CHEVROLET AT LAS VEGAS
What:
16th NHRA Toyota Nationals
When:
Friday, Oct. 28-Sunday, Oct. 30
Where:
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nevada
TV:
FS1: Qualifying –6 p.m. ET Friday (live)
FS1: Qualifying – 10 a.m. ET Sunday (taped highlights)
FS1: Eliminations and finals – 4 p.m. ET Sunday (live)
Chevrolet Drivers Seek Winning Hand in Las Vegas Round of the Countdown
Competitors in Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock Enter Penultimate Race of Season
DETROIT (Oct. 26, 2016) – Brittany Force acknowledges that her three Top Fuel victories and two runner-up finishes constitute a breakout National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) season. She’s reached numerous personal and team goals, with more attainable in the immediate future.
The fourth-year John Force Racing driver of the Monster Energy Chevrolet dragster is fourth in the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship standings entering the NHRA Toyota Nationals this weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
She’s 19 points out of third place and 41 points shy of second. Running the table in Vegas would be a springboard for an exciting conclusion to the season at the Auto Club NHRA Finals Nov. 11-13 at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California.
“I think doing well in Las Vegas will be a big factor for the championship,” said Force, who will compete in her 95th NHRA event. “Our goal is to have a chance to win the championship when we get to the Auto Club Finals in Pomona. We are going to do everything we can to be in a position where we can win. We go into every race thinking we can win and it starts with the first round of qualifying. This has been an amazing season and these last couple of races will be even more exciting with the championship on the line.”
Not since 1982, when Shirley Muldowney won her final Top Fuel championship, has a female Top Fuel racer finished higher than fourth in the standings.
Brittany Force’s Top Fuel progression:
Year
Races
Wins
R/U
Round Wins
Stgs.
2016
22
3
2
32
4
2015
24
0
2
25
7
2014
24
0
4
19
10
2013
24
0
0
10
13
In her past two races, Force advanced to her fifth final round of the season after qualifying a season-low 12th at Reading, Pennsylvania, and reached the quarterfinals at Dallas two weeks ago.
“We didn’t get the win but we got to the final and we are going to build on that. With two races left, that is what we need to keep doing, winning rounds,” said Force, who has generously topped her season mark for round wins. “I am confident in this Monster Energy team looking at these last couple of races. This is a new experience for me but I am surrounded by teammates and crew chiefs that have won championships and that gives me a lot of confidence.”
Chevrolet Pro Stock drivers hold all the aces heading into Las Vegas, led by points leader Jason Line in the Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro SS. KB Racing teammate Greg Anderson (Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro SS), a four-time Pro Stock champion who has won four times at Las Vegas, is 26 points arrears. Five more Chevy drivers follow in the standings.
“Our dream scenario — I don’t know if it will come true or not, but this is what we’re going to try to do — we’re hoping for both Jason and I to have a great race this weekend, put both cars in the final round and basically, mathematically eliminate the other cars from competition so when we get to Pomona so the two of us can duke it out amongst ourselves and have fun,” said Anderson, who has won seven times this season to tie Bob Glidden for second on the all-time Pro Stock victory list. “Will it happen? That’s a lot to ask, but that’s our goal.”
Line, an eight-time winner this season, already has surpassed Erica Enders’ 2015 Pro Stock record (for 24-race season) with 60 elimination round wins. Anderson, with 58 round wins, tied Enders’ mark at Dallas.
John Force Racing’s Robert Hight won the Funny Car division at Las Vegas in 2015. The driver of the Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS, who has been the No. 1 qualifier in two of the past three events, is sixth in the Countdown standings. Teammates Courtney Force (Traxxas Chevrolet Camaro SS), who is eighth in the standings, and John Force (PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS) also will be looking to close out the season on a high note. John Force wrapped up his record 16th NHRA Funny Car championship at Las Vegas in 2013.
Dan Fletcher and Jeff Strickland, winners earlier this season in their Chevrolet COPO Camaros, will lead Chevrolet drivers in Stock Eliminator this weekend. Dave Bridgewater, of Devore, California, will compete in Stock Eliminator and Super Stock in his Chevrolet COPO Camaros.
FOX Sports 1 will telecast three hours of live eliminations and finals at 4 p.m. ET Sunday, along with an hour of qualifying live at 6 p.m. ET Friday. FS1 will telecast taped highlights of qualifying at 10 a.m. ET Sunday.
Chevrolet will welcome fans to its Chevrolet Performance Display during the weekend. It will include a number of Chevrolet’s award-winning production vehicles, examples of Chevrolet engines, and a selection of performance parts and accessories that are available for fans to purchase from their local Chevrolet dealer.
CHEVROLET RACING ENGINEERING PREVIEW – NHRA TOYOTA NATIONALS
ROGER ALLEN, CHEVROLET RACING NHRA PROGRAM MANAGER: “Racing at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is always exciting, and even more so this weekend with the penultimate event of the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship. Chevrolet Racing drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock have provided many memorable moments — and victories — this season, and I know they all want to close out the season on a high note. We’ll be watching for more high levels of competition and drama on the fast racetrack.”
CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT – NHRA TOYOTA NATIONALS
TOP FUEL:
BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, MONSTER ENERGY CHEVROLET TOP FUEL DRAGSTER: “I just try and not think about the pressure. My job is to just do what my crew chiefs tell me to do and not try and do anything different. This whole season has been a new experience for me and I am still learning. I still get butterflies but I think everyone does when you get into situations like this. This season I have learned to just relax and focus on doing the little things. My Monster Energy teammates have been very supportive all season and we are really working well together down this last home stretch.”
FUNNY CAR:
JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK ANTIFREEZE & COOLANT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “I don’t care what the math says. Until they tell me it’s impossible to win the championship this year I am going to fight with everything that I have to win it. I owe that to my fans, the sponsors and my teammates. We have been underdogs before and I guess I am an underdog for these last two races. I have the fire to win and I am going to give these races everything I have.”
COURTNEY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, TRAXXAS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “There are two more races we can win this season. We have been to the finals three times this season and picked up a win in Houston. The definite highlight so far was winning that $100,000 in the Traxxas Nitro Shootout at the U.S. Nationals. I think this Traxxas Chevrolet team has a lot more round wins out there and we would love to get eight more round wins to end this season.”
ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “My goal every race is to come out every race and make strong runs on Friday to set up the rest of the weekend. We have been doing that pretty well in the Countdown this season with the exception of Reading. It is a big longshot for us to get the championship but we still have a mathematical shot. Stranger things have happened in the world of sports and we are just going to do our job. We need to get every qualifying bonus point and then win this race. We can’t start looking at what other people are doing. We can’t control that. Our goal is to go out and try and win this race and then see where we are heading to the Auto Club finals.”
PRO STOCK:
VINCENT NOBILE, MOUNTAIN VIEW RACING, MOUNTAIN VIEW TIRE CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “Las Vegas has always been good to my team and I. We have five runners-ups here total. We are in the final two races of the Countdown and we would like to rebound from our showing in Dallas. If we want to win the championship, we basically need a miracle. So, with the task at hand this weekend is just to go qualify No. 1 and win the race. Las Vegas has always been on my bucket list of tracks to win at and my team and I are looking to hit the jackpot on Sunday.”
JASON LINE, KB RACING, SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “Obviously, we’re doing everything we can to make sure Team Summit wins in Las Vegas. We need to win the race. It is as simple as that. It’s super important to win this weekend to give us a better chance at winning the championship. We’re going there to win the race, that’s it.”
GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “We worked all season for this goal. We’ve won a lot of races this year and had a great season. As I said before, when you’ve had a year like this you don’t want to drop the ball at the finish line and have somebody pass you right at the finish line. So we need to finish strong.”
SHANE GRAY, GRAY MOTORSPORTS, VALVOLINE/NOVA SERVICES CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “Certainly, we’d like to win these last two races. The car has been fantastic and we seem to be in the semifinals every race now, which puts us right there in the mix to win, we just need to punch through and get it done. We’ll just take it one run at a time, like always. We’ve been knocking on the door of a win for quite a while now and if we remain persistent and vigilant, we will break through, hopefully before the year is up.”
DREW SKILLMAN, RAY SKILLMAN RACING, RAY SKILLMAN AUTO CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “We have struggled so badly with this race car. We were lost, and going into the Countdown. That’s the worst time of the year to be lost. We had some luck on our side (win at Texas). I drove decent, and the car at least went. We’re going the right direction, I think. We’re going to hit these last two races hard, so that’s where we’re going to go.”
BO BUTNER, JIM BUTNER AUTO, BUTNER AUTO SALES CHEVROLET CAMARO SS: “There are two races left to get our first win this season, and that is our goal. We’re been the runner-up, have a lot of round wins and have had good qualifying runs, but we haven’t gotten our hands on that Wally yet. That’s what we’re aiming for.”
