John Force Racing News

Event: 3rd annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, 12th of 24 events in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.
Site: Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, Norwalk, OH
Dates: June 25-28, 2009

* * * *

Team info at www.johnforceracing.com

Follow John Force Racing at www.twitter.com/jfr_racing

Follow John Force RaceStation store at www.twitter.com/JFRaceStation

Follow Courtney Force at www.twitter.com/courtneyforce

****

NORWALK NEXT FOR BRITTANY FORCE

NORWALK, OH (June 23, 2009) ---- Brittany Force and her BrandSource A/Fuel Dragster made history in Englishtown two weeks ago when she qualified No. 1 in Top Alcohol Dragster category - career first - while her older sister, Ashley Force Hood, was dominating the qualifying in Funny Car also grabbing the top spot. This was believed to be the first time two sisters held No. 1 qualifying positions at an NHRA National event.

Persistent rain that weekend jumbled the racing action on Sunday and both Force women continued to go rounds eventually both winding up in their respective finals – sort of. Force Hood dropped her final round match-up to veteran Tony Pedregon in the Funny Car class.

With a noise curfew looming the rest of the racing action was moving along at a brisk pace. As the semi-finalists in the Top Alcohol Dragster class rolled under the tower at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park an interesting set of circumstances was set in motion.

In the first pair of Top Alcohol Dragsters Mike Kosky made a single run when Bill Evans broke in the staging lanes. On Kosky’s run his dragster broke beyond repair and it was announced that the winner of the Force versus John Finke semi-final race would be proclaimed the event winner since Kosky would not be able to make the call for the final round. Simultaneously Force was racing in her first semi-final as well as her first final round. It was an odd turn of events for the young Force who reflected on her success at the end of the day in Englishtown.

“Today was pretty awesome coming from last weekend in Chicago when I didn’t make it into the show. I was the No. 17 qualifier. This weekend (in Englishtown) I am the No. 1 qualifier and I start going some rounds. Going rounds is pretty exciting. We get to the semis and I am sitting in my BrandSource A Fueler and they tell me that another racer broke and if I win this round I’ll be the race winner. I don’t know if it was technically a final since I wound up in third place but I consider it a final even though it wasn’t four rounds,” said Force.

“(Crew chief) Jerry (Darien) has a great team and we are coming together. I’m listening to everything he is telling me and I am trying to do my best. We were off for almost six weeks and now we just finished three races in a row. Each race you get a little more comfortable. We are starting to figure things out. The more laps you get the better you get as a driver I think.”

Heading into Norwalk Force knows that continued success on the track will make her more comfortable behind the wheel.

“I still get butterflies when I get in my BrandSource A/Fueler. I don’t know if those will ever go away. Once I make that first pass everything gets better. I enjoy being at the race track and going rounds. I am going to keep working at it and learning from Jerry as well as the rest of the drivers on our team,” said Force.

****

Race Schedule:
Friday –
Top Alcohol Qualifying: 2:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Nitro Qualifying: 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Saturday –
Top Alcohol Qualifying: 10:00 a.m.
Pro Qualifying: 1:00 p.m. and 3:35 p.m.
Top Alcohol First Rnd: 4:00 p.m.

Sunday –
Pre-race: 10:00 a.m.
Final eliminations: 11:00 a.m.

* * * *

Television:

Saturday, June 27, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 8 p.m. (ET)
Sunday June 28, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will air NHRA Race Day at noon. (ET).
Sunday, June 28, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of eliminations at 7 p.m. (ET).