Quotes:BRITTANY FORCE, DRIVER OF MARK CHRISTOPHER CHEVROLET TOP FUEL DRAGSTER:“There’s nothing like (Pomona). It’s one of my favorite racetracks because it is my home track. The support that comes when racing at Pomona is like no other event you have. You’re surrounded by family and friends and it’s just this support system that pours in, and it makes the weekend very special.” What’s your mindset heading into a race like Pomona that’s special to you?“Going into Pomona, we need to see better results on race day, and in order to do that we need to make more consistent runs. We need to qualify top five and go some rounds on race day. We’d like to win this thing. It’s Pomona and I’ve won there in the past. This David Grubnic-led team set the national mph record back in 2022 at 338.94 mph at Pomona, so we have been successful on this track. We just need to kind of regroup and get back on track after a tough season.” “A win there would be more elevated. It means something more because it’s a home track that I grew up on. It’s right in my neighborhood, and I’m surrounded by friends and family and this extra support. I’ve raced Super Comp there, I’ve raced A Fuel, I’ve raced Top Fuel, and I won a (Top Fuel) championship there. There are so many memories built around there during my career and then before my career as a kid, so it just has this very home comfort feeling that I love about it.” AUSTIN PROCK, DRIVER OF THE CORNWELL TOOLS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS FUNNY CAR:“It still feels surreal, being able to drive this Funny Car and race with my family. I’m looking forward to Pomona. I’ve always loved that racetrack. It’s always been my favorite one to hit on the map. The dragster is a lot more elegant, I would call it. (With) the longer wheelbase you’re accelerating quicker, but the car is moving left to right, slower. I would call it the Cadillac of NHRA drag racing. The way it moves around is a lot more slow and lazy. You can be a lot smoother on the wheel, where the Funny Car, when it takes off it, it really wants to hunt, it wants to go in whatever direction it wants to go. It’s going there in a hurry and you better be two steps ahead of it. So yeah, it’s just figuring out. I love driving both of them (Funny Cars and Top Fuelers). It’s just figuring out the tendencies and when to get on the wheel and when not to get on the wheel.” On winning at Bradenton, going runner-up at Gainesville, and competing with his father and brother by his side…“It hasn’t really sunk in yet. It’s one of those deals where things are just happening and so much is coming at me at once right now. I feel like I’m just kind of like, holding on to the wheel, but I’m definitely enjoying it. It still feels surreal, being able to drive this Funny Car and race with my family. I’m looking forward to Pomona. I’ve always loved that racetrack. It’s always been my favorite one to hit on the map.” JOHN FORCE, DRIVER OF THE PEAK ANTIFREEZE & COOLANT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS FUNNY CAR:“Pomona is personal to me. My love for Pomona goes back to the 60s, when I was driving a truck. I went out and looked through the fence to watch the starting line and watching the people racing. Then, in 1974-75, I started running the local tracks, but Pomona was the big ball field. That was our Dodger Stadium. That’s where we wanted to be. And now here I am. So coming home to it, there’s a lot of memories. I won a lot of races and won championships. I’m looking for another win and I’m going to try to get it done here. Every race counts, but I’m excited to be back home and be racing with family.” John Force on 2024…“We’re in the championship run for the title. And I want number 17 (championship). I may not yell and scream it, and I’ve won so many, but I want to keep winning. I want to I want to win with (crew chief) Daniel Hood and with my team. (Pomona is) just the place to be. We’re coming here now, we’ll kick off the second race of the season and we’ll come back at the end of the year. And hopefully, if not me, one of us will run for the title, Brittany (Force) or (Austin) Prock. That’s what we do.” |