PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Funny Car driver
John Force stumbles in Epping first round

EPPING, N.H. (June 4) – For PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car driver John Force, the New England Nationals ran the gamut.

The 16-time Funny Car champion had to deal with a tough first-round loss after an uncharacteristically difficult weekend. Plus, he saw John Force Racing teammate Robert Hight fall in the first round after qualifying No. 1.

Then again, he saw daughter Courtney Force race to a runner-up finish – and then watch as daughter Brittany Force took the Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster to the winner’s circle for the first time in 2017. Continue reading PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Funny Car driver John Force stumbles in Epping first round →

Dropped cylinder denies No. 1 qualifier
Robert Hight at New England Nationals

Photo credit: Ron Lewis Photography
EPPING, N.H. (June 4) – Soon, past NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Funny Car champion Robert Hight knows he will be in the winner’s circle.

Hight’s AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car is running too well to be denied a victory, as noted by his No. 1 qualifier for the NHRA New England Nationals this weekend at New England Dragway.

Hight, though, could use some luck on race day. Witness his first-round race Sunday against No. 16 qualifier Mike Smith. Smith struggled to get to the finish line, making a pass of 4.324 seconds at 257.92 mph. Continue reading Dropped cylinder denies No. 1 qualifier Robert Hight at New England Nationals →

Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force finishes just short of spectacular weekend in Epping

Photo credit: Gary Nastase and Auto Imagery
EPPING, N.H. (June 4) – The wave of emotions Courtney Force experienced during a 48-hour period at New England Dragway may have been endless.

Since Friday afternoon, Force bested an elapsed time track record, then watched her Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS team put together a spare car after her primary car exploded following the first qualifying session.

She cheered on her husband Graham Rahal to an IndyCar Series doubleheader sweep at the Grand Prix of Detroit, and celebrated as sister Brittany Force won her first NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series race of the season in the Top Fuel class. Continue reading Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force finishes just short of spectacular weekend in Epping →

VICTORY! Brittany Force, Monster Energy team
claw to New England Nationals winner’s circle

EPPING, N.H. (June 4) – Brittany Force knew it was only a matter of time for her Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster team.

At the NHRA New England Nationals Sunday at New England Dragway, Force and her John Force Racing team broke through. Force stormed to her fourth career victory, beating defending Top Fuel champion Antron Brown in a thrilling final round.

“We had really been struggling and we got lost for a while but we really seemed to figure it out at Topeka,” Force said. “I knew we had a good race car, we had our Monster car back, our team back, and I knew that first win was right around the corner.

“Our last final round was Phoenix, and that whole time in between was tough for the team. But Continue reading VICTORY! Brittany Force, Monster Energy team claw to New England Nationals winner’s circle →

QUICK FACTS: Brittany Force wins New England Nationals

EPPING, N.H. (June 4) – Quick facts following Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster driver Brittany Force’s victory at the NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway:
Force has four career victories in five seasons as a professional
Before today, Force’s last victory came at Brainerd last August
The last time John Force Racing won in Top Fuel and Funny Car was Gainesville in 2016
The Epping victory came in her 13th career final round
Force scored her 98th career round victory in the final round
The victory was the fourth Top Fuel win for John Force Racing
The victory was the 252nd overall win for John Force Racing (248 Funny Car, four Top Fuel)
Force has advance to the final round of the New England Nations once.
Force’s elimination round record is 6-4
Force won from the No. 2 qualifying position

Robert Hight becomes only 13th NHRA driver
to record 50 No. 1 qualifiers

EPPING, N.H. (June 4) – Robert Hight’s pass of 3.822 seconds at 334.65 mph in the third round of qualifying Saturday at New England Dragway put him in elite company, as only the 13th driver to record at least 50 No. 1 qualifiers in the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

Hight had been in a tie for 13th overall with Angelle Sampey, having most recently setting the quickest qualifying time last year at Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas. Now, nearly eight months later, Hight reached the half-century mark. Continue reading Robert Hight becomes only 13th NHRA driver to record 50 No. 1 qualifiers →

16-time Funny Car champion John Force
looks for speed out of his PEAK Chevrolet

EPPING, N.H. (June 3) – If anyone can find a way, it’s 16-time Funny Car champion John Force.

Force is looking for speed from his PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS after qualifying No. 13 for the NHRA New England Nationals on Saturday at New England Dragway.

Force knows the speed is there, as a test at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis confirmed some setup changers worked. But the team has yet to transfer that speed here.

“It’s a combination we ran .82 with at Indy in testing after Topeka,” Force said. “It was fast, and somewhere, we haven’t found it yet here.

“The dragster (of Brittany Force) is No. 2, Robert (Hight) was low ET and Courtney (Force) is fast,” Force said. “I’m not where I want to be. I’ve got a brand-new combination, tested at Indianapolis, and it was fast. It’s not on here, but we found some issues, and had to make some changes. We just got behind.” Continue reading 16-time Funny Car champion John Force looks for speed out of his PEAK Chevrolet →

AAA Chevrolet driver Robert Hight earns 50th career
No. 1 qualifier, looks for victory in Epping

EPPING, N.H. (June 3) – Robert Hight took his AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car to new heights Saturday, setting the New England Dragway track records for elapsed time and speed to earn the 50th No. 1 qualifier of his stellar career.

Hight will start from the No. 1 spot for Sunday’s NHRA New England Nationals, marking the 13th season – all consecutively – he’s earned at least one No. 1.

Hight’s 50th No. 1 qualifiers ties with him with the legendary Don Prudhomme in the Funny Car category.

“That’s pretty cool,” Hight said. “Fifteen years ago, I never would’ve thought my name would’ve even come in the same sentence as Don Prudhomme’s. He’s one of the greatest of all time. He dominated in his day. Fifty No. 1s – that’s pretty awesome. To have my name in the record books with Don Prudhomme is pretty surreal. It’s harder and harder to get these No. 1 qualifiers.” Continue reading AAA Chevrolet driver Robert Hight earns 50th career No. 1 qualifier, looks for victory in Epping →

Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force secures No. 2 qualifying spot for NHRA New England Nationals

EPPING, N.H. (June 3) – Courtney Force earned the No. 2 qualifying position for the second consecutive NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series race in the Funny Car class, standing on Friday’s qualifying efforts for Sunday’s New England Nationals at New England Dragway.

Force, driving the Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS, ran a pass of 3.842 seconds at 331.53 mph in Friday’s initial session. But that car was destroyed moments after crossing the finish line, the engine exploding due to a leak in the fuel line. She exited the car unscathed.

Force’s Advance Auto Parts crew prepared a spare car for her, which she drove for her other qualifying effort Friday and both sessions Saturday. But she was unable to put together a full pass in those three attempts. The right-front brake locked up in Friday’s second attempt following her burnout, and she did not make the pass.

She broke loose in Saturday’s first session, and tire shake forced her to shut the car off early in the final attempt. Teammate Robert Hight, in the AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS, took the top spot, a career-best 3.822-second pass at 336.74 mph. Continue reading Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force secures No. 2 qualifying spot for NHRA New England Nationals →

Monster Energy driver Brittany Force records season-best No. 2 qualifying effort for Sunday’s New England Nationals

Photo Credit: Gary Nastase and Auto Imagery
EPPING, N.H. (June 3) – Brittany Force secured a season-best No. 2 qualifying effort in the Top Fuel class for Sunday’s NHRA New England Nationals, the ninth round of the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.

Force, driving the Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster, made a pass of 3.686 seconds at 331.36 mph in Friday’s second qualifying round, which was the quickest run in the five-year history of the track. But she was shuffled back after Saturday’s efforts, falling to the No. 2 position.

Force made a solid pass of 3.694 seconds at 328.86 mph in the fourth and final round – the quickest of the session for all 15 Top Fuel cars – but fell just short of reclaiming the top position. Still, No. 2 shows what the vast improvement the team has made, recovering from three consecutive first-round losses in late April and early May. Continue reading Monster Energy driver Brittany Force records season-best No. 2 qualifying effort for Sunday’s New England Nationals →

Fast females: Brittany Force, Courtney Force snare provisional No. 1 spots at New England Nationals

Brittany Force (Photo credit: Gary Nastase and Auto Imagery)
EPPING, N.H. (June 2) – It has only happened once before – two sisters earning No. 1 qualifying positions for an NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series race on the same weekend. Now, Courtney and Brittany Force of John Force Racing are less than 24 hours away from achieving that mark again after setting track records Friday at New England Dragway. Continue reading Fast females: Brittany Force, Courtney Force snare provisional No. 1 spots at New England Nationals →

Brittany Force, Monster Energy team hope to keep momentum rolling at New England Dragway

EPPING, N.H. (May 31) – Brittany Force heads into this weekend’s NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway upbeat and ready to win. And she feels recent achievements have established positive momentum necessary for success in the “Eastern Swing,” a string of four consecutive race weekends that includes stops in Epping; Englishtown, N.J.; Bristol, Tenn.; and Norwalk, Ohio.

Force, driver of the Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster, pulled off her career-best elapsed time (3.674 seconds) and speed (333.66 mph) in the last event – the NHRA Menards Heartland Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka in Kansas. Her crew discovered an issue with the clutch before the race weekend and made the fix, giving Force a car which she now feels capable of winning. Continue reading Brittany Force, Monster Energy team hope to keep momentum rolling at New England Dragway →

Inaugural Epping winner Courtney Force ready to take Advance Auto Parts Chevy back to winner’s circle

EPPING, N.H. (May 31) – Few drivers on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series circuit can say they won the inaugural event at one of the current tracks.

Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS driver Courtney Force is one of them, and she believes this weekend’s NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway is the perfect site for her to get on a roll and win her first Funny Car race of 2017.
Continue reading Inaugural Epping winner Courtney Force ready to take Advance Auto Parts Chevy back to winner’s circle →

Man of many hats: 16-time Funny Car champion
John Force an owner, driver – and father

EPPING, N.H. (May 31) – At the NHRA New England Nationals this weekend at New England Dragway, you’ll see sixteen-time Funny Car champion John Force wearing one PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil hat.

But in all reality, he will wear three hats this weekend – and every race weekend on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.

One, he’s the team owner for John Force Racing, supervising four race teams – his own PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, Robert Hight’s Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Funny Car, Courtney Force’s Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Funny Car and Brittany Force’s Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster.
Continue reading Man of many hats: 16-time Funny Car champion John Force an owner, driver – and father →

Epping, ‘Eastern Swing’ come at great time for
AAA Northern New England driver Robert Hight

Photo credit: Gary Nastase and Auto Imagery
EPPING, N.H. (May 31) – The way Robert Hight’s AAA Northern New England Chevrolet Camaro SS has been running, the “Eastern Swing” could not be starting at a better time.

Starting with the New England Nationals this weekend at New England Dragway, the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series races on four consecutive weekends. Following Epping, there’s Englishtown, N.J., Bristol, Tenn., and Norwalk, Ohio. Continue reading Epping, ‘Eastern Swing’ come at great time for AAA Northern New England driver Robert Hight →

Auto Club of Southern California driver Robert Hight
joins 338 mph club, races to Topeka semifinals

TOPEKA, Kan. (May 21) – Robert Hight and his Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car keep getting faster and faster.

Hight raised his career-best speed at the Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals on Sunday at Heartland Park Topeka. But he fell short of the ultimate goal of winning the race after smoking the tires in the semifinals.

“We are going rounds, we are running so good,” Hight said. “Anything less than a final round, you feel like you failed. We are going rounds, (I’m) driving all right. This was kind of a different set of circumstances with the conditions we had this weekend, it was pretty amazing. We just gotta put four together.”

Hight has now been to the semifinals in three of the last four races, also advancing to the final round in Houston. But he’s looking for his first victory of the season and 38th of his career, even as crew chief Jimmy Prock and the Auto Club team get their Camaro quicker and quicker. Continue reading Auto Club of Southern California driver Robert Hight joins 338 mph club, races to Topeka semifinals →

Auto Club of Southern California driver Robert Hight
joins 338 mph club, races to Topeka semifinals

TOPEKA, Kan. (May 21) – Robert Hight and his Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car keep getting faster and faster.

Hight raised his career-best speed at the Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals on Sunday at Heartland Park Topeka. But he fell short of the ultimate goal of winning the race after smoking the tires in the semifinals.

“We are going rounds, we are running so good,” Hight said. “Anything less than a final round, you feel like you failed. We are going rounds, (I’m) driving all right. This was kind of a different set of circumstances with the conditions we had this weekend, it was pretty amazing. We just gotta put four together.”

Hight has now been to the semifinals in three of the last four races, also advancing to the final round in Houston. But he’s looking for his first victory of the season and 38th of his career, even as crew chief Jimmy Prock and the Auto Club team get their Camaro quicker and quicker. Continue reading Auto Club of Southern California driver Robert Hight joins 338 mph club, races to Topeka semifinals →

Career-best speed propels Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force to Topeka second round

TOPEKA, Kan. (May 21) – Courtney Force, of course, wants to win more rounds and more races with her Advance Auto Parts Funny Car team.

But she also knows progress continues to be made, progress that will eventually lead to adding to her career win total.

Force raced to the second round of the Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals on Sunday at Heartland Park Topeka, posting her career-best speed – and second all time – in the process. Continue reading Career-best speed propels Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force to Topeka second round →

Brittany Force, Monster Energy team snap out of funk in Topeka, advance to Heartland Nationals second round

TOPEKA, Kan. (May 21) – Brittany Force set career-bests for time and speed and advanced to the quarterfinals of Sunday’s NHRA Menards Heartland Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka before falling to Steve Torrence.

Force – the No. 4 qualifier of the Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster – bested No. 13 Luigi Novelli in the opening-round matchup with a pass of 3.698 seconds at 333.66 mph, a national Top Fuel speed record. That speed was more than a mile an hour faster than her previous best, set during the event’s third qualifying session Saturday, when she ran 332.43 mph. That third-round qualifying pass was also Force’s career-best elapsed time, 3.674 seconds.

“We’d been struggling the last few races, so we went to Indy and tested, and this is the result,” Force said. “This is the run we knew we could achieve, so I’m happy.” Continue reading Brittany Force, Monster Energy team snap out of funk in Topeka, advance to Heartland Nationals second round →

PEAK driver John Force loses close first-round
matchup in NHRA Heartland Nationals

TOPEKA, Kan. (May 21) – John Force lost a close first-round matchup in Sunday’s NHRA Menards Heartland Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka, the eighth round of the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.

Force – driving the PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS – was the No. 6 qualifier and matched up against No. 11 Bob Tasca III. With lane choice, Force took the left lane and ripped off a .054-second reaction time. However, Tasca – who admitted he guessed on the Christmas Tree – pulled off a reaction time of .028 seconds to get the early advantage.

That made all the difference. With both cars making near-flawless passes, Tasca never trailed, and at the finish took a holeshot victory by about 0.0037 seconds, or less than two feet. Force set the better pass on time – 3.907 seconds at 332.34 mph, while Tasca’s pass was 3.930 seconds at 317.49 mph. Continue reading PEAK driver John Force loses close first-round matchup in NHRA Heartland Nationals →