FUNNY CAR POINTS LEADER COURTNEY FORCE EYES FOUR-WIDE WIN
CONCORD, N.C. (April 16, 2013) – This week, Courtney Force is looking to gain a stronger lead on her competition at the 4th annual Dollar General Four-Wide NHRA Nationals at zMAX Dragway, April 19-21.

“Racing at the four-wide is always a challenge for the driver and the teams but it is fun having such a unique track on the circuit. It’s definitely challenging coming to this track because you have to work twice as hard and learn how to stage and drive in four different lanes rather than just two. The pressure really is on at this event so it’s nice to have a little experience racing here from my rookie season,” said Force.

Force has returned to the No. 1 position in the Funny Car points after a runner-up finish two weeks ago in Las Vegas. The 2012 Rookie of the Year qualified at the top in the No. 2 spot, then ousted Tim Wilkerson, Del Worsham and Matt Hagan before falling to Cruz Pedregon in the final round.

“It felt great going all the way to the final round in Vegas and being that close to getting another win. It was a huge boost of confidence for our team to go rounds in Vegas and leave in the points lead and that’s exactly what we need to keep up our momentum,” said Force. “We are only four races into the season, so to be back in the points lead after a No. 1 qualifier, one win and a runner-up finish makes our whole team excited for the rest of the season.”

Last year, Force made her first appearance at the uniquely designed four-wide event, qualified No. 12 and lost in the first round of four Funny Cars on Sunday.

“I think it’s exciting for fans to come out to Charlotte to the Four-Wide because it is such a unique track. There is no other track like this one that Bruton Smith has built. Fans get to see and feel 40,000 horsepower on just one pass and they have twice as many cars to watch on a run. It’s fast, exciting and very loud,” said Force.

HIGHT LOOKING TO BE FIRST FUNNY CAR TO DOUBLE UP AT FOUR-WIDE
CHARLOTTE, NC (April 16, 2013) — Last season the win by Robert Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang team at the 3rd annual Dollar General Four-Wide NHRA Nationals moved the 2009 NHRA Funny Car champion into an elite fraternity in the Funny Car class. Hight became just the fifth driver to win four NHRA national events in a row. This year Hight is trying to defend his Four-Wide title and become the first Funny Car driver to win two Four-Wide races at zMax Dragway.

The 4th annual Dollar General Four-Wide NHRA Nationals will get underway on Friday, April 19th with two qualifying sessions and the Auto Club Ford Mustang team will be ready for action. Currently No. 7 in the Mello Yello Funny Car point standings Hight and his team are eager to get back on track. While the NHRA teams only race four-wide once a year the annual event asks drivers and teams to dig deep to both qualify well and then win on Sunday.

“To win the Four-Wide I think you have to have a consistent race car and you have to be patient. This race is unique with the staging system but everyone has to work with the same system. When I won last year it was my fourth win in a row for the Auto Club team,” said Hight. “I just tried to do my routine the same every run and in the final race I was racing John Force, Cruz Pedregon and Ron Capps. Those three drivers are three of the top guys in the category ever. Bottom line to win the Four-Wide you have to run your race and just not get preoccupied with all the other drivers around you. The power of four 10,000 hp Funny Cars launching at once is amazing and I can’t wait to defend my title at the Dollar General Four-Wide NHRA Nationals.”

Last year’s success unfortunately did not lead to a second Funny Car championship for Hight and the Auto Club team. This year the team got off to a slower than expected start but the past two races, Gainesville and Las Vegas, have shown that the Auto Club team is moving in the right direction. Hight was the No. 1 qualifier at the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas two weeks ago and raced to a semi-final finish. Looking back at last season’s success at this point Hight knows how fragile a win streak can be.

“It is incredibly hard to win one race a season much less four in a row. When you get hot like we did winning four in a row or when (Ron) Capps went to six finals in a row last year you want to savor that feeling and get the most out of it. This Funny Car class is so tough you really want to peak at the right time,” said Hight.

“There is definitely a letdown (when you lose) but you can’t get discouraged. You want to win every race you enter and it is so tough. There are no easy rounds and the competition is so close now. You have to keep a positive attitude yourself and you have to make sure your team keeps a positive attitude.”

Returning to zMax Dragway and the Charlotte area gives Hight and the Auto Club team the chance to mingle with NASCAR fans who may be seeing the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series for the first time. The unique format, as well as the nearly unlimited pit access give fans an up close look at the sport Hight has been passionate about for years.

“We love going into NASCAR country. John Force calls NASCAR our big brother. I think every year we turn more fans into NHRA fans. We aren’t asking them to choose one sport or the other. NASCAR fans can be fans of both and I think a lot of them like what we do and follow us on ESPN2 and online. Every year we have more and more people coming up to our ropes talking about other races they watched or attended since the last time we were in Charlotte. That is what you want; year-round fans.”

In the latest NHRA Power Ranking by ESPN’s Mike Dunn, Hight moved from being unranked to the No. 4 position. He is joined on the list by teammate and Mello Yello points leader Courtney Force who holds down the top spot. Heading into the Dollar General Four-Wide NHRA Nationals Hight is looking to continue his move up the Power Rankings even though this can force drivers to use a different mindset.

“You try and make it like a regular event but there is a lot going on with the staging. I just try and do my routine and be smooth. You do have to be patient but really having done it a couple of times I feel pretty good,” said Hight.

“When you are in the middle lanes two or three you can feel Funny Cars on both sides of you. It is awesome and I know the fans get a thrill out of feeling 40,000 horsepower launch at zMax Dragway. When we take off under the lights all those header flames also put on an awesome show.”

While Robert Hight will be trying to win his second title at the Four-Wide Nationals John Force Racing will be seeking its third win at the zMax Dragway spring event in four races. In addition to John Force’s historic win at the inaugural race. Mike Neff won the exhibition event contested at the fall zMax Dragway race in 2009.

When asked to explain the JFR domination of the four-wide event Hight provided some insight into the strategy employed by 15-time Funny Car champion John Force.

“I think when John won the first race he just really studied the tree during the event. It seemed like every spare minute he had he was on the starting line studying the tree even when Pro Stock was running. When I won last year I just tried to stay focused on what my team was doing and not so much what the other drivers were doing,” said Hight. “The key for us is to just have the confidence that our crew chiefs and crews give us great race cars. We have go up there and drive.”

BRITTANY EYEING 4WIDE DEBUT
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – One could forgive Top Fuel rookie Brittany Force if she felt a little bit overwhelmed entering this week’s fourth annual Dollar General 4Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway.

For one thing, the graduate of Cal State-Fullerton still is getting accustomed to the full canopy that seals her into the cockpit of the 10,000 horsepower Castrol EDGE dragster she drives
for John Force Racing, Inc.

While she appreciates the apparatus for its safety and security, especially after watching Antron Brown walk away from a spectacular crash and fire at the season-opening Winternationals, there’s still that little hint of claustrophobia that deterred her from pursuing a pro career in one of the fully-enclosed Funny Cars fielded by her father, 15-time series champion John Force.

 “It took a little getting used to,” Brittany said of the canopy engineered by Don Schumacher Racing, “but now I feel very comfortable, especially after Antron’s crash.”

 As if adapting to the canopy wasn’t enough, this also will be the first competitive appearance for the second youngest of Force’s four daughters at zMax Dragway, the Bruton Smith supertrack that itself is a bit intimidating with its high rise grandstands and liberal use of concrete.

And then there’s the four wide aspect.  Just three months after first making a run with an opponent in the other lane, the 26-year-old will be asked this week to race against not one rival at a time, not two, but three.

The first Top Fuel driver in 42 years to win a competitive round in a Ford-powered dragster, Brittany is moving at her own pace as the first driver ever to drive a Top Fuel dragster for JFR.

“I’m still learning on each run and getting better,” said the teacher-to-be. “I’m trying to work on improving my lights (and) my team’s really excited that we’re moving up in the points.  We’re almost into the Top 10 (No. 12).”

In a dragster powered by the Ford BOSS 500 nitro motor engineered at JFR, Brittany has refused to put extra pressure on herself by being drawn into career comparisons with her sisters, Courtney and Ashley, both of whom have excelled in the Funny Car division.

 “When Ashley came out, she had her own set of goals,” Brittany explained.  “Same with Courtney.  Same with me.  I’m going down my own path.  For me, it’s not about comparisons to Ashley or Courtney.  It’s about setting my own goals and achieving them myself in my time.”

Although all three of girls drove Super Comp dragsters and A/Fuel dragsters before turning pro, Brittany was the only one who lobbied to stay in one of the rear-engine cars.  For one thing, dragsters were what she had driven since she first attended Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School.

For another, after watching her dad for more than 20 years, she likes the idea of having the engine behind her instead of in front.  Finally, she appreciates the historical implications of being the first JFR driver to climb behind the wheel of a pro car that isn’t a Funny Car.

“I love the sport of drag racing,” she said.  “I always thought I’d be involved in it in some way although I never thought it would be in Top Fuel.”

FORCE READY TO RETURN TO FOUR-PLAY
15-Time Champ Seeks Second Win in Dollar General 4Wide Nationals
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – John Force tries to reassert his mastery of four-play this week when he sends his Mike Neff-prepared Castrol GTX Ford Mustang after the Funny Car title in the most unique event in the NHRA Mello Yello Series, the fourth annual Dollar General 4Wide Nationals.

 The 63-year-old drag racing icon is one of only three Funny Car drivers to have won a tour event in the unique four-across format made possible when Bruton Smith commissioned four fully-functional, all-concrete lanes as the centerpiece of zMAX Dragway, the track that has been called “The Bellagio of Dragstrips.”

 In fact, Force won the inaugural 4Wide in 2010, the last time he raced side-by-side-by-side-by-side with Neff as his crew chief.

Now that the two are back together again, drag racing’s biggest winner not only expects to contend for a 4Wide title, he also expects to be in the hunt for another NHRA championship.

Neff’s departure after he and Force won the 2010 title was totally Force’s idea.  After giving Neff the unexpected opportunity to drive in 2008, Force had to park the car at the end of the 2009 campaign because of the economic downturn.  However, when daughter Ashley Force Hood took a maternity leave after the 2010 season, Force commissioned Neff to take over her ride as both driver and crew chief.

 The former motocross racer performed admirably in the dual role, finishing fifth in points in 2011 and third a year ago while winning back-to-back titles in the NHRA U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis.

Unfortunately, the grind took a toll on the one-time off-road truck mechanic who, at the end of 2012, opted out of the cockpit to focus exclusively on the mechanical challenges from which he always has derived the greatest satisfaction.

 Despite the return of the crew chief with whom he won six times in 2010, Force currently languishes in 11th place in Mello Yello points after advancing out of the first round just one time in his first four starts.

 It’s not the kind of reunion performance Force expected, but it also is not something over which he is losing sleep.

“As long as we can stay close, we’ll be fine,” Force said.  “It’s all about the Countdown, so that’s how we’re thinking.  We’re trying to get all three of our Funny Cars on the same page and Neff’s been working on that with Jimmy Prock and Robert (Hight), so he’s been on overload.  Courtney’s been good with Ron Douglas and the Traxxas Ford.

 “I’ve been the weak link so far, but it’s not like we’re lost or anything,” said the 15-time series champion.  “I’m excited.  I’m excited about my daughter Brittany and the Castrol EDGE Top Fuel car; I’m excited about Robert and Courtney, I’m excited about racing with Neff instead of against him and I’m glad to be back in Bruton’s backyard racin’ in the 4Wide.”

Despite his victory in the inaugural 4Wide event, Force hasn’t been particularly productive at zMAX, especially in the fall race that kicks off the Countdown.  After failing to qualify in his first appearance in 2008, the Hall of Famer exited in the first round in 2009, 2010 and 2011 before finally getting a round win last September.

COURTNEY FORCE RACES TO RUNNER-UP FINISH AT LAS VEGAS

LAS VEGAS, NV —- Courtney Force raced to her third final in the last five races and retook the Mello Yello Funny Car points lead with a runner-up finish at today’s 14th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals. The second year driver moved around Johnny Gray for the points lead when she outran Matt Hagan in the semi-finals but in the finals the driver of the Traxxas Ford Mustang smoked the tires against two-time Funny Car champion Cruz Pedregon.

This was the second time for Courtney to face Pedregon in a national event final. The last time the pair matched up was the finals of the Auto Club NHRA Finals to close out the 2012 season with Pedregon also prevailing in that race. Pedregon becomes the fourth different Funny Car driver to win in 2013 following Courtney Force, Ron Capps, and Johnny Gray. Last year at this point only John Force and Robert Hight had won Funny Car events and it took eight races to have four different winners (John Force, Robert Hight, Ron Capps and Jack Beckman)

Starting from the No. 2 qualifying spot today, Courtney Force beat out three major competitors to reach her second final of 2013 and made her way up the Mello Yello Funny Car point standings from the third spot into the points lead.

“Our car ended up in the No. 2 spot this weekend which was great for us. We were just trying to get some consistent runs down the track. I struggled a little bit with the right lane throughout qualifying trying to keep the car straight down there, but we made good runs and we were happy” said Force.

 In the first round of eliminations Force took on fellow Ford racer and pilot of the Levi, Ray & Shoup Mustang, Tim Wilkerson. Force was 3-0 against Wilkerson in prior events, but turned on another win light when she ran low ET of the round. Wilkerson was up in smoke at about 200 feet and Force posted a 4.109 ET at 314.46 mph.

“The pressure was on on race day and I feel like our team did a great job. I feel like I improved more as a driver on Sunday than I did during qualifying. I had a tough matchup each round, but our team pulled off some great round wins over some of our biggest competitors,” said Force.

Force took lane choice over Del Worsham, who was 1-0 against the 24-year-old in their previous match-up. Force had .072 reaction time to Worsham’s .167 on the tree. Force made a 4.153 second run at 312.06 mph against Worsham’s 4.198 ET.

Force also scored lane choice over Matt Hagan in the semifinals. Force was 4-2 against Hagan in prior events. Hagan was up in smoke at about 100 feet, and Force took it straight down the groove to move on to the final round.

“Race day is where it counts and we had a great, consistent race car all day up until the final round,” said Force. “The great thing about coming to Las Vegas this weekend is that we have a consistent car. We were able to run in the heat of the day and run well at night when the temperatures drop, so we’re excited.”

Force lost in the finals when her Traxxas Ford Mustang went up in smoke alongside Cruz Pedregon.

“We’re excited to get to Charlotte and we’re leaving here in the points lead. We can’t complain about it. We made it to the final round and we’re happy,” said Force.

Brittany Force became the fourth member of her immediate family to win a round in the NHRA Mello Yello Series Sunday but the first to do so in Top Fuel when she drove her Castrol EDGE dragster past the Mac Tools hybrid of Doug Kalitta in the first round of the 14th annual SummitRacing.com Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“My Castrol Edge team ended up No. 11. We ran first round against Doug Kalitta and I got the win. It was my first professional round win ever and I was really excited about it. It was huge for our Castrol EDGE team, John Force Racing and all of our sponsors Ford, Traxxas, Auto Club, Mac Tools and BrandSource,” said the second youngest Force daughter.

It not only was Brittany’s first round win since turning pro, it was the first round win for John Force Racing, Inc., in a pro category other than Funny Car; it was the first round win by a Ford-powered dragster since 1970; and it was the first round win for a Team Castrol Top Fuel car since Pat Austin beat the late Blaine Johnson in the second round at Topeka, Kan., on Oct. 1, 1995.

Brittany’s Castrol EDGE dragster had lane choice over seven-time Mello Yello Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher in round two by virtue of her quicker first round elapsed time 3.846 to 3.843 seconds. Both dragsters launched hard but Schumacher pulled away quickly as the Castrol EDGE dragster hazed the tires after a few hundred feet.

“I went out there second round against Tony Schumacher, who I’ve been waiting to run for a while just because he’s Tony Schumacher. We lost that round, but we had a good day. Courtney went rounds so it was a great day as a whole for John Force Racing.”

“I’m still learning on each run and getting a better. I’m trying to work on improving my lights. My team’s really excited that we’re moving up in the points. We’re almost into the top ten. Our plan is to qualify at all the events and try to go more rounds so we can move up there into the top ten,” said Force, the Automobile Club Road to the Future Award contender.

With her strong qualifying effort and the first round win of her career the rookie driver moved up from 15th in the Mello Yello Top Fuel point standings to 12th place. The driver from Yorba Linda, Calif., is only a round and a half (32 points) outside of the Top Ten point standings.

After the race Top Fuel winner Tony Schumacher had nothing but praise for the rookie driver.
“She has a long good career ahead of her. She will be tough to beat. I just didn’t want to be her second round win,” said Schumacher.

Robert Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang team had a solid turn around weekend qualifying No. 1 for the second consecutive year at the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals. The perennial Las Vegas winner took out veteran Jeff Arend before falling to Alexis DeJoria and the Tequila Patron Funny Car in the second round. DeJoria had lane choice and that proved to be the performance tipping point at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In a close race DeJoria crossed the finish line a nose in front of Hight, 4.141 to 4.157 seconds.

“There is no one hanging their heads in the Auto Club pits. That was a tough race to lose but you have to tip your hat to (crew chief) Tommy DeLago and Alexis DeJoria. We made a good run and they were just a little quicker,” said Hight, winner of the last two SummitRacing.com Nationals. “I am glad we made two of the quickest runs in qualifying and we got a big first round win today. We’ll load up and get ready for the Four-Wide race. I won there last year and we are ready to get back at it.”

Hight will leave Las Vegas with a much improved race car and a secure hold on seventh place in the points and the Auto Club Ford Mustang is only three points out of sixth place.

The Castrol GTX Ford Mustang was the first John Force Racing Mustang to fall to a surging Alexis DeJoria on Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. As the No. 9 qualifier Force relinquished lane choice to DeJoria and at 200 feet his Funny Car lost traction as the Tequila Patron pulled away.

Force, the team owner, was pleased with the overall team effort considering Brittany won the first round of racing for a JFR Top Fuel dragster, Courtney retook the Mello Yello Funny Car points lead and Robert Hight’s Auto Club Mustang continued to improve in both qualifying and on race day.

“You gotta look at the overall picture. Robert Hight and Auto Club walked out with a No. 1 this weekend and Courtney was No. 2. My Castrol GTX Mustang was in the bottom half, but it’s starting to get respectable. To watch Brittany step up to the plate and get that first round win for John Force Racing this early in the seas
on was pretty cool. And we leave here with the points lead. I got whooped by a girl, but I know her dad is happy and I’m good with that. We’re going to go to Charlotte and I think we’re starting to get back on track,” said Force, the 15-time Funny Car champion.

HIGHT STAYS ON TOP AT LAS VEGAS

LAS VEGAS, NV (April 6, 2013) – Robert Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang proved that last night was not a fluke holding onto the No. 1 qualifying spot at the 14th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals. On Friday night Hight posted the quickest time of the weekend, 4.053 seconds, and today he backed up his solid performance making the quickest lap of the final qualifying session a 4.093 second run. For the weekend Hight picked up six valuable qualifying bonus points for his efforts.

There was a lengthy delay of over fifty minutes after the first pair of Funny Cars in the final session. As the sun set on the Las Vegas desert Hight thought the chances of his time holding up were disappearing with the sun on the horizon.

“The longer the delays took I was thinking it was going to be tough. Cruz Pedregon was coming up and he just loves these kinds of conditions. He could have run right there with us when it was cooling off. He honestly has a really good car and it showed today. It looked like he was pushing a little yesterday. He calmed it down and made two great runs. He is another tough car,” said Hight.

Hight was quick to give his team credit and also talk about how his recent improvement had improved his team’s attitude.

“What is cool to me is seeing what an ET slip will do for your team. It helps the morale of the team so much. My team has been pretty beat up and they have been working really hard testing. They have been putting in a lot of hours. You start getting a couple positive ET slips and everything gets better. It is magic,” said Hight, the back-to-back No. 1 qualifier at the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals.  

It has been nineteen races since Hight was No. 1 going back to the Southern Nationals in Atlanta last season. This is the eighth No.1 for Hight at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and his fourth at this SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals. He has never been lower than No. 6 qualifier at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Of his 27 wins seven have come from No. 1 spot. He has been the No. 1 qualifier at least once every year of his career, nine straight years and this was his 44th career No. 1 which is fourth best all-time for Funny Car behind John Force (140), Cruz Pedregon (51), and Don Prudhomme (50).

“We really thought this Auto Club Ford was on the turnaround at Gainesville but we had to wait two weeks to figure it out and come here and prove it. That is just a long two weeks. It has been a long nineteen races since I have been up here talking to you guys.  It has almost been that long since I won a race,” said Hight in the media center.

“I told Gary Gerald from ESPN I have qualified No. 1 here and lost first round and I have qualified No. 1 and won this race. Qualifying is over and tomorrow is a new day. I am pretty proud of my car and the way the team worked,” said Hight, a former clutch specialist on John Force’s Castrol GTX Mustang. “That 4.09 in the last session was pretty stout. I believe we have a car we can race with. What is really cool is we have three Ford Mustangs in our camp right now that can win. It always seems like one car will be struggling or maybe only one is doing good. Right now I have a really good feeling about the way we are running. I think we have three cars that can contend. What would be better than seeing two JFR Mustangs in the final tomorrow?”

The defending SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals champion will race Jeff Arend in the opening round. Hight holds a 12-2 career record over the veteran driver but in 2012 Hight lost his only race to the driver of the Jim Dunn owned Grime Boss Funny Car. The only time the pair met at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was at the 2009 SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals where Hight beat Arend in the first round.

Sophomore sensation Courtney Force kept a snug hold on one of the top positions today after the Funny Car field completed two more rounds of qualifying in the hot Las Vegas conditions.

The youngest daughter of John Force landed the No. 2 spot on Friday evening with an impressive 4.06 elapsed time, and when all was said and done, no one beside Robert Hight could touch that number.

“We had a great pass to get us in the top half on Friday night.  It was a great session to put on in the No. 2 spot. My teammate Robert Hight went to the No. 1 spot so I’m excited going into the race tomorrow. I kind of struggled a little bit getting the car to the other end earlier today, but I was determined to get it down there on the last pass. It ran a pretty good run for the session and for the conditions, running a 4.11. We were trying to attack it on that run and get up to the top spot, but just didn’t quite get it there,” said Force.

Force will take on the No. 15 qualifier and fellow Ford racer, Tim Wilkerson, in the first round of eliminations on Sunday. Force is 3-0 to Wilkerson in previous events.

“We’re excited. We’ve got this Traxxas Ford Mustang qualified for another race. John Force Racing has two strong teams in the top two spots going into race day and my dad is right behind us. I feel confident going into race day and we’ll see what happens first round tomorrow versus Wilkerson,” said Force.

Hight and Courtney Force are joined in the Funny Car field by a resurgent John Force and his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang. The winningest driver in NHRA history is qualified No. 9 and will race Alexis DeJoria in the first round.

“It’s always exciting to race Alexis because her dad will be out there on the starting line just like I am with Courtney and Brittany. He wants her to win. Of course I want to win, but she has a great race car right now. Someone will get it and get through to the next round so we’ll just have to wait and see. Lots of factors play into race day,” said Force.

“We got all four cars qualified. Courtney is No. 2 and Robert is on the pole. It was big to get that Auto Club car turned around. It’s too early to tell, but we’ll see what we can do with it tomorrow. I’m in the ball game, but I love racing DeJoria. If she whoops me there will be a good side because her dad will feel good and I know that feeling. If she beats me then my girls will probably be mad at me because they all like her.”

For the fourth consecutive race Brittany Force qualified her Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster. The Top Fuel field continues to be one of the toughest in recent memory and the rookie of the year candidate. The 26 year-old racer from Yorba Linda, California made the field as the No. 11 qualifier, her best position of the season. She will have veteran Doug Kalitta in the first round tomorrow.

“We’re in for the show tomorrow, and that’s the main thing. We ended up No. 11. My last pass was a 3.88 ET. We were happy because out of the four qualifying runs we made three good, strong, consistent passes down the track. We get to run Doug Kalitta tomorrow and I’ve never raced him before so I’m excited about it. Our plan is to have this Castrol EDGE Top Fuel car in top condition and ready to face the competition on race day,” said Brittany Force.

Force was out in front of Kalitta’s teammate David Grubnic in the opening round of the Arizona Nationals when a safety timing system prematurely deployed her parachute during a pedal-fest with the racer from Australia.

HIGHT ADDS TO STRONG START FOR BRANDSOURCE WIN WITH FORCE PROGRAM
LAS VEGAS, NV (April 6, 2013) – Today’s qualifying efforts by Robert Hight and his Auto Club Ford Mustang team brought a well-deserved No. 1 qualifier recognition to the John Force Racing stable. After a nineteen race drought Hight took the pole at the 14th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas and put a front loading washer and dryer set in the hands of a lucky fan, compliments of BrandSource and the “Win With Force” promotion.

Hight posted the quickest time of the weekend on Friday night a stellar 4.053 second pass and for his efforts Becky Sloan from Tonganoxie, Kansas, is the big winner.

“We really thought this Auto Club Ford was on the turnaround at Gainesville but we had to wait two weeks to figure it out and come here and prove it. That is just a long two weeks. It has been a long nineteen races since I have been up here talking to you guys.  It has almost been that long since I won a race. I told Gary Gerald from ESPN I have qualified No. 1 her and lost first round and I have qualified No. 1 and won this race. Qualifying is over and tomorrow is a new day. I am pretty proud of my car and the way the team worked. That 4.09 in the last session was pretty stout. I believe we have a car we can race with,” said Hight.

At each NHRA national event when a JFR team qualifies No. 1 a lucky fan that has signed up at the JFR Win with Force display located in Nitro Alley will be eligible to win the BrandSource No. 1 Qualifier Award, a front loading washer and dryer set.  If a JFR driver wins the event a different fan will win the 55” flat screen TV Winner’s Circle Award from BrandSource.  At the end of the season a grand prize winner of the “Win with Force” Sweepstakes will be awarded a 2013 Castrol EDGE Ford Mustang GT premium edition.

Fans can sign up to win at the John Force Racing interactive midway display. This 53-foot trailer will be in the Nitro Alley area of every NHRA Mello Yello Series national event in 2013. The “Win with Force” promotion now includes JFR team partners Castrol, BrandSource, Ford and Mac Tools all joining together to create an incredible promotion for the fans. Last year, John Force Racing won ten races and was No.1 qualifier seven times.

Fans can sign up to win exciting prizes at NHRA events, www.brandsource.com/jfr-contest/ as well as at thousands of BrandSource stores across the country.

HIGHT, C. FORCE RUN AWAY FROM FIELD AT LAS VEGAS

LAS VEGAS, NV (April 5, 2013) – It is too early to say Robert Hight’s Auto Club Ford Mustang has turned its season around but Friday night’s performance was another strong step in the right direction. Under the lights at the 14th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals Hight blasted to the provisional No. 1 spot with a 4.053 second run and grabbed his first provisional top spot of 2013. It has been eighteen races since Hight was the No. 1 qualifier.

Hight was asked if he thought that time was quick enough to stay No. 1 and he gave a nod to one of his toughest competitors.

“I’ll be honest, you never know about Cruz Pedregon.  That car, he’s liable to go out there tomorrow, in that heat, it has that potential (to run low ET).  I’m never gonna say never, but I think it’s pretty safe looking at the weather forecast,” said Hight.

The past two years Hight has won the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals and last year he took the title as the No. 1 qualifier, a first for this event. The driver from Yorba Linda, California loves racing here at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“I want to race in Vegas more.  It’s been a long time (since we’ve been on top of the qualifying).  We kinda went back to basics and, in Gainesville, I kinda thought we turned the corner and we were on our way. Then we had to wait two off weekends and that’s just no fun,” said Hight.

“When you think you’re turning this thing around, you want to get right back out here and prove it.  John Force has made some unbelievable calls on my team.  He said, we weren’t going to wait until the end of the year or until the Countdown to fix this thing.  Mike Neff (crew chief on John Force’s Ford) and Courtney Force, those two teams in our own camp are doing well.  So it’s pretty exciting to see these cars responding.  I believe we’re back as a team.  This is a great equalizer out here right now.  Its 20-30 degrees hotter than what we’ve been racing in, so the competition, everything is changed from the first three races.”

“I knew it was a decent run.  I was on the radio saying, “what’d it run, what’d it run?” but I guess the radio button was stuck.  They could hear me and they could hear the car coasting down.  The rear end makes all kind of noise in the shutdown area.  Then, one of the NHRA guys, told me what it ran and I said, I hope this guy knows what he’s talking about.”

Courtney Force ended Friday’s qualifying attempts in the No. 2 spot, right behind teammate and brother-in-law, Robert Hight.

The 2012 Auto Club Rookie of the Year put a 4.55 on the board during the first qualifying pass. Force had to lift off the throttle after her Traxxas Ford Mustang started moving around at about 600 feet off the starting line. She came back in session two and posted an impressive 4.06 ET and jumped to the No. 2 position.

“After only having two sessions completed, we have a 4.06 to work with going into Saturday, and we can build on that. We’re excited to be running well right off the bat here in Vegas. It’s great for our Traxxas Ford Mustang team and John Force Racing to have two cars in the top two spots just at the day’s end on Friday. I’m excited that Robert has his Auto Club Mustang running good and I hope that we can continue through tomorrow,” said Force.

The 24-year-old picked up two bonus points for the second-quickest pass on session two, and is looking forward to qualifying on Saturday.

“Being in that No. 2 spot gave us two bonus points, which we’ve all seen add up and at the end of the year, you’re wishing you had accumulated more in qualifying. It’s comforting to know we’re No. 3 in the Funny Car point standings, and we’re also racking up those little bonus points along the way,” said Force. “We’re hoping to just continue tomorrow and progress and make some more consistent runs so we can be ready for Sunday.”

John Force and the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang came out of the trailer with a great run on Friday posting the fourth quickest run of the first session, a 4.203 second pass. In the second session Force’s Mustang made a solid run but it moved out of the groove and shaved elapsed time off the 15-time Funny Car champion’s run. Force’s first run was solid enough to hold up as the provisional 12th quickest run.

Tonight under the lights the quickest Force ever, Top Fuel driver Brittany Force, made her best runs of the young season posting a 3.855 second pass at 325.37 mph. At the time of the run it was the third quickest Top Fuel run of the event and eventually settled in as the No. 8 elapsed time by far her best provisional qualifying spot.

“My first run out we were really excited about. I ran a 3.94 and we were really happy with that. It was a good run. We got down the track our first pass of the weekend, and did so in hot weather conditions,” said Force, the only rookie Top Fuel driver entered at the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals.

“We ran a 3.85 on our second pass and were super excited about that. We ended up No. 8. My team I know is happy with that because these last few races we wouldn’t get our Castrol Edge dragster qualified until our last qualifying shot on Saturday. That put a lot of stress on my crew chiefs and my team and me as a driver, so it’s nice to know that I’m in the top half of the field going into Saturday and we still get two more qualifying sessions before race day.”

The rookie driver has qualified for the first three races of the season, Pomona1 (15th), Phoenix (13th) and Gainesville (13th) and her quickest elapsed time of the season was Phoenix’s pass at 3.831 seconds.

The rookie of the year contender was thrilled with the performance of the Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster. Going into Saturday’s final day of qualifying the Dean Antonelli and Eric Lane tuned Top Fuel dragster will be the solid position to tuning for Sunday as opposed to tuning to get into the field.

NEFF’S RETURN BOOSTS FORCE’S VEGAS STOCK

15-Time Champion Tries to Replicate 2010 Performance at The Strip at LVMS
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – John Force will be the first to admit that he’s never had much luck in Las Vegas.

Still, it would be ludicrous to bet against the 134-time NHRA tour winner this week when he sends his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang after the Funny Car title in the 14th annual SummitRacing.com Nationals at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

At The Strip at LVMS, a track on which his record streak of 395 consecutive starts ended in 2007 and on which he was eliminated in one of the most bizarre racing rounds in history in 2001, Force once again is attracting attention for all the right reasons.

The 63-year-old icon is one of the pre-race favorites, a status he owes to the off-season return of Mike Neff as crew chief on his 10,000 horsepower Ford.  With Neff, Force never has lost at LVMS.  Without him, he’s rarely won.

In fact, in 22 Las Vegas appearances with someone other than Neff making the tune-up decisions, Force has won just once – at the 2002 Las Vegas Nationals.  With Neff, he’s 8-0 in elimination rounds; without him, he’s 19-19 with a pair of DNQs

“I can’t explain it,” Force said of his uncharacteristically poor showing in the desert.  “It’s a great track, a Bruton Smith track, and we’ve run some good numbers there, but we haven’t had the results.”

His first round exit at the inaugural fall race at LVMS is one example of the kind of luck he’s had.

After qualifying No. 2, Force rolled to the starting line against former boat racer Bob Bode who, inexplicably, left the starting line long before the timing system was activated.  Reacting to his rival’s action, Force, too, sped down what then was a quarter mile course.

Unfortunately, by rule, even though Bode clearly was the first violator and even though Force vehemently protested, both drivers were disqualified.  The NHRA has since rewritten the rule to penalize on the first offender.

As for Neff, he’s back with the boss after chasing his own championship in 2011 and 2012 in the dual role of driver and crew chief on the Castrol Mustang vacated by Ashley Force Hood when she left the tour to start a family.

However, that grind ultimately proved too much for the one-time motocross rider.

“I never had time to relax and just think,” Neff said.  “It just got to be too much.  The mechanical side has always been the challenge for me anyway.  I’m glad to be out of the spotlight and back doing what I really enjoy.”

Force shares that enthusiasm although the reunion has yet to pay dividends.  In three starts this season, Force has directed his Mustang out of the first round just once, losing in the first round last month to youngest daughter, Courtney, against who he is just 1-3 in his career.

 “I’m excited to be back racing with Mike Neff instead of racing against him,” Force said, “but nobody’s cutting us any slack.  It’s just like being an ol’ gunfighter.  Somebody’s always wanting to prove they’re quicker than you.  That’s what keeps me motivated.”

BRITTANY SEEKS HISTORIC ROUND WIN

Racing Schoolteacher Tries Again in Castrol EDGE Top Fuel Dragstrip
LAS VEGAS, Nevada – There is little doubt that, before the year is out, rookie Brittany Force will make drag racing history.  However, the odds of that happening this week, when she sends her Castrol EDGE dragster to the starting line in the 14th annual SummitRacing.com Nationals, are better than average.

At The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a track on which she has had more experience than any other, the 26-year-old daughter of drag racing icon John Force will try to become the first Top Fuel driver in 42 years to win a competitive round in a Ford-powered dragster.

The last to do so was the late “Sneaky Pete” Robinson, who used Ford power to beat Bob Murray in the second round of the 1970 U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, Ind.

Although she earned her teaching credentials after graduating from Cal State-Fullerton, Brittany put a traditional career on hold to further her high speed education in an exceedingly non-traditional classroom.

In a dragster powered by the Ford BOSS 500 nitro motor, she qualified for the quickest field in Top Fuel history (at the season-opening O’Reilly Winternationals) and came frustratingly close to winning her first round match in last month’s Gatornationals at Gainesville, Fla.

The first driver ever strapped into a John Force Racing Top Fuel dragster, Brittany is trying to join sisters Ashley and Courtney, who won their first rounds in the Funny Car division in 2007 and 2012, respectively.

Nevertheless, the second youngest of Force’s four daughters has refused to put extra pressure on herself by being drawn into career comparisons.

 “When Ashley came out, she had her own set of goals,” Brittany said.  “Same with Courtney.  Same with me.  I’m going down my own path.  For me, it’s not about comparisons to Ashley or Courtney.  It’s about setting my own goals and achieving them myself in my time.

That’s not to say she isn’t ambitious.

“I would love to qualify for every national event,” she said, “and I would really like to get my first (race) win.”

Although all three racing daughters drove Super Comp dragsters and A/Fuel dragsters before turning pro, Brittany was the only one who lobbied to stay in one of the rear-engine cars.  For one thing, dragsters were what she had driven since she first attended Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School.

 For another, she admitted that she suffers from just a hint of claustrophobia, which made a full-bodied Funny Car a little intimidating.  Of course, no sooner had she completed licensing in Top Fuel than her dad opted to install a canopy on the dragster.

“I was like, ‘oh, no,’” she said, “because it was just like putting the body down on a Funny Car.  It took a little getting used to, but now I feel very comfortable, especially after Antron’s crash (a reference to how the canopy worked for reigning NHRA Top Fuel champion Antron Brown during an accident in the season-opener).”

Despite her degree, Brittany never planned to go immediately into teaching.

“I love the sport of drag racing,” she said, “(and) I always thought I’d be involved in it in some way although I never thought it would be in Top Fuel.”

THREE-TIME LAS VEGAS SPRING CHAMPION HIGHT LOOKING FOR FOUR OF A KIND

LAS VEGAS (April 2, 2013) — If a driver was trying to turn their luck around then getting on the track at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway would seem like the natural venue to make a move. For Robert Hight, driver of the Automobile Club of Southern California Ford Mustang Funny Car, Las Vegas has been one of his “luckier” tracks and the three time SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals winner is ready to return to the winner’s circle.

“I love racing at The Strip in Las Vegas. We test here a lot and we have won a lot of races here. I have won the last two SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals so I am ready to go. We figured some things out in Gainesville a couple of weeks ago so I am expecting more progress this weekend,” said Hight.

Hight has won this event three of the last six years including the 2011 and 2012 titles. Teammate John Force won the spring race in 2010 on the way to his 15th Mello Yello Funny Car world championship.

“I don’t know what it is about The Strip at Las Vegas but all our Mustang Funny Cars seem to do well here. Ashley (Force Hood) raced to her first final here during her rookie season, Tony Pedregon won here when he was on our team, and John won here in 2010,” added Hight.

The Auto Club Ford Mustang tuned by Jimmy Prock is off to a slower than expected start based on it
s previous performance stats. Since 2005 Hight and Prock have won at least once before reaching Las Vegas’ spring Mello Yello event six of the past eight seasons. A curious silver lining is one of those two years without a win for the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals was 2009 when Hight won the Fall Las Vegas race and all but clinched his first Mello Yello Funny Car championship.

Hight has won multiple events every year of his career which started in 2005 and he has led the Mello Yello point standings at some pointe every season as well. He is currently in the No. 7 in the points 88 back of points leaders Ron Capps and Johnny Gray. He is less than one round of racing away from being in the Top Five and he is well within striking distance of the top spot.

“We know this is a long season. We have started hot and then stumbled in the Countdown. Our goal is to dominate as much as we can in the regular season and then carry that momentum into the Countdown. We want to keep going rounds and win races along the way. A great start would be this weekend at Las Vegas,” said Hight, last year’s Summit Racing NHRA Nationals No. 1 qualifier.

In the off time between the Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals and the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas Hight and team owner John Force attended the Auto Club 400 NASCAR event. Seeing other forms of racing gets Hight excited about his career and getting behind the wheel of his Auto Club Ford Mustang Funny Car.

“I wish there weren’t two weeks between races. I am excited to get back to the track. I went to the Auto Club 400 in Fontana with John (Force). We got to hang out with some of the Ford NASCAR drivers and it just makes you want to jump into the action,” said Hight.

TRAXXAS DRIVER EXCITED TO BE GETTING BACK TO VEGAS TRACK

LAS VEGAS (April 1, 2013) – Courtney Force’s Traxxas Ford Mustang team, part of the four-car John Force Racing operation, has rolled out of Brownsburg, Indiana and is making the 26-hour trek to Las Vegas this week. The driver will be wrapping up media obligations in Yorba Linda, California and they will meet in the desert for the 14th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals, April 5-7 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Two weeks ago, Force beat one of her biggest competitors on the track, her father and 15-time World Champion John Force, in their fourth side-by-side meeting on race day to date. Taking the win, Force went to the second round against Del Worsham for their first ever matchup, and lost when her Traxxas Ford Mustang ran a 4.135 at 310 mph to Worsham’s 4.122 at 306 mph, sending the Kalitta Racing team driver on to the semis to compete against Force’s teammate and brother-in-law, Robert Hight.

“It was definitely good for us to get that first round win over my dad, and to get it with a 4.09 on our first pass of the day. That told me our team really had their stuff together,” said Force. “Second round wasn’t what we had planned. They were able to drive around us for the win so we’re excited to get back out there and do our best in Vegas.”

Last year at The Strip, Force qualified No. 4 and lost to Johnny Gray in the first round when the Traxxas Ford Mustang Funny Car malfunctioned and threw out the parachutes just before Force clicked it off.

“Last year in Las Vegas our Traxxas team qualified really well, but had a tough competitor with Johnny Gray in the first round. I had a good feeling our car would perform, I was ready for it to, but we just had a little malfunction with the parachute. It caused a load of problems for me on my run and (Gray) was able to drive around me and get that win,” said Force.

The 24-year-old Funny Car driver was raised just four hours away in Yorba Linda, Calif.

This year, Force is ready to compete for the inaugural NHRA Mello Yello series championship. She is now holding on tight to the No. 3 spot in the Funny Car point standings, just 28 points behind a two-way tie between Ron Capps and Johnny Gray.

“We have been doing really well so far this year and I’m excited to get back to this track. The Strip at Las Vegas is one of the nicest facilities we travel to,” said Force. “This might only be the fourth event so far this season, but I think our Traxxas team is looking good. I’m excited to see what happens.”      

HIGHT RACES TO SEMI-FINAL FINISH AT GATORNATIONALS

GAINESVILLE, FL —- Robert Hight may not have won the race but he won the battle to turn around his Auto Club Ford Mustang racing to the semi-finals today at the 44th annual Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals. Hight entered the race No. 10 in the Mello Yello points standings with only one round win in the first two races. His semi-final effort today moved him up to the No. 7 position in the points.

Hight, the No. 8 qualifier, took out Tony Pedregon in the first round to start his bid to win a second consecutive Gatornationals and third in a row for John Force Racing. In 2011 Mike Neff tuned and drove his way to the winner’s circle behind the wheel of the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang.

“This race was huge. It was night and day difference from the first two races. We definitely don’t need to be hanging our heads. We need to build from this weekend. It was a step in the right direction, the first and second rounds today that was a good race car. We are still learning. There are some little things in there that tip this Auto Club Mustang over and make it shake,” said Hight.

“We don’t have a handle on that yet. It is a minute deal. We have to have a bigger window for that. With all of us putting our heads together and working together we will. At least I can go back when I am talking to sponsors telling them this Funny Car is going to turn around; it did. We are showing progress. We are a better team right now. I am looking forward to making that call to the Auto Club and telling them when they come to Las Vegas we are not going to embarrass them.”

In the second round the defending Gatornationals event winner had to race the No. 1 qualifier Cruz Pedregon. In one of the strangest races of the day Hight beat Pedregon to the finish line but the scoreboard flashed an impossible time of 2.76 seconds for Hight. NHRA official reviewed the film footage and confirmed that Hight had indeed reached the finish line first running quicker than Pedregon’s 4.07 second lap and he advanced to the semi-finals against his friendly rival Del Worsham.

“Second round was one of the most confusing runs I have ever had. I am down the track, racing one of the best cars out here the No. 1 qualifier Cruz Pedregon. You notice the win light comes on right away when there is a red light,” said Hight.

“On this run I am going down the track and I am not quite to the 1/8 mile and ‘blink’ my win light comes on. Trust me I am not looking at the scoreboard when I am racing. I am looking down the middle of the lane. It does catch the corner of your eye. Your mind just goes ‘Oh crap!” Did he red-light? I don’t think I heard that. Then you get out and no one knows who won. Thank God the camera guy wasn’t sleeping on that run.”

In the semi-finals a mechanical decision in the staging lanes may have contributed to Hight’s unsuccessful bid to repeat as the Gatornationals champion. The Auto Club team looked at the improving conditions and decided to change rear tires before their run against Worsham. At the time of the change they were informed that the track was not going to be prepped with adhesive traction spray. At the last minute NHRA officials applied a short spray and there was no time for Hight’s Auto Club team to adjust to the change. Hight did not lay blame with anyone other than just bad timing.

“It is kind of like a chess game. We are trying to use tires to not have to make adjustments to the clutch. It makes the car run more consistent if you can use the tires instead of putting weight on or taking it off the clutch. It is a balancing act,” said Hight, a former clutch specialist. “When we changed the tires they told us they weren’t going to spray the track and then at the last minute there was a change of plans and the first 150 feet was sprayed. Had we known that was going to happen we probably would not have changed tires. I am not sure if that made a huge difference.”

The 2012 NHRA Rookie sensation, Courtney Force, made a quarterfinal appearance today after dispatching her father and legendary Funny Car driver John Force in the opening round of eliminations at the Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals.

Force ran a 4.092 ET at 314.83 mph to her father’s tire-smoking effort of a 6.917 second run. Today was the fourth time they have met in eliminations. The 24-year-old is now 3-1 against the 15-time champion.

“It’s always bittersweet when I have to run against my dad. We always play around and have fun with it and have a good time. We knew that one of us was going on to the second round, so there wasn’t much to be nervous about. Dad was messing with me a little bit before the run, telling me that we were the last pair when we were really the fifth pair, and pretending that he didn’t know we were running each other.”

“We ended up going up there and we both sat on each other for a little bit on the lights. We both finally pulled in at about the same time. We both had good lights and I was able to get a good run down the race track. I was excited,” said the 2013 Winternationals winner. “I was proud of my Traxxas team. We struggled a little bit the first day of qualifying so to go out there first round and make a pass like a 4.09, it was pretty unbelievable to do that especially without lane choice. I was very proud of my guys to get that win.”

In the second round of eliminations, Force faced off with No. 5 qualifier Del Worsham. Force and Worsham have never met in eliminations being that this is the first year they have competed at the same time in the Funny Car category.

Force had a 4.135 at 310 mph to Worsham’s 4.122 at 306 mph, sending the Kalitta Racing team driver on to the semis to compete against Hight.

“Second round didn’t go in our favor. We slowed it down a little bit and they were able to drive around us for the win so we’ll have to get back out there and do our best in Vegas.”

The first round loss by John Force was a tough pill to swallow for the seven-time Gatornationals champion. He was pleased his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang qualified well grabbing the No. 4 starting spot and picking up some valuable qualifying bonus points. The veteran driver stayed the Mello Yello top ten and will look to make a strong showing in Las Vegas.

“We have made a lot of changes in the last two weeks. Not a bad weekend for John Force Racing. All four cars got qualified. Brittany (Force) and the Castrol EDGE dragster is only three rounds out of the top ten. Courtney is right up there with the points leaders. I am not where I want to be but I am not worried about that right now,” said the winningest driver in NHRA history. “I am worrying about my other cars and when it is time (crew chief) Mike Neff will shine. This was a big race for our sponsors like Castrol, Ford, Traxxas, Mac Tools and Auto Club because this was the first race on the east coast and we did pretty well. We are all headed in the right direction going into Las Vegas.”

The Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster continued to make progress and its young driver Brittany Force continued to learn the ropes of professional racing. At the Gatornationals the 26 year-old driver had to handle the stress of racing into the show on Saturday. After the third qualifying session Force was the No. 16 qualifier, a precarious position with 23 solid Top Fuel teams vying for 16 spots.

Her Dean Antonelli/Eric Lane tuned dragster moved up to the No. 13 spot and a first round match-up with veteran and eventual Gatornationals finalist Clay Millican.

“It was stressful being number sixteen going into the last qualifying run. I had a feeling that time would get bumped out. Each run we have made improvements. We are moving in the right direction. To go up against Clay Millican was good because he is an awesome guy. Even though we went out in the first round we are getting our car together and we will be ready for Las Vegas,” said the contender for the Automobile Road to the Future Award.< br>
“For me to race against a guy like Clay Millican, who is probably one of the nicest guys I have ever met, makes it easier. He came over and talked to me before the run and after the run. He was really nice and to be able to know that someone like that is in the lane beside me is really helpful.”

There were three rookie qualified for the Gatornationals in Top Fuel. In addition to Force, Brazilian Sidnei Frigo and former Junior Dragster champion Leah Pruett are all trying to learn the Top Fuel class. All three lost in the first round against tough competitors.

 “I haven’t been thinking about the Auto Club Road to the Future Rookie of the Year award as all. I just want to get experience. I am focusing on doing my job and getting my Castrol EDGE down the track. I think it is nice having Leah Pruett out here,” said Force. “I met here for the first time in Pomona. It is nice to have another rookie who is also a girl. It was nice to be at the end of the track on Saturday and to watch with her to see if she was going to make it into the show.”

GAINESVILLE, FL (March 16, 2013) – To use a PGA TOUR analogy John Force used today’s qualifying session as “moving day” as he moved up from 17th to 12th to 4th in the hyper-competitive Funny Car qualifying order. As qualifying concluded at the 44th annual Amalie NHRA Gatornationals Force’s final qualifying effort, 4.089 seconds, garnered him three valuable qualifying bonus points and landed him in the No. 4 qualifying position unfortunately this will set him up for a first round match-up with daughter Courtney Force, the No. 13 qualifier.

“I don’t look at just myself I look at the whole team. I’m positive because a lot of the changes that are going on here are working. Brittany and the Top Fuel car made the show. That’s for Castrol EDGE. That’s excellent. I jumped up to 4th. Courtney was in early with Robert and if you look at the last races, next to Courtney’s win, we’ve all just been kind of just getting in the show and you can’t win like that. You’ll get picked off first round,” said John Force.

“We came back, me and Courtney, we were excited and we were high-fiving. ESPN ran over and grabbed us and said, ‘Are you ready?’ We said, ‘Yeah, we’re in!” and they said, ‘Yeah. You race each other tomorrow,” so that bummed us out.”

“I look at the big picture; somebody will go on. She wants to win at all costs, but that’s the attitude I want her to have. It should be a good match-up,” concluded Force.

With Force’s qualifying effort today he extends his current qualifying streak to 100 consecutive races and he is now the active qualifying streak leader for Funny Car. In 2007 at the Las Vegas spring event Force’s unprecedented streak of 395 consecutive qualifying efforts came to an end. The Las Vegas race was Force’s first race following the loss of teammate Eric Medlen after a testing accident at the 2007 Gatornationals.

The youngest Force struggled for the first time in 2013 making one representative run her first session, 4.132 seconds, today and then smoking the tires in the final session. The 2012 Automobile Club Road to the Future Award winner had a chance to move off of the first round match-up with her father and seven-time Gatornationals winner but her Traxxas Ford Mustang smoked the tires in the left lane. She wound up “lucky” No. 13 qualifier.

“The most important thing is we made a good pass down there and got qualified. We pushed the car harder on that last run and couldn’t get it done, but I have full confidence in my team tomorrow. I know that we’ll have our car back that we’re used to,” said Force the Winternationals winner.

“We have my dad first round tomorrow which is a little bit of a bummer being that we are on the same team. He’s excited right now because he’s shown that he has the better car throughout qualifying. I have full confidence in my team that we’ll be able to get around him. We’re still trying to stay up there in the points and we’re going to do the best we can. It’s going to be a little bittersweet, but I’m ready to go kick his butt.”

Courtney Force holds a 2-1 record against her father and is 1-1 versus the 15-time Funny Car champion in first round races.

While spirits were high in the Auto Club Ford Mustang pits yesterday following Robert Hight’s qualifying run of 4.117 seconds today he was unable to navigate the track today during his two qualifying attempts. He slipped to the No. 8 qualifying position going into Sunday. He will have lane choice over former John Force Racing teammate Tony Pedregon in the opening round. Hight is 8-15 against the two-time Mello Yello Funny Car champion.

“We made some progress yesterday but today we just struggled getting a handle on the track. I am not sure that lane choice will matter tomorrow. We just need to string together four good runs and I feel that Jimmy Prock can do that,” said Hight, the defending Gatornationals champion.  “All the crew chiefs are talking after every run and you are seeing improvement from all the teams. A lot of time you just miss the mark and I feel we are right around the corner from getting this Auto Club Ford Mustang thundering again.”

Rookie Brittany Force had the most pressure-packed day as she entered Saturday on the outside looking in at a tough Top Fuel field of 23 dragsters. In the opening session she moved into the No. 16 spot, a far cry from solidly in the field. In the final session Force’s Castrol EDGE dragster made a strong move off the starting line and stayed hooked up the entire 1,000 foot race track. At the finish line she lit up the scoreboard with a strong 3.861 second run at over 322 mph and moved from the bump spot (No. 16) to No. 13. She will face veteran Clay Millican in the first round.

“I was excited to get in. I was No. 16 going into my last qualifying run. We didn’t know if that would hold or not so I was a little nervous, but we ran a 3.86 and that was the best we ran all weekend and bumped on up in the field so I was very happy about that,” said Brittany Force.

“I’m ready for tomorrow. I have a great team behind me. I have Dean Antonelli and Eric Lane making the tuning decisions. I have awesome guys on my team. I know they support me and we’re learning together. We’ve made mistakes together, but we’re going to go out there and kick some butt with this Castrol EDGE dragster.”

Ironically Clay Millican was the first driver to ever run side by side with Force at the PRO Winter Warm-up testing event in West Palm Beach, Florida. The combo raced side by side twice in January. This will be the first official race between the two Top Fuel drivers.

HIGHT SHOWS PROGRESS ON TOUGH FRIDAY AT GATORNATIONALS

GAINESVILLE, FL (March 15, 2013) – The Auto Club Ford Mustang of Robert Hight made the most positive impact for John Force Racing at the 44th Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals today. After a lackluster opening session for all four JFR entries Robert Hight piloted his Jimmy Prock tuned Mustang Funny Car to the provisional No. 6 spot with a run of 4.117 seconds at 308.21 mph.

“For the Auto Club team this is a step forward. I know being No. 6 isn’t what we strive for and we want to be up near the top or the top, but sometimes you gotta walk before you can run and since we’ve been struggling so much not just this year, but last, I’m excited. That was definitely a step in the right direction,” said Hight, the 2009 Funny Car champion.

“Now, the test is going to make two more good runs tomorrow. You don’t feel good going into race day only having gone down the track one run. And that’s what we’ve done a lot of lately. You always wonder when it’s going to come that you don’t go down the track at all and you don’t qualify. It almost got us in Phoenix. If we can go two times tomorrow, I’ll be excited.”

“This is a brand new car. It’s cool that we’ve kinda taken a step backwards and put this car like we had it last year when we won this race and won four-in-a-row. I think we just got ahead of ourselves. Having all three Funny Cars the same and being able to work with each other is going to be a plus. It was a good day,” added Hight a 27-time Funny Car national event winner.

It was a welcome run for Hight who has struggled in the opening two races of the season. After the Arizona Nationals the team stayed over on Monday and tested all day. Based on the testing results the team went back to the shop and rebuilt Hight’s Auto Club Ford Mustang for this race. In the first session today Hight’s Auto Club Mustang smoked the tires but Prock and the Auto Club team reined in the Funny Car power and made a solid run in the second qualifying session. There are four Funny Cars that posted runs in 4.11 seconds range at the end of the day.

Courtney Force, currently No. 2 in the Mello Yello points, did not have a strong showing on Friday behind the wheel of her Traxxas Ford Mustang. The Winternationals winner smoked the tires in each session today which is the first time this season the Traxxas Mustang has not gone down the track in two consecutive runs. The 2012 Auto Club Road to the Future Award winner as the NHRA rookie of the year posted the 15th quickest time of the day, 4.826 seconds and will go into Saturday trying to get in the show for Sunday.

Team leader John Force also had a couple issues today as the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang. His quickest time of the day was 6.577 seconds at 101.51 mph which was only good enough to be the 17th quickest time of Friday. Crew chief Mike Neff, the 2011 winner as a driver of the Castrol GTX Mustang at the Gatornationals, will have two shots to get the seven time Gatornationals winner into the top sixteen.

Rookie of the year candidate Brittany Force continued her education as the first John Force Racing driver to race in Top Fuel. The Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster wound up 19th at the end of Friday and will face tough competition to make the top sixteen. Force’s best time of the day was 5.306 seconds at 128.75 mph which was good enough to be the 11th quickest run of the first session. In the second session Brittany smoked the tires and did not improve.

COURTNEY FORCE OFF TO FAST START WITH HOPE OF GATORS WIN

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 5, 2013) – This time last year, Courtney Force was preparing for her third professional start in the Funny Car category. Today, Force is sitting No. 2 in the point standings, having qualified No. 1 and collected a win at the season-opening Winternationals at her home track, and is ready to take on Gainesville Raceway for the 44th annual Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals.

At the last NHRA event in Phoenix at Firebird Raceway, Force qualified in the No. 2 spot, picking up bonus points along the way. Now, Force sits just 45 points behind Ron Capps in the NHRA point standings.

“I’m excited going into the Gainesville race, especially coming off of a win in the opening race in Pomona.  I’ve got a great team behind me and look forward to coming to this track, and taking what I learned from here last year and improving on it,” said Force

Last year at this same event, Force qualified in the No. 11 spot and lost to Ron Capps in the first round of eliminations.

“I feel that our Traxxas Ford Mustang team has come a long way from when we were racing in Gainesville just a year ago.  When I was competing at the race track last year, it had only been my third race as a rookie driver.  This track was new and unfamiliar to me, and I struggled.  I hope that I can take everything I learned from throughout last season and really improve with my performance going into Gainesville. I’ve got a great crew chief, Ron Douglas and Dan Hood, tuning my race car and a strong, motivated, group of guys on my team which gives me that extra push of confidence,” said Force.

During the first qualifying pass on Saturday, Force drifted right and smacked the wall hard enough to cause severe body damage, bend the right side header to the ground and leave it scraping the track surface. She quickly exited the car and made a point to let everyone know she was unharmed and ready for the last qualifying pass of the weekend.

“After brushing up against the wall last year, it definitely showed me that things happen in these cars when you least expect it.  As a driver, I think I’ve learned a lot from having an entire season under my belt and I really want to take everything I have learned and use it to my advantage in Gainesville.  Although I struggled here last year, and I’m still a new driver and have a lot to learn, I can’t wait to get back on this race track because I am very eager, and I’m confident in myself that I can perform better.  It was a tricky track for me last year, and I really hope that I can learn from it and overcome it to do better my second time around,” said Force.

The NHRA drivers and teams have had a few weekends off since last competing in Phoenix for the second event of the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing series season. Force took advantage of the downtime and accepted an invitation to fly with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, an honor teammate and brother-in-law Robert Hight had the pleasure of doing in 2007.

“I had an incredible time. We hit 7.3 Gs and went over 700 mph and when we hit Mach 1 and broke the sound barrier I was amazed at the feeling. This day wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Auto Club of Southern California and I know I will never forget this experience,” said Force.

The recently-named 2012 Rookie of the Year by RACER Magazine will have an even busier week before Gainesville. Force is set to participate in an NHRA media tour in the Orlando area before competing at Auto-Plus Raceway for the 2013 fan-favorite Gatornationals.

FORCE LOOKING BACK TO MOVE FORWARD

15-Time Champion Returns to Gainesville Track He Once Dominated

 GAINESVILLE, Fla. – With long-time crew chief Bernie Fedderly’s Thursday induction into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame serving as a backdrop, John Force tries to recapture the form that once made him unbeatable in the NHRA Amalie Gatornationals contested this week for the 44th time.

In the early 1990s (1992-96), Force won five straight times at the track now known as Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville.  Not only did he win, he dominated.  He won from the No. 1 qualifying position in 1992 and 1995 and posted the quickest time during eliminations in 1993, 1994 and 1996.

The fifth of those wins, secured with a final round victory over Chuck Etchells, was the 50th of his career, a milestone eclipsed many times over on the way to his current total of 134.  He remains the only pro driver in the NHRA’s Mello Yello Series to have won as many as 100 races.

However, in a “what have you done for me lately” sport, Force is trying to put a pair of ninth place, one-win seasons behind him and return to championship viability with a Castrol GTX Ford Mustang that showed some real potential three weeks ago when it raced through the 1,000 foot course at Phoenix in 4.047 seconds at a track record 316.82 miles per hour.

The rub is that despite the performance numbers, he wasn’t able to get his Castrol Ford to the final round.

The reality is that the 63-year-old icon has appeared in just three finals in the last 47 tour events.  Now, that may be okay for some, but not for a 15-time series champion who, on the average, has been in every third final round 36 seasons (216 times in 613 events).

To address the issue, the former big rig truck driver has re-united with Mike Neff and the crew with which he won six races and the championship just three years ago.

He also has a new chassis beneath him to which Neff still is making adjustments.

“I’m excited to be back racing with Mike Neff instead of racing against him,” Force said.  “He did a great job for Castrol, Ford and JFR as a driver, but he came to me at the end of last season and told me that doing both jobs – driving and tuning – was becoming too much.  He said he never had any time to just think about the set up and the tune-up.”

Neff’s return exclusively to the mechanical side, from which he has won a pair of championships (one with Force in 2010 and the other with Gary Scelzi in 2005) significantly raised the level of expectation for Force.  Now all he has to do is deliver.

“Nobody wants to hear about past championships and race wins,” said the man who last year was a first ballot inductee into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega, Ala.  “And that’s how it should be.

“That’s what keeps me motivated,” he said.  “I want to show Robert (Hight) and my girls (Courtney, who won the season-opening Winternationals in the Traxxas Ford, and Brittany, who drives the Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster) that I can still compete for a championship.  I’m excited.”

DEFENDING CHAMP HIGHT READY TO GET BACK TO GATORS

YORBA LINDA, CA (March 11, 2013) — Two weeks off between races gave Robert Hight and the Auto Club team some time to regroup after a sluggish start to the 2013 Mello Yello Drag Racing season and to focus on the upcoming Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals, March 14-17, 2013.

In the first two races Hight has battled tough qualifying efforts and qualified for both events. They picked up a dramatic first round win in Phoenix over Johnny Gray when Gray’s Pitch Energy Dodge brushed the wall advancing Hight to the second round. For a team of Hight’s caliber and with their own high expectations qualifying isn’t enough. They want to be one of the elite qualifiers and round winners. They currently sit in the 10th spot in the Mello Yello point standings with the goal to move up this weekend in Gainesville.

“We have not started out with the kind of success we were expecting after the off-season we put in. Jimmy Prock and my guys busted their butts all off-season and unfortunately we haven’t seen the results yet. It is only two races but we are not going to get dow
n. We are going to be ready for the Gatornationals,” said Hight.

“We won this race last year. We had some weather show up on Sunday so we had to win it on Monday. I would love to repeat and get the win on Sunday in front of one of those huge Gatornationals crowds.”

Last year rain rolled in after the second round forcing Hight to win two rounds on Sunday and two rounds on Monday. Hight defeated three DSR Funny Cars on his way to victory besting Ron Capps, Jack Beckman and Johnny Gray in the final.

Hight might not be off to the strong start he and crew chief Jimmy Prock had envisioned but this driving tuning combo will not be held back for long. They have won more races together over the past five seasons than any Funny Car tandem. Hight has won at least two Funny Car events every year of his career and last season Hight won four races in a row becoming just the fifth driver in NHRA history to put together such an impressive streak.

“I want to dominate a whole season. There are still twenty-two races left and the most important are the six that are in the Countdown. We moved up into the Top Ten last race but we want to be up in that number one spot. The Gatornationals is one of the races like Indy that you have to have on your resume as a former winner. I got my win last season and I would love to get another win in Gainesville this weekend,” added Hight.

On the off time between races Hight spent time at the famed March Meet at Auto Club Famoso Raceway and also attended the Mac Tools Tool Fair in Dallas.

“I went to Dallas for the Mac Tools Tool Fair and that event is really cool because you see all the new tools and tool boxes Mac Tools is rolling out. We also got to spend time with their distributors and their families. It was a fun time. When I went to the March Meet it was like going back in time. There was some rain but I loved seeing all the old school Funny Cars and Top Fuel dragsters,” said Hight. 

ON-THE-JOB-TRAINING FOR TOP FUEL ROOKIE

Aspiring Teacher Brittany Force Gets 320 MPH Learning Experience

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – On-the-job-training takes on a whole new meaning when the job is trying to herd 10,000 straining horses into a straight line.

That’s the challenge confronting rookie Brittany Force this weekend when she sends one of the world’s most powerful race cars, a Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster powered by a supercharged Ford BOSS 500 engine, to the starting line for the 44th annual Amalie Gatornationals at Auto-Plus Raceway.

Although she tested in a Top Fuel dragster for an entire season under the tutelage of her father, 15-time NHRA Funny Car Champion John Force, the 26-year-old graduate of Cal State-Fullerton has acknowledged that some lessons can’t be learned in the classroom.

For instance, there’s the art of “backpedaling,” which essentially is feathering the throttle to regain traction if the rear tires unexpectedly begin to spin.

The schoolteacher-to-be got her first competitive opportunity to practice the technique three weeks ago at Phoenix, Ariz., and while she wasn’t able to rein in her 320 mile-an-hour hot rod in time to hold off veteran David Grubnic in the Arizona Nationals, it wasn’t a negative experience at all.

“That first round was the first time I stepped on (the throttle) and had to pedal it,” she said.  “It was good experience for me since I had never done that before.  That’s not something you can test.  It just happens and you have to react.

“I stepped on the gas twice and it got a little close to the wall the second time, so I lifted (off the throttle).”

It wasn’t the first time Brittany had ever backpedaled, but it was the first time she had done so in one of the world’s fastest accelerating vehicles (zero-to-100 miles an hour in LESS than a second).

“It’s a lot more challenging to pedal than my A/Fuel dragster,” she said, referencing the car she drove for two years in the NHRA’s Top Alcohol Dragster class, one in which she twice started NHRA national events from the No. 1 qualifying position.

“It was easier to keep the A/Fuel car under control,” she admitted.  “This one surprised me, but I was able to handle it.  I just need a little more practice and I’ll be fine.” 

She may get that practice this week when she again tries to become the first driver in 43 years to win a round in the NHRA series at the wheel of a Ford-powered Top Fuel dragster.  The last driver to do so was the late “Sneaky Pete” Robinson when he beat Bob Murray in the second round of the 1970 U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, Ind.

Despite a pair of first round losses to start her rookie campaign, Brittany and her crew chiefs, Dean “Guido” Antonelli and Eric Lane, nevertheless are encouraged by the fact that she was competitive.

Ousted by Brandon Bernstein in the season opener at Pomona, Calif., 3.785-to-3.822 seconds, she then lost a “pedalfest” to Grubnic, 5.580 to 5.851, after being ahead early-on.     

Although she really doesn’t know what to expect at Gainesville, a track on which her only previous competitive experience came in the entry level Super Comp class, she is anxious to get back into the cockpit.

“I’m looking forward to it,” Brittany said.  “We’ve had a little bit of time off but it’ll be nice to be back on the track.”

YORBA LINDA, CA (March 7, 2013) — Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award winner Courtney Force took to the skies with the famed United States Navy Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron today. The driver of the Traxxas Ford Mustang flew in a Boeing F/A-18D Hornet strike fighter piloted by Lieutenant Ryan Chamberlain — Blue Angel No. 7. The pair took off from Naval Air Facility El Centro, California for an hour long flight on Thursday morning. Prior to the flight Force spent time with the Blue Angels officers and enlisted support team.

“First I want to thank the men and women of the U.S. Navy and the Blue Angels for their commitment to the United States. These folks are the best of the best and I can’t thank them enough for the sacrifices they make every day along with all the other members of the armed services,” said Courtney Force. “I had an incredible time. We hit 7.3 Gs and went over 700 mph and when we hit Mach 1 and broke the sound barrier I was amazed at the feeling. This day wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Auto Club of Southern California and I know I will never forget this experience.”

Force is the third John Force Racing Funny Car driver to fly with the Blue Angels.  Robert Hight, driver of the Auto Club Ford Mustang and 2005 Road to the Future Award recipient, also took flight with the world famous aviators in 2007 prior to Hight’s flight former JFR driver Gary Densham flew with the Blue Angels.

“There is an historic affinity between the high performance military aviation and motorsports communities, and events such as Courtney’s flight help bring them together to share technology and experiences while at the same time enhancing visibility for the Navy and all of us associated with John Force Racing,” said Rick Lalor, program administrator for the Automobile Club of Southern California’s motorsports and special events programs who organized today’s flight.  “But most importantly, Courtney’s flight reminds the racing community and Auto Club members and employees that the men and women of our Armed Forces are on guard around the world each day, and their sacrifices make it possible for us to enjoy our freedom and quality of life.”

An estimated 15 million spectators view the Blue Angels squadron during air shows each year. The fastest speed flown during a Blue Angels air show is about 700 mph (just under Mach 1) and the slowest is about 120 mph. The F/A-18 can reach speeds just under Mach 2, almost twice the speed of sound or about 1,400 mph. Courtney Force’s Traxxas Ford Mustang has reached speeds nearing 320 mph.  She experiences 3 Gs as she accelerates down the race track and negative 5 to 6 Gs when she pulls her parachutes at the finish line.

Photos courtesy of Ron Lewis Photography

COURTNEY FORCE NAMED ROOKIE OF THE YEAR BY RACER MAGAZINE
YORBA LINDA, Calif. (March 6, 2013) — Courtney Force, the youngest daughter of drag racing’s most prolific and popular driver, 15-time NHRA Funny Car Champion John Force, is RACER magazine’s  runaway choice as Rookie of the Year, voted on by their global readership.

The 24-year-old from Yorba Linda, Calif., a former national event champion in Alcohol Dragster, reached four Funny Car finals in her 2012 rookie season. In July she defeated reigning Funny Car Champion Matt Hagan in the Seattle final for one of the most well-received victories by any driver in any drag racing class all season. A runner-up finish to Cruz Pedregon in the Pomona finals showed she’ll be a Funny Car title contender in 2013 – and victory in the season-opening Winternationals confirmed it.

“I want to thank the readers of RACER Magazine for voting for me as RACER Rookie of the Year. To be considered with top NASCAR, Indy Car and F1 rookies is an honor just in itself and to be voted as Rookie of the Year is unbelievable,” said Force, the 2012 Automobile Club Road to the Future Award winner. “I have to thank all my fans and especially RACER magazine for this honor. I also want to thank my dad, John Force, Ford and my sponsor, Traxxas for being so supportive last season.”

RACER editor David Malsher commented, “If Courtney Force thought she had a tough battle on her hands in NHRA Funny Car last year, she had an even tougher battle in the RACER Rookie of the Year award. Or so you’d think, considering she was up against Simon Pagenaud in IndyCar and Daniel Ricciardo in Formula 1. But actually, Courtney wiped the floor with all of them, earning over 60 percent of the readers’ votes, and became the first NHRA driver ever to win this award. Scoring a win and sixth place in the championship standings in your first year of wrestling an 8,000hp, 300mph car is a heck of an achievement, and RACER readers clearly understand that.”

The Spring 2013 issue of RACER includes full coverage of RACER of the Year presented by Hawk Performance, a wide-ranging interview with Ryan Hunter-Reay and the man he replaced as IZOD IndyCar Series champion, Dario Franchitti. The issue also features previews to the 2013 IndyCar, Formula 1, NASCAR, ALMS, Grand-Am, WEC and NHRA seasons. RACER is beginning its 21st year of publication and is offered in print and digital editions and also in iTunes, Kindle and Android apps. It is also available at national bookstore newsstands in the USA and Canada. Visit www.racer.com for all the latest racing news and subscription offers.

JOHN FORCE REACHES SEMIS AT ARIZONA NATS
 
PHOENIX, AZ —- John Force and the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang got back into competitive racing shape today racing to the semi-finals at the 29th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals. Force won his first round match-up against Alexis DeJoria with his best run of the weekend a 4.047 second pass at 316.82 mph. He caught a lucky break in round two when Todd Lesenko was unable to get his Funny Car started and Force was awarded a single.
 
At the hit of the throttle in the second round Force’s Mustang went up in smoke and coasted the length of the race track. His “winning” time was 8.107 second. This slow ET spelled doom for Force in his semi-final race against Matt Hagan since he lost any chance for lane choice.
 
Hagan put Force in the suspect left lane and bucking the odds Force and his Mike Neff tuned Castrol GTX Mustang were able to post a solid run of 4.105 seconds. Unfortunately Hagan was in the right lane running 4.049. Force’s Funny Car actually was a little quicker than the scoreboard reflected.
 
“That last run I cheated the light a little, it probably ran 4.04 again. If you want to have a chance to win you have to get qualified. We gave everyone a chance when we got all four of our hot rods in the show. That is what is important. Robert Hight is still struggling. My Castrol GTX Mustang ran pretty good. We ran 4.04 in the first round and I have a car I can race with. (Crew chief) Mike Neff and (asst. crew chief) Jon Schaffer are doing real good. We are going to stay and test with Robert Hight. We’ll see what we can do with that. Brittany is learning every time she goes rounds and Courtney just missed in the first round. She had the hot Funny Car all weekend.”
 
Force moved from the outside of the Top Ten to No. 7 in the Mello Yello point standings, he is joined by No. 2 Courtney Force and No. 10 Robert Hight another JFR driver that moved into the critical Top Ten with today’s effort.
 
Despite Courtney Force’s outstanding performance at the O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif. for the first race of the season and her team’s No. 3 qualifying effort this weekend, the 2012 Rookie of the Year exited the show in the first round of eliminations today.
 
Force made her best pass of the weekend on Friday to go to the top of the Funny Car field before slipping to the No. 3 position going into race day. She made a 4.064 second run at 315.71 mph, a track speed record, and picked up a total of 5 qualifying bonus points before Sunday.
 
In the first round of eliminations, Force faced Todd Lesenko and lost when her Traxxas Ford Mustang Funny Car smoked the tires right off the starting line. This was Force first loss to the Canadian whom she had defeated in three previous meetings.
 
“We were qualified good. It’s definitely a tricky race track. Man, you know things happen. We stumbled in the first round. We were a little surprised, but we learned something from it. It blew the tires off, I pedaled it and I couldn’t get around him. Congratulations to Lesenko and his team. We’re going to just have to get after it in Gainesville,” said Force.
 
The Auto Club Ford Mustang had a tough day at Firebird International Raceway. Robert Hight, the No. 16 qualifier, won a pedalfest over No. 1 qualifier Johnny Gray when Gray’s Pitch Energy sponsored Dodge brushed the guardwall in round one. Hight was smoking the tires himself and dodged a first round loss with Gray’s mistake.
 
In the second round he faced fellow Blue Oval driver Tim Wilkerson. Both Mustangs launched and Hight’s Auto Club Mustang went up in smoke almost immediately as Wilkerson pulled away with a 4.102 second run. Hight moved up into the Top Ten for his race day effort. The team will return to Firebird International Raceway for a full day of testing tomorrow.
 
The Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster was on the cusp of winning its first round of racing when victory slipped away due to a timer in the dragster deploying the parachutes slowing Brittany Force just as David Grubnic sped past her at the finish line. At the hit of the throttle both Top Fuel dragsters lost traction and Brittany pedaled her Castol EDGE dragster and was able to get it under control as Grubnic was in the right lane doing the same in his Optima Batteries dragster.
 
As both dragsters staggered down the track the seconds ticked by and at five seconds Brittany’s chutes deployed just before the finish line. The timed deployment is one of many safety featured a number of cars have to insure driver safety in the event of a runaway Funny Car or Top Fuel dragster. For the rookie driver is was a learning experience that she took to heart and did not begrudge.
 
“That first round was the first time I stepped on it and had to pedal it. It was a good experience for me since I had never done that before. That is not something you can test. I stepped on the gas twice and it got a little close to the wall so I lifted. We think my chutes came out because of the five second timer on my Castrol EDGE dragster. That slowed us down but it was a good experience for me,” said the Automobile Club Road to the Future Award contender.
 
“It is a lot more challenging to pedal this Top Fuel dragster than my A Fuel dragster. It was easier to keep my A Fuel dragster under control. This one surprised me but I was able to handle it. I just need a little more practice and I’ll be fine.”
 

FOUR JFR DRIVERS WILL HAVE SIGHTS ON PHOENIX WIN
 
CHANDLER, Ariz. — After two days of tough qualifying all three John Force Racing Funny Cars and the lone Top Fuel dragster will head into the final eliminations of the 29th NHRA Arizona Nationals with their respective focus on going rounds and continuing their winning ways in 2012. Leading the pack is 2012 rookie of the year Courtney Force the No. 3 qualifier with her Traxxas Ford Mustang Funny Car. She is followed by father and eight-time Arizona Nationals winner John Force, No. 6 and finally Robert Hight, the 2012 Arizona Nationals Funny Car winner, in the No. 16 spot. Brittany Force raced into the show during the last qualifying session and will go into race day as the No. 13 Top Fuel dragster.
 
The Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster battled through a number of mechanical issues most notably excessive clutch wear before post their best time of the weekend in the final qualifying session. For the rookie driver having one shot to make the field increased the nervousness factor but did not rattle the Auto Club Road to the Future Award contender.
 
“I was obviously pretty nervous about it but I always try and put all that out of my mind. My guys always tell me we are at West Palm testing and the car doesn’t know if you are in the show or out of the show. I am excited because for the second race in a row we got the Castrol EDGE dragster qualified and I was a little concerned about it,” said Force.
 
“One of my big goals is to get qualified at every event and we got in on the last run today. We are in for race day and I am excited about the first round. We are moving up in the qualifying order. We were 15th in Pomona and we are 13th here. I have a new team and we are figuring things out every run. I have made some mistakes as a driver but I am always learning on every run.”
 
Brittany’s final run of qualifying 3.831 seconds at 321.81 mph was representative of most of the other Top Fuel dragsters and she will race Dave Grubnic for the first time in round one.
 
Courtney Force not only qualified her Traxxas Ford Mustang solidly in the No. 3 spot today, but also picked up four qualifying bonus points making her total five for the weekend.
At the start of the day, Force posted a 4.081 ET at 305.36 mph putting her third-quickest of the session.
 
“On our first run out here today we ran a 4.08 and it was a great feeling getting the car down there. Our Traxxas Ford Mustang was running really well and we ended up being at the top of the pack. We learned from that pass and it gave us more to build off of so we were excited going into the final qualifying run,” said Force.
 
Force then came back and raced her Traxxas Ford Mustang to a 4.076 second run at 297.16 mph, shutting the car off near the finish line.
 
“Our second pass today put us as the quickest Funny Car in the field for that session which is always exciting, but especially because I had to get out of it early. The lane started pulling me over. The back tires just kind of washed out and when the car starts turning like that at over 300 mph you have to get out of it,” said Force.
 
“My Traxxas Ford Mustang still went 297 mph at 4.07 seconds. Just to run a number like that in the 4.0s when you know you lifted off the throttle at the finish line, really makes me excited about what this car can do. Ron Douglas has given me an awesome car to drive and he’s doing a great job,” said Force.
 
Force’s best run of the weekend was from the second session on Friday that sent her to the No. 3 spot; a 4.064 ET at a track speed record of 315.71 mph. Her first round match-up on Sunday will be Todd Lesenko in the No. 14 spot. She is currently 3-0 to Lesenko in previous events.
 
“I’m excited going into eliminations tomorrow. We have Todd Lesenko in the first round. I just have to keep this car straight, try to figure out this race track and hopefully we can go some rounds,” said Force.
 
John Force made significant improved from his first race in Pomona qualifying in the top half of the field for the first time in 2013. He will race second year driver Alexis DeJoria. The last time these two drivers squared off Force advanced to the second round even though he red-lit. In a surprising turn of events DeJoria crossed the center-line after smoking the tires and Force advanced due the “first or worst” rule of NHRA with crossing the center-line being a worse infraction than starting early. Force raced to the final that day and secured his spot in the 2012 Countdown.
 
Force’s best run of the weekend was a strong 4.10 second run at 312.64 mph during the first session today.
 
“We did our job again. We got all four of these hot rods into the show and that is what the sponsors like Castrol, Auto Club, Traxxas and Ford pay us to do. My hot rod is coming around. That 4.10 was a good run and I had my hands full on that last run today. I got with (crew chief Mike) Neff and we talked about how we can work through a couple of things. I am excited about getting this Castrol GTX Mustang in the winner’s circle,” said Force.
 
“Courtney and (crew chiefs) Ron Douglas and Danny Hood have that Traxxas Mustang flying. I am real proud of them and we are all getting info from all the teams. We have the One Ford approach over here and we’ll be OK. Robert and Jimmy are working together and I know they will be ready for the fight tomorrow. I am proud of Brittany and that dragster,” said the proud team owner. “They came down to the last run and had to get her in there and Guido (Dean Antonelli) and Eric (Lane) got the job done. That is two races in a row for the Castrol EDGE dragster and we are learning every run. I think they have (Dave) Grubnic from Kalitta Racing so that will be a good race.”
 
The trials and tribulations continue for Robert Hight and the Auto Club team. They made one significant run over the last two days a 4.321 second run that steadily slipped down the qualifying order to wind up as the 16th quickest run of the weekend. That was enough to keep them in the show but they will have to race No. 1 qualifier Johnny Gray. Gray backed up his best time (4.034 seconds) with a 4.045 second run before smoking the tires in the final qualifying session.
 
“We are struggling some, no doubt but we aren’t hanging our heads. We will be ready for Johnny Gray in the first round. (Crew chief) Jimmy (Prock) and (consultation) Ron Armstrong are looking at a couple of things and we’ll get this Auto Club Ford Mustang figured out. We made a lot of changes in the off-season and I am looking forward to seeing some progress. You look at the data and we are right there on the edge of getting some really good numbers,” said Hight.
 

COURTNEY FORCE LEADS JFR AT AZ NATIONALS
 
CHANDLER, Ariz. (February 22, 2013) – Coming off a victory at the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals last weekend, Courtney Force continued her success today at the 29th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird Raceway. Force finished the day strong and settled into No. 3 spot. Being the current Mello Yello points leader in the Funny Car category, the 24-year-old ran her first qualifying session of the weekend in the last pair of Funny Cars alongside Ron Capps. Force’s Traxxas Ford Mustang put down too much power and shook at about 100 feet off the starting line.
 
“Coming out here to Phoenix we knew we had a fresh start to work with including new challenges that come with a different track than what we won on last weekend. We couldn’t get down the race track on the first pass. I think we may have had it on over-kill. It’s a different track and the weather conditions are really different over here. It’s a lot for our team to adjust to. Our Traxxas Ford Mustang just shook really hard and blew the tires off,” said Force.
 
In the second qualifying session, Force made a near-perfect pass and shot right to the top of the field. She posted a 4.064 ET at 315.71 mph, a track speed record and picked up a bonus point for qualifying No. 3 for the day.
 
“We fixed our car and on the second pass we got it going straight on down there. We went to the top spot and even managed to run the track speed record at over 315 mph. Then, the temperature started to cool down and the cars started to run quicker. We’re happy with a 4.06. It’s a great way to start the weekend and tomorrow we’re just going to try to build on that good run,” said Force.
 
Robert Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang made progress but not the major performance advances the team was looking for. The 2012 Arizona Nationals winner has the No. 9 provisional time, 4.321 seconds a scant one one-thousandth of a second quicker than 2012 Funny Car champion Jack Beckman. Hight will be positioned to move up the qualified field tomorrow with two sessions scheduled.
 
The winningest Funny Car driver in Firebird International Raceway, eight-time winner John Force took out some timing cones on his second qualifying run and will start from the back of the pack on Saturday. Force’s Castrol GTX Ford Mustang was making a strong run when it drifted to the left and Force fought the 8,000 hp race car but it still swung the rear end across the centerline.
 
Force’s first qualifying session run of 6.120 seconds was the 17th quickest run of the day and he will have to step up to get a top sixteen time tomorrow.
 
In the Top Fuel ranks the Castrol EDGE dragster made two representative runs and going into Saturday rookie Brittany Force will have two chances to race into her second national event. On her second run of the day her dragster began pulling to the centerline and the rookie driver smartly lifted to slow the dragster down and avoid serious engine damage.
 
“This Castrol Edge dragster is leaving the starting line a little harder. You can really feel it pulling. The conditions here are really good. On the second run I was getting close to the centerline so I lifted. I didn’t want to take the chance and blow up this BOSS 500 motor or cross the centerline and not get a time. I am trying to do the smart thing out there. I am looking forward to my two runs tomorrow. I know Guido and Eric will give me a great race car,” said rookie Brittany Force.
 

TEAM JFR RACE REPORT
1st of 24 races in the NHRA Mello Yello Series

Photo credits Ron Lewis Photography (for rl46403) and Gary Nastase Photography for media use only
 
53nd annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals
Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
Pomona, Calif.
Feb. 14-17, 2013
 
* * * *
 
Final round results from Sunday’s 53rd annual O’Reilly Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, first race in the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series:
 
FUNNY CAR – Courtney Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., Traxxas Ford Mustang, 4.025, 317.12 mph def. Ron Capps, Carlsbad, Calif., NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger, 6.090, 116.32 mph.

TOP FUEL – Shawn Langdon, Brownsburg, Ind., Al-Anabi dragster, 3.721, 322.27 mph def. Tony Schumacher, Long Grove, Ill., US Army dragster, 3.747, 324.12 mph.

PRO STOCK – Vincent Nobile, Dix Hills, NY, Mountain View Tires Dodge Avenger, 6.584, 210.05 mph def. Jeg Coughlin Jr., Delaware, Ohio, JEGS.com Dodge Avenger, red-light DQ
 
* * * *
 
COURTNEY FORCE WINS WINTERNATIONALS
 
POMONA, CA —- After grabbing her third No. 1 qualifier of her career, Courtney Force wrapped up the weekend today with her second career win and first at the season-opening 53nd annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway. She defeated Ron Capps in the final round of eliminations and ran the quickest pass of the weekend a 4.025 second run.
 
“It was definitely pretty unbelievable. My team, Ron Douglas and Dan Hood, thanks to them. They’ve given me a great race car all weekend long; a consistent one, running 4.0s. I just try to keep it straight down the center. They really made my job easy. I really owe it to those guys,” said the 24-year-old from Yorba Linda, Calif.
 
Force is the fourth person to qualify No. 1 and win the Winternationals in the last 25 years. She took on the No. 16 qualifier at the start of race day and never looked back. Today was the first time Force and Phil Burkart Jr. have faced each other in eliminations and the daughter of 15-time world champion John Force came out on top with a 4.066 ET at over 316 mph.
 
“It is always tough racing someone in the other lane no matter who they are, whether they are the No. 16 qualifier or the No. 2 qualifier.
 
Force went on to race No. 9 qualifier Matt Hagan in the second round and claimed victory when Hagan slowed and Force posted a 4.070 ET. She is now 4-2 to the 2011 Funny Car World Champion.
 
The 2012 Rookie of the Year and Nationals spokesperson for Ford Motor Company’s Driving Skills for Life also ousted fellow Ford racer Bob Tasca III in the semifinals after he fouled out and sent Force on to the final round of eliminations against Ron Capps.
 
“I saw the red light. I knew I was good but it was definitely pure luck. I got on the radio and I said, ‘guys, we just won that by pure luck. God wanted us to win that round.’ But you know what, Bob Tasca III, we both get fired up against each other. He’s always good on the lights so he’s always a tough competitor, but the main thing is we both bleed Ford blue and we knew one of the Fords were going to the final so we were excited about that. You know, things happen. We both just wanted to get that win and we got lucky,” said Force.
 
The Traxxas Ford Mustang driver next pulled off the win in an exciting matchup against Capps in the final round. Force had lost the luxury of lane choice, but posted the quickest time of the weekend, a 4.025 ET and cruised into the winner’s circle.
 
“Going against Capps I was honestly terrified. I knew the last time I ran him it was out here in the finals and I knew he wanted revenge. He was running well all weekend. He got lane choice over me and it definitely made me nervous. He’s a tough competitor.”
 
“Going down there my car was flying. It got over to the centerline and I just held onto it because I didn’t know, I thought maybe he was right out my window. I wasn’t looking over in his lane, I was just paying attention to my own, trying to keep it straight and get past the finish line to get that win and was able to get the job done. I’m excited it was definitely a tough round not knowing where he was on the track, but we were able to do it,” said Force.
 
By winning the first event of the season, Force also now occupies a spot on the board reserved for the first driver entered into the Traxxas Nitro Shootout that will be held in Indy at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Last year, Force won the fan vote and was entered into the bonus race.
 
“Making it into the Traxxas Shootout, I think that’s the coolest thing here at my home track, being the first one on that list, you know my dad won the Winternationals last year and it’s pretty cool. It was kind of a bittersweet finish here in the final not getting that win and coming back and picking up where we left off and finishing our job. We got the win, got in the winner’s circle and I’m Just proud of my team.”
 
“That right lane for some reason has been tough for me this weekend. We spun the tires down there. We found a little bump in the road. But getting it down there and running a 4.02 in what was considered the bad lane, for me that was unbelievable. Ron Douglas just knows how to tune this car and I think we have a pretty bad hot rod going into Phoenix. I’m excited to see what we’re capable of doing.”
 
“It’s pretty surreal and crazy that we went to the top spot and I’m leaving here in the points lead. That just crazy to me and it’s exciting to be out here at my home track. My friends are all out here so I get to celebrate in the winner’s circle with them. I was starting to think the only race I could win was Seattle so it was kinda cool to come out here and prove myself wrong. We had a good hot rod and we had a good day,” said Force.
John Force picked a tough opponent to have one of his better runs of the weekend against. There were three winners in front of Force that advanced to the second round with runs slower than five seconds. Cruz Pedregon (5.165 sec), Todd Lesenko (5.013 sec) and Gary Densham (5.023 sec) all took out their respective opponents while Force was sent back to his Castrol GTX trailer after running 4.119 seconds at 313.07 mph. 
 
Unfortunately for Force his opponent Ron Capps ran 4.108 seconds and took out the six-time Winternationals champion. Force was relegated to cheerleader for daughter Courtney the rest of the day. Force was able to see her get revenge on Capps with the final round win.
 
“I know the emotions she is going to have. I won the season opener here last year. A young kid like that doesn’t understand how it all works yet but she drover against a great champion in Ron Capps. They gave the fans a show,” said John Force.
 
“They were both going for it. He was trying to run one of those low 4.0s and she did it. I am really proud of her. For Traxxas and Mike Jenkins the president to have him here is key. He wasn’t in Seattle for the first win. We had a great weekend for John Force Racing. Robert Hight and I we both struggled but at the end of the day I had a neck and neck with Capps. My daughter took him out so it is all balanced to me.”
 
“Our dragster, I am still amazed with the job Brittany did putting that thing in the quickest Top Fuel field. Brandon Bernstein is the best. I lost to his dad in my first final and to see the next generation out here. To see the crowd at Auto Club Raceway was big. For all our sponsors from Mac Tools to BrandSource to Freightliner plus all our new sponsors like System 51, Champion, Gates Belts and Stingray Systems. To give them a win right out of the box at the first race of the season is amazing. I have had a lot of wins in my career and this one is big. We are a big family. I want to thank the media for giving my girl a chance when she made mistakes. It is a job bu
t she loves her job.”
 
Robert Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang lost a pedalfest with Cruz Pedregon in the opening session. Both Funny Cars launched hard and Pedregon lost traction and then Hight’s Auto Club Mustang Goodyear’s came loose. Both drivers battled to get their 8,000 hp Funny Cars under control and it was Pedregon who crossed the finish line just in front of Hight.
 
It was a disappointing finish for Hight at his home track but he was philosophical about the outcome after just one race in the 2013 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series.
 
“You always want to win the first race of the season but they don’t hand you the championship trophy until the end of the season. Jimmy has been looking at a number of different issues on the Auto Club Mustang and we are getting some answers with every pass. I am glad we are going to Phoenix in four days,” said Hight. “My team and I will keep working and we will figure this Mustang out. We are creating a lot of power and honestly we are trying to get it harnessed so we can run like some of these guys that are running 4.0s all the time. We will get there and when we do you’ll see a big smile on my face.” 
 
Brittany Force’s first day of eliminations may have been shorter than she would have liked but that did not dampen her enthusiasm for the overall experience. In the first round she lost a close race to veteran Brandon Bernstein as her Castrol EDGE Top Fueler stepped up with a weekend best 3.822 second run against Bernstein’s 3.785 second run.
 
“Even though we went out in the first round I am still excited and so glad to be out here racing. We got the Castrol EDGE dragster qualified. We came out in the first run going against Brandon and we actually improved. I am really happy about that. We also ran our fastest speed. It is still a good day,” said Brittany Force.
 
For a rookie driver it is all about the process and learning from every experience. Force took a number of positives away from her four days at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
 
“I have always been that type of person. I always try and find the positive spin on things. Even though we went out first round we did get qualified. I am so happy to be qualified and that we got a chance to race. I got to run against Brandon Bernstein. I grew up watching him and his dad. That was pretty awesome to have him in the lane next to me,” said Force, the quickest rookie in Top Fuel.
 
“I thought I was going to be really nervous about it but I surprised myself about it. I came out here and every one told me to think about it like testing in West Palm and that is pretty much what I did. I was a lot more relaxed than I thought I would be. I put everything out of my mind and I went up there and did my thing. We had a good car and we made a good run.”
 
 
 

COURTNEY FORCE’S WINTERNATIONALS WIN LANDS TV IN FANS HANDS AT POMONA
POMONA, CA (February 17, 2013) — In an epic final pitting a wily veteran versus the one of the fastest rising stars on the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Courtney Force and her Traxxas Mustang defeated Ron Capps at the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals today.  At the season opening race Force outran a tire smoking Capps with an event best 4.025 second run at 311.12 mph. This was her second career win and a 55” flat screen TV went to Steve Divine of Barstow, California compliments of BrandSource and the “Win with Force” promotion.
“I never thought when I came to the races today I would be leaving with a big screen TV. I have been a John Force fan all my life. We were here yesterday and today. I can definitely use a new TV and I want to thank BrandSource and John Force Racing,” said Divine from Force’s winner’s circle celebration.
On Sunday Force out ran Phil Burkhart Jr. in the first round then beat Matt Hagan in the second round. Her only hiccup of the day came in the semi-finals when her Traxxas Ford Mustang smoked the tires but luck was on her side as Bob Tasca III red-lit handing her the win light. In the final it was all Courtney all the time as her Traxxas team gave her the quickest and fastest race car of the weekend.
“This is amazing. Being the first Mello Yello event champ is amazing. To win here at my home track makes it that much better. I am so excited but I owe this one to my team. My guys worked so hard trying to get that Traxxas Fird Mustang back up to the starting line for the final. They didn’t have a lot of time but they did a great job,” said Force. “They gave me a great car that ran a 4.02. Every single one of those guys in those Traxxas uniforms earned this. I have to thank my crew chiefs Ron Douglas and Dan Hood. They gave me a quick and fast race car. I love driving it.”
At each NHRA national event when a JFR team qualifies No. 1 a lucky fan that has signed up at the JFR Win with Force display located in Nitro Alley will be eligible to win the BrandSource No. 1 Qualifier Award, a front loading washer and dryer set.  If a JFR driver wins the event a different fan will win the 55” flat screen TV Winner’s Circle Award from BrandSource.  
Fans can sign up to win at the John Force Racing interactive midway display. This 53-foot trailer will be in the Nitro Alley area of every NHRA Full Throttle Series national event in 2013. The “Win with Force” promotion now includes JFR team partners Castrol, BrandSource, Ford, AAA Auto Club of Southern California, Mac Tools, and Pleasant Holidays all joining together to create an incredible promotion for the fans.

COURTNEY FORCE GRABS FIRST SPOT IN TRAXXAS SHOOTOUT $100,000 SPECIALTY RACE
POMONA, CA (February 17, 2013) — Last year it was John Force grabbing the first spot in the inaugural Traxxas Shootout, the $100,000 specialty race, with a win at the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals. This year at the season opening Winternationals it was sophomore driver and 2012 Traxxas Shootout fan vote winner Courtney Force who grabbed the first spot winning for the second time in her career. Force took out veteran driver and Traxxas Shootout finalist Ron Capps to secure her spot in the $100,000 race within a race at the Mac Tools US Nationals Labor Day weekend.
“I am so glad Mike Jenkins the president of Traxxas was here today to share in this win with my team. I have to thank him for giving me this chance to live out my dream. I am so excited but I owe this win to my team. My guys worked so hard trying to get that Traxxas Ford Mustang back up to the starting line for the final. They didn’t have a lot of time but they did a great job. They gave me a great car that ran a 4.02. Every single one of those guys in those Traxxas uniforms earned this. I have to thank Ron Douglas and Dan Hood they gave me a quick and fast race car. I love driving it,” said Force, the 2012 Automobile Club Road to the Future winner.
The first seven winners in Top Fuel and Funny Car by the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, Minnesota are guaranteed a spot in the Traxxas Shootouts. If there are not seven winners then the remaining slots will go to the highest drivers in the point standings. The eighth and final spot will be decided by a fan vote and then a lottery style drawing the Wednesday before the Mac Tools US Nationals.

JFR EXPANDS
EFFORT WITH CASTROL EDGE TOP FUEL DRAGSTER

Rookie
Brittany Force Gets Historic Opportunity in NHRA Mello Yello Series

            YORBA LINDA, Calif. – John Force
Racing, Inc., NHRA drag racing’s most successful Funny Car team, announced
Thursday an historic expansion that for the first time will give it a presence
in a professional racing category other than the one in which it has been
dominant for almost a quarter century.

            While the team again will campaign
four fuel cars, one will be noticeably different from the others.  After winning a record 217 NHRA Funny Car
races and 17

Winston,
Powerade and Full Throttle Funny Car championships, JFR this year for the first
time in its 35-year NHRA history will field a Top Fuel dragster.

            Powered by the potent Ford BOSS 500
nitro engine developed by JFR in collaboration with Ford Racing, the Castrol
EDGE Top Fuel dragster will be driven by rookie Brittany Force and maintained
by crew chief Dean “Guido” Antonelli and assistant crew chief Eric Lane.

            Antonelli, who guided Ashley Force
Hood to the Auto Club of Southern California’s Road to the Future Award
(Rookie-of-the-Year) in 2007 and tuned Force to victory in last year’s
inaugural Traxxas Nitro Shootout, gets his first assignment in Top Fuel as
mentor to another of Force’s racing daughters. 

            Lane, 39, moves to Top Fuel after 12
seasons with the Auto Club Ford Mustang Funny Car, the last four as assistant
crew chief to Jimmy Prock.

            “I’m excited because I’ve only ever
worked on Funny Cars,” Antonelli said.  “Just in the testing we’ve done so far,
it appears you can be quite a bit more aggressive with a dragster. 

            “It’s an exciting opportunity and
I’m honored that Brittany would want me to be her crew chief and that John
trusts me with her,” said the man who celebrated 10 series championships as the
Team Leader on Force’s crew from 1995 through 2006.

            Meanwhile, Force is looking forward
to the new season for multiple reasons, the least of which is not the fact that
Mike Neff will be back calling the shots on his Castrol GTX Mustang, just as he
did when Force won his last championship in 2010.

            The 134-time tour winner also
believes that reducing the Funny Car inventory will make his team better
overall.

            “With four cars, you’re always
running into each other,” said the 134-time tour winner.  “I think we’ll be a better with three
cars.  Courtney and Neff ran great last
year and we’ve worked really hard to make sure we have three Fords that can run
for the Mello Yello championship this year.”

            Indeed, JFR President Robert Hight,
driver of the Auto Club Ford, and 24-year-old Courtney Force, second year
driver of the Traxxas Ford, also are looking forward to the new season.

            Hight, the 2009 series champion and
the biggest winner in the Funny Car category over his eight seasons (27 wins),
will try to keep alive a trio of streaks in a car on which his crew chief will
be assisted this year by veteran Danny DeGennaro.

            A 43-year-old former world class
marksman, Hight has won at least two races in every one of his eight pro
season, has started No. 1 at least once every year and has led the Funny Car
points every year, an performance without precedent. 

            As for Courtney, she just hopes to
maintain the momentum generated in her Rookie-of-the-Year season in the Traxxas
Ford.

            “I’m really looking forward to the
new season,” said the spokeswoman for Ford’s Driving Skills for Life
initiative.  “Hopefully, we can just pick
up where we left off.  We finished in the
fifth spot and I really couldn’t have asked for a better first year.  I still plan to focus on the basics of
driving but, at the same time, I’m looking forward to pushing myself, learning
new things and improving my driving skills.

            “Having my sister Brittany out there
racing in the Top Fuel category for the first time is just going to make the
2013 season that much more exciting.  I
know she is really pumped up and ready to race. 
I can’t wait to kick off the season at Pomona.”

            Force also is excited, especially
about his return to Castrol GTX colors after several years promoting other
Castrol brands including Castrol GTX HIGH MILEAGE, Castrol EDGE, Castrol
SYNTEC, Castrol START UP and others. 

            “We started with the Castrol GTX
brand and after 26 years, they’re still with us,” said the 63-year-old racing
icon.  “I’ve still got some racing in me
and this year is special because I have Robert and two of my girls racing with
me.  When you’re a dad, you want your
kids to be involved in the things you do and to have all four of my girls
working in the business is really something that’s hard to believe.

            “Ashley’s running John Force
entertainment and Adria, my oldest, who’s married to Robert, has always handled
the financials as CFO of John Force Racing, Inc.”

-www.johnforceracing.com-

Team Castrol Top Fuel summary (1987-1995)

Gary Ormsby, Castrol GTX
dragster, 1987-1991, 19 final rounds, 11 No. 1 qualifiers, 13 wins, last on
Sept. 16, 1990 over Gene Snow at Reading, Pa.

Pat Austin, Castrol GTX
dragster, 1991-1995, 8 final rounds, 3 No. 1 qualifiers, 5 wins, last on May
22, 1994 over Don Prudhomme at Englishtown, N.J.

Castrol Top
Fuel totals: 27 final rounds, 14 No. 1 qualifiers, 18 wins, one
championship

Team Castrol Top Fuel stats:

Last race: Oct. 29,
1995, Pat Austin, Castrol GTX dragster, at Pomona, Calif.

Last round
win:
Oct. 1, 1995, Pat Austin, Castrol GTX dragster, over Blaine Johnson at Topeka,
Kansas

Last
semifinal:
Oct. 1, 1995, Pat Austin, Castrol GTX dragster, lost to Mike Dunn at Topeka,
Kansas

Last final
round appearance: July 30, 1995, Pat Austin, Castrol GTX dragster, lost to
Mike Dunn at Sonoma, Calif.

Last NHRA tour
victory:
May 22, 1994, Pat Austin, Castrol GTX dragster, over Don Prudhomme at
Englishtown, N.J.

Last No. 1
qualifier:
August 9, 1992, Pat Austin, Castrol GTX dragster, at Seattle, Wash.

Last series
championship: 1989, Gary Ormsby, Castrol GTX dragster, over Joe Amato by
77 points.

Last national
ET record:
Jan. 31, 1992, Pat Austin, Castrol GTX dragster, at Pomona, Calif. (4.893)

Last national
speed record: April 25, 1993, Pat Austin, Castrol GTX dragster, at
Atlanta, Ga. (303.64 mph)

John Force Racing Team Stats:

Funny Car
races:
599

Funny Car
final rounds: 370

Funny Car
rounds won:
2,115

Funny Car
victories:
217

Funny Car No.
1 starts:
246

Funny Car
Championships: 17

Races in other
pro categories: 0