Monster Energy driver Brittany Force started
Eastern Swing with a victory; can she end with one?
NORWALK, Ohio (June 20) – Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster driver Brittany Force started the four-race “Eastern Swing” with a victory.
Now, she’s ready to close this segment of the 2017 NHRA season with another win – this time at the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals this weekend at Summit Racing Motorsports Park.
“We did pretty well last year in Norwalk and went to the semifinals,” Force said. “But this year, we’re coming back and want to take it all the way. It’s the ending stretch of our four in a row, and there’s no better place to bring home another win than Norwalk before we start the Western Swing.”
The current four-race stretch began at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H., where Force took the Monster Energy dragster to the New England Nationals winner’s circle. That capped a season turnaround for Force and the team, which had reworked Force’s race car and fought through some struggles with the clutch tune-up.
Force continued to be strong after Epping, racing to the semifinals at Englishtown and to the quarterfinals at Bristol. She’s qualified fifth or better in each of the three races of the Eastern Swing.
Now she heads to Norwalk, where she earned a semifinal finish a year ago, hoping to continue momentum through to the Western Swing and the Countdown to the Championship later in the season.
“We want to win in Norwalk,” Force said. “The season seems like it has flown by. I don’t know where it went. We’re getting closer to Brainerd and Indy, and then the Countdown begins. We’re all hungry for it, we’re ready for it, and we’d love to bring home a win in Norwalk.”
Norwalk is a favorite stop on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series tour, especially its famed ice cream.
“I’m sorry to let you all down, but I’m not an ice cream fan,” Force said. “I’ve never been an ice cream fan, so I always skip the stand. I’m more of a frozen yogurt fan. But my mom and my sisters all stand in that line all day long to get their bucket of ice cream – and so will my team. Norwalk is a fun one just because they do special stuff like that.”
Two rounds of qualifying are slated for Friday (5:15 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. Eastern) and Saturday (12:45 and 3:15 p.m.), with final eliminations at 11 a.m. Sunday.
Fox Sports 1 will televise one hour of qualifying on Friday (10:30 p.m. Eastern) and Saturday (midnight). FS1 plans three hours of finals coverage at 6 p.m. Sunday.
4-Second Reads:
Brittany Force has competed in four races at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park and every race since 2014.
Force is looking for her first finals appearance. She has made it to the semifinals in 2016.
Force is 4-3 in seven elimination-round races at Norwalk.
Force’s best qualifying effort came in 2016, when she was No. 3.
Force is 3-0 in first-round elimination races at Summit Motorsports Park.
Force is currently sixth in Top Fuel points standings.
In her career, Force has four victories, 101 elimination-round wins and six No. 1 qualifying spots.
Force’s most recent NHRA victory – 2017 New England at Dragway in Epping, N.H.
Force’s most recent No. 1 qualifying effort – 2016 NHRA Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, Ill.
Force’s best time/speed at Norwalk – 3.735 seconds (2016); 329.83 (2016)
Force’s best time/speed of career – 3.674 seconds (2017 Topeka Q3); 333.66 (2017 Topeka E1)