’s 17th through the two rounds.

Taylor Swift peers down racetrack on hood of Courtney Force’s Camaro

The Big Machine Records Chevrolet Camaro SS, featuring the album cover of Taylor Swift’s “reputation,” was unveiled at the staging area before Courtney Force’s first qualifying run of the weekend.

“Having Taylor’s ‘reputation’ album art on Courtney’s car for the NHRA championship weekend, which also happens to coincide with the Nov. 10 release, is the perfect match of two game-changers who are truly the best of the best,” Big Machine Records CEO Scott Borchetta said.

Swift will be the guest performer on “Saturday Night Live” this week.

Of note

Butner has a class-leading 54-19 elimination round record. Though only in his second full season in Pro Stock, he has championship battle experience. Butner, a two-time Sportsman class winner at Pomona, was the 2006 Lucas Oil Comp title-winner. … Coughlin Jr., earned the 2007 Pro Stock championship – the first year of the Countdown to the Championship – with a victory in the finale at Pomona.

“We’ve had great fortune here in the past and we’d love to recreate some of that and return to the winner’s circle again,” said Coughlin, who has recorded six of his 58 career Pro Stock wins at the Pomona track.