John Force Racing News

CASTROL
JOHN FORCE/ASHLEY FORCE HOOD
Pre-Race Package for the 22nd annual NHRA Northwest Nationals
July 17-19, 2009
Pacific Raceways
Seattle, Wash.
14th event in the Countdown to the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Championship

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OVERVIEW:

Ashley Force Hood will have her rivals seeing a little more red than usual this week at Pacific Raceways when she drives a special edition Castrol GTX Ford Mustang supporting the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

The co-points leader with Ron Capps, Force Hood is trying to extend to seven the number of consecutive races in which she has gone to the semifinals or beyond. The daughter of drag racing icon John Force has reached the finals in six of the last 10 races.

The 26-year-old phenom will forego this week and next the familiar green-and-white scheme in which she became the first woman to win an NHRA Funny Car event and the first to lead the Funny Car points in favor of the yellow-and-red commonly associated with the Golden Arches.

While Ashley resumes her bid earn the No. 1 seed for the NHRA’s six-race Countdown to the Championship, her John Force Racing teammates will try to improve their standing in the hope of earning one of the 10 starting spots.

Force, who failed to qualify for last year’s race, presently occupies the No. 8 position in the Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang. Mike Neff is 11th in the Ford Drive One Mustang and Robert Hight 12th in the Auto Club Mustang. Both could bump back into the Top 10 at Pacific Raceways.

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JFR RACING HISTORY AT PACIFIC RACEWAYS:

Wins – 9, seven by John Force for Castrol GTX (1991, 1993-1994, 1996, 2000, 2003-2004); one by Tony Pedregon for Castrol SYNTEC (2002); one by Eric Medlen for Castrol SYNTEC (2005)
Last year – Coming off a runner-up finish in 2007, John Force failed to make the starting field for the first time at the Northwest Nationals. Meanwhile, his daughter, Ashley Force Hood, was ousted in round one and his other two drivers exited in round two.
Notable #1 –.The late Eric Medlen still holds the quarter mile record at Pacific Raceways at 4.735 seconds, a mark he established en route to his 2005 victory in the Northwest Nationals.
Notable #2 – Robert “Top Gun” Hight is the track record holder at the 1,000 foot distance at which races have been run for slightly more than a year. Hight drove his Auto Club Mustang through the 1,000 foot timers in 4.056 seconds and 304.39 mph in qualifying No. 1 for last year’s race. He also was the No. 1 qualifier in 2007 and 2006.
Notable #3 –.Ashley Force Hood rode out the worst incident of her brief pro career at the 2007 Northwest Nationals when the engine in her Castrol GTX Ford failed in a second round race against Kenny Bernstein, sending her, on fire, into the guardwall before spinning back into the center of the track.

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PRO POINTS (2009 NHRA Full Throttle Series point standings):

Funny Car – 1. Tie, Ashley Force Hood, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, and Ron Capps, NAPA Dodge Charger, 965 each; 3. Tony Pedregon, Q Racing Chevrolet, 911; 4. Jack Beckman, Valvoline/MTS Dodge Charger, 804; 5. Del Worsham, Al-Anabi Toyota Solara, 759; 6. Bob Tasca III, Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang, 732; 7. Tim Wilkerson, Levi, Ray and Shoup Ford Mustang, 691; 8. John Force, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang, 665; 9. Matt Hagan, Shelor Motor Mile Dodge Charger, 633; 10. Cruz Pedregon, Advance Toyota Solara, 630. Also, 11. Mike Neff, Ford Drive One Ford Mustang, 626; 12. Robert Hight, Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang, 594.

Top Fuel – 1. Antron Brown, Matco Tools dragster, 1056; 2. Larry Dixon, Al-Anabi dragster, 940; 3. Tony Schumacher, U.S. Army dragster, 938; 4. Brandon Bernstein, Budweiser dragster, 881; 5. Cory McClenathan, Fram dragster, 779; 6. Spencer Massey, US Smokeless Tobacco dragster, 743; 7. Shawn Langdon, Lucas Oil dragster, 719; 8. Morgan Lucas, Geico Insurance dragster, 716; 9. Doug Kalitta, Kalitta Racing dragster, 634; 10. Clay Millican, Nitrofish dragster, 534.

Pro Stock – 1. Jeg Coughlin Jr., Jeg’s Chevrolet Cobalt, 1145; 2. Mike Edwards, Young Life/Penhall Pontiac GTO, 1062; 3. Jason Line, Summit Racing Pontiac GXP, 991; 4. Greg Anderson, Summit Racing Pontiac GXP, 915; 5. Allen Johnson, Team Mopar Dodge Stratus, 855; 6. Greg Stanfield, Attitude Apparel Pontiac GXP, 691; 7. Ron Krisher, Valvoline Chevrolet Cobalt, 630; 8. Kurt Johnson, ACDelco Chevrolet Cobalt, 617; 9. Rickie Jones, Quarter-Max/RJ Race Cars Dodge Stratus, 556; 10. Warren Johnson, K&N Filters Pontiac GXP, 543.

Pro Stock Motorcycle – 1. Eddie Krawiec, Englishtown, N.J., Harley-Davidson V-Rod, 739; 2. Andrew Hines, Brownsburg, Ind., Harley-Davidson V-Rod, 651; 3. Matt Smith, King, N.C., Suzuki, 559; 4. Craig Treble, Harvey, La., Suzuki, 535; 5. Douglas Horne, Aberdeen, Md., Buell, 506; 6. Hector Arana, Milltown, Ind., Buell, 472; 7. Matt Guidera, Loomis, Calif., Buell, 446; 8. Steve Johnson, Birmingham, Ala., Suzuki, 360; 9. Shawn Gann, Stoneville, N.C., Buell, 356; 10. Karen Stoffer, Smith, Nev., Suzuki, 351.

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TELEVISION (all on ESPN2, all times Eastern Daylight):

Qualifying – Saturday, July 18, 7-9 p.m.
NHRA RaceDay – Sunday, July 19, 11 a.m.
Race Highlights – Sunday, July 19, 9 p.m.-12 midnight
Repeat race highlights – Wednesday, July 22, 3-5 a.m.

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NEXT EVENTS (2009 NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship):
22nd annual FRAM/Autolite Nationals, July 24-26, Sonoma, Calif.
28th annual Lucas Oil Nationals, Aug. 14-16, Brainerd, Minn.
25th annual Toyo Tires Nationals, Aug. 21-23, Reading, Pa.
55th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, Sept. 2-7, Indianapolis, Ind.
2nd annual NHRA Carolina Nationals, Sept. 17-20, Charlotte, N.C.

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For Immediate Release
FORCE TRIES TO SOLIDIFY
POSITION IN COUNTDOWN
14-Time Champ Aims for Season's First Victory

SEATTLE, Wash. – If all he had to do was improve on last year's performance, John Force's job this week would be relatively simple. That's because just by qualifying for Sunday's 22nd annual NHRA Northwest Nationals, drag racing's biggest winner would trump the stunning DNQ he endured at Pacific Raceways just a year ago.

Unfortunately, languishing in eighth place in Full Throttle Funny Car points and with four drivers right on his heels, the 14-time NHRA champion needs to do more than merely put his Castrol GTX® High Mileage™ Ford Mustang in the starting lineup.

He needs to win rounds. More important, he needs to win a race, something he hasn't done yet this year; something he hasn't done, in fact, since June 1, 2008 when he prevailed at Topeka, Kan. So far, that's his only victory since coming back from injuries suffered in a Sept., 2007, crash in Dallas, Texas.

That said, the 60-year-old icon bristles at the suggestion that he no longer has the desire nor the skill to race for the championship.

"I wouldn't be out here if I didn't think I could win," said the seven-time Northwest Nationals champion. "We won a lot of championships and a lot of races because we were consistent (and) we don't have that right now but we're getting better.

"The other thing is, we're not winning the close races. When we were winning all those championships (ten in a row from 1993 through 2002), we seemed to win the races that were too close to call. Now it seems like we lose em. We've gotta turn that around – and I think we can."

The other issue, one Force doesn't discuss, is testing – or the lack thereof. Under new NHRA guidelines, testing in the pro classes is limited to four days per season. Force's team used to test 8-10 times on Monday after NHRA tour events and four or five other times during the year -- and those sessions weren't always limited to one day.

"It's the same for everybody," Force said. "I think it's good because it has helped save budget. Testing is expensive but, yeah, it's a problem not being able to test when you really have issues. In that past, when we were struggling, we'd just go and test until we figured it out. Now, you've got to figure it out at the races."

Nevertheless, after several personnel changes and adjustments to the heavier race car mandated by rule following the deaths of Force prot‚g‚ Eric Medlen and two-time NHRA champion Scott Kalitta, Force believes his team is close.

Indeed, until he lost to his son-in-law, Robert Hight, in last week's Mopar Mile-High Nationals, he had lost just one first round match in 10 races. That's a substantial improvement over last year when he mixed eight first round exits with four DNQs.

The downside is that the 1996 Driver of the Year hasn't been able to turn that improvement into final round appearances. In fact, he hasn't been in a final since his win at Topeka, a 28-race drought that is the longest of his 32-year NHRA career.

Despite it all, Force still is in the Top 10 in the most competitive field in Funny Car history, locked in a battle for the final three transfer positions with rookie Matt Hagan, reigning series champion Cruz Pedregon and his own teammates Hight and 2008 Rookie-of-the-Year Mike Neff. Those five drivers are separated by just 71 points.

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Did You Know?
– John is trying to extend to a record-setting 23 the number of consecutive seasons in which he has won at least one NHRA tour event . He currently shares that record with Warren Johnson.
– John's Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford and all the other JFR Mustangs are carrying the logo of the Los Angeles-based Bogart Pediatric Cancer Research Program. John's outside general counsel, Michael Sheman, is on the Board of Directors. "That kind of cancer, the kind that attacks kids, really gets me," Force said. "If putting a decal on my Funny Car will help them get more attention and maybe some more donations, then that's the thing to do."

At Pacific Raceways:
– John didn't qualify for his first (1979) or his most recent race. In between, he made 20 straight starts, qualifying outside the Quick 8 just once.
– It's been feast-or-famine for John in his last six Northwest Nationals appearances. In the last six years, he has won twice (2003, 2004) and been runner-up on one other occasion (2007) with two first round losses and last year's DNQ.
– John has beaten each of the Pedregon brothers in a final round at Pacific Raceways Cruz in 1993 and 2004, Tony in 1996 and Frank in 2000.

-www.johnforceracing.com-
For more information about Castrol-branded products and services, please visit us at Castrol.com/US

FORCE's Edge

Overall NHRA records (and Funny Car division records)

Most career victories (126)
Most series championships (14)
Most career final rounds (202)
Most career rounds won (1026)
Most consecutive series championships (10, 1993-2002)
Most consecutive seasons with one or more victories (22)*
Most consecutive seasons with at least one final round appearance (24)*
Most consecutive seasons with multiple tour victories (18, 1990-2007)
Most consecutive national events without a DNQ (395, 1988-2007)
Most consecutive Top 10 seasons (24)
Highest winning percentage, one season (91.5%, 65-6)
*tied with Warren Johnson, Pro Stock

Other NHRA Funny Car division records

Most final rounds, one season (16, 1996)
Most victories, one season (13, 1996)
Most rounds won, one season (65, 1996)
Most career No. 1 starts (131)
Most No. 1 starts, one season (11, 1996)
Most consecutive final round appearances, one event (nine, 1992-2000, Atlanta, Ga.)
Career starts (515)

Awards

Driver of the Year (1996)
Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2008 inductee)
AARWBA Auto Racing All-America Team (14 times, 1990, 1993-2002, 2004-2006)
Jerry Titus Memorial Award (most AARWBA votes, 4 times, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002)
AARWBA Comeback Award (2008)
Speed TV Comeback Award (2008)
SAE Motorsports Achievement Award (2008)
AutoSport Magazine's John Bolster Award for lifetime achievement (2005)

Milestones

First round win, over Tom McEwen, June 1, 1979, Cajun Nationals, Baton Rouge, La.
First No. 1 qualifier, May 25, 1986, Cajun Nationals, Baton Rouge, La.
First tour victory, June 28, 1987, Le Grandnational Molson, Montreal, Canada
First Funny Car driver to break 4.90 second barrier, July 6, 1996, Topeka, Kan.
First drag racer to win Driver of the Year award for all of American motor sports (1996)
First Funny Car driver to break 4.80 second barrier, Oct. 24, 1998, Dallas, Texas
First (and only) drag racer to win 100 events, April 14, 2002, Houston, Texas
First Funny Car driver to break 4.70 second barrier, Oct. 2, 2004, Joliet, Ill.
No. 2 (behind Don Garlits) in balloting to determine Top 50 drivers in NHRA's first 50
years (2001)
First (and only) drag racer to win 1,000 racing rounds, May 4, 2008, Madison, Ill.

JOHN FORCE By the Numbers

1 Driver of the Year award (1996, the first drag racer ever so honored)
2 position from which he has won three of his seven titles at Pacific Raceways.
3 screws securing ankle bones from compound fracture suffered in Sept. 23, 2007 crash at Dallas, Texas.
4 final round wins over the Pedregon brothers (Cruz, 1993, 2004; Tony, 1996; and Frank, 2000)
5 seasons with 10 or more tour victories (1993-94, 1996, 1999-2000).
6 JFR cars in competition this week Funny Cars driven by John, daughter Ashley, Mike Neff and Robert
Hight; A/Fuel dragsters driven by youngest daughters Brittany, 23, and Courtney, 21.
7 finishing position in NHRA points each of last two years, worst since 1984
8 current position in Full Throttle points
9 runner-up finishes before winning for the first time at Montreal, Canada, on June 28, 1987, beating Ed
"the Ace" McCulloch in the final round.
10 straight Funny Car titles (1993-2002).
13 drivers among the 122 against whom he has raced who enjoy a winning record
14 times named to AARWBA Auto Racing All-America Team.
22 consecutive seasons with at least one NHRA tour victory.
25 consecutive Top 10 finishes.
1026 competitive rounds won

-www.johnforceracing.com-
For more information about Castrol-branded products and services, please visit us at Castrol.com/US