Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force heads
into Denver, Western Swing with confidence

Photo credit: Gary Nastase and Auto Imagery
DENVER (July 18) – Courtney Force remembers last year’s race at Bandimere Speedway all too well. She qualified No. 1 for the Mile-High Nationals, the start of the annual Western Swing, and raced to the finals before she was taken out by her boss – father John Force.
Of course, you never want to lose to your dad, even if he is a 16-time NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Funny Car champion, but it was a victory for John Force Racing nonetheless.
This time, however, Force is confident she and her Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro team will wind up on the winning end. Continue reading Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force heads into Denver, Western Swing with confidence →

Western Swing, which starts this weekend in Denver, is
Auto Club driver Robert Hight’s ‘favorite time of the year’

Photo credit: Gary Nastase and Auto Imagery
DENVER (July 18) – This weekend’s Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway kicks off the three-race “Western Swing” that takes the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series to Colorado, California and Washington.
And it’s a trip that puts a wide smile on the face of Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car driver Robert Hight.
Hight is a California native and currently lives and works in the southern part of the state.
“It’s the start of three in a row and my favorite time of the year,” Hight said. “The Western Swing is my favorite time of the year. I’m from the West Coast, so a lot of friends and family will be at all three races. We’re going to go into Denver and hit it hard, move to Sonoma and then Seattle.” Continue reading Western Swing, which starts this weekend in Denver, is Auto Club driver Robert Hight’s ‘favorite time of the year’ →

Defending Denver winner John Force gunning
for fourth consecutive final at Bandimere

Photo credit: Gary Nastase and Auto Imagery
DENVER (July 18) – PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil driver John Force hopes to keep an impressive streak going in the Mile-High Nationals this weekend at Bandimere Speedway.
The Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car driver has been to three consecutive final rounds in Denver, winning last year by beating daughter Courtney Force in the final. Continue reading Defending Denver winner John Force gunning for fourth consecutive final at Bandimere →

JFR sweeps Chicago: Robert Hight, Brittany Force
earn provisional No. 1 spots at Route 66 Raceway

Robert Hight (Photo credit: Gary Nastase and Auto Imagery)
JOLIET, Ill. (July 7) – Robert Hight predicted it would take a 3.85-second run to earn the top spot in Funny Car qualifying for the Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals. On Friday, his estimate was correct, as he did just that in the second qualifying session at Route 66 Raceway to take the provisional No. 1 spot.

Meanwhile, Brittany Force enters her birthday Saturday as the No. 1 driver in Top Fuel, as the track record holder in the category set quick time and fast speed in her Monster Energy dragster.

All in all, not a bad day for John Force Racing. Continue reading JFR sweeps Chicago: Robert Hight, Brittany Force earn provisional No. 1 spots at Route 66 Raceway →

Chicago would be great place for Auto Club
driver Robert Hight to score first win of 2017

JOLIET, Ill. (July 3) – After a runner-up finish in the most recent NHRA race, in Norwalk, Ohio, Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS driver Robert Hight figures there is only one more step to make in the next race: Win.

That’s the goal for Hight and his John Force Racing team in the Fallen Patriots Route 66 NHRA Nationals this weekend at Route 66 Raceway. Hight raced to the final in Norwalk but an issue with the clutch caused him to smoke the tires and come up short.

“We want to go and build on a runner-up finish that we had in Norwalk and put four good runs on Sunday together,” Hight said. “We know we can do it. We’ve just got to get it done. We came up one round short last week. The way I look at it, there’s only one way to go from there, and that’s get that fourth run in.” Continue reading Chicago would be great place for Auto Club driver Robert Hight to score first win of 2017 →

PEAK Funny Car driver John Force hopes
busy week is capped by Chicago victory

JOLIET, Ill. (July 3) – A full week of activity leading up to the Fallen Patriots Route 66 NHRA Nationals this weekend at Route 66 Raceway will keep PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS driver John Force busy.

But the 16-time NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Funny Car champion wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’s going to be a busy week,” Force said. “I’m excited about it. I’m excited about my race car, too.”

Force’s sponsor, Old World Industries, is based in the Chicago suburb of Northbrook, Ill., and Force will make a stop there Thursday morning.

But that’s only one of many appearances, highlighted by throwing out the first pitch before the World Champion Chicago Cubs play the Tampa Bay Rays at historic Wrigley Field on Wednesday. PEAK is a sponsor of the Cubs, as well. Continue reading PEAK Funny Car driver John Force hopes busy week is capped by Chicago victory →

Courtney Force heads to Chicago seeking first win in
special Advance Auto Parts/Carquest Auto Parts livery

JOLIET, Ill. (July 3) – Courtney Force still seeks her first NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series victory of 2017 as the series heads to the 13th round of the season, the Fallen Patriots NHRA Route 66 Nationals at Route 66 Raceway.

Force, who drives the Advance Auto Parts/Carquest Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, has finished runner-up in each of her finals appearances this season – the season-opening Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in California, and the New England Nationals at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H. Continue reading Courtney Force heads to Chicago seeking first win in special Advance Auto Parts/Carquest Auto Parts livery →

John Force’s Indianapolis test continues evolution
of John Force Racing, PEAK Chevrolet team

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (June 30) – Biologists teach that evolution can a slow process, often taking hundreds or thousands of years.

Evolution happens in drag racing, too, and while the process doesn’t take nearly as long, it can be slow and sometimes painful.

Evolution continues at John Force Racing, and a test by John Force and the PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car continued that development.

Force drove the car tuned by crew chief Mike Neff and co-crew chief Jon Schaffer at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis on Thursday, making four solid, straight passes with good performance.
Continue reading John Force’s Indianapolis test continues evolution of John Force Racing, PEAK Chevrolet team →

Norwalk race ends too soon for
16-time Funny Car champ John Force

NORWALK, Ohio (June 25) – John Force took the PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro to the quarterfinals of Sunday’s Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, the halfway point and 12th of 24 rounds on the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.

Force secured victory in his opening-round matchup with a solid pass of 3.930 seconds at 326.32 mph, besting Dale Creasy Jr., whose car failed to compete following problems after the burnout. That put him into a second-round race against Bob Tasca III. Continue reading Norwalk race ends too soon for 16-time Funny Car champ John Force →

Monster Energy Top Fuel driver Brittany Force
races to Norwalk semifinals

NORWALK, Ohio (June 25) – Brittany Force found several positives in her march to Sunday’s semifinals in the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, the 12th of 24 races on the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.

Force took the Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster to elimination-round victories against Pat Dakin and Terry McMillen before falling to eventual race winner Steve Torrence in the third round. She also posted quick elapsed times in two qualifying sessions and boosted her points total as the season reached the halfway mark. Continue reading Monster Energy Top Fuel driver Brittany Force races to Norwalk semifinals →

Robert Hight takes Auto Club Chevy to Norwalk final round

NORWALK, Ohio (June 25) – Auto Club of Southern California driver Robert Hight put together another strong performance with his Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, but fell short of his first victory of 2017 in the final round of the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals on Sunday at Summit Motorsports Park.

Hight had the quickest car in two of the first three rounds of eliminations, carrying over a steady performance from qualifying, where he ended up with the second-quickest elapsed time. Continue reading Robert Hight takes Auto Club Chevy to Norwalk final round →

Auto Club driver Robert Hight ready to win at Norwalk

Photo credit: Gary Nastase and Auto Imagery
NORWALK, Ohio (June 24) – Auto Club of Southern California Funny Car driver Robert Hight is fired up for final eliminations for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals on Sunday at Summit Racing Motorsports Park.

Hight secured the No. 2 qualifying spot and was the quickest Funny Car in the final qualifying session, giving him confidence in his pursuit of his first victory in Norwalk.

“I have a real good feeling about tomorrow,” Hight said. “I’m excited. I’ve never won Norwalk, but I’m going to tomorrow.” Continue reading Auto Club driver Robert Hight ready to win at Norwalk →

Courtney Force, Advance Auto Parts team
ready to bounce back after DNQ in Norwalk

NORWALK, Ohio (June 24) – Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force vowed to bounce back after failing to qualify for this weekend’s Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals for the first time in her professional career.

Force had qualified for the first 130 races of her Funny Car career before coming short of the top 16 for the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals on Saturday at Summit Motorsports Park. Continue reading Courtney Force, Advance Auto Parts team ready to bounce back after DNQ in Norwalk →

Monster Energy driver Brittany Force claims
No. 2 qualifying position for Norwalk

NORWALK, Ohio (June 24) – Brittany Force put her fellow NHRA Top Fuel competitors on alert Saturday for tomorrow’s Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park.

The driver of the Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster led both qualifying sessions Saturday with two solid passes, and will stand on Friday’s qualifying effort of 3.714 seconds – a career-best elapsed time at the track – at 327.66 mph. That put her No. 2, which she held throughout Saturday’s two sessions. Continue reading Monster Energy driver Brittany Force claims No. 2 qualifying position for Norwalk →

16-time Funny Car champ John Force takes PEAK Chevrolet to No. 3 for Summit Racing Equipment Nationals

NORWALK, Ohio (June 24) – John Force earned his best NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying effort since the Four-Wide Nationals, and will start No. 3 for Sunday’s Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park.

Force, driving the PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS, earned a best pass in Friday’s second session – at 3.911 seconds at 319.98 mph, though a mechanical issue caused an eruption and damage to the car. Continue reading 16-time Funny Car champ John Force takes PEAK Chevrolet to No. 3 for Summit Racing Equipment Nationals →

JFR drivers Robert Hight, Brittany Force
each snare provisional No. 2 spot at Norwalk

NORWALK, Ohio (June 23) – The wait was worth it for John Force Racing drivers Robert Hight and Brittany Force.

After a long Friday that saw rain and qualifying run late into the night for the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, both Hight and Force soared to the No. 1 spot for short stints before both settling into the provisional No. 2 qualifying position in Funny Car and Top Fuel, respectively. Continue reading JFR drivers Robert Hight, Brittany Force each snare provisional No. 2 spot at Norwalk →

PEAK Funny Car driver John Force heads to season’s halfway point seeking second Norwalk victory

NORWALK, Ohio (June 21) – John Force has one victory so far during on this season’s NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series circuit, but would love to double that statistic as the series hits the halfway point at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park.

The driver of the PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS, Force won the NHRA Gatornationals in March at Gainesville Raceway, defeating Jonnie Lindberg in his only final of the season.

He made semifinals appearances in three of the first four races this season, and would like none other than to return to early-season form in the final of four straight race weekends, starting June 3 at Epping, N.H., followed by races at Englishtown, N.J. and Bristol, Tenn.

“I know it’s going to be hot there, so I’m coming out there with guns a blazing.” Force said. “We’re going through a lot of changes, but we’re going to get there. We need a win, but so does the Auto Club car and Advance car. We’ve got a fast hot rod. All of my cars are fast, and we’re going to get there.”

Force has one victory at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park – in 2014, when he won from the No. 2 position – and two final-round appearances. Force and his team compete annual in the Night of Fire, an event in which JFR teams compete in a special exhibition race and a highlight on the track’s schedule. That Force and JFR contest the event in the middle of their NHRA season show Force’s commitment and love of the track.

“I know that track well, and so do the rest of my drivers, since we do match races there,” Force said. “The Bader family is among the top one or two promoters in the business. They’re great people, and we’re excited to go back to Norwalk and put on a good show.”

Two rounds of qualifying are slated for Friday (5:15 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. Eastern) and Saturday (12:45 and 3:15 p.m.), with final eliminations at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Fox Sports 1 will televise one hour of qualifying on Friday (10:30 p.m. Eastern) and Saturday (midnight). FS1 plans three hours of finals coverage at 6 p.m. Sunday.

4-Second Reads:

John Force has competed in 10 races at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park and every race since the series began racing at the track in 2007.
Force has one victory at the track – in 2014. He has made it to the finals twice.
Force is 13-9 in 22 elimination-round races at Norwalk.
Force has qualified No. 1 only once at the track – in 2013.
Force is 6-4 in first-round matchups at Summit Motorsports Park.
Force is currently seventh in Funny Car points standings. He has been as high as third in the standings earlier this season.
Force has five victories in Ohio – four in Columbus and one at Norwalk.
In his career, Force has 148 victories and 1,275 elimination-round wins, both records. He has 155 No. 1 qualifying spots, of which 60 have resulted in victories, also both records.
Force’s most recent NHRA victory – 2017 NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.
Force’s most recent No. 1 qualifying effort – 2017 NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.
Force’s best time/speed at Norwalk – 3.979 seconds (2016 Q4); 324.12 mph (2016 Q4)
Force’s best time/speed of career – 3.832 seconds (2017 Gainesville); 335.15 mph (2017 Pomona 1)

Two-time Norwalk finalist Courtney Force ready to take winning step with Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet

NORWALK, Ohio (June 20) – One more round.

That’s all Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS driver Courtney Force wants in the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals this weekend at Summit Motorsports Park.

The last two seasons, Force has raced to the final round at Norwalk – the only Funny Car driver to do so. And while she’s still looking for her first victory at Norwalk, Force and her team clearly know how to get to the final. Continue reading Two-time Norwalk finalist Courtney Force ready to take winning step with Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet →

Auto Club driver Robert Hight looks to end
four-race stretch on high note at Norwalk

NORWALK, Ohio (June 20) – Robert Hight looks to end this month’s four-race stretch of NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events with his first career victory at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park and the first of the season for him and the Auto Club of Southern California team.

Hight, fourth in the Funny Car points standings, has four semifinals appearances this season and raced in the finals at Houston. One of those four semifinals came during this month’s three races on the East Coast, in Englishtown, N.J., where he established the event’s top speed, the sixth time in the first 10 races. Continue reading Auto Club driver Robert Hight looks to end four-race stretch on high note at Norwalk →

Monster Energy driver Brittany Force started
Eastern Swing with a victory; can she end with one?

NORWALK, Ohio (June 20) – Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster driver Brittany Force started the four-race “Eastern Swing” with a victory.

Now, she’s ready to close this segment of the 2017 NHRA season with another win – this time at the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals this weekend at Summit Racing Motorsports Park.

“We did pretty well last year in Norwalk and went to the semifinals,” Force said. “But this year, we’re coming back and want to take it all the way. It’s the ending stretch of our four in a row, and there’s no better place to bring home another win than Norwalk before we start the Western Swing.” Continue reading Monster Energy driver Brittany Force started Eastern Swing with a victory; can she end with one? →