Chevrolet Racing

Courtney Force turns attention to Atlanta after early exit in Four-Wide Nationals

Courtney Force turns attention to Atlanta
after early exit in Four-Wide Nationals

CONCORD, N.C. (April 30) – Courtney Force made an early exit in Sunday’s Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway after hitting the wall in the opening round of the Funny Car race.

Force, the No 1 qualifier for the third consecutive NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series race in the Funny Car category, recorded a strong reaction time and looked to advance to the next round in the Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS. But the car drifted toward the right and hit the wall, disqualifying her run and damaging the right side of the car.

Force was checked and released by the NHRA’s medical and safety team.

“The car left hard and was flying down the race track,” Force said. “If you look at all the incremental times, we were on a good run. It started spinning down track, and that is something we need to fix up. We shouldn’t be having those problems in first round.

“It started spinning, and as soon as I got out of the throttle, it immediately dropped four cylinders on the right side and took me straight into the wall. It was hard to avoid it at that point.”

The car sustained damage, meaning that Force and her team will be utilizing a backup machine for next weekend’s NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Ga., “just to be safe,” she said.

“The chassis didn’t look like it was in bad shape or anything but we are going to take it back and just check everything before we try and run a race with it,” said Force, now seventh in the Funny Car points standings. “I feel good about it because we have already tested with this chassis and body in Indianapolis awhile back and we know this Camaro is good as well.”

JFR teammates John Force and Robert Hight advanced to the second round, but both were eliminated there. Sister Brittany Force, the 2016 race winner in Top Fuel, also dropped out in the first round.

The NHRA Southern Nationals begins Friday with two rounds of qualifying, with another two rounds Saturday. Elimination rounds are scheduled for Sunday, May 7.