Monthly Archives: February 2014

Mopar Racing

Mopar Racing–Coughlin, Johnson and Hagan Lead Team Mopar into NHRA Winternationals

Coughlin, Johnson and Hagan Lead Team Mopar into NHRA Winternationals
 
·         JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Avenger driver Jeg Coughlin Jr. commences his Pro Stock title defense at Pomona
·         Allen Johnson aims to keep the Pro Stock crown in the Mopar/J&J Racing camp for the third consecutive year
·         Don Schumacher Racing driver Matt Hagan to carry Mopar Express Lane graphics on his Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car
·         DSR to field another formidable four-car Mopar-powered Funny Car squad in 2014
 
Pomona, Calif. (February 6, 2014) — A talented trio of former and defending champions will key the Team Mopar effort heading into the season-opener for the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, the 54th annual NHRA Winternationals, scheduled to take place Feb. 6-9 at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Calif.
 
The Team Mopar NHRA Pro Stock duo of Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Allen Johnson will enter the 2014 campaign seeking to secure a third straight Pro Stock crown for the Mopar brand. Coughlin captured his fifth career Pro Stock championship in 2013 behind the wheel of his JEGS.com/Mopar Dodge Avenger, tuned by the Johnson & Johnson Racing team and engine builder Roy Johnson. Owner of 56 career Pro Stock event victories, the Ohio native is pumped up and ready to add to his win totals.
 
“There’s a definite spring in our step,” said Coughlin. “We’re coming off such a solid season, and obviously we ended the year on the top step of the podium, as it were, so that’s kept us in high spirits throughout the off-season.”
 
Johnson & Johnson Racing owner Allen Johnson, Coughlin’s teammate, is also determined to keep the Pro Stock crown in his team’s camp — but preferably on his side of the pit stall. After ending a 17-year quest by racing to the Pro Stock title in 2012, Johnson scored four wins in his Mopar Dodge Avenger in 2013, and finished second to Coughlin in the championship standings.
 
“Along with Jeg, you’ve got back-to-back Pro Stock champs together on the same team, so of course for 2014 I’m very optimistic,” said Johnson, who broke through for his first win at Pomona at the 2012 NHRA Finals. “It’s also a big year for Mopar with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 426 race HEMI in 2014, so any victories and championships we bring home this year will be icing on their cake.”
 
Veteran Pro Stocker V. Gaines will also return to the wheel of his own Mopar-powered Dodge Avenger, following a top-10 finish to the 2013 season. The Denver-area native raced to four runner-up finishes last year.
 
Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) driver and 2011 NHRA Funny Car champion Matt Hagan will start off the season at Pomona with a new look, carrying the yellow-and-blue colors of the Mopar Express Lane quick-oil change service on his 10,000 horsepower Dodge Charger R/T.
 
“When they sent me the pictures of the Express Lane car, I got even more excited to get back in the car,” said Hagan, who ended the 2013 season with a victory at Pomona in the NHRA Finals, his fifth win of the year en route to a runner-up finish in the standings. “It looks great, looks fast. I love the old school feeling it has. I hope (crew chief) Dickie (Venables) and the guys get to have a lot of pictures of it in the Winner’s Circle.”

Hagan will be joined by Jack Beckman, Ron Capps and new addition Tommy Johnson Jr. to form a powerhouse four-driver DSR Dodge Charger R/T squad hunting for the Mopar brand’s third Funny Car crown in four years.

Beckman, the 2012 Funny Car title winner, finished third in the standings last season but was unable to score an event win, a streak he hopes to end at the NHRA Winternationals. Capps, a fan favorite who has earned four series runner-up spots in his pursuit of a Funny Car crown, is the longest serving member of the Mopar-powered DSR team. Johnson is no stranger to Mopar power, having campaigned HEMI-engine fueled Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars during his long career.

Two hours of NHRA Winternationals qualifying coverage are scheduled to be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD on Saturday, Feb. 8, beginning at 11 p.m. (ET). Three hours of elimination rounds coverage will be broadcast on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD starting at 8 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, Feb. 9.

Mopar Racing

Mopar Racing–Mopar Takes on ‘King of The Hammers’

Mopar Takes on ‘King of The Hammers’
HEMI® Crate Engines to Power Spec Class in Every Man Challenge Race
 
·         Mopar joins the 2014 Griffin King of The Hammers off-road race in a new spec class to debut on Feb 6 in the California desert
·         8th annual King of The Hammers is an off-road event combining desert racing and rock crawling with four competitive classes
·         Mopar to provide six Gen III 5.7L HEMI® crate engine for first spec class vehicles in the “Every Man Challenge” race category
·         Mopar is scheduled to participate in both 2014 and 2015 editions of event as well as four other Western Regional ULTRA4 Series events
·         More than 35,000 spectators are expected on site and 500,000 will tune into the live online broadcast on ultra4racing.com/live/

Auburn Hills, Mich. (February 6, 2014) – Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand, will be testing its mettle in the southern California desert at the 2014 Griffin King of The Hammers, an event built around what many consider the toughest one-day off-road race in the world that combines desert racing and rock crawling.

Organized by the ULTRA4 Racing Series, the week-long event leading up to the signature race is held every February on public lands in Johnson Valley, Calif. in an off-highway vehicle area known as “The Hammers.” is held every February on public lands in Johnson Valley, Ca. in an off-highway vehicle area known as “The Hammers.” Competitors, divided into in four distinct categories, race on a 100+ mile course that runs over terrain that includes sandy washes dotted with creosote bushes, flat dry lakebeds, sand dunes and, of course, the world-famous rock canyons and trails from which it derives its name.

Competing in the Every Man Challenge race category, which allows off-road enthusiasts a chance to race their stock and modified stock vehicles, Mopar’s GEN III 5.7 liter HEMI® crate engine will power the six vehicles competing in a newly created spec class in which each entry is outfitted with the same equipment. These unique “4700 Spec Class” 4×4 vehicles have a custom tube frame design based loosely on a Jeep® Wrangler, and are outfitted with Mopar’s HEMI crate engine and some of the best industry-leading parts the off-road world has to offer.

“We’re excited to supply HEMI engines to the newly formed spec class at King of The Hammers and put our quality products to the test in the toughest conditions,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO — Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “The 5.7 crate engines we are providing are the off-road race version of the recently announced Scat Package performance upgrades for the Challenger and Charger. This event is in essence a proving ground for our engine, set-up, calibration and parts, as we don’t just design and produce quality parts, we want to test them in the field so that customers know that they are getting the very best available.”

Participating in the off- road event is a fitting tribute to the heritage of the revolutionary Gen II 426 race HEMI, which is celebrating 50 years since its introduction after being built specifically to win races. The success of that GEN II race HEMI has resulted in an amazing lineage of quality Mopar engines, which now includes the newest generation of 5.7L crate engines.

“We’ve partnered with the best manufacturers in off-road, and this class required parts that could handle the demands of off-road racing and the brutality of The Hammers,” said David Cole, Executive Director of ULTRA4 Racing Series. “Nobody knows off-road better than Jeep and Mopar, and we’re excited to have the HEMI powering the 4700 Spec Class.”

“The 4700 Spec Class offers both professional drivers and first-time enthusiasts a chance to experience what ULTRA4 Racing is all about,” said Cole of the turnkey solution the spec class offers. “We wanted to give people an opportunity to race or recreate off-road in a fully capable 4WD vehicle without the expense and headache of having to build or buy one of their own.”

The six unique Mopar-powered 4×4 vehicles make their debut on Thursday, Feb. 6 with an 8:00 a.m. (PT) 30-second staggered start. Behind the wheel of each Mopar-powered 4700 Spec Class 4×4 vehicle are the following drivers:

#4701– Eric Bothwell, from Tuckahoe, NY., is no stranger to the Hammers as he was part of the core Hammerking volunteer team in 2012. Bothwell’s co-driver Robb Pritchard is an international off-road journalist coming all the way from Croatia. They will be driving the Dynomax vehicle.

#4702– Larry Nickell is a Senior Editor at Crawl Magazine and has been an active off-road enthusiast for many years, taking his Jeep vehicle on many of his adventures across the country. Larry has a background in racing boats and drag cars and will be driving the Team Yukon Vehicle.

#4703 – Jessi Combs is the fastest woman on four wheels after breaking the land speed record in Utah’s Salt Lake Flats last year. She is also host of television show “All Girl’s Garage” and autoblog’s The List and will be racing in the Team Falken Vehicle.

#4704 – Ross Stanford is based out of Loveland, CO. as the sales manager for Spidertrax Off Road, and will be racing for Team Spidertrax. Ross is an avid off-road enthusiast and has competed in several Dirt Riot events.

#4705 – Shannon Campbell is the only two time “King of The Hammers” Champion after winning in both 2008 and 2011. Shannon will be racing the Team Fox car on Thursday and then racing his own ULTRA4 car again in the Griffin King of The Hammers Presented by Nitto Tire on Friday.

#4706 – Jim Marsden will be traveling all the way from the United Kingdom to compete in the Team Odyssey vehicle. Jim is no stranger to “King of The Hammers” having raced in both the Smittybilt Every Man Challenge and the Griffin King of The Hammers categories in 2013.

Mopar is scheduled to participate in both the 2014 and 2015 editions the Smittybilt Every Man Challenge Race as part of the 8th Annual Griffin King of The Hammers presented by Nitto Tire. The HEMI-powered vehicles also will compete in the following four Trail-Gear Western Regional ULTRA4 Series events:

·         May 30-31– Nor Cal Stampede in Sacramento, CA
·         July 11-12 – ULTRA4 Glen Helen Grand Prix in San Bernardino, CA
·         July 22-23 – American Rocksports Challenge in Tooele, UT
·         Oct 17-18 – Nitto Tire National Championship in Las Vegas (Moapa), NV

From its humble beginnings in 2007 as an invitation, non-spectator race involving 12 teams battling for bragging rights, Cole, founder of event, has seen its popularity grow exponentially. It now includes more than 300 teams competing in front of more than 35,000 spectators who descend on the area, creating a small make-shift town dubbed “Hammertown.” An additional 500,000 viewers previously have watched the online live broadcast and even more are expected to log on for this year’s event at ultra4racing.com/live/.

Casey Currie

Casey Currie Racing–Currie starts off 2014 King Of The Hammers with a podium finish

Currie starts off 2014 King Of The Hammers with a podium finish
 
Johnson Valley, CA. 2-6-14 – Tuesday marked the first days of qualifying for the multiple races being held at the 2014 Griffin King Of The Hammers. Casey Currie qualified the Currie Racing UTV, Modified Rock Crawler and Ultra 4 on the 1.2-mile course. The course featured a high-speed start along with numerous sections of rock variations. A total of 19 UTV’s qualified for Wednesdays race, with a time of 6:14.8 that set Currie at a 14th starting position. 34 UTV’s are registered for KOH UTV race.

The UTV race course would be 120 miles of punishing terrain. Rock sections would curse numerous racers and cause bottlenecks. Currie immediately put the pass on the slower UTV’s and quickly made his way towards the leaders. By race mile 51, Currie had gained 8 positions. Gaining these spots would give Currie the upper-hand and get ahead of the major bottlenecks. Currie pushed the Monster Energy Kawasaki Teryx’s stock motor to the limits across the dry lake bed and after a grueling 6 hours of racing, Casey and co-driver, Oren, would cross the finish taking a final podium position, 3rd place.  Along with Casey finishing, brother, Cody Currie would capture a 2nd place finish in the sportsman UTV class in his #22 Kawasaki Teryx.

Today Currie will be competing in the Smittybilt Every Man Challenge and will be the first off the line as he pulled off the number 1 qualifying spot on Tuesday. The #88 Modified Crawler will be going up against 38 other competitors.

Bigfoot

BIGFOOT in the UK!

As a firmly established part of the driver roster at Team BIGFOOT HQ in St Louis Missouri, JR brings a wealth of experience to his driving job.  He is “over the moon” to have a chance at racing for European fans all over Europe. We will bring you a more in-depth interview with JR in the coming weeks.

St. Louis, MO/Daventry, Northamptonshire, U.K. (February 3, 2014) –  For the first time ever in Europe, there will be not one, not two, but THREE BIGFOOT® Monster trucks all in one place at the same time!

European Monster Truck Racing Champion and Truckfest fan-favorite BIGFOOT #17 is joined, for the first time ever, by JR Adams driving the multi championship winning Firestone US BIGFOOT. Joining the two race trucks will be the all new for 2014 RETROFOOT 10-seater BIGFOOT ride truck.

RETROFOOT is a newly rebuilt Retro ride truck, giving its passengers the real monster truck experience. Its leaf spring suspension, which monster trucks ran for many years, reveals just how tough the sports pioneers were!  Retrofoot is Europe’s ONLY MTRA certified ride truck – just one more way that the Live Promotions team is proving that visitor safety is their top priority.

Only one team of event promoters could have had the imagination, vision, and resources to bring about an event of this magnitude.  Promoters of the hugely successful Truckfest, and BIG fans of the whole BIGFOOT Team, Live Promotions has been booking trucks from The Original Monster Truck® family for a decade.

Late in 2013, event director Bob Limming contacted BIGFOOT #17 driver Nigel Morris and said the words that would change history, “Nigel, I want another BIGFOOT truck at Truckfest this year!”  Numerous Trans-Atlantic calls between Morris and Bob Trent, BIGFOOT 4X4, Inc.’s VP of Sponsorships & Business Development, followed, resulting in this unprecedented 2014 BIGFOOT Invasion.

Casey Currie

Casey Currie Racing–CASEY CURRIE JOINS THE BFGOODRICH TEAM IN 2014

CASEY CURRIE JOINS THE BFGOODRICH TEAM IN 2014
 
Corona, CA (February 3, 2014) — Preparing for the 2014 season, Pro Lite Champion Casey Currie welcomes BFGoodrich Tires as the newest partner to his race and lifestyle programs. BFGoodrich will support not only Currie’s racing efforts in both the Lucas Oil Off Road series and TORC series, but multiple projects off the track including his new Cruise-Race-Crawl Jeep customization program, CRC.
 
“I am very excited to be a part of the BF Goodrich team this year,” said Currie. “I won my last championship with them and I am looking forward to getting the title back! Not only have they been a big support on the racing side of things, the brand has moved in a great direction outside of racing as well, and I’m excited to move forward with them on the lifestyle side. We have a lot of fun events planned this year, and with the expansion into some new markets and some additional surprises from BFG, 2014 is going to be awesome.”
 
Returning to the BFGoodrich Team after a Pro-Lite-Championship win on the team in 2010, Casey’s racing and enthusiast-based programs go hand-in-hand with the BFGoodrich commitment to provide the highest performance tires to both racers and enthusiasts.
 
“We are excited to welcome Casey back home this year,” said Peter Calhoun, Motorsports Manager for BFGoodrich Tires. “Casey, like us, is not only about performance but also about connecting with driving enthusiasts. The partnership with Casey in LOORRS Pro Lite helps strengthen both our motorsports program, as well as our brand’s lifestyle attributes.”

Mopar Racing

Mopar Racing–Mopar in the Staging Lanes for the NHRA 2014 Season

Mopar in the Staging Lanes for the NHRA 2014 Season
Season-Long Celebration of 50th Anniversary of the Iconic 426 HEMI® Planned
 
·         Mopar kicks off 2014 NHRA season this weekend in Pomona, Ca.
·         2014 marks 50th anniversary of the introduction of the Gen II 426 Race HEMI®
·         Mopar heads into 2014 Pro Stock competition with Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Allen Johnson as back-to back NHRA Champions
·         Hagan and Beckman looking to battle for their second Funny Car championship titles in 2014 after second and third place finishes respectively last season
·         Mopar will display a heritage wall at NHRA events, provide prizes packages for fans, a new merchandise product line, and more in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the HEMI this season
 

Auburn Hills, Mich. (February 4, 2014) –With a total of four world championship titles won in the past three years, the Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand, has plenty of reasons to be excited about the upcoming 2014 National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season which will feature 24 national race events and is set to kick-off this coming weekend in Pomona, Ca. at the historic Auto Club Raceway. Adding to the anticipation are Mopar’s plans for a year-long commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the legendary Gen II 426 Race HEMI® engine.

First introduced in 1964, a new second generation HEMI engine measuring 426 cubic inches was built specifically to win races. There were two versions– one called the “Circuit” or “Track” engine and the other the “Acceleration” or “Drag” engine.

While it made its racing debut with a win at NASCAR’s Daytona 500, that same year in NHRA competition, legendary driver Don Garlits became the first to break the 200-mph barrier with a Gen II 426 Race HEMI-powered car travelling the quarter-mile straight-line distance in 7.78 seconds at 201.34 mph. Garlits then went on to use that HEMI power to win the first of eight titles at the prestigious U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis.

Five decades later, Mopar heads into a new season of NHRA drag racing after celebrating back-to-back HEMI-powered Pro Stock world championships title in 2012 and 2013 by Allen Johnson and Jeg Coughlin Jr. respectively, along with Funny Car World titles in 2011 and 2012, earned by Don Schumacher Racing drivers Matt Hagan and Jack Beckman.

Mopar returns to Pro Stock competition this season with just two entries powered by HEMI engines tuned by Roy Johnson. Defending world champion Coughlin and teammate Johnson finished 1-2 in the points standing in 2013 and had four national title wins apiece. Both are looking to battle for the title once again this year. 

“We are really jacked up,” said Coughlin who will once again pilot the JEGS.com Mopar Dodge. “We’re ready to start the fight, and for sure it’s going to be a fight, just like every season. We’re looking at the Winternationals as Step 1 of the many steps it will take to win our sixth Pro Stock championship.

“There have been changes across the Pro Stock spectrum, not just with our team, with lots of mergers and drivers moving around so it should be interesting to see how all these moves work out,” added Coughlin. “We’re down to two cars now, so the focus will be even more intense, which should be good all the way around. The support from Mopar and the staff over there remains at a phenomenal level. It’s our job now to go out there and win them a third straight title.”

“Mopar is celebrating 50 years of the HEMI and we aim to add some more Wallys and battle hard for another Championship as our contribution to the festivities,” said Johnson. “We’re focused and excited and ready to go. Ideally we’ll be shooting to finish 1-2 again but it would be nice to do it in reverse order this time.”

In the battle for the 2014 Funny Car world championship, Don Schumacher Racing will once again have four Dodge Chargers R/T entries vying for the crown. Hagan, who won his first NHRA championship for Mopar in 2011, will premiere a new Mopar Express Lane scheme on his Funny Car this season after coming so very close to winning a second world title by finishing runner-up with nine final round appearances and five victories in 2013, the most of anyone in the class.

“2013 was a great year of us and we finished really strong with a win at Pomona in the end,” said Hagan after beating the John Force, the 2013 NHRA champion, in the final round of the season. “We won more than anyone in the class, but it’s just the way the cards fell in the Countdown.”

In contrast, Beckman raced hard without a visit to the winner’s circle in defense of his 2012 world title but still ended up right behind his teammate with a third place finish in the championship.

Fellow DSR driver Ron Capps returns behind the wheel of his Mopar for his 20th season as a professional driver after finishing sixth in the standings last season. He has had four runner-up finishes for the championship in that span, but his hope this year is to go just a step further and win that elusive world title.

The new addition to the Mopar line-up is veteran driver Tommy Johnson Jr., a nine-time national event winner in the series, who takes over from Johnny Gray who finished ninth last year for Mopar with his career best season total of four wins.

At various NHRA events throughout the season, fans are encouraged to visit the Mopar display to view a beautiful heritage wall celebrating the 50 year legacy of the GEN II 426 Race HEMI, participate in contests with special HEMI merchandise as prizes, put their signature a HEMI birthday card and much more as part of the numerous marketing initiatives and events nationwide.

As part of the celebrations, at both NHRA events and on-line at WearMopar.com, a new product line of Mopar merchandise featuring the HEMI 50th anniversary logo will be available with items that include clothing, decorative lighting, clocks, a pub table, stools and much more.

 

Summit Racing

Summit Racing–Line Embraces Fresh Challenge as Season Begins in Pomona

Line Embraces Fresh Challenge as Season Begins in Pomona
 

Mooresville, N.C., February 5, 2014 – Jason Line and the Summit Racing team have faced and overcome many challenges during their tenure together, with a collective 105 national event wins and six NHRA Pro Stock world championships stand as testament. The group will have another opportunity to display their determined and resilient nature when they enter the 2014 season of NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series under circumstances that have never before been a factor. For the first time in his illustrious career, Line will compete at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona at the Circle K NHRA Winternationals, the first of 24 events on the tour, without teammate Greg Anderson.

Instead, eight-time FIA Pro Stock champion Jimmy Alund will be piloting Anderson’s Summit Racing Equipment/KB Racing Chevrolet Camaro for the first six events while the decorated driver is out of the seat for the first six races for scheduled surgery to repair a bicuspid aortic heart valve.
 
“It will certainly be strange – I’ve never been to a Pro Stock race without Greg Anderson,” admitted Line. “This is something that is a priority, though. Of course, Greg didn’t want to miss any races, but the rest of us were thinking, ‘Buddy, you take care of yourself. Do what you have to do.’ It’s going to be very strange, for sure, but the Summit Racing team has been faced with plenty of challenges in the past, and this is simply another that we will have the opportunity to overcome. We look forward to Greg’s return in a couple months, and we hope we make him proud while he’s away from the racetrack.”
 
Alund, one of the most successful Pro Stock drivers in Europe, is very familiar with the KB Racing team and their equipment. In 2013, the Swedish racer won five of six events of the FIA European Championship season, was No. 1 qualifier at each race, and reset both ends of the series Pro Stock record with a KB Racing engine under the hood of his 2012 J&J Performance Camaro.
 
“It’ll be fun to have Jimmy on board,” said Line. “He has some similar traits to Greg. He’s a real go-getter with a serious drive to win, and I think we’ll learn a few things from him.”
 
While Alund drives the already-familiar blue Summit Racing Chevrolet Camaro, Line will also be in familiar territory as he slides in behind the wheel of what was formerly the silver Summit Racing Camaro. The car had been crashed at a test session last fall with Line behind the wheel but now returns to rotation repaired, ready, and with a fresh coat of brilliant blue paint to match the Chevrolet that Alund will command.
 
The Summit Racing team is rounding out the last few days of the off-season at the newly resurfaced Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park near Phoenix and putting in one final test session before making the short journey to Pomona to participate in a race that Line has won twice (2009 and 2011) and where he was No. 1 qualifier in 2012.
 
“We always like returning to Pomona, especially for this race,” said Line. “The first race of the season is a fresh page for everybody. We have some interesting challenges to deal with, but the Summit Racing team has put in a lot of hours and effort during the off-season. Hopefully, it shows.”

John Force Racing

John Force Racing Readies for Winternationals

COURTNEY FORCE EAGER TO REPEAT AT WINTERNATIONALS

POMONA, Calif. (February 5, 2014) – The NHRA Mello Yello Series 24-race schedule begins this week with the 54th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif.  Defending Winternationals Champion, Courtney Force, has had one busy off season, but the 25-year-old Traxxas Funny Car pilot is looking to win this weekend, making it two-in-a-row for her Ford Mustang team.

At the 2013 Winternationals, Force qualified in the No. 1 spot and dismissed Phil Burkart Jr., Matt Hagan, Bob Tasca III, and Ron Capps to claim the title and  become just the second woman in NHRA history (after older sister Ashley Force Hood) to lead the Funny Car point standings.

“I’m excited to be going into Pomona as the defending champ in Funny Car and I absolutely cannot wait to get our Traxxas Ford Mustang back on a familiar track. It’s great coming out here because this is my home track and I’m excited to kick off the new year in hopes of taking home another win at the Winternationals,” said the youngest daughter of legend John Force.

This is her third year racing in the Top Fuel Funny Car category. The 2012 Auto Club Rookie of the Year has three national event wins under her belt, three No. 1 qualifiers and eight final rounds. In the past two years, Force has qualified for each event on the circuit and has won 53 rounds of racing on Sunday.

“It’s crazy to think I’m already going into my third year of Funny Car. Every season I learn something new and I’m eager to get back out there and see what we can accomplish this year.  Each year, I set my standards for myself a little higher and hope to continue to improve as a driver, but as a team, we have our eyes set on that Championship,” said Force.

John Force Racing teams traveled to West Palm Beach, Fla. For pre-season testing, putting them back on track to win their 19th team championship in 2014.

“We tested in West Palm Beach to prepare for the upcoming season and as a driver, I’m back at it in the gym. I’m working out to be physically prepared as well as practicing my reaction times to be more mentally prepared for getting back in the seat and driving,” said Force.

Both Courtney and her sister Brittany will take part in the NHRA press conference in Pasadena before the race weekend starts and participating in various media opportunities in the area.

“It was a long off-season so I’m more than ready to be back piloting my Traxxas Ford Mustang Funny Car. I’m eager to be back on the road and back in my routine- that’s the hardest part when you’ve been out of the seat for so long. I need to get back in, brush the dust off and hopefully pick up from where I left off in November,” said Force.

BRITTANY FORCE READY TO START SOPHOMORE TOP FUEL SEASON

POMONA, Calif. – When the 10,000 horsepower BOSS 500 engine of the Castrol EDGE Dragster fires up at the 2014 Circle K NHRA Winternationals, February 7-9, it will not be soon enough for driver Brittany Force, who is pumped and ready to climb back into the cockpit. There is also a renewed focus for the 2013 NHRA Rookie of the Year as she will be a serious player going into her sophomore season in the highly competitive Top Fuel class.   She will be rolling into Auto Club Raceway with a newly canopied Top Fuel Dragster and a new crew chief Todd Smith.

“I am looking forward to racing with Todd Smith as my crew chief. Guido (Dean Antonelli) is still working on my car and I they will work really well together. We made some good laps during testing and I am ready to get the season started,” said Force who narrowly missed the Countdown last season. 

Looking back, the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello season was a steep learning curve for the newest racing Force. “It was really great to be at the NHRA banquet and take home the Auto Club Road to the Future Award as NHRA’s top rookie, not just for Castrol, but for all of John Force Racing. It really proved all our hard work paid off in the end,” explained Brittany Force. Her consistent driving skills in handling one of the fastest accelerating vehicles on the planet proved to her competitors in the next lane that she meant business.

During the offseason, many drivers are restless and can’t wait for the NHRA season opener in Pomona. All they do is count down the days until they’re back in the seat, strapped in, throw the ignition switch and fire up their supercharged race cars ready to assault the drag strip like a guided missile. Force is just like the drivers she races against, with a competitive spirit deep within their soul that’s adrenalin fueled. “It was nice to get some down time once the season ended and hang out with my family and friends. But after a while, you start to get bored and want to get back on the track. I’m so ready and even anxious to get out to Pomona and get this season started, driving the Castrol EDGE Dragster,” commented Force.

Force, along with her fellow John Force Racing teammates, headed to Palm Beach International Raceway for the PRO Winter Warm Up last month. “It felt great to come down to Florida and test because I haven’t been in the dragster for over two months. Being out of the driver’s seat for that length of time, it feels like taking a step back,” voiced Brittany Force. “I was nervous at first but then I went back into my routine, got focused and then the nerves immediately went away.”

During testing, Brittany also had the opportunity to race her father the first time to the delight of the crowd. “It was very cool to race my dad, I wish the outcome would’ve been different.  It was pretty crazy. Just running him that one time makes me think I could never be in Funny Car. We had about 100 pep talks. I was fine going up there. I don’t ever worry or try and think about who I am running. He had me so worked up about him being in the other lane. He was just trying to help me but it was a little too much,” said Brittany Force. 

On the eve of heading into Pomona, Brittany is more determined and focused despite the challenges of Top Fuel racing. “I’m still learning something every time I get in the car, but our goal for 2014 is to qualify in the top half of the field at every event and get a few wins for the Castrol EDGE team,”  concluded Force.

Pomona is considered a home track for Force. It’s filled with childhood memories of watching her legendary father drive his Funny Cars down the sacred grounds of Auto Club Raceway to numerous wins and championships. With some luck, she will make her own history at this year’s Circle K NHRA Winternationals and pilot her Castrol EDGE Dragster to a victory.   

 

JOHN FORCE TO COME OUT SWINGING AT NHRA SEASON OPENER

POMONA, Calif. – In 2013, John Force won his 16th NHRA Funny Car championship, an unprecedented record by any stretch of the imagination. But that was last year and he knows he’ll have a bigger target on his back, even if it’s from fellow team teammates and family members Courtney Force and Robert Hight. As the Castrol/JFR Teams roll into the hallowed grounds of Auto Club Raceway for the 54th running of the NHRA Circle K Winternationals, all eyes will be on this 64-year-old racing icon, but that’s nothing new to John Force as he starts his 37th pro season. He’ll be driving his 8000-horsepower Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang in pursuit of a 17th NHRA Mello Yello Funny Car Championship.

At the conclusion of the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing season, the newly crowned 16-time champion tried to get some R&R with his family but it’s not always that easy. “We didn’t have much of an offseason but it did give us a chance to get caught up on business things. We did spend a couple weeks in Lake Tahoe with the family and that was nice,” said Force, the winningest driver in NHRA history. “We’re still chasing corporate America for 2015 but luckily we’re financially stable right now through the end o
f this season with Castrol, Ford, Auto Club, Traxxas, Mac Tools and others.”

As soon as the ball dropped in Times Square heralding in the New Year, John was itching to get back in his Castrol GTX High-Mileage Mustang Funny Car. Before he could slip into his fireproof suit, Force headed to the North American International Auto Show in the Motor City. Force was a guest of Ford Motor Company and took part in the “Behind the Blue Oval” media event. He mixed it up with 2012 NASCAR champ Brad Keselowski and Ford NASCAR racing legends Ned and Dale Jarret. Ken Block, Vaughn Gittin Jr., Brian Deegan and Ozz Negri were also part the Ford Racing discussion. With bloggers and members of the media firing off questions to the drivers, SCCA Trans Am legend Dorsey Schroeder had his hands full being the master of ceremonies during this standing room only event.  

From Detroit, Force hopped on a plane and headed Florida for the annual PRO Winter Warm Up at Palm Beach International Raceway. Here, he met up with his fellow team drivers Brittany, Courtney and Robert Hight, and used this event to test a variety of components in their supercharged racing machines before heading west to Pomona.  “Being down here testing at Palm Beach International Raceway gives you a head start on the season when it opens at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona. A lot of teams don’t have the budgets, they come here, run for a day or two but luckily we can test for five days,” commented Force. 

The PRO Winter Warm Up brought nitro Top Fuel Dragsters and Funny Cars to southern Florida and was a real treat for the fans. They also had had a surprise that has hasn’t happened on a drag strip in over a decade, pairing up a Top Fueler and Funny Car. “We had some fun racing Brittany in her Castrol EDGE Dragster in the final. Something the fans haven’t seen since the Winston No-Bull Shootout back in 1999 and 2000. I remember racing (Bob) Vandergriff (Jr.) in his dragster and was lucky enough to get the win despite both of us smoking the tires. I don’t know if I’ll get the chance to race Brittany again in my lifetime so it was very special,” said a thrilled Force.

 

ROBERT HIGHT GEARED UP FOR RUN AT CHAMPIONSHIP STARTING IN POMONA

YORBA LINDA, CA (February 5, 2014) — Robert Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang will roll into Auto Club Raceway at Pomona ready to continue the dominant streak John Force Racing has established at the season opening Circle K NHRA Winternationals. JFR has won season opening Winternationals twelve times; John Force, 6 times (most recently 2012); Robert Hight, 3 times (most recently 2011); Tony Pedregon, twice and Courtney Force, once (2013). The team has won the last four Winternationals; John Force 2010 and 2012, Robert Hight 2011, and Courtney Force 2013.

“I don’t know what it is but there are some tracks where you just feel really comfortable racing. Auto Club Raceway is one of those places. We have been able to get in the winner’s circle pretty consistently at Auto Club Raceway but we don’t take that for granted. I love racing there and there is so much excitement at the Winternationals. We are ready after a good test session in Florida,” said Hight, who finished 5th in the Mello Yello point standings.

“I know I am always excited to do well at the Winternationals because everyone starts from the same spot in the points. You want to start strong and try and get some momentum. We want to do well for all our sponsors especially Auto Club of Southern California.”

Teamed with crew chief Mike Neff for the first time at the Winternationals Hight is looking forward to a full season with the two-time Mello Yello championship tuner. Last year Hight and Neff were teamed up for the last half of the season and won the prestigious Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals as well as the NHRA Carolina Nationals.

“Getting the win at the U.S. Nationals and then starting the Countdown with a win in Charlotte were the two highlights for us last year for sure. We didn’t finish the season where we wanted to but you look at how Force got after we won and I don’t know that anyone could have stopped him and Jimmy. We are a team so we win together. Neff and I talked a lot over the off-season and we had a good tests session in Florida. We will be ready,” said Hight.

John Force Racing has won six of last eight Winternationals; Hight, 2006, 2008 and 2011; John Force, 2010 and 2012: Courtney Force, 2013. In 1999 JFR started season with eight consecutive wins; the longest consecutive win streak for team. In 2012 JFR started season with six consecutive wins.

“John got hot at the end of last season and we got hot in Countdown in 2009. We have started the season hot a couple of times but for me I want to be dominant for a whole season. You haven’t seen that in a while and I think it is because this Funny Car class is so competitive. If you go back to 2007 before John won last year there were six different Funny Car champions,” said Hight.

For Hight starting a personal win streak at the 54th annual Circle K Winternationals would start the momentum the 2009 Funny Car champion at one of his favorite tracks.

Summit Racing

Summit Racing–European Pro Stock Champion Jimmy Alund to Drive for KB Racing on Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Tour

European Pro Stock Champion Jimmy Alund to Drive for
KB Racing on Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Tour
 
 
Eight-time FIA Pro Stock champion Jimmy Alund will be piloting a Summit Racing Equipment/KB Racing Camaro for the first six events of the 2014 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.

Alund will be driving Greg Anderson’s Summit Racing Camaro beginning with the 54th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals, February 6-9 at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California. Anderson will be out of the driver’s seat for the first three months of the season due to scheduled surgery.
 
“It’s really not a big deal,” Anderson explained about his condition. “I was born with a bicuspid aortic heart valve (two valve openings instead of three). It’s something we’ve kept track of over the years, and my doctor has decided it’s time to make some repairs so I stay in good shape. I will miss the first few races of the season, but once the doctor says I’m good to go, I’m gonna be right back at it looking for another Pro Stock championship.”
 
Alund is one of the most successful Pro Stock drivers in Europe, winning championships each year from 2004 through 2009 as well as 2011 and 2013. In 2013, the Swedish racer qualified Number One at all six events of the FIA European Championships season, won five of those six events, and reset the Pro Stock ET and Top Speed records (6.534 seconds, 213.31 miles per hour).
 
Part of Alund’s winning formula was the KB Racing engine under the hood of his 2012 J&J Performance Camaro. It was that connection and Alund’s 2013 performance that got him the nod to drive the Summit Racing Camaro while Greg Anderson recuperates.
 
“I’m really honored to be a part of this organization,” Alund said about KB Racing. “I have some big shoes to fill—Greg is one of the best Pro Stock drivers in the world, bar none. I believe that I’m up to the challenge, though. I’m looking forward to helping KB Racing win another championship.”
 
“Just like Greg and Jason Line, I’m a hands-on guy—I work on my own race car alongside my team,” Alund continued. “I hope my experience will be valuable to the KB Racing team. It always helps to have a new set of eyes on the car.”
 
Alund has competed in NHRA Pro Stock Racing before, running several national events during the 2010 season. The experience gave him a taste of what American professional class drag racing is all about.
 
“In the U.S., you are running against the best of the best,” Alund explained. ”After all, this is the home of drag racing, so you expect that. We don’t race full-time in Europe like the pro teams do here, but racing is racing—we are just as competitive as the racers in America. This is a great opportunity for me to show that to American race fans.”
 
Alund will be testing in Phoenix, Arizona prior to the season-opening Circle K NHRA Winternationals. He and teammate Jason Line will begin the Winternationals with two qualifying sessions on Friday, February 7.