CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
AUTO CLUB NHRA FINALS
AUTO CLUB RACEWAY IN POMONA, CALIFORNIA
QUALIFICATIONS RECAP
NOVEMBER 16, 2019
Three Chevrolet Drivers Take Aim at Championships
Robert Hight, Brittany Force and Erica Enders primed for title runs
POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 16, 2019) – As the three Chevrolet championship contenders predicted, their National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) title aspirations will be determined on the final day of the season.
Robert Hight (Funny Car), Brittany Force (Top Fuel) and Erica Enders (Pro Stock) will aim to add hardware to their trophy cases Nov. 17 in the Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway.
Hight, the points leader after all but one of the 23 event, used a 3.895-second pass at 330.55 mph in the fourth qualifying session to move from 14th to the No. 5 qualifier spot. Hight takes a 38-point advantage into the final race of the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship.
Hight, driver of the Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS, will face teammate and 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force, who qualified 12th in the PEAK Coolant & Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS, in the first round of eliminations.
“One of our days and years is over first round and it’s not supposed to be that way. We’re going to have to push,” Hight said.
Brittany Force, who earned the 2017 Top Fuel title on the final day, is 22 points behind No. 1 qualifier and reigning Top Fuel champion Steve Torrence with points and a half available on race day.
Her path to the title is clear: win the first round against No. 9 qualifier Antron Brown and then defeat Torrence in the quarterfinals. Force was the No. 8 qualifier, driving the Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet dragster.
“If I were to go into this thing with anyone, it would be David Grubnic, Mac Savage and this advance Auto Parts team,” she said. “We’re going to have to throw down tomorrow, we’re going to have to put everything into this thing if we want to make it work and if we come out on top it will be that much sweeter.”
Force and Enders will make NHRA history as the first females vying for championships on the same day. The inaugural NHRA race was held in April 1953 at the Pomona racetrack sliced from the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds. Force and Enders both visited the winner’s circle at the most recent event at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Enders, who qualified second in the Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro SS, will face four-time Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson (Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro SS) in the first round.
“I have the best team that drag racing has ever seen at Elite Motorsports,” said Enders, who has qualified first or second in each of the six Countdown races.
“That guy (Anderson) has hated losing to a girl from the day I set foot on the scene and I plan to keep it that way.”
On Nov. 16, 2014, Enders became the first female to win the Pro Stock championship, and she added a second in 2015.
Jeg Coughlin Jr., who is 81 points behind teammate Enders, claimed his third No. 1 qualifier spot of the season and the corresponding bonus points with a best run of 6.533 seconds at 210.7 mph in the JEGS.com/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro SS. Coughlin, a five-time Pro Stock champion, has been the runner-up the past two events.
Chevrolet drivers have amassed an impressive 41 low qualifier honors in the three professional categories this season.
Austin Prock, driving the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster, was the No. 10 qualifier in Top Fuel.
FS1 will telecast eliminations live at 3 p.m. ET November 17.
CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT:
TOP FUEL
BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, ADVANCE AUTO PARTS CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (No. 8 qualifier): “Just wrapped qualifying at the last race of the season here in Pomona. We’re in a tough position, we’re No. 8, we race Antron Brown first round and we’ll probably see Steve Torrence in the second round. If I were to go into this thing with anyone, it would be David Grubnic, Mac Savage and this advance Auto Parts team. We’re going to have to throw down tomorrow, we’re going to have to put everything into this thing if we want to make it work and if we come out on top it will be that much sweeter.
AUSTIN PROCK, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONTANA BRAND/ROCKY MOUNTAIN TWIST CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (No. 10 qualifier): “That was a pretty stout pass (in Round 4). We’ve been struggling this week and to lay a good number down in Q4 at the finals is just a good run. An .036 on the tree will turn some win lights on tomorrow. We have to keep that up and finish this year strong and grab this rookie of the year deal.”
FUNNY CAR:
ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 5 qualifier): “Not an optimal situation to be in racing John (Force) first round. I feel John has had the best car since Seattle. So we’re racing one of the top cars out here and it’s just a bummer. One of our days and years is over first round and it’s not supposed to be that way. We’re going to have to push. That car is capable of running low ET of the weekend first round and we’re going to have to push. When you have to push on a racetrack like this, Pomona, the way it is, anything can happen. So I probably won’t sleep very well tonight.”
JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK COOLANT & MOTOR OIL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 12 qualifier): “I’ve got a car that’s still in the hunt in this deal. My car, ‘Old Blue,’ was trying to run a number right there and it moved around on me, got on a bump and let go. You know I’m 70 years old, I drive for PEAK, Chevrolet and I got a shot for the title and that’s where I’m going. I don’t race Robert different than anybody else. I can win this championship and so could he, he’s got better odds than me but I’m still in it. These PEAK boys, (crew chiefs) Brian Corradi, Danny Hood, (car chief) Tim Fabrisi, will work just as hard as they have all season long and I’ll do my job and we’ll be just fine.”
PRO STOCK:
JEG COUGHLIN JR., ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JEGS.COM/ELITE MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier for third time this season; second in points): “So many things are out of our control. I’ve been here before at the end of the season and I’ve won some championships and lost a few others. In 1997, when I raced in the Lucas Oil Series, I lost two championships on the last day of the season. Our goal is to make good quality runs and win the race. Period. If things fell into place, I’d like to be there to pick up the pieces and shame on us if we don’t. Erica (Enders) is in a great spot. I’ve love to flip spots with her but It’s not going to happen. I don’t see her or that team making mistakes.”
ERICA ENDERS, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, MELLING PERFORMANCE/ELITE MOTORSPORTS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 2 qualifier; first in points): “I can’t control what anybody else does in their lane. I just have to control what we do in ours and do the best that we can. Just when it’s your day, it’s your day, and when it’s your year, it’s your year. This has certainly been a challenging year for our team.”
JASON LINE, KB RACING, SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 3 qualifier): “We want two Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaros in the final round, and we want to win. It’s as simple as that. Like every year, a lot of effort went into increasing performance and being better every race, and the drivers have been working hard to be their best, too. We’ve had highs and lows, but we know we’ve got a lot of potential.”
BO BUTNER, JIM BUTNER AUTO GROUP, JIM BUTNER AUTO SALES CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 4 qualifier): “I’m friends out here with everybody, and every one of these guys and girls out here have worked hard this year. I knew (Elite Motorsports” would be tough to beat, but I still like my team.”
GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 15 qualifier): “Unfortunately, we probably got the easy part done. Although that was not easy, that was very difficult and probably just pure luck that we ended up in that spot. That job is done, but now it’s the big job tomorrow. It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be a blast. This is what NHRA Pro Stock racing is all about right here. If anybody isn’t excited about first round tomorrow, outside of any camp here, I’d think there’s something wrong with them.”