J. FORCE TO FIFTH FINAL IN A ROW; WILL SETTLE RACE IN INDY
BRAINERD, MN — John Force and his Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang will have to wait two weeks to see if he will claim his fourth win of the season and his 142nd career victory. With persistent rain showers and darkening skies over Brainerd International Raceway, the final Funny Car round for the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals was postponed this evening and has been rescheduled for the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals. The Funny Car final will be run during Q3 on Saturday in Indianapolis.
Continue reading John Force Racing–J. FORCE TO FIFTH FINAL IN A ROW; WILL SETTLE RACE IN INDY →

No. 1 IN BRAINERD JOHN FORCE CONTINUES QUALIFYING DOMINATION
BRAINERD, MN – On the final qualifying run today at the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals, John Force and his Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang stampeded to the head of the pack with a stunning 4.060 second run at 315.27 mph after an afternoon rain shower cooled off Brainerd International Raceway. This is John Force’s fifth No. 1 qualifying position of the season and 151st of his career in Funny Car. John has also won this event 11 times before and will face Bob Bode in the opening round during Sunday’s eliminations.
Continue reading John Force Racing–No. 1 IN BRAINERD JOHN FORCE CONTINUES QUALIFYING DOMINATION →

HIGHT RUNS TO No. 1 ON FRIDAY AT BRAINERD
BRAINERD, MN – For Robert Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang team Brainerd International Raceway has not been a track where they have had much success. Hight has never been No. 1 qualifier and it is one of only three tracks he has never even been to a final round. After today’s qualifying performance Hight is encouraged that after ten years his luck might be changing at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. After a sub-par first qualifying session Hight bounced back and ran to the top of the field with a 4.085 second pass.
“I didn’t think that run had a chance of staying on top. I am glad no one was offering to take bets on that because I would have lost. I went back and I told (crew chief) Mike Neff that I believe that will be top half. I really figured everybody would step up because it is cooling down. We were first pair and Bob Bode blew it up so I knew it was going to be 10 or 15 minutes before anyone else ran and this time of day that track temperature is just dropping. Hats off to my guys because that was pretty awesome and I am pretty impressed with that run,” said Hight, the current Mello Yello points leader.
Continue reading John Force Racing– HIGHT RUNS TO No. 1 ON FRIDAY AT BRAINERD →

JOHN FORCE WINS SEATTLE; COMPLETES JFR SWEEP OF SWING
SEATTLE, WA — John Force and his Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang ended the annual NHRA Western Swing in the winner’s circle as 16-time NHRA Mello Yello champion claimed his 141st career win and eighth at Pacific Raceway today at the 27th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals. It was also John Force’s third win of the season and fourth consecutive final round appearance. Not only that, the Castrol backed John Force Racing Funny Cars can also claim a Western Swing sweep, as Robert Hight’s win at Denver, Courtney Force’s victory in Sonoma and now John’s success at Seattle have rewritten the NHRA record books.
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JOHN, COURTNEY FORCE TOP FUNNY CARS IN SEATTLE

SEATTLE, WA – In another classic family battle for performance, age and experience toppled youth and enthusiasm as John Force lost, then retook his No. 1 qualifying position at the 27th annual O’Reilly Northwest Nationals to his youngest daughter Courtney Force in the final qualifying session on Saturday. Force, the 16-time Funny Car champion, had the quickest Funny Car on Friday night and Saturday morning posting 4.085 second runs in the evening and the heat of the day. In the final session Courtney Force and her Traxxas Funny Car blazed a path to the No. 1 spot running 4.082 seconds right in front of the elder Force. In his last shot at regaining the No. 1 spot John Force and the Castrol GTX High Mileage Funny Car lowered the ET mark to 4.057 seconds to grab his 150th career No. 1 qualifier.
Continue reading John Force Racing–JOHN, COURTNEY FORCE TOP FUNNY CARS IN SEATTLE →

JOHN FORCE No. 1 FRIDAY AT NORTHWEST NATIONALS
SEATTLE, WA – After today’s two qualifying sessions at the picturesque Pacific Raceways located in the shadow of majestic Mount Rainier in Washington State, John Force rebounded from his first run and ended the day rocketing to the number one spot with a mind-numbing 4.085 second run at 308.07 mph. The reigning NHRA Mello Yello Funny Car champ pocketed three qualifying bonus points for the effort. If Force stays No. 1 it will be his 150th career No. 1 extending his impressive NHRA record.
Continue reading John Force Racing–NHRA Northwest Nationals →

FORCES REIGN AT SONOMA; COURTNEY AND BRITTANY STAY NO. 1

SONOMA, CA – For the second time in 2014 the two youngest daughters of drag racing legend John Force were tops in their respective Nitro classes. Second year driver Brittany Force was No.1 in Top Fuel for the third time and she bacme the first female to ever top the Top Fuel category at Sonoma Raceway. Sister Courtney Force was No. 1 in Funny Car for the third time this season as well. The sisters were No. 1 earlier in the season in Topeka, Kansas.
Continue reading John Force Racing–FORCES REIGN AT SONOMA; COURTNEY AND BRITTANY STAY NO. 1 →

COURTNEY AND BRITTANY FORCE FRIDAY LEADERS IN SONOMA

SONOMA, CA – It was a banner day for John Force Racing at the 27th annual NHRA Sonoma Nationals. Courtney Force and Brittany Force both raced to the No. 1 positions in their respective classes, Funny Car and Top Fuel. Right behind Courtney Force in the Funny Car class was father and 16-time Funny Car champion No. 3 and current Mello Yello points leader Robert Hight No. 6. If the Force women hold onto their top qualifying positions it will be the second time in the 2014 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season the two youngest daughters of Funny Car champion John Force will go into race day as the quickest drivers. The pair also achieved this feat in Topeka a race Courtney went on to win.
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HIGHT RETURNS TO EVENT WHERE HIS DREAM CAREER BEGAN

SONOMA, CA (July 22, 2014) — Before Robert Hight was a five-time winner in 2014 and the 2009 Funny Car champion on the NHRA Mello Yello NHRA Drag Racing Series tour, before he was the go-to clutch man for 16-time Funny Car champion John Force he was simply a fan watching the Sonoma NHRA Nationals from the ropes like tens of thousands of fans will do this weekend. Hight has witnessed every running of the 27th annual NHRA Sonoma Nationals from just about every perspective.

“This is my favorite time of the year. I am a West Coast guy. Sonoma is where I first saw fuel cars run at a national event. I have been to every single NHRA national event they have had either as a fan, a crew guy or a driver. I’ve won here so that makes it special. I’d like to win that race again and get second third of the Western Swing,” said an excited Hight moments after winning the Mile-High Nationals.
Continue reading John Force Racing Looks Toward Sonoma →

ROBERT HIGHT’S WIN CAPS DOMINANT WEEKEND FOR JFR

DENVER, CO — John Force Racing had three chances to win the Mopar Mile High NHRA Nationals today. For the first time since debuting the Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster in 2013 JFR had two Funny Cars in the final round and Brittany Force in the Top Fuel final. Funny Car No. 2 qualifier Robert Hight outran a tire smoking No. 1 qualifier John Force in the Funny Car final, 4.166 seconds to 5.953 seconds, setting the stage for a JFR double-up win. Unfortunately the third time was not the charm and Brittany Force was bested by JR Todd in the Top Fuel final.
Continue reading John Force Racing–ROBERT HIGHT’S WIN CAPS DOMINANT WEEKEND FOR JFR →

J. FORCE, HIGHT 1-2 FRIDAY AT MILE HIGH NATIONALS

DENVER, CO – After today’s qualifying sessions, John Force once again proved to fans and the competition that he is still king of the mountain. His Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang stampeded down Bandimere Speedway with ground pounding 4.049 second run at 318.89 mph to claim the number one spot while resetting both ends of the track record.
Continue reading John Force Racing–J. FORCE, HIGHT 1-2 FRIDAY AT MILE HIGH NATIONALS →

HIGHT LOOKING FOR THIRD WIN ON THE MOUNTAIN
DENVER, CO (July 15, 2014) — A year ago the rumbling fans heard on the mountain was not thunder but the swapping of crews and crew chiefs in the John Force Racing camp. In a dramatic move John Force swapped teams with teammate Robert Hight in a bid to create long term stability and make a run at an unprecedented 18th team NHRA Funny Car championship. The move worked and in the 23 races since the swap John Force Racing has won twelve times with Hight picking up six of those wins.

Continue reading John Force Racing–Heading to Bandimere →

Final round results from Sunday’s 8th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Motorsports Park, thirteenth race in the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL – Antron Brown, Brownsburg, Ind., Matco dragster, 3.797, 318.84 mph, def. Shawn Langdon, Brownsburg, Ind., Al-Anabi dragster, 4.982, 155.52 mph
FUNNY CAR – John Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang, 4.113, 317.27 mph def. Ron Capps, Carlsbad, Calif., Napa Dodge Charger R/T, 4.135, 305.56 mph.
PRO STOCK – Erica Enders-Stevens, New Orleans, La., Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro, 6.632, 210.14 mph, def. Dave Connolly, Mooresville, NC, Charter Communications Chevrolet Camaro, 6.665, 207.56 mph.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE – Andrew Hines, Brownsburg, Ind., Harley Davidson V-Rod, 6.901, 193.96 mph def. Hector Arana, Milltown, Ind., Lucas Oil Buell, 6.924, 195.53 mph

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JOHN FORCE GETS 140TH FUNNY CAR WIN AND FIRST IN NORWALK
NORWALK, OH — It took eight tries but Funny car legend John Force added another race track and NHRA national to his winning collection. Force raced to victory at the 8th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals securing his unprecedented 140th Funny Car win and moving into the No. 2 position on the Mello Yello Funny Car point standings.
“This win today was special to me. I had come to Norwalk decades ago for their Night of Fire events and match races but never won the NHRA event here, and I want to win every race. I came close a few times racing against Ashley and Courtney but I never won the big one at this place. I just couldn’t get a NHRA national event win here and I won them all with the exception of Epping so I really wanted this win,” said John Force.
Going into race day, John Forces Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang had qualified second with a thundering 4.016 second run at 322.04 that set the track speed record at Summit Motorsports Park. Crew chief Jimmy Prock and the rest of the team knew just how far they could push the track conditions without blowing away the massive Goodyear slicks under Force’s Mustang.
“That Jimmy Prock, I gotta give it to him. He works with the whole brain trust and calls were being made today and they were being made right. Jimmy always swings for the fences and we started out the season killing ‘em and setting national records. Then all of a sudden, our choke got stuck and had five straight first round losses but Jimmy made some changes and good calls today and now we’re back on track,” said John Force.
In the opening round, John was lined up with fellow Mustang Funny driver Tim Wilkerson. Even though John ran faster in qualifying and had lane choice, he knew Wilkerson is a tough competitor. John’s Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang left first and never looked back as it rocketed down the track with a 4.080 second run at 317.72 mph.
John Force then headed into the quarter-finals where he would face Chad Head. Head would have lane choice over Force but crew chief Jimmy Prock knew how much they could push the track conditions and not over power the surface with the 8000-horsepower BOSS 500 engine.
At the first hint of green from the Christmas tree, John’s Mustang blasted off the line and led all the way to the finish line. The scoreboards lit up with a 4.217 second run at 279.21 mph. Not the best run during eliminations, but enough to get Force to the semi-finals.
“He’s a great kid (Chad Head) but we knew he’d be gunning for us and he wasn’t going to back down. He wants to run fast so we let him give it to us. I we try to run the way we think in the heat, we’ll be dead. Head smoked the tires down track but so did I but we got the win,” said John Force.
The semi-finals would be an epic matchup between John Force and his arch rival Cruz Pedregon. These two diehard drivers have had the most head-to-matches in NHRA history, 93 to be exact. John knew Pedregon would be tough; therefore, he wasn’t going to leave anything on the table that would open the door for Pedregon to get around his Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang.
Both drivers left the starting line with John Force having a slight starting advantage. The two Funny Cars motored down the track, side-by-side with headers flames shooting up over eight feet in the air.
When they crossed the finish line, it could have been anyone’s race but the scoreboard said it all as John ran a 4.149 second run to Pedregon’s 4.150 pass. This was Force’s closest run during eliminations and he expected nothing less from a competitor he has the highest respect for.
“We gave it all we had against Cruz because he is going to go for it and he has enough runs down tricky race tracks so he can get away with it. Cruz knows the drill in being a competitive racer and that’s why you know he’s giving you everything he’s got,” said John Force.
In the final round, John would go up against Ron Capps. Another formidable competitor, John knew he’d be tough as these two have battled it out a total of 73 times with 16 of those matchups in final rounds. Despite John’s 9-7 record against Capps, he wasn’t going back down one bit and be denied a long awaited victory at today’s race.
Both cars left the starting line with nearly identical reaction times but by mid-track, the John’s Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang was beginning to pull away. As the smoked cleared the win light in John’s lane illuminated and the scoreboards told the rest of the story, 4.113 second pass to Capp’s 4.135 performance.
“Good day and great weekend for John Force Racing but luck is a big part of this game. I’m just glad I could share it with the fans and my family. When your heart’s right, you drive your best. If you go out there and get all jacked up with pressure and it takes over, the body doesn’t respond and then you’re junk. But when you’re happy and the heart’s right, the mind does everything right,” said John Force.
While the team owner was racing to victory the rest of JFR was battling tough competition and seeing positive results. Brittany Force drove her Castrol EDGE Dragster to a quarter-final finish. In a classis rematch from last week, Brittany lost a close one to reigning Top Fuel Mello Yello champion Shawn Langdon as both cars fought it out on the tricky track surface. Even though this 27 year old is in her sophomore year driving a 10,000 horsepower Top Fuel car, Brittany’s primed for a trip to the winner’s circle.
“We came out today swinging and ran some great numbers. Even though I would’ve liked to have gone to the finals again, I couldn’t be more proud of my guys and how this Castrol EDGE Dragster has run throughout this weekend,” said Brittany Force.
In the opening round, Brittany Force was paired against Spencer Massey. She knew he would be a tough opponent as these two have faced each other in competition eight times in the past with Brittany only winning three of those matches. She was looking to even the score but with lane choice going to Massey, both her and the Castrol EDGE crew had their work cut out for them. With her and Massey being the last pair of dragsters to run, Brittany’s crew made some final adjustments in the staging lanes and it paid off.
Both dragsters fired off the starting line like guided missiles with a slight reaction advantage going to Massey. However, Brittany’s machine got out on Massey and charged right down the groove for the win. The Castrol EDGE Dragster lit up the scoreboards with a 3.753 second pass at a career best 329.83 mph that was also the top speed for round one and a career fastest speed.
“I’m very excited on how we ran this weekend as the Castrol EDGE Dragster is running pretty consistent and to come out in the first round and outrun all of our qualifying passes with that 3.75 second run at 329.83 mph is awesome and I was very pumped and excited. That’s that Castrol EDGE team, putting together a fast race. My crew chiefs Todd Smith, Dean Antonelli and the guys have really worked hard and we needed that to get past the first round and trust me, the first round is always the toughest,” said Brittany Force.
Now armed with lane choice going into the quarter-finals, Brittany would face the number one qualifier, Shawn Langdon. Ironically, Brittany had raced him in the quarter-finals a week earlier at the Route 66 Nationals. She knew Langdon would want to avenge his loss from last Sunday.
With track conditions changing due to the rising temperature, crew chief Todd Smith didn’t deviate from his game plan and put the Castrol EDGE Dragster back in the left lane. Brittany’s dragster catapulted off the line and she was neck-to-neck with Langdon. It was around the 700-foot mark on the track that the 10,000 horsepower Castrol EDGE Dragster began to lose traction and Langdon was able to drive away from Brittany for the win.
“I could feel my car starting to haze the tires and I could see Langdon right out my window and right next to me so I knew there was no time to pedal it. I just kept my foot in the throttle and even if it smoked the tires all the way to the finish line with the engine blowing up, I didn’t care, I was trying to get that win,” said Brittany Force.
The 2013 NHRA Auto Club Rookie of the Year will leave the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals still in seventh place with 690 points. Brittany Force and the Castrol EDGE team will have next weekend off before heading to the NHRA Mile-High Nationals in Denver to begin the Western Swing.
Courtney Force got her Traxxas Ford Mustang qualified in the No. 12 spot this weekend with a 4.106 ET at a huge speed of 321.42 mph and went up against Ron Capps in the opening round on Sunday. Force’s hotrod pulled the tires loose and went 4.439 ET at 209.95 mph to Capps’ 4.104 ET at 315.19 mph.
“We had a rough weekend here in Norwalk. It’s been a great four-week stretch with back-to-back races for my Traxxas team. I think we definitely got a good kick-start up in the points. We struggled a little bit this weekend, but I think we’ve got a good car for this championship hunt and I’m excited,” said Force.

Force will stay No. 6 in the NHRA Funny Car point standings after the four-race-swing. This is the fifth straight race that Force has kept a hold on the No. 6 spot in points.

“We fell back a little bit during the race this weekend, but we didn’t fall back in points and that’s the most important thing. As long as we can stay up there in the top 10 to lock into that championship chase, that’s all that matters. It’s a little bit of a bummer this weekend, but we’ll keep our heads held high. We’re going into the Western Swing in a couple weeks and hopefully make some big improvements,” said Force.

It was a tough weekend for the Mello Yello Funny Car points leader Robert Hight. As the No. 6 qualifier it would stand to reason that the No. 12 qualifier might be a lesser opponent. Not so in the modern era of Funny Car as Hight faced Cruz Pedregon, a two-time Funny Car world champion and winner of the Toyota Summernationals, in the first round. The Auto Club Ford Mustang was charging away for victory when it lost two cylinders on the left side drastically forcing the Funny Car to the right. The headers scuffed the retaining guardwall just before the finish line giving Hight an immediate DQ for the race.

“I lifted as soon as I felt a problem and I was just trying to keep it in the groove. We just barely grazed the guardwall and bent the headers a little bit. I will tell you what Mike Neff has this Auto Club Mustang flying and it was charging on that run. We were out in front and pulling away. I am proud of my guys for qualifying No. 6 and we got a tough draw in the first round,” said Hight, a four-time winner in 2014. “There are no easy round wins. I am glad we still have the Mello Yello points lead heading into an off weekend. My guys earned some time off but I know most of them will probably be in the shop most of the week. We will be ready for the Western Swing and I think we can do some damage at those three races.”

JOHN FORCE No. 2 HEADING INTO RACE DAY IN NORWALK

NORWALK, OH– Under the evening skies over the Ohio landscape, the final qualifying session for 8th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals had John Force pushing his Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang to its limits – and it paid off. The 16-time NHRA Mello Yello World Champion blazed the Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park surface with a 4.016 second run at 322.04 mph and ended up qualified in the No. 2 spot. Even though the reigning NHRA Funny Car just missed the number one spot by a mere .016 of a second, he did set a track speed record of 322.04 mph. Force leads a strong contingent of  Funny Cars into eliminations with Robert Hight in the No. 6 spot and Courtney Force No. 12.

“We had some new sponsors on the starting line so they got a good show tonight with our 4.01 run. We know our hot rod will also run in the heat so this won’t matter. Jimmy (Prock, crew chief, Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang) thought this thing would run a four flat or maybe in the threes,” said John Force.

John Force also picked up two additional Mello Yello Bonus Points for his number two qualifying performance on the final session. These will come in handy as he prepares to do battle on race day and every point helps in staying in the top ten. John Force will face fellow Ford Mustang driver Tim Wilkerson in the opening round on Sunday. These two Funny Car veterans have squared off against each other 44 times with John winning 30 of those match ups.

During the third session, John Force was trying to see how far they could push the track conditions. Jimmy Prock and the crew wanted to move their driver up in the qualifying order and get some more bonus points. At the hit of the throttle, the Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang was off like a rocket until it hit the 300-foot mark on the track. Here, the massive Goodyear slicks lost traction and went up in smoke causing John’s Funny Car to dance around. John Force wisely shut it down and coasted across the finish line with a 5.171 second pass at 145.28 mph.

“We were trying to lean on it. We had run a 4.03 and going for number one. Unfortunately it smoked the tires but we knew we had another show during the night session,” said John Force.

Going into the final session, cooler temperatures had descended on Norwalk and the Castrol GTX High Mileage Team was looking to take advantage of the weather and track conditions. Jimmy Prock was looking to extract even more power from the mighty BOSS 500 engine and wanted to put his driver in the number one qualifying position.

“We were trying to run better than we did on the previous session and even last night’s session. The car left the line a little slower than we wanted and might have been closer to a 3.99 of 3.98 pass. We left a hundredth of a second or more on the starting line but other than that, we were happy with how the car ran in the final session,” said Jimmy Prock.

Robert Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang team stepped up in the final qualifying session running 4.05 seconds at 310.91 mph. It was an improvement on their first run on Friday and moved the team up to the No. 6 qualifying position. They will face Cruz Pedregon in the first round. This will be the fourth time Hight has faced Pedregon at Summit Motorsports Park with Hight holding a 2-1 record in previous meetings.

“Cruz is a tough draw in the first round but really any one of these sixteen Funny Car could win this race tomorrow. It will be hotter than we have seen the past two days so we will have to look at previous year’s data. I like our chances since Neff has won here twice. He knows this track pretty well,” said Hight, the current Mello Yello points leader.

Hight shook the tires loose in the first run of the day. His Auto Club Mustang was on a strong run and just about half track his slicks lost traction.

“We learned a few things on that run. I think that run might help us more than the night sessions since we know where the edge is,” said a confident Hight.

It was a challenging day of qualifying for Courtney Force and the Traxxas Ford Mustang team. After two solid passes on Friday, the team struggled on Saturday with getting the car to make a full pass. She posted a 4.915 ET at 170.19 mph in the first session today and then a 4.429 ET at 211.20 mph in the fourth and final session to qualify in the No. 12 spot. She will face Ron Capps in the opening round of eliminations.

“No matter what, it’s a tough race track out here. Obviously we’ve struggled a little bit. It’s definitely been a challenging track today, one of the few for us. It’s going to be tough no matter what lane we’re in. We were able to get down in both lanes yesterday, so we definitely aren’t going into race day blind, but just not where we want to be,” said Courtney Force, winner of the Kansas Nationals earlier this season.

The 26-year-old is 4-9 against Capps in previous events. They also faced each other in the semifinals of last year’s Norwalk race.

“We’re ready to give it all we got. We don’t really have a choice right now. I have faith in my Traxxas guys. I think we’ve got a good car, we just have to get it ready for Capps. We’ll do the best we can and strive for that win light; that’s all that matters,” said Force.

Once again, Brittany Force and her Castrol EDGE Dragster showed consistent performance during today’s qualifying sessions. Her 10,000 horsepower race car ran a 3.814 second pass during Saturday’s first session followed up with a 3.820 second run in the second session putting the sophomore Top Fuel driver starting from the ninth spot on race day.

Even though this is the first time in nine races Brittany is not in the top half of qualified field, she still has the momentum from last weekend’s runner-up finish at the Route 66 NHRA Nationals going into final eliminations this Sunday.

“The Castrol EDGE team ended up number nine but we’re still pumped going into race day. Last weekend at Chicago was awesome for us and we still have that same energy going for us heading into Sunday,” said Brittany Force.

The 2013 NHRA Auto Club Rookie of the Year will face Spencer Massey in the opening round on Sunday. These two rivals have faced each other eight times in competition with Brittany winning three of the last four match-ups.

“We raced Spencer Massey before but we’re not too worried about it. I know my guys will have the Castrol EDGE Dragster set up to go some round and hopefully make another trip to the finals,” said Brittany Force.

During Saturday’s night qualifying session, crew chief Todd Smith was looking to get Brittany Force qualified number one. He knew the track and weather conditions were conducive for laying down a good number at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park. Unfortunately, it’s hard to judge exactly what the car wants and how much power the race track can handle.

“We were swinging for the fences tonight but unfortunately it put a cylinder out just past the Christmas tree and it didn’t quite run what we wanted it to. But, it’s a good and consistent car and we can correct the mechanical issue we had on that run. We have a car that can win on Sunday,” said Todd Smith.

TEAM JFR RACE REPORT
12th of 24 races in the NHRA Mello Yello Series

17th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals

Route 66 Raceway

Joliet, IL

June 29, 2014

Photos courtesy of Ron Lewis Photography for media use only

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Final round results from Sunday’s 17th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway, twelfth race in the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series:

TOP FUEL – Antron Brown, Brownsburg, Ind., Matco dragster, 3.814, 317.34 mph, def. Brittany Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., Castrol EDGE dragster, 3.850, 320.89 mph.

FUNNY CAR – Matt Hagan, Christiansburg, Va., Mopar Express Lane Dodge Charger R/T, 4.098, 310.48 mph def. Tommy Johnson Jr, Avon, Ind., Make-A-Wish Dodge Charger R/T, 4.147, 308.50 mph.

PRO STOCK – Vincent Nobile, Dix Hills, NY, Mountain View Tire Chevrolet Camaro, 6.655, 208.01 mph, def. Jason Line, Mooresville, N.C., Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro, 6.637, 209.26 mph.

PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE – Hector Arana III, Milltown, Ind., Lucas Oil Buell, 6.925, 193.93 mph def. Hector Arana, Milltown, Ind., Lucas Oil Buell, 6.946, 192.82 mph

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BRITTANY FORCE RUNNER-UP IN CHICAGO

JOLIET, IL — Brittany Force drove her Castrol EDGE Dragster to its second final Top Fuel appearance of the season at the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, Illinois. Even though this 27 year-old is in her sophomore year strapped in the seat of a 10,000 horsepower Top Fuel car, she drove like a champion today and almost scored her first Top Fuel win for Castrol EDGE and John Force Racing.

In the final round, Brittany went up against former NHRA Mello Yello World Champ Antron Brown. She had lane choice over Brown and she knew he would be tough competitor. Brittany stayed focused, went through her routine and did her job as a driver as she had a great reaction time. Unfortunately, so did Antron, as Brittany’s .063 light verses Antron’s .064 wasn’t enough to hold off his 3.814 second run to her 3.850.

“Honestly, I don’t even know what happened on that last run, everything went by so fast, we didn’t have time to warm up, I got ready in the pits, and we pulled up there and I thought; okay, I’ll have a moment to get in and take a deep breath, and there were funny cars going down the track, and we were the next pair, so I jumped in, suited up and didn¹t have time to think about anything, so before I knew it, the tree was coming down and we were heading down there. I knew I had to cut a good light, because Antron (Brown) always has good lights, so that was my number one thing I wanted to do ­ make sure the crew guys know that I’m working hard and working on my tree, and I left on him, by a little bit, and I’m happy about that. I’m proud of every single one of these guys, because they’ve worked so hard this weekend, and even though we went out in the final, it’s still a great weekend. We had a consistent car ­ it went down the track every single round and I’m so proud of these guys. I’m excited ­ I’m pumped now for Norwalk,” said Brittany Force.

Brittany’s Castrol EDGE team, under the guidance of crew chief Todd Smith has produced a consistent, fast race car that is now a major threat. Combine the car’s performance to Brittany’s awesome driving skills and the Castrol EDGE Dragster is now a force to be reckoned with among the other Top Fuel teams but it takes an overall team effort, especially when you’re going rounds on race day and you’re crunched for time.

“We couldn’t have made it to the finals without a great effort by John Force Racing, and every member of the other three teams here helping our guys out and contributing to this thing. The turnaround is very quick ­ and we’re not as quick as we need to be but we’re improving and getting better, and so the other teams helping us was monumental,” said Todd Smith. “There are some great teams out there. Both nitro classes are really tough.  On race day, you just can’t slip up at all. We had a great day today, and the car has been good.  We’ve needed an ounce of luck, and didn’t get it in the final, but the guys performed well today, and did good, and I couldn¹t be happier.”

Along the way to her second final round Top Fuel appearance, Brittany faced Terry McMillen in the opening round. At the first hint of green from the Christmas tree, Brittany and McMillen’s dragsters leapt off the starting simultaneously, as both drivers had nearly identical reaction times. The Castrol EDGE Dragster went right down the track and posted a winning 3.828 second pass to McMillen’s tire smoking 9.608 second time.

Going into the quarter-finals, Brittany Force ran reigning To Fuel champion Shawn Langdon. Brittany was 0-2 against Langdon in prior events. Once again, the reaction times between Brittany and her opponent were nearly identical, as Brittany had .074 to Langdon’s .075. Again, both dragsters left the starting together but then Langdon’s slicks went up in smoke. For Brittany, her Castrol EDGE Dragster went right down the groove and got the win with her 3.940 second run.

In the semi-finals, Brittany raced J.R. Todd. Brittany was 1 – 0 against Todd in prior events. Todd took a starting line advantage and led almost to the finish line, the Castrol EDGE Dragster drove around Todd at the finish line stripe and got the win by a mere 0.0018 seconds which is approximately 10 inches.

“Looking at the ladder and the guys I’m going to be going up against; Shawn Langdon, Antron Brown, (Terry) McMillen, these guys have been out here forever, and they know what they’re doing. I use that to make sure that I do my job in the car. I jumped on the tree and got the car down there. There wasn’t a single round that felt smooth to me. It felt all over the place and was crazy but I hung on to it and got it down there and I’m excited. We went rounds this weekend and I couldn’t ask for anything more,” said Brittany Force.

The 2013 NHRA Rookie of the Year has moved up to the seventh place and has 638 points. With the Countdown to the Championship looming in the not so distant future, Brittany has some breathing room.

Traxxas, The Fastest Name in Radio Control, not only had a fast, but consistent race car to start and finish the weekend at Route 66 Raceway here in Chicago. Courtney Force was the only John Force Racing driver to make four consistent passes throughout qualifying. She qualified No. 5 overall with an average qualifying ET of 4.086 after four runs down the race track. She also posted top speed of the race weekend at 322.50 mph.

“We’re leaving Chicago on a positive note. Our Traxxas team did a great job. This car represents not only The Fastest Name in Radio Control, but it was the fastest out here this weekend. We had top speed of the meet at 322 mph so we’re looking forward to Norwalk,” said Force.

The 26-year-old driver went up against Bob Tasca II in round one on race day. She threw down a 4.138 ET at 312.93 to his 4.21 for the win, but gave up lane choice to the one and only 16-time NHRA World Champion and her father John Force in the second round.

“It was an interesting day all around, having to race Tasca in the first round. I think we both got screwed up on the lights. He put the top bulb out on me and messed with me a little bit and it happened to work. Luckily we were able to take the win even after the starting line mishap.

“We went on to the second round and had to face my dad, who has had a pretty good race car. We were able to take him down, only to be taken out by TJ in the semi-finals,” said Force.

Courtney had a small advantage off the line, but took the win when John Force’s Castrol GTX Ford lost traction. She posted a 4.151 to his 5.543 ET. She was interviewed at the top end about racing her dad and adding another round win to her name.

“You know what it feels great to have this Traxxas Ford Mustang team get down there. Traxxas is The Fastest Name in Radio Control and we were able to outrun the 16-time Champ. So it definitely feels good. They out- qualified us by one spot, but we got the car down there and got the win light. That’s’ all that matters,” said Force

In the semi-finals, Courtney faced Tommy Johnson Jr. She has only faced him once before, when she got the win over him at Topeka this year. This time was different story. Courtney’s Traxxas Ford Mustang hazed the tires and sent the team home.

“We had a consistent race car all weekend right up until the semi-final round. We smoked the tires, but obviously we were going after a good run and trying to get around Tommy Johnson Jr. It wasn’t enough. I pedaled it trying to get it down there, but he was already swinging through the finish line and had turned on the win light.

“Our day was cut short, but we kept our spot in the points. We didn’t slide back, which is always a positive thing when you’re leaving a race. We’re looking forward. No one went around us in points and we’re creating more of a gap between our team and the No. 11 spot in the points which is what we’re really focused on doing. Next weekend we’ll get back out there and hopefully have another consistent race car and I’ll try to do my job.

“I’m just very proud of this team. They worked hard. They did a great job all weekend and gave me a great race car. I really couldn’t ask for anything more as a driver so I can’t wait for next weekend at Norwalk,” said Force.

John Force broke a streak of defeats when he outran Alexis DeJoria in the opening round of this weekend’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals.  Ironically, his first round competitor today was the same opponent that put John on the trailer last week. These two fiercely competitive drivers have faced each other fourteen times in the past. This time, it was the reigning NHRA Funny Car world champion to exact a little revenge as both he and DeJoria were fighting for second place in the NHRA Mello Yello point’s chase at the time.

As the Christmas tree barely blinked green, both drivers left the starting line, with John Force getting a slight advantage with a better reaction time. Side-by-side, the two Funny Cars thundered down the track and at the top end, it was John Force getting the win light with a 4.079 second run to DeJoria’s 4.089. It was one of the closest races in round one and it moved John into the quarter-finals.

“Me and Alexis had a good old drag race. She’s a tough competitor and that kid gave me a run for the money. We’re finding consistency in our hot rod, so we just want to keep going rounds,” said John Force.

Heading into the second round, John would face his daughter and fellow teammate Courtney Force in her Traxxas Mustang. John wasn’t going to cut her any slack, as both these driver are in the hunt for points and to make the Countdown to the Championship.

Both cars left the starting line very close to one another, but soon things would go wrong for the reigning NHRA Mello Yello Funny Car Champion. At the sixty foot mark, both Mustangs were dead even and it could have been anyone’s race. Then, at 300 feet down the track, the Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang started smoking its slicks and got out of shape. John did his best in trying to control his 8000 horsepower race car by pedaling it but it was to no good as Courtney sped away with a 4.151 second run to John’s losing 5.543 pass.

“The only thing Courtney and I talked about, instead of trying to go deep, and trying to kill her, was go shallow and go with lane choice. It makes her light terrible, but if you’re going to go deep, Courtney, just be honest, because I’ll go deep with you. But if we want to go with lane choice, and try to get the rounds, well, then let’s go shallow, and that way, it ain’t somebody, you know what I mean,” said John Force.

Even though John Force lost in the second round, he’s still optimistic and is already looking forward to getting strapped back in his Castrol GTX Mustang and doing battle again. He knows the starting line strategy is key in going rounds and winning races.

“I’m good and we’ve gone some rounds, you know, Robert, he always goes shallow. He don’t care. I always look good racing Robert, but it’s kind of bogus, it ain’t real. I gotta go deep, to even be in the game. Or I get laughed at, I even said to (Matt) Hagen: ‘You and (Jack) Beckman got after each other out there the last round, light goes, I said now you’re talking ­ you guys want to play that game, I’m ready’”, said John Force.

Mello Yello points leader Robert Hight started race day as the No. 3 qualifier and was facing Jeff Arend in the first round. When his Auto Club Funny Car left the starting line it was pulling hard and it pulled the tires loose on the veteran driver. Fortunately Hight expertly pedaled his Mustang Funny Car and was able to chase down Arend to get another first round win, 4.531 to 4.734 seconds.

“That first round was a handful. The hardest thing about pedaling one of these Funny Cars is being patient. You have to wait for the car to settle down and then ease back into it. I caught it pretty quick and then was able to get around Arend. It was so close at the finish line I wasn’t sure I got the win light,” said Hight a two time finalist at Route 66 Raceway.

In the second round Hight was giving up lane choice to veteran Ron Capps. Once again the Auto Club Ford Mustang was in the first pair of Funny Cars to take to the track. Running early is a strategic decision by crew chief Mike Neff who wants to give his crew the maximum amount of time between rounds and also not let too much heat get into the track. His confidence in his tune-up and his crew is evident in the team’s 27 round wins this season.

Unfortunately for Hight his Auto Club Mustang once again left strong but hazed the slicks just past half-track as Capps pulled away with a 4.179 second run.

“We have the points lead but we are not taking anyone lightly and losing in the second round hurts. We went to six finals in a row earlier this year and we want to get back to that kind of dominance. I am proud of my guys because we got some good info during the night sessions and we are figuring some things out for hot tracks. No one is hanging their heads around here,” said Hight.

HIGHT, B. FORCE STILL NEAR TOP AND EAGER FOR RACEDAY

JOLIET, IL– Both Robert Hight and Brittany Force held onto their positions as category leaders but they will not go into race day as the top qualifiers at the 17th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals. Despite her best efforts to hang on to the number one qualifying position, Brittany Force will start race day from the fourth spot. Her Castrol EDGE Dragster did make four great runs this weekend which is important for Brittany and her crew as it is consistent performance that wins races on Sunday and not always the lowest time.

“I have been feeling bad the last couple of days but you have to suck it up out here. We ran consistent but we slipped back a little in qualifying. We are still No. 4 which is awesome and I am excited for tomorrow,” said Brittany Force.

This is Force’s ninth straight Top Eight start, pretty impressive for this sophomore Top Fuel driver. When compared to her freshman season behind the wheel of the Castrol EDGE Dragster, she only had five top half qualifying positions.

The 2013 Auto Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award winner is focused on going rounds tomorrow and moving up in the NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel Points chase and potentially getting the first Top Fuel win for Castrol EDGE and John Force Racing.

“I want to go some rounds with the Castrol EDGE Dragster. My guys have been working really hard all day and these two night sessions make for some short nights. We will be ready for Terry McMillen tomorrow for sure,” said Brittany Force.

Brittany was the provisional number one qualifying after last night’s session as her 10,000 horsepower Castrol EDGE Dragster blazed the track surface at Route 66 Raceway with a ground pounding 3.791 second pass at 324.51 mph.

Going into today’s sessions, Brittany managed to run a 3.918 second pass and then followed up with a much stronger 3.801 on the fourth and final session. These may not have been record setting runs but they reflect the team’s strategy to tune for race day conditions and not always try to rotate the earth by putting big numbers on the scoreboards in qualifying.

With Brittany facing Terry McMillen in the opening round tomorrow, she’ll be looking to even the score as she is currently 0-1 against him in a prior match up. Brittany will have lane choice over McMillen who qualified in the 13th spot.

In the first session Robert Hight and the Auto Club team smoked the tires at the top end but were not deterred from the goal in front of them. They were in the last pair with veteran Ron Capps who also hazed his Goodyears in the lane beside Hight.

“We were pushing a little hard in the first run today and the tires just broke loose at the top end. The goal was to see how hard we could run in the heat and then come back in the night session and try and put up a low ET,” said Hight.

In the night session Hight was again paired with Capps in the last pair. The points leader just saw Tommy Johnson Jr. grab the No. 1 qualifier position with a 3.999 second run and the Auto Club team was aiming to make a run to grab the top spot back. Hight’s Funny Car was charging but the number that lit up the scoreboard was a strong 4.038 second run that secured Hight’s spot as the No. 3 qualifier but did not move him around Johnson.

“The track has so tight you could throw just about anything at it. I think there were more threes out there but the goal is to get the car down the track without smoking the tires. The conditions tonight will not be out there tomorrow morning. I am glad we got a strong run in the first qualifying session and we learned a few things on the first run today. We will be ready for a long race day tomorrow,” said Hight.

With consistent runs and repeatable performance, John Force and the Castrol GTX High Mileage team qualified in the top-half of the field with a strong 4.036 second run at 316.90 mph. He will start race day from the fourth spot in the opening round and with lane choice over a driver he’s all too familiar with.

The driver he’ll face in the next lane will be Alexis DeJoria and the 16-time NHRA Mello Yello Champ is looking to even the score from his semi-final loss to her at last weekend’s NHRA New England Nationals.

Both drivers will be racing for the number two spot in the NHRA Mello Yello Funny Car points standings this Sunday. Only two points separate them and for John, he knows he has to get past DeJoria in round one.

“She’s a great kid and a great competitor. I love racing her so we’ll give the fans a great show,” said John Force.

John Force is 8-6 in prior match ups with DeJoria and has lost to her three times this season. However, John has lost to DeJoria in the last two races so he knows he’ll have be focused behind the wheel and the Castrol GTX High Mileage team will have the 8000 horsepower Mustang tuned up and raring to go.

Luckily for John Force, the mechanical gremlins that plagued his race car have vanished so far this weekend. The massive Goodyear slicks did spin on Friday’s opening session but crew chief Jimmy Prock and the rest of the team made some minor adjustments before the second run.

“We smoked the tires on the first pass and that’s why we didn’t try to go for it tonight on that final session. We knew there was a three second run out there but like Jimmy (Jimmy Prock, crew chief Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang) said, ‘we need to find consistency’ and if we run what we know and try repeat what we did earlier, then we know how to set the car up to run in the heat tomorrow. I’m excited knowing what Jimmy’s doing a great job in tuning my old hot rod,” said John Force.

It was a strong 4.049 second run at 316.38 mph on Friday night that had John solidly in the field. He would later come back and run a 4.036 second pass this evening that would move him up from sixth to fourth in qualifying.

“We ran 4.03 trying to get consistency in this car and it seemed to work. Both Robert’s and Courtney’s cars are running good so we’ll see what happens as there’s a lot of great cars out there,” said John Force.

After last weekend’s semi-final finish at New England Dragway, it appears the Castrol GTX High Mileage team has turned the corner and ready to go rounds and win races. One thing the winningest driver in NHRA history knows is not to get too cocky or over-confident going into Sunday and just take each race one round at a time.

John Force hasn’t won the Route 66 NHRA Nationals since beating fellow teammate and son-in-law Robert Hight in the final in 2006. Hopefully, this will be the weekend John Force will claim his 140th career victory.

The Traxxas Ford Mustang team came into Saturday in the top twelve from Friday after making two great runs and sat solidly in the No. 4 spot. Today, Force opened up with a pass down the race track at 4.136 seconds and 310.70 mph in the heat of the day. They closed out the second session with a 4.038 ET at a huge speed of 322.50 mph to make top speed of the weekend in the Funny Car category and go to the No. 5 spot. She will take on Bob Tasca III in the opening round tomorrow.

“We actually have a really consistent race car this weekend. It gets me pumped up for race day. We’re going to race a fellow Ford driver in the opening round, Bob Tasca II. I’m excited about this Traxxas team. My guys were excited to lay down this 4.03 tonight and staying in the top half of the field for both days of qualifying,” said Force.

The 26-year-old is 7-2 versus Tasca. They have met up in the first round five times, including the last three times they have met on race day. This will be their first meeting of the year.  She now has four consistent passes under her belt this weekend, which hasn’t happened at this specific race track in the last two years, and she has qualified in the top half of the field in the last six events.

“It definitely gets you pumped up when you feel like you have a consistent car. We got down the track all four passes. Consistency is key on race day so that’s what we need. Tomorrow is a new day. It’s definitely going to be different conditions for what we had all through qualifying. The sun is going to be out. We’re going to start running at 11 AM. We’re going to give it all we got and go for our first win here in Chicago,” said Force.

JFR TOPS IN FUNNY CAR AND TOP FUEL FRIDAY IN CHICAGO

Hight, B. Force Provisional No. 1s in Funny Car, Top Fuel

JOLIET, IL– It was a banner night at Route 66 Raceway outside of Chicago as Robert Hight and Brittany Force led the way in qualifying at the 17th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Rt. 66 NHRA Nationals in Funny Car and Top Fuel respectively. If Hight’s No. 1 holds it will be his second in a row and second of the season. For sophomore Top Fuel sensation Brittany Force it would be her third of the season and third in five races.

Hight and his Auto Club Ford Mustang Funny Car dominated the class posting the quickest ETs in both sessions and picking up six qualifying bonus points. Hight was enthused by his continued strong performance at the end of the day.

“The way my Auto Club Ford has been running yeah I believed we could get back in the No. 1 spot. I believed everybody would run a little better. It is pretty humid out here and I think people are missing the tune-up a little bit. This race track is so great that whatever you are throwing at it the race track is taking it away,” said Hight.  “(Crew chief) Mike Neff was very happy with that run. It puts us No. 1 after the first session and No. 1 tonight. That is six points today and tomorrow we are going to get all over this thing. We are going to get after it. We are either going to run a three or we are going to smoke the tires trying.”

“What we are doing now is we are really looking forward to the Countdown. We are lucky to get two night runs here in great conditions on a great race track. When the fall comes you are going to have some more good race tracks like this with really good conditions. We need to be the ones stepping up and running the three second runs and qualifying at the top.”

The progress Hight has seen in the past couple of race shows a shift in the focus of his team. It is a change that has the 2009 Mello Yello Funny Car champion excited about the future direction of his team.

“What we have been doing the last couple of weeks is really not Mike Neff’s forte. He is usually really steady and right around the No. 4 qualifier. He has changed his game a little bit with the points lead that we have. We are getting after it here and we are already taking some big swings,” added Hight, who has already won four times in 2014.

“That run earlier today was strong. If you look back to last weekend we ran three 4.06s in a row and then a 4.07 the first run today. That just shows you what kind of handle these guys have on this Auto Club Mustang. I joke that this Funny Car will go down a dirt road and run that kind of ET. It is just the handle Mike Neff has on it and when he has a handle on a car like this and the team is clicking it is a lot of fun to race right now.”

The partnership of Hight and Neff continues to get stronger and the results of that bond are showing up on the race track. Neff won here in 2011 and Hight has reached the final round here twice but has never reached the winner’s circle. The past five years a different JFR Funny Car driver has reached the final round but only Neff has taken a Mustang to the winner’s circle.

“He understands exactly what I am going through. He has been there and done everything. He clams me down. (Hight’s former crew chief) Jimmy Prock is a great crew chief but he has never been down a race track behind the wheel. Mike Neff can see both sides. He knows what a driver wants to hear. We are the same demeanor. He and John (Force) were total opposites when they were together. John is a total fire drill and Neff is laid back and relaxed,” explained Hight in the media center.

On the heels of Hight’s No. 1 performance Brittany Force drove her 10,000 horsepower Castrol EDGE Dragster to the provisional number one spot with a ground pounding 3.791 second pass at 324.51 mph. Brittany will have two more attempts to secure her third top starting position but she was awarded with three NHRA Mello Yello Bonus Points for her and the team’s stellar effort tonight.

“I was excited as it felt like a good run and I could also feel the car pull me to the centerline of the track. I never thought we’d be number one but we got the Castrol EDGE dragster down there and I jumped out on the other end and they said it ran a 3.79 and we we’re number one. I was so pumped and excited  but I was also keeping my fingers crossed that it would hold as there were some good teams that ran right after us that could have bumped up from the number one spot,” said Brittany Force.

The 2013 Auto Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award winner is well into her sophomore season driving one of the quickest accelerating vehicles on the planet and her confidence behind the wheel has dramatically improved.

“On every run, I get more experience and my confidence goes up. When my dragster started to drive towards the centerline, I simply kept a loose grip on the steering wheel and keep it as straight as I can. We got the car down there and I’m proud of that,” said Brittany Force

Even with constant last minute advise for her legendary father, Brittany has developed a pattern for just doing her routine and not getting frazzled whether she’s in the staging lanes or making a sub-four second pass down the drag strip.

“People will reach in to the cockpit and says things, including dad as he’s always given me advice but I’m in the zone. I just look down the track thinking about my routine, staying focused and what I need to do as a driver,” said Brittany Force.

For Todd Smith, the Castrol EDGE Dragster crew chief, he knew the weather and track conditions were getting better by the second during the evening qualifying session and wasn’t afraid to take advantage of them.

“We were swinging for the fence as the conditions kept improving as we were in the staging lane on that second session. To get the car to run good, it’s pretty much the same principle. We did make some changes for the weather by adding more clutch and more horsepower and it’s the proper application of the two,” said Smith.

On the first pass, the Castrol EDGE Dragster ran a 4.687 second at 158.28 mph but her 10,000 horsepower race car started to smoke the tires and Brittany had to abort the run as to prevent inflicting additional damage to the dragster.

However, that didn’t stop the Castrol EDGE team to evaluate the run and make the necessary changes to get to get the car prepared for the evening session.

“The evening session will probably be the best for us due to the weather conditions but we’ll get another two runs tomorrow. On Sunday, we’re going to be running in the middle of the day and that’s not comparable to the run we had tonight. However, getting four runs in is what we need to see what this car can do,” said Brittany Force

With three back-to-back races, it might be tough on some drivers but for Brittany Force, it seems to agree with her based on her team’s performance to get another pole position in the highly competitive Top Fuel class.

“If we could do these back-to-back races all the time, I’d love it. For me to be able to come right back out here and jump into my car I feel so much more comfortable. Always on the first day of qualifying at a race, I sit in the car while we’re warming it up and go through my routine. That’s what I always do to feel more comfortable and it’s that first run that makes me nervous but with back-to-back races, I feel less nervous and more relaxed and comfortable in the car and that’s what I love about it,” said Brittany Force.

Courtney Force brought her Traxxas Ford Mustang to Route 66 Raceway and laid down two great passes on the race track right out of the gate to put her in the top half of the field going into Saturday. She had a hole out and still posted a 4.124 ET at 301.47 mph on her first run. The Traxxas team followed up with a quick 4.047 ET at top speed of the day at 319.75 mph and put them in the No. 4 spot for now.

“We had two great sessions today. On our first session we had a hole out down there and it shredded the belt so it slowed us to 301 mph and it still ran a 4.12 so it definitely got me pumped up for the night run. We definitely were excited to see our Traxxas Ford Mustang lay down a 4.04 and it took us up to the top half of the field. It feels great. Ron Douglas has definitely got this thing going. It makes me excited for tomorrow. We’re going to have the same kind of conditions going into tomorrow night. It’s exciting to hopefully see some of these guys run in the 3.0’s. Hopefully I’ll be one of them,” said Force.

Route 66 Raceway is the site of Courtney’s first ever final, which happened during her rookie year in 2012. Last year, she and her Traxxas team led by Ron Douglas qualified in the No. 7 with a 4.042 ET at 315.78 mph, but they’re looking for the win this year.

After two qualifying runs, John Force and his Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang ended up in the sixth spot with a solid 4.049 second run at 316.38 mph. The improving weather conditions on the second qualifying session had the Castrol GTX High Mileage crew making last minute adjustments in the staging lanes in hopes of stepping up the cars performance and it paid off for them.

The 16-time NHRA Mello World Champion and his crew have also been working diligently on getting the 8000-horsepower Mustang’s performance consistent and qualified in the top-half of the field.

“On that first session, we didn’t get to the other end as Jimmy Prock (crew chief, Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang Funny Car) had the car too safe and it was weak. Coming into the night session, we really thought it would run in the threes. Mike Neff almost did with a 4.02 but we were being safe. And still ran an 4.04 so it shows you our tune up is way off when we think it’s going to run a 4.08, it ends up running a 4.04. So, we ought to pull it back to where we think it’ll go and pull it back more and that’s what Jimmy Prock is doing,” said John Force.

In the opening session, John Force’s Funny Car went about 100 feet out and then the massive Goodyear slicks brook loose and lost traction. John did try pedal his race car in hopes of trying to save the run but it was heading for the retaining wall and the seasoned driver made a wise move and backed off the throttle.

At last year’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals, John Force would end up qualified fifth with a strong 4.010 second run. Up to that point, it was his quickest career elapsed time. The Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang team and the reigning world champ with get two more attempts to improve his qualifying position before Sunday’s Eliminations.

HIGHT BRINGING FUNNY CAR CONSISTENCY TO CHICAGO

JOLIET, IL (June 25, 2014) — For two-time O’Reilly Auto Parts Rt 66 NHRA Nationals finalist Robert Hight he could not be rolling into Rt. 66 Raceway at a better time. The Auto Club Ford Mustang Hight races to speeds over 300 mph has been running low ETs the past events with a consistency that would make a top tier sportsman racer drool. Last weekend in Epping, New Hampshire Hight ran 3.988 seconds to grab the No. 1 qualifying spot and then his final three runs of the event were all in the 4.06 second range. Unfortunately for Hight low ETs have not equated to winner circle appearances.

“Our Auto Club Mustang has been running as well as any other Funny Car out here. It is consistent and quick. We just haven’t gotten some breaks but we are going to start making our own luck this weekend. Mike Neff, my crew chief, won this race as a driver and has qualified well here too. I am looking forward to making the most of the two night sessions and then doing well on race day,” said Hight, the current Mello Yello Funny Car points leader.

Last year Hight qualified eighth and beat Chad Head in first round before losing to Ron Capps in the second round. His teammate John Force was runner-up at the event and it kept a streak of final round appearance alive for JFR at the Rt. 66 NHRA Nationals.

Since 2009 at least one JFR Funny Car has reached the final round at the O’Reilly Auto Parts Rt. 66 NHRA Nationals. That span of five races has also seen Hight’s current crew chief Mike Neff take the win from the No. 1 spot in 2011 as a driver and crew chief of the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang.

Two years ago it was rookie Courtney Force dropping a close race to Jeff Arend in the final and in 2010 Hight was going for his fourth win in row of the season when he came up just short to Matt Hagan in the final. Ashley Force Hood started the JFR final round streak in 2009 when she raced to the final only to be outrun by former JFR teammate Tony Pedregon.

Hight previous final round appearance was in his sophomore season (2006) when he was defeated by teammate John Force in the final round. JFR has six wins by the team at Chicago with Tony Pedregon winning in 2002 and 2003; John Force in 2000, 2004 and 2006; and Mike Neff in 2011. Hight would like to add his name to that list this season.

“We have four wins and six final round appearances coming into Chicago and we want to add to that list. I have so much confidence in my team I feel like we are contenders as soon as we roll the Funny Car out of the hauler. My crew guys work great together and I just feel like we are right around the corner from another streak,” said Hight.

As the current points leader Hight has led the points after eight of 11 races this year.  He has led the points at least one time every season he has raced except 2013.

“I like to be the points leader and I want to keep that No. 1 beside my name all the way through Pomona and the Auto Club Finals. Our goal now is to continue to be consistent and win rounds. Every run down the track is data for us to use in the Countdown. Epping was great because we saw cool temperatures like we will see later in the season. Hopefully we will get some more cool temps in the night sessions in Joliet that we can run quick and get info for the Countdown,” said Hight.

BRITTANY FORCE RECHARGED FOR CHICAGO

Despite a tough first round loss at last weekend’s NHRA New England Nationals, Brittany Force is recharged and pumped up to attack Route 66 Raceway just outside Chicago for the 17th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals.

With the Route 66 Nationals being the third stop of four-back-to-back races, the 2013 NHRA Rookie of the Year can’t wait to climb in the cockpit of her 10,000 horsepower Castrol EDGE Dragster and hit the drag strip. Her race car has been strong in qualifying and Brittany’s driven and focused on getting her first Top Fuel win for Castrol EDGE and John Force Racing.

“With back-to-back races, I stay more focused as a driver and my routine stays sharp. I know it can be hard on my guys but we perform better when we’re constantly on the move and it’s that momentum that will help us keep qualifying in the top half of the field and go some rounds,” said Brittany Force.

With her strong qualifying performances at New England Dragway last week, Brittany Force picked up bonus points during three of the four qualifying runs. Unfortunately, she fell from eighth to ninth place in the NHRA Mello Yello Top Fuel Points standings after last weekend’s first round loss, however the sophomore nitro driver’s performance behind the wheel is improving on every pass. The Castrol EDGE team, led by Todd Smith and Dean “Guido” Antonelli, has also been giving Brittany a very fast, safe and consistent ride. There are still many races left before the Countdown to the Championship begins after the Chevrolet Performance NHRA U.S. Nationals, so Brittany’s very optimistic she’ll be in the hunt.

Earlier this season, Brittany Force made a trip to the finals at the CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals in Phoenix, and had a strong finish a few weeks ago at the Toyota NHRA Summernationals, in which she drove her Castrol EDGE Dragster to a top ten qualifying position and quarterfinal finish. She knows her team has the right attitude and energy to go rounds and perhaps even win this weekend’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals.

Her sophomore year in the Top Fuel class has seen a dramatic improvement from her rookie season in both her skills as a driver and the attitude of the team.

“Our Castrol EDGE team has been improving with each race. We are a much stronger team than last year. Todd Smith (crew chief) and Dean Antonelli (assistant crew chief) and the rest of my guys have been doing awesome this season. We’ve been the number one qualifier twice and I know we’ll get our first Top Fuel win real soon,” said Brittany Force.

During last year’s NHRA Route 66 Nationals, Brittany Force and her Castrol EDGE Top Fuel Dragster faced fellow competitor Bob Vandergriff Jr. in round one. Brittany ran a 3.846 second pass at 322.11 mph, but fell short to his 3.843 pass. Going into this year’s NHRA Route 66 Nationals, the Castrol EDGE team will be armed with valuable data recorded at last year’s event and will use this in setting the car up for competition.

Currently ninth in the NHRA Mello Yello points chase, Brittany is still happy in the direction the Castrol EDGE team is heading. Even though she’s still disappointed in her first round loss at the NHRA New England Nationals, she’s not dwelling on it and knows her racecar is capable of running with any other Top Fuel Dragster on race day.

For now, the always-optimistic 27 year-old Brittany Force and her team are looking forward to getting their first win at Route 66 Raceway. Armed with the valuable knowledge they’ve gained these past twelve months, it could happen. Even with back-to-back races, Brittany still finds time to focus on her reaction times and review her routine as a driver. She knows what needs to get done this weekend – qualifying in the top half of the field, getting lane choice and going rounds on race day.

“I’m very proud of my guys and how we’ve been running this year. I know we have what it takes to go rounds and win races,” said Brittany Force.

 FUNNY CAR FORCES RACE TO SEMI-FINALS IN EPPING

 

EPPING, NH — The reigning NHRA Mello Yello Funny Car World Champion drove his Castrol GTX High Mileage Funny Car to a semifinal finish at today’s NHRA New England Nationals with skill and horsepower. Despite not having lane choice, John Force used his starting line advantage to go rounds over his opponents. Even though last year’s runner-up couldn’t repeat today, he still very happy that he was able to get back in the groove and start going rounds again.

“Things were starting to look desperate for a round win. I’m going to nuts out here because I built my name on these race tracks. Years ago, I came here with junk and no help and I was expected to be a loser. Now, to come back here with great sponsors like Castrol and Ford, crews and equipment, we’ve been struggling to past the first round. I don’t care who it is, I’m getting whipped by everybody,” said John Force.

The John Force fighting spirit began in round one in which he faced his archrival Matt Hagan. With lane choice in Hagan’s favor, the Castrol GTX High Mileage crew had to make sure their 8000 horsepower Mustang wouldn’t overpower the track and send the enormous Goodyear slicks up in smoke. John also knew he’d need a good reaction time to gain a starting line advantage as his opponent’s car was running strong and qualified better than John’s Mustang.

Just as the Christmas Tree was transitioning from three amber lights to green, John’s Castrol EDGE High Mileage Mustang launched off the starting line with a .048 reaction time to Hagan’s .062. The Mustang charged right out of the gate and never looked backed. It stopped the timers with a 4.12 second pass to Hagan’s quicker but losing 4.11 effort.

“Matt Hagan is tough and we’ve faced each other a lot and here I am screaming after I won first round. It’s unbelievable, I’m excited, and I want to stay in this sport. It’s like I won Indy and yet we didn’t do nothing, just won the first round, said John Force. 

In the quarterfinals, John Force would go up against his son-in-law and fellow teammate Robert Hight. Once again, John staged deep to gain a starting line advantage as he knew new Hight’s Mustang was faster. Force parlayed a great reaction time with a strong run of 4.09 to Robert’s much quicker but losing 4.06. John got the win light which would advance him to the semifinals.

“I doesn’t matter what the tire or the tree says, I stole all the light and almost put the top bulb out. When you’re racing Matt Hagan or Robert Hight, those two are the best leavers out here and in the business; it’s the only way I can get them until my race car can start running faster. Jimmy Prock (crew chief, Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang) and the guys are working on it,” said John Force.

In the semifinal round, John went up against Alexis DeJoria. Force knew he’d have to cut a good light again and Force’s Castrol Mustang left first with a .050 reaction time to her .087. Unfortunately for John, DeJoria just caught his Mustang at the finish line and ended his day of racing.

“I was rolling in deep all day to get a better reaction time but it actually slows the car down. It worked against Matt (Hagan) and Robert (Hight). I was hoping I could get around Alexis (DeJoria) but it was close. I’m just excited my hot rod is running consistent and we can go rounds and stay in the top of the points chase,” said John Force.

Even though Force didn’t make it to the finals as he did at last year’s New England Nationals, he broke his string of first round losses that have plagued the Castrol GTX High Mileage team for the last few races. Other than the first qualifying run on Friday, John’s Mustang made a total of six solid, consistent runs at New England Dragway.

The Castrol GTX High Mileage team leaves the NHRA New England Nationals with 713 points and in third place in the NHRA Mello Yello Funny Car standings. The team will head right to Joliet, Illinois for the 17th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals. John Force will keep the momentum going as he  once again has a consistent race car that can go rounds and win races.

Courtney Force, driver of the Traxxas Ford Mustang Funny Car, qualified in the No. 7 spot this weekend and took her hotrod to the semi-finals before bowing out on race day. Force took the win over Dave Richards in the opening round, followed by Del Worsham in the second round to get paired up beside Ron Capps in the semi-finals.

In eliminations, Force posted a 4.089, a 4.124 and a 4.10, proving to be one of the most consistent Funny Cars on race day.

“It was cool just to have a good weekend out here. We have a great car and I think we showed that throughout qualifying and eliminations,” said Force.

The 26-year-old celebrated her birthday on Friday with top speed and set a track speed record at 323.35 mph.

“It was great racing my Traxxas car this weekend. Traxxas being The fastest Name in Radio Control and we were able to set the track speed record out here in Epping. It was great coming back to a track where I had won in the past, last year, and to go all the way to the semi-finals. You know what, my team gave me a great car, we just didn’t have it. We were right there at the finish line with Capps in the semis, but it wasn’t enough and he went around me and got the win. It was a great race. We were right there next to each other the whole way down. We had identical leave times and identical incremental times at the start,” said Force.

The Auto Club Ford Mustang team had one of the most dominant Funny Cars on the property at New England Dragway. On Friday they made the first three second run crossing the finish line in 3.988 second for Robert Hight’s 46th career No. 1 qualifier.

On Saturday in the last session they made the quickest run of the day running 4.06 seconds to solidify their position as the team to beat on race day. In the first round against Mike Smith Hight and his Mike Neff tuned Auto Club Funny Car ran 4.06 seconds again to get their 26th round win of the season. They ran their third consecutive 4.06 in a losing effort to teammate John Force in the second round but that did not take away from the momentum the team is carrying into Chicago next weekend.

“Mike Neff has this Auto Club Mustang dialed in. Three 4.06s in a row was pretty impressive. We will get two night sessions so you could see a lot of three second runs. We will be ready and I have nothing but positive things to say about this weekend especially all the great fans. This is one of the best race tracks in the country and I am glad we put on a good show for everyone here in AAA of Northern New England country,” said Hight, who holds onto the Mello Yello Funny Car points lead for the eigth consecutive race.

Even though Brittany Force lost in the opening round today the highly motivated 27 year-old driver is still optimistic and determined to put her Castrol EDGE Dragster in the winner’s circle. With the runs she made in qualifying, today’s early departure will not dampen Brittany’s or the Castrol EDGE team’s spirits in going rounds and pursuing a NHRA Top Fuel victory.

“I’m definitely a little disappointed to go out in the first round, we had four great runs in qualifying all weekend and then to come out and not be able to make it down the track today is a bummer. However, I have a great group of guys behind me and I love my Castrol EDGE team. We’re getting there, it’s definitely a challenge bringing a Top Fuel Dragster into John Force Racing as we’ve been racing Funny Cars for decades so we’re learning and we’re definitely getting there,” said Brittany Force.

In Sunday’s opening round, Brittany Force lined up next to Clay Millican. Brittany, who had qualified fourth, had lane choice over Millican. At the first hint of green out of the Christmas Tree, Brittany’s dragster leapt off the starting line s
lightly ahead of Millican’s race car. For Brittany, she has been practicing her reaction times and it’s starting to payoff.

“I haven’t been feeling good all weekend but when I was on the starting line for round one, I was really focused and concentrated on cutting a good light and found some energy. I got on it and had a good tree and I’m happy about that,” said Brittany Force.

Unfortunately, Brittany’s dragster started to shake the tires just past the starting as the massive Goodyear slicks were struggling to maintain traction for the 10,000 horsepower on New England Dragway’s surface. Brittany had to get off the throttle as not to lose control of her race car and let the chassis settle down. Once it calmed down, Brittany did an excellent job of jumping back on the throttle and chasing down Millican.

“The car just shook right past the tree at about 100 feet. I thought I could drive through it but it rattled the tires too hard. I got out of it, but then stepped back on the throttle and it hooked back up and drove right down the track. Unfortunately Millican was too far ahead and he was on a good run so there was no way I could catch before the finish line,” said Brittany Force.

The 2013 NHRA Auto Club Rookie of the Year did move down one spot to ninth place and has 540 points. With the Countdown to the Championship looming in the not so distant future, Brittany is confident the team will get a firmer foothold in the points chase by the next race.

Brittany Force and the Castrol EDGE team won’t dwell on today’s first round defeat or their current point’s standings. There’s no time and it serves no purpose when chasing points, going rounds, and winning races. They will leave the majestic rolling green hills of the Northeast and head to the Midwest for 17th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinois.

HIGHT HOLDS TOP SPOT AT EPPING

EPPING, NH – For the 46th time in his career Robert Hight was the No. 1 qualifier in the Funny Car class. He is fourth all-time in Funny Car behind only John Force (148), Cruz Pedregon (56) and Don “The Snake” Prudhomme (50). Hight blasted to the top of the class last night with a 3.988 second run but today’s final qualifying run of 4.066 seconds at 316.23 mph might have been more impressive to his competition. This is the second year in a row a JFR Funny Car driver has been the No. 1 qualifier at the Auto Plus New England NHRA Nationals. Last year John Force raced to the final round from the No. 1 spot before falling to daughter Courtney Force.

 

“I am pretty impressed with the 4.06 just now on a 116 degree racetrack. It was that quick and that smooth. It was fast too because 316 mph was top speed of the round. That was a perfect run. Later in the day tomorrow you never know we might need a 4.06 second run to win this thing,” said Hight, who secured his second No. 1 with crew chief Mike Neff. 

 

“You have to make a good run on Saturday so that you are set up for Sunday. After that first run this morning it made it so far down track before it smoked the tires that (crew chief) Mike Neff knew what he needed to do to make it go. I am pretty pleased that it is responding to what he is doing. We are here with Northern New England AAA this weekend and we want to get them into the winner’s circle.”

 

Hight has won seven times in his career from the No. 1 spot.  This is also the 20th different venue Hight and the Auto Club Mustang have been No. 1. For the first time John Force Racing has had all their professional drivers earn a No. 1 in the same season. So far this season John Force has Three No. 1s and Brittany and Courtney Force have two No. 1s each. This is the third time in four events that JFR has had at least one driver as the No. 1 qualifier.

 

In the final session Hight was in the last pair and under race-like conditions his Auto Club Mustang Funny Car made the run of the session. It was built on his first run of the day.

 

“That last round with the 4.06 was pretty stout. We were kind of on our way there on the first run today and right when it locked the clutch up it smoked the tires. Mike Neff made a couple tweaks and he told me we were real close to making it go. The closest Funny Car to us was a 4.10 so in this day and age if you have four hundredths on the field that is pretty good. Tomorrow is a new day,” said Hight. “What is encouraging to me is we are playing around with a few things. Mike Neff is already looking down the road to the Countdown. Luckily we have the great conditions here that we might see in the Countdown. Last year when John Force won the championship he out performed everybody in the Countdown under great conditions. These conditions let us play around and start testing for the end of the year.”

 

“We have a pretty good points lead now and it is encouraging to me that we are going up and down the track every run. I am excited. Mike Neff is the best. He will race it one round at a time. He is not going to go up there first round and try and set low ET of the round. We are going to look at each opponent and race smart. That is how we have won a lot of rounds this year.”

 

Courtney Force and the Traxxas Ford Mustang team are ready to defend their title. For the second year in a row, the team has qualified in the No. 3 spot at the top of the field and has lane choice in the opening round. Force’s best run of the weekend was made during Friday’s evening session. She posted a 4.031 ET at 323.35 mph to send her up to that No. 3 spot with a track speed record and also into the lane next to competitor Dave Richards tomorrow. Force has never raced Richards in eliminations.

 

“We qualified in the No. 3 spot, which is exactly where we qualified last year. We’ll be facing Dave Richards in the first round. It’s great coming into Sunday in the top half of the field. It’s going to be a tough race tomorrow against Richards. There are no easy rounds. We have lane choice and a good race car so I’d say we have a lot to work with,” said Force.

 

Force made three good passes in qualifying leading up to race day. Last year, the team only made one good run throughout all of qualifying, but went on to win the race over Alexis DeJoria, Tim Wilkerson, Jack Beckman and finally John Force.

 

“I’m excited because I feel like this Traxxas team has got a pretty consistent race car. We’ve laid down some solid numbers in both the heat and in the cool air, which exactly what you need. You need consistency to win on race day and that’s what we’re going for. I’m going to come out here tomorrow and try to defend my title. Hopefully we’re starting early Sunday morning and going to have a long day,” said Force.

 

John Force and his Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang made three strong consecutive runs during qualifying at the New England Nationals and ended up in the ninth spot with a run of 4.092 seconds at 311.70 mph.

 

The 16-time NHRA Mello Yello Champion has been struggling during the last few races as crew chief Jimmy Prock and the team has been chasing clutch gremlins that can come out of nowhere and trip up the winningest team in NHRA history at any given time.

 

“We pulled our hot rod back to find consistency. We know in a good session, our Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang can run high threes just like Robert’s (Hight) 3.98 last night. We ran threes back in Pomona at the Winternationals. Right now, we’re trying to find consistency,” said Force.

 

John Force will face rival Matt Hagan in the opening round with lane choice gong to his opponent. These two archrivals haves face each other 19 times in the past with John taking the win light in nine match ups.  But with his Castrol GTX crew taming his 8,000 horsepower Mustang, John’s ready to go some rounds tomorrow.

 

“What we’re trying to find is the consistency that we somehow lost for being too fast. We did make some pretty good runs and we’re right in the middle of the pack. We’re ready to go some rounds tomorrow and put this old hot rod in the winner’s circle,” said John Force.

 

The reigning NHRA Mello Yello Funny Car champ is calm, cool and collective going into Sunday’s eliminations. He came up just short in the finals last year at this race in which he faced daughter Courtney. Their Mustang Funny Cars were side-by-side charging down New England Dragway with neither driver lifting for a moment. Courtney got the win and it was payback for her father taking her out in round one at Bristol the weekend before the 2013 New England Nationals.

 

It’s John’s competitive nature but he’s also very proud about what his fellow teammates have accomplished, especially during qualifying at this weekend’s NHRA New England Nationals. 

 

“All our cars are running good Brittany’s Castrol EDGE dragster, Courtney’s Traxxas Mustang and especially Robert’s Auto Club Mustang for qualifying number one. All of them are right up there running strong with those big speed numbers. Tomorrow’s a new day so let’s see what happens,” said John Force. 

 

Even though John Force still remains in second place in the point’s standings, he’d like to add some distance between him and his nearest rival. He’s working on his 140th career win and potentially a 17th NHRA Mello Yello World Championship. 

 

The Castrol EDGE Dragster driven by Brittany Force set a track record today during qualifying. The 2013 NHRA Auto Club Rookie of Year was strapped into her 10,000 horsepower race car and when the Christmas Tree flashed green, it launched off the starting line like a guided missi
le. When the dust settled, the scoreboards on the top-end of New England Dragway lit up with a 325.92 mph.

 

“I’m definitely excited as the car is running awesome. We made four great runs and the fact we set a new track record running over 325 mph say’s a lot about how hard my guys have been working on the Castrol EDGE Dragster. We even qualified number four so that’ll give us lane choice for the first round and I’m very happy about that,” said Brittany Force.

 

That record setting run earlier today also produced a time of 3.776 seconds and placed Brittany in the fourth qualified spot. This is what Brittany wanted – make four good solid runs, qualify in the top-half of the field and come out swinging on race day. Her first round opponent tomorrow will be Clay Millican whom she has raced twice in competition before and has a 1-1 record.  

 

 “Despite being down on power this weekend and feeling sick, I’m looking forward to running Clay in the first round. I’m going to bring it on tomorrow and go some rounds as I have a great team behind me and we have a great car that’s very fast and consistent,” said Brittany Force.

 

Brittany also picked up some additional Mello Yello bonus points for her excellent qualifying performance in three of the four sessions this weekend. From that standpoint, she surpassed her previous best which was the NHRA Mile High Nationals and NHRA U.S Nationals last year when she received bonus points for two sessions at each event.

 

This weekend, Brittany got the precious points in the second, third and fourth qualifying sessions for a total of three extra bonus points. These will come in handy in maintaining her hunt to stay in the top-ten in points going into the Countdown to the Championship which gets into gear immediately following the NHRA U.S. Nationals.

 

“Anytime we get points, we’ll take them. We’re currently number eight in the standings and we’ve been there for a while. We want move up this weekend and so we’re looking good come Indy. Then we’ll really battle it out, said Brittany Force.

 

In the second session, changing weather and track conditions would negate any improvement over the team’s earlier run but crew chief Todd Smith, co-crew Chief Dean “Guido” Antonelli and the rest of the guys had Brittany’s Castrol EDGE Dragster tuned up as it marched down the track with a 3.829 second run at 322.11 mph.

 

“It’s a continual work in progress as we finally honed in on clutch and power applications and now it’s just working on consistency. We are real happy the way the car has responded and is performing and we’re given it what it wants and it’s accepting it. We’ll make some adjustments to the car tomorrow after we determine which lane is better before round one,” said Todd Smith.

 

However, going into race day, conditions always change whether it’s the track, atmosphere, or both. This is when the collaboration between Todd Smith and Dean Antonelli really starts to come together in making sure Brittany has a fast, safe and consistent and race car that’ll have the potential to go all the way to the finals.

 

“Both sessions from today will equate to one of the sessions tomorrow. Probably the second or third round on Sunday but overall, our tune up won’t change that much,” said Dean Antonelli.

 

Brittany Force and the Castrol EDGE team will be geared-up come race day. She is focused on going rounds, making it to the finals and maybe even scoring her first Top Fuel win for Castrol EDGE and John Force Racing.