John Force Racing

Chevy Racing–NHRA–Northwest Nationals

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
NHRA NORTHWEST NATIONALS
PACIFIC RACEWAYS AT KENT, WASHINGTON
POST-RACE DRIVER QUOTES
SUNDAY, AUG. 6, 2017

An interview with Funny Car winner ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 1 qualifier; second victory on western swing and of the season; recorded 250th victory for John Force Racing and his 39th):
Q: NO ONE COULD TOUCH YOUR CAR TODAY.
ROBERT HIGHT: ”This is one of those weekends that you dream about. We rolled off the trailer and were No. 2 right behind John (Force), and then every round after that – seven straight – we were low ET of every single round in qualifying and on race day. That just goes to the Auto Club team. These guys are amazing. We’re hitting our stride at the right time. All I have to do is stand on the gas, guide this car down there and the win light turns on. It’s awesome. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NHRA–Northwest Nationals →

Wood Brothers

Late-Race Gamble At The Glen Comes A Couple of Laps Short For Blaney, Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team

Late-Race Gamble At The Glen Comes A Couple of Laps Short For Blaney, Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team

August 6, 2017

With their win earlier this season at Pocono Raceway assuring them of a playoff berth, Ryan Blaney and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team took a gamble on winning at Watkins Glen but came a couple of laps short on fuel.

Blaney was leading with three laps to go when the engine in his No. 21 Fusion began sputtering, so he ducked on to pit road for a splash of fuel. Nonetheless, he was able to score an eighth place finish, his best-ever result on a road course in NASCAR’s elite series. Continue reading Late-Race Gamble At The Glen Comes A Couple of Laps Short For Blaney, Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team →

Honda Racing

Tough day for Acura, Michael Shank Racing at Road America

Tough day for Acura, Michael Shank Racing at Road America
• Early contact, late-race crash spoil efforts of Katherine Legge and Andy Lally
• Tire issues eliminate Jeff Segal and Ozz Negri while running second
• Acura remains in contention for Manufacturers’ Championship with three races remaining

ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (August 6, 2017) – Hard work throughout a difficult weekend at Road America netted the Michael Shank Racing team and Acura little reward, as both cars were forced to retire from Sunday’s Continental Tire Road Race Showcase. Continue reading Tough day for Acura, Michael Shank Racing at Road America →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevrolet Secures Two Victories on Final Leg of Western Swing

CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
NHRA NORTHWEST NATIONALS
PACIFIC RACEWAYS AT KENT, WASHINGTON
SUNDAY, AUG. 6, 2017

Chevrolet Secures Two Victories on Final Leg of Western Swing

• Robert Hight earns second win in the past three Funny Car races
• Veteran driver presents John Force Racing its 250th Funny Car victory
• Drew Skillman wins front and back ends of the Pro Stock swing
• Justin Lamb is Stock Eliminator runner-up in Chevrolet COPO Camaro Continue reading Chevrolet Secures Two Victories on Final Leg of Western Swing →

John Force Racing

Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force claims No. 4 qualifying position for Sunday’s Northwest Nationals

Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force claims No. 4 qualifying position for Sunday’s Northwest Nationals

SEATTLE (Aug. 5) – Courtney Force saved her best qualifying effort for last, taking the No. 4 qualifying position in NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Funny Car competition for the Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways.

Driving the Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS, Force, who had struggled to make a full pass in the first three qualifying sessions, posted a solid run Saturday afternoon of 3.943 seconds at 325.14 mph. That was second-quickest of the session and moved her up from the No. 14 position. In the 15 races in which she has qualified this season, Force has yet to start outside the top four. Continue reading Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force claims No. 4 qualifying position for Sunday’s Northwest Nationals →

John Force Racing

Brittany Force ready to take consistent Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster to Seattle winner’s circle

Brittany Force ready to take consistent Monster Energy
Top Fuel dragster to Seattle winner’s circle

SEATTLE (Aug. 5) – The key to success in NHRA drag racing is often consistency. The team that can make four good runs on Sunday usually ends up in the winner’s circle.

Brittany Force and her Monster Energy team hope that’s the case in the Northwest Nationals on Sunday at Pacific Raceways. Force has been remarkably consistent through qualifying, making three solid passes and snaring the No. 5 qualifying spot for final eliminations. Continue reading Brittany Force ready to take consistent Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster to Seattle winner’s circle →

John Force Racing

Auto Club driver Robert Hight ready to boot Funny Car field in Seattle

Auto Club driver Robert Hight ready
to boot Funny Car field in Seattle

SEATTLE (Aug. 5) – Fans of the Seattle Seahawks know the importance of a good kicker, as three points for a field goal is often the difference between winning and losing.

The Seahawks can only hope their kicker is as consistent as Auto Club of Southern California driver Robert Hight has been in qualifying for the NHRA Northwest Nationals this weekend at Pacific Raceways. Continue reading Auto Club driver Robert Hight ready to boot Funny Car field in Seattle →

John Force Racing

PEAK Chevrolet Funny Car driver John Force earns No. 8 qualifying position at Seattle

PEAK Chevrolet Funny Car driver John Force
earns No. 8 qualifying position at Seattle

SEATTLE (Aug. 5) – John Force’s quest for a ninth NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Funny Car victory in the Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways will begin Sunday from the No. 8 qualifying position.

Force, driver of the PEAK Coolant & Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS and team owner of John Force Racing, made his best of four qualifying passes Friday – a run of 3.973 seconds at 307.23 mph. That set the 16-time champion atop the charts after the first qualifying session. Continue reading PEAK Chevrolet Funny Car driver John Force earns No. 8 qualifying position at Seattle →

Erica Enders

Two-time champ and No. 4 qualifier Erica Enders looking for more Seattle success

Two-time champ and No. 4 qualifier Erica Enders looking for more Seattle success
KENT, Wash. (Aug. 5) — Erica Enders was fighting for her playoff life the last time the NHRA tour passed through Pacific Raceways. This time around, she easily secured her spot in the 2017 Countdown to the Championship by simply qualifying for the elimination field of the 30th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals. Continue reading Two-time champ and No. 4 qualifier Erica Enders looking for more Seattle success →

Allen Johnson Racing

Allen Johnson Makes On-Track Strides During Qualifying at NHRA Northwest Nationals

Allen Johnson Makes On-Track Strides During Qualifying at NHRA Northwest Nationals

KENT, Wash. (August 5, 2017) – Allen Johnson and the Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing team made some of their biggest on-track performance strides of the season during qualifying at the 30th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals.

On Friday, Johnson began qualifying with a 6.646-second pass at 207.53 mph. With a good starting point to work off of, the Adam Hornberger-led team came back and made a massive improvement when Johnson blazed down the 1,320-foot race surface with a 6.617, 209.52.

Saturday, Johnson bettered his qualifying effort once again with a 6.601, 209.49 in the Marathon Petroleum Dodge Dart and was third quickest to the 60-foot timing blocks in that session. Johnson closed out qualifying at Pacific Raceways with a troubled 7.262, 143.00 after drifting out of the groove and coasting to the finish. Notably, Johnson was first to the 60-foot mark in the Pro Stock class in the final session and was set to run his best of the weekend before Johnson decided to abort the run to avoid potentially an unfortunate situation.

Johnson ended up in the No. 8 spot and will have a first round matchup against Greg Anderson on Sunday, August 5th.

Jegs Racing

Jeg Coughlin Jr. continues return to form in Seattle, preps for big race day ahead

Jeg Coughlin Jr. continues return to form
in Seattle, preps for big race day ahead
KENT, Wash. (Aug. 5) — Five-time Pro Stock world champion successfully qualified his JEGS.com/Elite Performance Chevrolet Camaro in the top half of the elimination field of this weekend’s 30th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals, marking the 14th time in 16 races this year he’ll start race day on the good side of the ladder.

As with most things in the Pro Stock class, a return to the form that had him racing to final rounds and qualifying on top of the class multiple times earlier this year must be done in small steps, something a veteran racer like Coughlin knows very well. Continue reading Jeg Coughlin Jr. continues return to form in Seattle, preps for big race day ahead →

Richard Childress Racing

Richard Childress Racing–Zippo 250

Paul Menard Leads Laps and Wins Stage 2 in Richmond/Menards Chevrolet at Watkins Glen International

“We had a really strong Richmond/Menards Chevrolet today and led a lot of laps. In Stage 2, we made an air pressure adjustment and had a top-two car. The 22 car was a little better at that point, but we were able to stay out front and win the stage. In Stage 3, we had something break pretty early on and as the run went on it got worse. I don’t know if it was a shock or a shaft spring or something, but if I hit the curbing in the bus stop it would knock the car out of gear. So, I had to baby it through the bus stop that last stage. I hit the kill switch twice while shifting into fourth gear. I just don’t run these XFINITY Series cars all the time and that was the first time I’ve done that. The master ignition switch was just too close to my hand and I punched it and it shut off. It happened twice in the race, but we were able to overcome and make it to the end and get a top-five finish out of the day.”

– Paul Menard Continue reading Richard Childress Racing–Zippo 250 →

Chevrolet Racing

CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD AMERICA: Focusing Forward to Sunday Fourth-row GTLM start for pair of Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs.

CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD AMERICA: Focusing Forward to Sunday
Fourth-row GTLM start for pair of Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs.

ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin (Aug. 5, 2017) – Corvette Racing will go for a repeat at Road America on Sunday from the fourth row of its class following qualifying for the Continental Tire Road Race Showcase. The pair of Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs will furiously battle to work their way toward the front with the goal of maintaining Corvette Racing’s and Chevrolet’s lead in the GT Le Mans (GTLM) Manufacturer’s, Driver’s and Team points standings in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Continue reading CORVETTE RACING AT ROAD AMERICA: Focusing Forward to Sunday Fourth-row GTLM start for pair of Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs. →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Watkins Glen–Dale Earnhardt Jr.

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
I LOVE NEW YORK 355
WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 5, 2017

DALE EARNHARDT JR., NO. 88 AXALTA CHEVROLET SS met with media and discussed his season thus far, the differences between Sonoma and Watkins Glen, road course racing in general, and more. Full Transcript:

TALK ABOUT WHAT IT HAS BEEN LIKE TO INTERACT WITH FANS DURING YOUR APPRECIATION TOUR:
“I’m proud of Mike Davis and all of the work that the folks at JR Motorsports put into putting together some sort of a campaign that targets what we want to target. Hopefully we are doing a good job of showing the fans what they mean to my career and to me and the team. We have a few more shots along the way to make that happen. It has been great. The fans have been real supportive and I Iook forward to the rest of the season.”
Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Watkins Glen–Dale Earnhardt Jr. →

John Force Racing

Another good Friday run puts Auto Club driver Robert Hight on top of Funny Car speed chart in Seattle

Another good Friday run puts Auto Club driver
Robert Hight on top of Funny Car speed chart in Seattle

SEATTLE (Aug. 4) – It wasn’t quite the moonshot as last Friday, but Robert Hight still made an impressive run in the Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS to jump to the No. 1 spot in Funny Car during Friday’s qualifying for the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways. Continue reading Another good Friday run puts Auto Club driver Robert Hight on top of Funny Car speed chart in Seattle →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Watkins Glen–Jimmie Johnson

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES
I LOVE NEW YORK 355
WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
AUGUST 5, 2017

JIMMIE JOHNSON, NO. 48 LOWE’S CHEVROLET SS met with media and discussed his desire to win at Watkins Glen, hard racing with Kyle Larson, stage racing, and more. Full Transcript:

YOU HAVE THREE WINS THIS SEASON AND WATKINS GLEN IS ONE OF ONLY THREE TRACKS WHERE YOU HAVEN’T WON YET. HOW DO YOU GET A WIN HERE?
“I thought that I would win here before I would at Sonoma. I took to this track pretty quickly in the Busch days and in the Cup Series, I’ve been a top 3 car at times, but probably more often than not, a top 5 car. So, I hope to find that little bit extra to hold on with the long run speed. I seem to be able to be competitive on the short runs, but like many drivers deal with here, I just get the brakes too hot. And on the long runs I seem to give up a little bit of speed. I need to create lap time, I think, without depending on the brakes so much come race time. So, we’re working on a few things in that department. Certainly driver input plays a big role in that and I’m looking forward to getting on track. We had a terrible race here last year and were taken out early in a pretty spectacular fashion off the carousel, and I’m looking forward to a good strong run here this weekend.” Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Watkins Glen–Jimmie Johnson →

Wood Brothers

High-Speed Watkins Glen Track Should Suit Ryan Blaney’s Style

High-Speed Watkins Glen Track Should Suit Ryan Blaney’s Style

August 3, 2017

Ryan Blaney and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane team will be back on the road this weekend, road racing at historic Watkins Glen in New York.

The Wood Brothers and their No. 21 Fords have a history of running well at the Glen. In their first trip there, back in 1965, the late Marvin Panch took the lead on Lap 12 and led the remaining 53 laps to take the victory over Ned Jarrett, Buddy Baker and Cale Yarborough. Continue reading High-Speed Watkins Glen Track Should Suit Ryan Blaney’s Style →

Erica Enders

Seattle success on the mind of two-time Pro Stock world champ Erica Enders

Seattle success on the mind of two-time
Pro Stock world champ Erica Enders
KENT, Wash. (Aug. 2) — Erica Enders has placed a push-pin in this weekend’s 30th annual NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways as the place she would most like to get her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro back into the winner’s circle.
Continue reading Seattle success on the mind of two-time Pro Stock world champ Erica Enders →

Chevrolet Racing

Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Watkins Glen Advance

TEAM CHEVY ADVANCE
I LOVE NEW YORK 355
WATKINS GLEN INTERNATIONAL
WATKINS GLEN, NEW YORK
AUGUST 6, 2017

BOWTIE BULLETS
WINNERS IN WATKINS:
Chevrolet has more wins at Watkins Glen than any other manufacturer. The Bowtie Brigade has been to Victory Lane at Watkins Glen 17 times in the 34 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series events held at the 2.45-mile road course. Continue reading Chevy Racing–NASCAR–Watkins Glen Advance →

Allen Johnson Racing

Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Quick Facts, Race Stats, and Notes: Northwest Nationals

Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Quick Facts, Race Stats, and Notes: Northwest Nationals

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (August 1, 2017) – This weekend marks the 17th of 24 events in 2017 for the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. With three races left before the Countdown to the Championship, it is crucial for Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing Dodge Dart driver Allen Johnson to qualify well and remain in the top 10 in points.

“Our Marathon Petroleum/J&J Racing team is trying some things to get ready for the Countdown,” Johnson said after qualifying last weekend at the NHRA Sonoma Nationals. “We’re finding out what this car wants and once we get a few lucky breaks our way, we will gain some momentum.”

Allen Johnson: History at Pacific Raceways
Allen Johnson won the Northwest Nationals in 2006 over Tom Martino
Johnson posted a runner-up appearance in 2007 to Dave Connolly and 2008 to Jason Line.
Johnson was No. 1 qualifier in 2009, 2012, and 2014.
Last year: qualified No. 5; lost in second round to Jason Line.

Northwest Nationals Run Schedule
QUALIFYING
Friday, August 4th at 2:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 5th at 1:30 and 4:00 p.m.
ELIMINATIONS
Sunday, August 6th at 11:00 a.m. starting with Top Fuel

Northwest Nationals TV Schedule
Qualifying will air on FS1 on Friday, August 4th at 9:00 p.m. (ET).
Eliminations will air live on FOX on Sunday, August 6th at 4:00 p.m. (ET).

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