CHEVROLET RACING IN NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATIOLUCAS OIL NHRA NATIONALS BRAINERD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY, BRAINERD, MINNESOTA AUG. 22, 2021 Chevrolet points to regular-season finale at Indianapolis No. 1 qualifier Brittany Force sets Top Fuel track speed record at 334.98 mph
BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 22, 2021) – Brittany Force drove the Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster to her fifth National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier in a row, broke her own track speed record and advanced to the semifinals of the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway.
Force, who won for the 11th time in her career a week earlier, posted a track-record speed of 334.98 mph in earning her seventh top qualifier honor in 12 Top Fuel races as part of the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series regular season. A streak of five No. 1s was last accomplished by Larry Dixon in 2009.
After a solo run in the first round of eliminations, Force ran low elapsed time of the event at 3.672 seconds in defeating Antron Brown. A mechanical issue early in her semifinal pass prevented the Chevy dragster from advancing to the final for the fourth time this season.
To win this championship, yes we need to win races, but if we keep hanging in there, going rounds, No. 1 qualifiers, I know we’re still in a good position,” she said.
Teammates John Force, the No. 10 qualifier in the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS, and No. 6 qualifier Robert Hight in the Automotive Club of Southern California Camaro SS, fell in the first round of Funny Car competition. Force has a 78-23 round record at Brainerd International Raceway, where he’s won 11 times.
Chevrolet Pro Stock drivers rejoin the schedule at the U.S. Nationals on Sept. 3-5 in Indianapolis. KB Racing’s Greg Anderson, driver of the HendrickCars.com Camaro SS, is the points leader as he seeks to tie Warren Johnson’s class record of 97 wins. Five different drivers of the Camaro SS have won at least once through the 10 races.
Drivers of the Chevrolet COPO Camaro will also be in action in the sixth round of the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown. COPO Camaro drivers have won four of the events, most recently by John Cerbone at Topeka.FOX will telecast eliminations from the U.S. Nationals live at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 5.
CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT
TOP FUEL:
BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY/ FLAV-R-PAC CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (No. 1 qualifier, fell in semifinals): “We’re still looking into what happened on that last run. It shook really hard and it wasn’t going to drive through it, it was going to go into tire smoke. Still trying to figure out what went wrong on the run. Overall, it was a good day. We made a semifinal round appearance. To win this championship, yes we need to win races, but if we keep hanging in there, going rounds, No. 1 qualifiers, I know we’re still in a good position. It’s in our range, we’re chasing it down, we’re going after that championship.”
FUNNY CAR:
ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 6 qualifier, fell in first round; secured spot in Countdown to the Championship): “We’re definitely not where we want to be. Something happened, something mechanical, on that run. It shut off, I think it threw the clutch out of it. We have to get our act together. This is the time of the year where you better have everything together or you better be testing. That’s what this Auto Club Chevy is going to do.”
JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK ANTIFREEZE AND COOLANT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (No. 10 qualifier, fell in first round; secured spot in Countdown to the Championship): “That run was pretty exciting. That’s why I drive a fuel Funny Car. End of the day, every point counts, every round counts. What counts is making the Countdown or you don’t have a chance at winning the championship, and we did that this weekend. Didn’t go the way we wanted today. My best car, Robert Hight, was out, and I was right behind him. Luckily, Brittany went some rounds.”