CHEVROLET AT BRISTOL
What: 18th Fitzgerald USA Thunder Valley Nationals
When: Friday, June 15-Sunday, June 17
Where: Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tennessee
TV: FS1 live qualifications, 6 p.m. ET June 15, and taped qualifications, 9 p.m. ET June 16
FS1 taped eliminations and finals, 7:30 p.m. ET June 17
Chevrolet Returns to Thunder Valley with Long-Standing Momentum
Team Chevy drivers aim to celebrate Father’s Day with visit to the winner’s circle
DETROIT (June 13, 2018) – A spate of struggles during the first half of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Mello Yello Drag Racing Series 18-race regular season confounded John Force. But the 16-time Funny Car champion learned long ago that objectivity helps put on-track trials in perspective.
“We have had a tough year, one of the toughest of my career,” he said. “We have never blown up this much stuff but we have figured a lot out. We are going to keep fighting and keep getting better. I have my heart back after Richmond.”
A runner-up finish June 10 to daughter Courtney after qualifying seventh at Virginia Motorsports Park, preceded a week earlier by a run to the semifinals at Joliet, Illinois, has uplifted the driver of the PEAK Coolant & Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS.
“I let this race car do the running for me,” he added.
The finals appearance was the 250th of his illustrious career and the 50th time that John Force Racing teammates met with the “Wally” in the balance. Courtney Force, driving the Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS, claimed her class-high fourth victory of the season – all from the low qualifier spot – and is the class points leader.
John Force is eighth in the Funny Car standings entering the Fitzgerald USA Thunder Valley Nationals this weekend in Bristol, Tennessee. He’s won four times at the racetrack and will seek career victory No. 149 on Father’s Day.
Four-time Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson, driver of the Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro SS, will seek career win No. 91 on Father’s Day. Anderson, who has six No. 1 qualifier honors this season and 99 for his career, sits atop the class standings though he’s yet to visit the winner’s circle.
“I’ve always loved racing on Father’s Day, and my dad has been able to come to most of them with me,” said Anderson, a two-time winner at Bristol Dragway. “I’ve won a lot of times on Father’s Day in front of my dad, and it’s a very special race on a very special day. Bristol Dragway is where I won my first race (2001), so there a lot of great memories there for me, both being Father’s Day and also being Bristol. There is always an extra exclamation point after this one on the calendar.”
Eight different Team Chevy drivers have won the 10 Pro Stock races, with Tanner Gray (Gray Motorsports Valvoline Chevrolet Camaro SS) and Vincent Nobile (Mountain View Tire Chevrolet Camaro SS) both a two-time winner. At Richmond, Gray recorded his seventh victory in 34 starts by ousting Erica Enders in the final. Enders, a two-time Pro Stock champion driving the Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro SS, has advanced to the final round in four of the past six races.
Drivers of the Chevrolet COPO Camaro have won both rounds of the School of Automotive Technicians (SAM Tech) NHRA Factory Stock Showdown with the third event in the seven-race series on deck this weekend. Sixteen entries will qualify for eliminations.
In the powerful COPO Camaro will be reigning Showdown champion David Barton of Robesonia, Pennsylvania; Peter Gasko Jr. of Monroe Township, New Jersey; Stephen Bell of Shreveport, Louisiana; L. Scott Libersher of Wilmington, Illinois; Waldemar Rodriguez of Sidra, Puerto Rico; Daniel Stevenson of Bolingbrook, Illinois; David Janac of Caldwell, Texas; Aaron Stanfield of Bossier City, Louisiana; Robert Falcone of Pleasant Valley, New York; Daniel Condon of Wilmington, Illinois; Arthur Kohn of Richmond, Texas; Randy Taylor of Artesia, New Mexico; Jeffrey Bragg of Fort Myers, Florida; Leonard Libersher of Wilmington, Illinois; and Richard Bierie of Acworth, Georgia.
Scott Libersher will also drive his COPO Camaro in Stock Eliminator competition along with 2016 class champion Jeff Strickland of Red Bay, Alabama; Bob Letellier of Biddeford, Maine; Adam Badgett of Mount Airy, North Carolina; Jesse Alexandra of West Bend, Wisconsin; Dan Fletcher of Churchville, New York; Cody Phillips of Lumberton, North Carolina; James Reed of Lincoln, Illinois; and Marion Stephenson of Williamsport, Indiana.
Greg Stanfield of Bossier City, Louisiana; Darren Poole-Adams of Shelby, North Carolina; Letellier, and Kohn, will also drive COPO Camaros in Super Stock this weekend.
FS1 will telecast qualifications live at 6 p.m. ET June 15 and will telecast taped eliminations and finals at 7:30 p.m. ET June 17.
CHEVY RACING ENGINEERING PREVIEW
ROGER ALLEN, CHEVY RACING NHRA PROGRAM MANAGER: “The third consecutive weekend of racing brings Team Chevy teams and drivers to Thunder Valley, which is always a favorite among personnel and an important venue to visit during the heart of the regular season. Chevy Racing drivers carry momentum to the racetrack, with Funny Car points leader Courtney Force winning three of the past four events all from the No. 1 qualifier spot. In Pro Stock, eight different Chevy drivers have won the 10 races, so the competition is razor thin. Greg Anderson has six low qualifier honors and sits atop the standings but has yet to visit the winner’s circle. Tanner Gray and Vincent Nobile are two-time winners, while Erica Enders has reach the final round in four of the past six events. It will be another exciting weekend of racing.”
CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT
TOP FUEL
BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, ADVANCE AUTO PARTS MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (reigning class champion; No. 2 qualifier and winner at Houston; No. 1 qualifier at Charlotte; No. 2 qualifier the past two races): “I am ready to get to Bristol. It is one of my favorite tracks on the circuit. I have said that since the first time I went there in 2013. I love that track. The facility is beautiful. The track is unique on its own. It is cool that the track runs right through the valley. I want to win there and we haven’t done that yet. It is on my bucket list and I would love to get my second win of the season there for Advance Auto Parts and Monster Energy.”
FUNNY CAR:
ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (reigning class champion; won at Chicago and three-time runner-up; third in points): “I love Bristol. The fans are great. You can’t beat that facility. We have won there in the past and I would like to get another win at that track. There is a lot of history there.”
COURTNEY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, ADVANCE AUTO PARTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier and winner at Phoenix, Atlanta, Topeka and Richmond; six-time No. 1 qualifier; class points leader): “This is just the beginning of the season and we just have to maintain our focus. So much credit goes to my team and the job that they have done. I am trying to keep up with them and perform well as a driver. We are in the points lead right now and we stretched it a little more with the win (at Richmond). Our focus is getting to Indy and having a cushion and locking into the Countdown. That is when we are really going to need this momentum.”
JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK COOLANT & MOTOR OIL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (has 1,296 round wins and 148 class victories; four-time winner at track; eighth in points): “You look at this team we have built. Courtney is flying with (Brian) Corradi and (Dan) Hood on that Advance Auto Parts team. Robert and Jimmy (Prock) are doing great with the Auto Club Chevrolet. Brittany has shown she is a real champion coming back and winning Houston and doing so well. I have been struggling but that is turning around. Seeing Courtney in the winner’s circle in Richmond was emotional for me. That is a great track and we are glad to be back in Virginia. The Franklin family packed them in. They will pack them in at Bristol, too.”
PRO STOCK:
GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier six times this season; class points leader; two-time winner at track): “We do put a little extra emphasis into this racetrack. We tested there a couple of weeks ago because we want to do well there. We had a tough day on Sunday in Richmond last weekend, but the good news is that we only had to wait a few days before we could try again here in Bristol.”
VINCENT NOBILE, MOUNTAIN VIEW RACING, MOUNTAIN VIEW TIRE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (two-time winner and runner-up at Charlotte four-wide this season; No. 1 qualifier at opener; competing in 175th Pro Stock race; second in points): “I’ve got a fast race car, it’s really consistent, and keeping up there in the points. Now we just gotta stay focused.”
JEG COUGHLIN JR., ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JEGS.COM/ELITE PERFORMANCE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (won at Chicago for 59th Pro Stock victory): “I would love to visit the winner’s circle for the third week in a row at Bristol (Pro Stock win two weeks ago at Chicago and Super Comp win at Richmond). I feel great behind the wheel and the Pro Stock car has been very good. We were quickest of every round in Chicago and quickest of the first round in Virginia but lost a very close race to Chris McGaha in E2. We’re licking our wounds a little bit after that one but there’s a lot of summer left, a lot of racing left and we just really want to work our way into the top 10 and see if we can’t seed ourselves in this championship hunt come September. Just being a part of the top 10 is a dog fight in itself, honestly, so stay tuned.”
BO BUTNER, KB RACING, JIM BUTNER AUTO GROUP CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (reigning class champion; earned sixth Pro Stock win and second in a row at Auto Club Raceway in season opener; runner-up at Gainesville; holds track Pro Stock speed record, set in 2016): “I got to the final round there last year at Bristol Dragway, and it was fun. Raced Alex (Laughlin) and he beat me – but we still had a good time, so I’m looking forwarding to going back there. We made some good test runs there before Richmond, and I’m very happy with our car in qualifying last week. Now we have something to win with, and that makes it even more enjoyable to go racing.”
JASON LINE, KB RACING, SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (runner-up in first two races of season; seeking 50th national event win – 47 in Pro Stock, two in Stock Eliminator; two-time winner at track): “I’ve always liked racing at Bristol Dragway. It’s one of those really neat tracks, and of course it’s a Bruton Smith racetrack, so it’s certainly a top-notch facility. It’s very scenic, and the people there are about as nice as they get. Team Summit has had some luck there in the past, and our cars have run well. We’ve had some all Summit Racing final rounds there, and we haven’t had one of those in a while. It would be a lot of fun and make us very happy to have that again. We would love to do that this weekend in Bristol and then head to Norwalk’s Summit Racing Equipment Nationals next weekend on a high note.”
TANNER GRAY, GRAY MOTORSPORTS, VALVOLINE GRAY MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (won at Gainesville and Richmond; runner-up at Atlanta; third in points): “I think we had a really good car on Sunday (at Richmond) but can still work on it a little bit. We are taking a step in the right direction. We just have to get it a bit more consistent and reliable for the Countdown to be able to make aggressive runs but consistent at the same time. (Crew chief) Dave (Connelly) is doing an excellent job making the calls and all the guys are doing an awesome job putting it together for me.
DREW SKILLMAN, RAY SKILLMAN MOTORSPORTS, RAY SKILLMAN AUTO GROUP CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier at Charlotte four-wide; four-time semifinalist; earned 100th round win at Richmond): “It’s time for us to get our stuff together. I know darn well we’re too good not to win. This team has some of the best guys in the country and these guys have all worked together for years. If you look at our car at the beginning of the season, it was fantastic and the driver did not do his job. We had a car that could have won several races and we just didn’t do it. But we typically get hot this time of year, so I expect us to get on track.”
JOHN GAYDOSH JR., GAYDOSH RACING, PYPES PERFORMANCE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “We’re coming into Bristol on a high note, I think. Chris and Lester McGaha are really helping us out and making a big difference in our program. I feel really good about the situation we are in right now. I am just really happy to be here. I am thankful for everything and being able to race this weekend. I love Bristol. This year we are in a better situation. Last year was the worst week ever. We only got a burn out in before we broke our motor. Then we drove all night to get new motor — only to find out it didn’t fit. We also lost our best friend the next day. I am just so grateful to be out here this weekend.”