JOHN FORCE HAS CHAMPIONSHP WITHIN HIS GRASP AGAIN

ENNIS, TX (October 14, 2015) — Overcoming long odds and big deficits is nothing new to John Force or the NHRA’s Countdown to One championship format. Heading into the 30th annual AAA Texas FallNationals John Force and his Traxxas logoed Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car are 150 points out of first place and sit in the No. 6 position in the Mello Yello point standings. History might be on Force’s side once again.

In 2008 with three races left in season Cruz Pedregon was in 6th place in the points and 115 points away from the title. Pedregon won the last three races and cruised to his second Funny Car championship. He was 93 points ahead at the end of the season a remarkable 203 point improvement over three races on the No. 1 driver.

In 2009 Force’s own teammate Robert Hight entered the Countdown as the No. 10 driver and he picked up three wins and essentially wrapped up the title by the conclusion of the fifth race. Hight only needed to qualify at the season ending Auto Club Finals to win his first Funny Car championship.

The winningest driver in NHRA history can also draw on his own experience and strength to fashion another championship run. In 2010 Force lost in the first round of the Keystone Nationals and had to watch Matt Hagan race to victory and 64 point lead in the points with only two races left in the season. Force wound up winning his 15th championship by 42 points after winning Las Vegas and Pomona to close out the championship season. In two races Force had dropped a 106 points advantage on the point leader.

“I am never going to give until they hand someone else the trophy. I have a great team led by (crew chief) Jon Schaffer and a bunch of young kids. A lot of them have never been in a championship chase so I have to remind them we are still in this championship battle. We had a tough weekend in Reading but Dallas and the Texas Motorplex are a new chance for us,” said Force.

In 2007 Force suffered the worst crash of his illustrious career breaking his arms and legs but not his spirit. After an off-season of excruciating rehabilitation and the support of his family and team Force was back testing in Phoenix and racing at Pomona less than four months after the accident.

“The doctors told me a good goal for me after the accident would be to walk with a cane. I told them to get me new doctors and that I wanted someone that could get me back in a race car. I was lucky to be at Baylor Hospital in Dallas where they take all the rodeo cowboys. Those guys have it a lot rougher than me. I got with the rehab people and they put a program together and I worked hard to get back into shape but it still took me a couple years,” said Force, who went on to win in Topeka of 2008 less than a year after the crash.

Force has said he has no plans to retire but one thing that he will accomplish before hanging up his fire suit is winning again at the famed all-concrete race track outside of Dallas. Built in 1986 by former Funny Car driver Billy Meyer the Texas Motorplex has become the template for every super track built on the NHRA tour.

“Billy used to stay with my Uncle Beavs (Gene Beaver) in California when he was starting out. He was a young kid chasing his dream and I can relate to that. He had a dream for a great race track and he built the Texas Motorplex,” said Force, a six-time FallNationals winner. “I love racing here because so many of my heroes are from Texas. Guys like Kenny Bernstein and Raymond Beadle. I want to win this weekend and get another championship but really I just want to put on a good show for the fans.”

Force will be racing a red Traxxas Funny Car and his daughter Courtney will be in a pink Traxxas Funny Car this weekend. In honor of the two Forces teaming up to support Traxxas, the fastest name in radio control, the Texas based company will be offering a special promotion during the FallNationals.

If either John or Courtney advances to the semi-finals, Traxxas will offer 10% off at Traxxas.com. If either driver advances to the Final, fans will get 20% off at Traxxas.com. If John or Courtney win fans will get 20% off at Traxxas.com plus a free DTS-1 Drag Timing System with the purchase of two Traxxas vehicles. Fans need to use discount code “FORCE” which will be valid through 11:59 pm on Monday October 19, 2015 if John or Courtney reach the semis, final, or win.

“We definitely want to get as many round wins as possible and save some money for the fans on these Traxxas radio controlled race cars and trucks. We want everyone to keep an eye on John Force Racing and be ready to save some money when we hopefully win this race,” said John Force. “The competition is tough and I am in a battle for the championship so this weekend is important. I’ll do my best and I know Courtney will be at the top of her game like she always is. She won this race last year and we’ll see if one of us can do it again.”

John Force will also have a Traxxas firesuit for this weekend and his team will be in special Traxxas uniforms throughout the race. Nitro qualifying for the 30th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals will begin on Friday, October 16 at 3:30 p.m.

WITH CHAMPIONSHIP ON HORIZON BRITTANY FORCE HEADS TO TEXAS MOTORPLEX

ENNIS, TX (October 14, 2015) — For third year Top Fuel driver the possibility of her first Top Fuel championship is achievable but she will have to have a monster effort over the last three races of the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season. Luckily Force has the backing of Monster Energy to give her team the kick it might need to chase two of the hottest Top Fuel teams this season including the winningest Top Fuel driver ever.

“We have had a really good season since Monster Energy came on board and we have gone rounds in the Countdown. Unfortunately there are a couple of teams that had a little bit of a head start in the points and they haven’t lost many rounds,” explained Force.

Force entered the Countdown as the No. 5 Top Fuel driver and she has moved up to the No. 3 position. She has raced to back-to-back semi-final finishes on the strength of qualifying No. 4 and No. 1. Unfortunately for her and the rest of the Top Fuel field Tony Schumacher started as No. 1 and Antron Brown came into the Countdown as the No. 2 driver and Brown has won the first three races and Schumacher has raced to a semi-final and a runner-up finish in the first three races.

With three races left the Monster Energy Top Fuel team is 194 points out of first place but a strong finish at the Texas Motorplex could go a long way in closing the gap on the leaders. In her rookie season Force qualified No. 10 and raced to the second round after beating David Grubnic in the first round. Last year Force narrowly missed the field and had to watch as her sister Courtney Force raced to the win in Funny Car.

“Last year was tough not qualifying. We just missed getting into the field but I try and take something positive from every race. We got refocused and raced to the final round in Reading a few weeks later. I am focused on getting qualified in the top half and having a long race day this weekend at the Texas Motorplex,” said Force.

The race weekend will get started for Force and her 16-time Funny Car championship winning father John at a Goodyear factory in Lawton, Oklahoma on Thursday. The additional appearances and media request help keep Force, the 2013 Rookie of the Year, focused on the task at hand.

“My dad has always told all of the drivers we have to take care of the fans, the sponsors and the media. I have had to do a few more interviews lately because we are pretty high in the points and that is a good thing. I also have been spending more time with sponsors learning the business. The fans are the best and especially at the Texas Motorplex. They are super positive and will always wish you well and that makes you feel good,” said Force, a six-time Top Fuel finalist.

“We are still looking for that first win and it would be cool to win at the Texas Motorplex. AAA Texas sponsors this race and they are the primary sponsor for Robert Hight and they are on all our race cars. You want to do well for all the sponsors but definitely at their races,” added Force.

AAA TEXAS FALLNATIONALS CHANCE FOR ROBERT HIGHT TO FINISH STRONG

ENNIS, TX (October 14, 2015) — The 2015 season for Robert Hight and the AAA Texas team has shown glimpses of greatness but not sustained success. The team raced to three semi-final finishes and a runner-up in the first six races. The team went into a test mindset with a focus on winning races that brought performance improvements that the entire team has shared in over the past two months during the middle of the season. For the Hight and his team a win in Brainerd and a runner-up finish at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals gave them a huge push heading into the Countdown but with three races left there are some unfulfilled goals.

A turnaround at the AAA NHRA Texas FallNationals would be a great start for the last three races of the season.

“Winning the AAA Texas FallNationals would be huge for us. We haven’t started the Countdown the way we planned but there are three races left and we have had success at all three. There is still a championship on the line and we want to do everything we can to make sure that championship trophy comes back to John Force Racing,” said Hight.

Known as one of the toughest competitors on the NHRA tour Hight has never lost focus on what his mindset should be heading into every race.

“Our mindset hasn’t changed all season. We had a tough weekend in Reading and everyone was kind of behind the eight ball. You can’t get discouraged by a bad race or a couple bad races. Every race you have to go into the race thinking you have a chance to win and this AAA Texas team definitely thinks that,” said Hight, who has two wins at the Texas Motorplex. “We have had some tough match-ups but we are taking responsibility ourselves and not blaming anyone. This is a strong team and I am looking forward to getting to the Texas Motorplex and having a good weekend. The weather should be good and I am excited to get to the original super track.

As a fan of the sport for almost three decades Hight has watched the growth of the sport and seen the impact that the Texas Motorplex has had on how drag racing is viewed across the country. As the track celebrates its 30th annual AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals Hight knows that track owner Billy Meyer deserves all the credit.

“The Motorplex is the first super track. When Billy Meyer built the Motorplex he built it as a performance facility and premier facility for the fans. I think the fans will see some exciting racing when we are there. Billy Meyer was a Funny Car racer and his vision for the Motorplex has led to track like Las Vegas, Charlotte and Chicago,” said Hight. ”We owe Billy a lot and you want to do well at the Texas Motorplex because this is a AAA Texas race but also because we have a lot of fans in Texas and the Dallas area. You see them on the ropes and they are cheering for us all weekend. I love the fans in Texas and it will be a busy weekend but also a weekend were I hope you’ll see this AAA Texas Chevrolet Camaro Funny Car going some rounds.”

COURTNEY FORCE DRIVEN TO DEFEND TITLE AT TEXAS MOTORPLEX

ENNIS, TX (October 14, 2015) — When Courtney Force steps back on the Texas Motorplex property this weekend, it will have been one year since the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing series standout qualified at the top of the Funny Car field and won the AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals to pick up her sixth career win. It was that successful Sunday that tied the youngest Force with Eric Medlen, a John Force Racing teammate and friend who passed away in 2007 during a testing accident.

“This is a very memorable race track for me and my team after picking up the win here last year and tying Eric Medlen’s six Funny Car wins. Winning back-to-back races was a huge accomplishment as well. Our success here as turned the difficult memories of my dad’s crash into more positive ones,” said Force.

In 2014 during the second qualifying session, team Traxxas made a 4.039 second run at 314 mph, a Motorplex track record in Funny Car for both ET and speed. She dismissed Tony Pedregon, Robert Hight, Tommy Johnson Jr. and Del Worsham on race day to claim her first win at the Motorplex in Ennis, Texas. It was her third victory of the season, all of which she won from the No. 1 starting spot on race day.

“Seeing the progression the Funny Cars have made throughout this season, I would be shocked if my records held up. I’m definitely going to try and beat my own records this coming weekend,” said Force.

Her first AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals victory tied her with Alexis DeJoria for the most Funny Car wins in a season by a female. Force broke the tie the very next weekend when she picked up her fourth victory of the 2014 season and seventh career Funny Car win overall at the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis. She became the first female to win back-to-back Funny Car races (Dallas and St. Louis).

“It helps going into a race knowing that you’ve had really good luck there. We can use that data from our win last season to help us navigate which direction to go. I think it helps give our team more of a solid foundation and some confidence to start the weekend,” said Force.

This is the hometown race of Force’s primary sponsor Traxxas, The Fastest Name in Radio Control. Traxxas came on board with Force at the start of her rookie season in 2012. This weekend, the 27-year-old driver will continue to support breast cancer awareness month in her pink Traxxas Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for the second race in a row, but will be joined by her father, John Force, who will run a red Traxxas Chevy Camaro SS Funny Car body.

In honor of the two Forces teaming up to support Traxxas the Texas-based company will be offering the Traxxas Double-Up Promotion, a special deal offered by the NHRA and Traxxas.

“I’m excited to be at Traxxas’ home track and hope we can get another win for them this weekend. We have double the chances of getting them a win this weekend since my dad will also be running a new Traxxas paint scheme,” said Force. “It’s really cool that my dad and I will be in Traxxas fire suits, helmets and both have Traxxas Funny Cars,” said Force.

If either John or Courtney advances to the semi-finals, Traxxas will offer 10% off at Traxxas.com. If either driver advances to the Final, fans will get 20% off at Traxxas.com. If John or Courtney win the AAA Texas FallNationals fans will get 20% off at Traxxas.com plus a free DTS-1 Drag Timing System with the purchase of two Traxxas vehicles. Fans need to use discount code “FORCE” which will be valid through 11:59 pm on Monday October 19, 2015 if John or Courtney reach the semis, final or win the race.

“I think this will be exciting for the fans to see the real father daughter team on the track and watch us both battle for the win. On top of it all, I think having the fans involved in the new promotion adds another level of excitement to the racing,” said Force.