John Force Racing 2 for 2 Winning Gatornationals
March 17, 2011 by pikesan · Leave a Comment
Team Force Wins Gatornationals
TEAM JFR RACE REPORT
2nd of 22 races in the NHRA Full Throttle Series
42nd annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals
Gainesville Raceway
Gainesville, Florida
March 13, 2011
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Final round results from Sunday’s 42nd annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway, second race in the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series:
FUNNY CAR – Mike Neff, Fishers, Ind., Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, 4.092, 310.48 mph, def. Cruz Pedregon, Brownsburg, Ind., Snap-On Toyota Camry, 7.819, 99.32 mph.
TOP FUEL –Del Worsham, Chino Hills, Calif., Al-Anabi dragster, 3.858, 318.00 mph def. Tony Schumacher, Brownsburg, Ind., US Army dragster, 3.866, 318.39 mph
PRO STOCK – Jason Line, Mooresville, NC, Summit Pontiac GXP, 6.554, 211.96 mph def. Greg Greg Anderson, Mooresville, NC, Summit Pontiac GXP, 6.545, 212.43 mph
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE – Eddie Krawiec, Brownsburg, Ind., Harley Davidson V-Rod, 6.847, 197.08 mph def. Karen Stoffer, Gardnerville, NY, Geico Suzuki, Red-light DQ, 6.949,193.27 mph.
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CASTROL GTX’S NEFF WINS GATOR NATS
GAINESVILLE, FL — Mike Neff and his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang were hot on Saturday and they got hotter on Sunday racing to a second career win as a driver at the 42nd annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals. The win was the 198th funny car win for John Force Racing and it was the eleventh win for JFR at Gatornationals seven by John Force, one by Tony Pedregon, one by Gary Densham, and one by Ashley Force Hood in TAD. This was the first funny car win for JFR at Gatornationals since 2003.
It was the second win in a row for JFR in 2011, Robert Hight won the season opening NHRA Winternationals, and the fourth overall going back to John Force’s championship clinching wins at Las Vegas and Pomona at the end of 2010.
“This is just a great day for our whole team. We needed this to keep the Force string going,” said Neff. “This is four in a row for team Force. It feels good. Fortunately I have a great Mustang. It is the car John drove last year and I just got in it. Now it is just a matter of not messing it up as a driver. That is the hardest part for me.
This was Neff’s first final round and win at the NHRA Gatornationals as either a driver or crew chief. Neff was crew chief for Scotty Cannon and Gary Scelzi. His previous best at the Gatornationals was two appearances in the semi-finals with Scelzi.
Neff is pulling double duty as crew chief and driver but he is not carrying the load by himself. He was quick to spread the credit for the team’s success to his crew and teammates.
“I am mentally drained. Losing an hour of sleep last night didn’t help me either. We have so much help with people looking at the track like (track specialist) Lanny Miglizzi and (crew chief) Bernie Fedderly. I’ve got guys like (crewmen) Danny (Hood) and Jon (Schaffer) in the pits helping me. They help carry the load and they do a lot of the hands on stuff. The hardest part is the mental side. That mental drain just kind of wears you down over the course of the day. It is all worth it now.”
Neff didn’t know he would be back in the driver’s seat until the end of January. For the unflappable Neff the return to the seat was a welcome diversion but also a mentally taxing endeavor. When he was asked if he could slip back into the crew chief role if Force suddenly reversed field Neff was eager to make his driving plans clear.
“I want to give it a run all year now. I love tuning and that is what I will be doing for a long time. This driving deal might just be a one year deal for me. I am trying to make the most of it. When I drove a couple of years ago I was disappointed with my results,” said the seven time NHRA national event finalist driver. “I just felt like we didn’t achieve what I would have wanted to achieve. I made some mistakes driving. For whatever reason I just felt kind of unsatisfied. It is important to me that I want to be a good driver. That is what I am really trying to work on. This win means more to me than the other one by far. This is just a great, great day here.”
With the win Neff moved into sole possession of the Full Throttle points lead. He became the 37th different points leader in funny car class and he is the sixth different JFR driver to lead the funny car points. He joins a list led by John Force, Robert Hight, Ashley Force Hood, Tony Pedregon, and Gary Densham.
For the crew chief turned driver he improved his final round record to 2-5 and he has now won his last two final round appearances. He is 2-5 versus Cruz Pedregon. Ironically, Neff’s first touring job was working on Pedregon’s McDonalds Oldsmobile in 1992 when Pedregon won the funny car championship.
He opened the day with a first round win over friend Jim Head. Neff dispatched fellow Ford driver Bob Tasca III in the second round and he defeated Jack Beckman in the semi-finals before outrunning the two-time world champion Pedregon in the final.
Neff’s Castrol GTX Ford Mustang clicked off an impressive string of elapsed times: 4.095, 4.059, 4.126 and 4.092 for a round average of 4.093 seconds on a track that reached a temperature in excess of 110 degrees.
Neff’s last win was 2009 Auto Club NHRA Finals when he defeated teammate Ashley Force Hood.
While Neff was extending the JFR win streak his teammates were battling to maintain their positions in the Full Throttle top ten point standings. No. 10 qualifier Robert Hight had the toughest draw in the opening stanza racing against teammate and legend John Force. Hight made his best lap of the weekend, a session quickest 4.079 seconds in route to first round win. Hight dropped his next round race to Jack Beckman when his Auto Club Ford Mustang went up in smoke at half track.
After his first round win over Force Hight told the near capacity crowd, “That is what we have to do. We have to quit messing up. Our team was behind this run. (Crew chief) Jimmy Prock and (assistant crew chief) Eric Lane were great. Now my team gets to put some of these Mac Tools to work. It is tough when you have to race the boss but now he is going to tell me to go out there and get this win now.”
At the top end after his first round loss Force was philosophical but not concerned by his slow start for the 2011 season.
“I make (Hight) president and now he is sending me home every week. It ain’t no good if we have to race each other in the first or second rounds. We need to stay away from each other and get everyone up in the top half. Jimmy said OK and then he runs a 4.07,” said Force.
“I thought good as long as one of these Fords wins. My son-in-law is my new president. At the end of the day he whipped me in Pomona and I had to fight my way back here. I am just excited because he is still in and Neff is still in. (Co-crew chiefs) Dean Antonelli and Ron Douglas were taught by Austin Coil, the very best.“
When Force looked back on some of his personnel changes from the past two seasons, the winningest driver in NHRA history doesn’t know how to evaluate their success.
“I don’t know if I am lucky or smart. I keep having to make changes amongst the teams and move my drivers and crew chiefs around. Mike Neff proved that he could win when he won Pomona (in 2009). To see him come out here and win is great,” said the 132-time winner.
“He was on his game all day. The car was consistent. He has Danny and Jon working with him and these kids are working hard for him. They are working like Austin and Bernie. The car isn’t missing a lick. Not only is he doing great as a crew chief but also a driver. He was on his game every round. I was really proud. He was under a lot of pressure. He showed he can do it. He is in the game up in the points. I am not worried about Guido and Ron Douglas and my team. We know how to win and we just have to get our deal jiving. I made some good calls. All our sponsors Castrol, Ford, Auto Club, Mac Tools, and BrandSource get the payday.”
The three John Force drivers will leave Gainesville Raceway in first, fourth and ninth place in points.
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UNOFFICIAL FULL THROTTLE POINT STANDINGS
FUNNY CAR – 1. Mike Neff, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, 201; 2. Cruz Pedregon, 161; 3. Matt Hagan, 175; 4. Robert Hight, Auto Club Ford Mustang, 170; 5. Jack Beckman, 116; 6. Ron Capps, 105; 7. Jeff Arend, 104; 8. Johnny Gray, 100; 9. John Force, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang, 88; 10. Jim Head, 86
TOP FUEL – 1. Del Worsham, 186; 2. Tony Schumacher, 162; 3. Shawn Langdon, 148; 4. Morgan Lucas, 147; 4. Larry Dixon, 147; 6. Antron Brown, 141; 7. Spencer Massey, 136; 8. Steve Torrence, 87; 9. Doug Kalitta, 85; 10. Terry McMillen, 84
PRO STOCK – 1. Jason Line, 230; 2. Greg Anderson, 182; 3. Greg Stanfield, 148; 4. Roger Brogdon, 138; 5. Ron Krisher, 131; 6. Erica Enders, 115; 7. Kurt Johnson, 85; 8. Shane Gray, 83; 9. Ronnie Humphrey, 82; 9. Vincent Nobile, 82.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE – 1. Eddie Krawiec, 124; 2. Hector Arana, 104; 3. Karen Stoffer, 100; 4. LE Tonglet, 74; 5. Andrew Hines, 62; 6. Matt Smith, 54; 7. Gerald Savoie, 53; 7. Shawn Gann, 53; 9. David Hope, 32; 9. Jim Underdahl, 32; 9. Angie Smith, 32; 9. Mike Berry, 32
THE DRIVERS
JOHN FORCE, 61, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang
Final Qualifying: 7th at 4.119 seconds, 310.48 mph
Bonus Qualifying Points: 0
Race Results: Lost to Robert Hight.
Quotable: On Mike Neff – “He is trying to lead tune the car and lead drive the car. That is a lot of overload. Then you have the pressure of stepping into my hot rod. I told him there is no pressure. This is our house we own it. Nobody tells us what to do and I only make changes when changes are due. I am just excited for the whole group and we have a strong three car team. Ford says we are One Ford. We are all in the top ten and we will be OK.” – JOHN FORCE
MIKE NEFF, 44, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang
Final Qualifying: 3rd at 4.074 seconds, 311.05 mph
Bonus Qualifying Points: +7 (3rd quickest of Q2 and quickest of Q3 and Q4)Race Results: Beat Jim Head, Bob Tasca III, Jack Beckman, Cruz Pedregon
Quotable: After second round win – “I felt pretty good rolling up there. We went down the race track when it was a little hotter than this. I just kind of ran in like yesterday. I hate to say it but I am a little surprised it ran that quick. It feels good the old Castrol Ford has been running good. I am just going to try and not screw it up.“ – MIKE NEFF
ROBERT HIGHT, 41, Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang
Final Qualifying: 10th at 4.133 seconds, 309.20 mph
Bonus Qualifying Points: 0
Race Results: Beat John Force. Lost to Jack Beckman.
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FOLLOW JOHN FORCE RACING AT www.twitter.com/jfr_racing.com
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NEXT EVENT:
12th annual SummitRacing.com Nationals, April 1-3, Las Vegas, Nev.
2nd annual NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, April 15-17, Charlotte, N.C.
24th annual O’Reilly Spring Nationals, April 29-May 1, Houston, Texas
31st annual Summit Southern Nationals, May 13-15, Atlanta, Ga.
23rd annual O’Reilly Summer Nationals, May 20-22, Topeka, Kan.
John Force is Big in Texas
March 8, 2011 by pikesan · Leave a Comment
Force Selected As Newest Inductee Into Texas Motorsports Hall Of Fame
FORT WORTH, Texas (March 8, 2011) – John Force, one of drag racing’s most legendary figures, will add yet another racing accomplishment to his illustrious career resume when he becomes just the fourth NHRA racer inducted into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame.
Force, a 15-time NHRA Funny Car champion (1990-‘91, ‘93-2002, ’04, ’06, ’10), will be honored Thursday, April 7, at the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame Gala held in the Speedway Club’s Grand Ballroom at Texas Motor Speedway during the Samsung Mobile 500 NASCAR doubleheader race weekend.
Force’s induction will highlight an evening that recognizes the accomplishments of some of the biggest names in motorsports, all while benefitting Speedway Children’s Charities at Texas Motor Speedway. Others being recognized are seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Richard Petty; defending race winner of Texas Motor Speedway’s Samsung Mobile 500 and AAA Texas 500 Denny Hamlin; five-time Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson; four-time Sprint Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon; and veteran motorsports reporter Terry Blount.
“Being inducted into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame is a great honor,” Force said. “I have a lot of great memories racing in Texas. They say everything is bigger in Texas. I won my 100th race in Houston and that was a huge milestone. When you think of the other great Texas drag racers like Raymond Beadle, Kenny Bernstein, Eddie Hill, Lee Shepherd, to add my name to that list is amazing. The fans in Texas have always been some of my best. When I was in the hospital after my crash in 2007 (at the Texas Motorplex), they brought cakes to Baylor (University Medical Center in Dallas) for me and waited outside for days. I’ll never forget that.”
Force will become the 13th member enshrined into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame. He joins previous inductees A.J. Foyt (2003), Johnny Rutherford (‘03), Terry Labonte (‘04), Lee Shepherd (‘04), Kenny Bernstein (‘05), Jim Hall (‘05), Eddie Hill (‘06), Mark Martin (‘07), Jim McElreath (‘07), Bobby Labonte (‘08), Bruton Smith (‘08) and Joe Gibbs (‘09).
Force joins Shepherd, Bernstein and Hill as the only NHRA racers inducted into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame. The Lone Star State has provided the best and one of the more terrifying moments of Force’s career. Entering the 2011 season, Force has registered 13 of his 132 career victories in the state of Texas. One of his most unforgettable drag racing moments also came in Texas, and it wasn’t celebrating a win or championship. In 2007, Force was involved in a near-fatal accident when he blew a tire that sent his car careening into Bernstein. After six hours of surgery and several months of rehabilitation, Force returned to for the season opener in 2008. His redemption came in 2010 when he became the oldest NHRA champion, winning his record 15th championship at the age of 61.
Petty, one of NASCAR’s iconic figures, will be honored with the Bruton Smith Legend Award. Petty has been synonymous with NASCAR, starting his career as a driver in 1958 and since retiring from racing in 1992 he has remained active in the sport, serving as car owner of Richard Petty Motorsports. Petty’s career is highlighted by his seven series championships (1964, ’67, ’71, ’72, ’74, ’75, ’79), which is tied for the most in history with the late Dale Earnhardt. Petty’s ultimate racing honor came last year as he was among the five individuals inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s inaugural class.
Hamlin, last year’s most dominant Sprint Cup Series driver at Texas Motor Speedway, will be awarded the Texas Motor Speedway Racer of the Year. Hamlin became just the second driver in speedway history to sweep both Sprint Cup Series races in the same season – winning April’s Samsung Mobile 500 and November’s AAA Texas 500. His victory in the AAA Texas 500 served as a clear indicator that he was a championship contender as he overtook Johnson for the championship lead, marking the first time since 2005 that Johnson was not leading entering the final two races of the season.
Johnson, the defending five-time Sprint Cup Series champion, will receive the Texas Motor Speedway Sportsmanship Award. Johnson has dominated the sport – becoming the first driver to win five consecutive Sprint Cup Series championships – and doing so with his modest and humble personality. He also embodies the ideals of sportsmanship off the track. His charitable contributions through the Jimmie Johnson Foundation have helped raise more than $3.5 million for charitable organizations.
Gordon, Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, also will be recognized for his contributions off the track as he will receive the Maj. General Thomas Sadler Award. He has championed the efforts of Speedway Children’s Charities through his contributions with the Jeff Gordon Foundation Corvette Raffle. Since beginning the raffle in 2006, he has helped raise more than $400,000 for Speedway Children’s Charities at Texas Motor Speedway.
Veteran motorsports journalist and Houston native Terry Blount will receive the Excellence in Motorsports Journalism Award. Blount’s career has spanned more than 30 years with tenures at some of the largest newspapers in the United States. He has worked at the Houston Post, Houston Chronicle and The Dallas Morning News and currently is a motorsports writer/columnist for ESPN.com. During his career, he has missed only one major race at Texas Motor Speedway since it opened in 1997.
Blount has earned numerous writing honors, including the Citation for Writing Excellence from Hearst Newspapers and the Excellence in Journalism Award from the Houston Press Club.
Fans will once again have a say in the voting for the top moment of 2010 at Texas Motor Speedway. The choices have been narrowed to three moments: Hamlin’s sweep of Texas, Kyle Busch’s record fifth consecutive Nationwide Series victory at TMS, and Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton’s scrap on the backstretch during November’s AAA Texas 500. Fans can submit their vote by visiting www.texasmotorspeedway.com.
The Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame, located in the outdoor atrium adjacent to The Speedway Club, is open year round and free to the public. The Hall of Fame atrium features pedestals of the inductees, including their career highlights.
The Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame Gala benefits Speedway Children’s Charities at Texas Motor Speedway. The organization’s mission is to care for children in educational, financial, social and medical need in order to help them lead productive lives. Speedway Children’s Charities at Texas Motor Speedway has distributed more than $7.5 million in grants to local children’s organizations in Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties.
A VIP reception hosted by previous Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame inductees will take place prior to the awards ceremony beginning at 6:30 p.m. CT on the ninth floor in the Grand Ballroom. The Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame induction ceremony will begin at approximately 8 p.m. CT.
Table sponsorships, beginning at $1,200, and individual tickets for $150 are available by calling the Speedway Children’s Charities office at (817) 215-8421 or by visiting www.scctexas.org.
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FOLLOW JOHN FORCE RACING AT www.twitter.com/jfr_racing.com
John Force Wins at 50th Winternational!
February 14, 2010 by pikesan · Leave a Comment
John Force is back. It’s great to see the spring in his step again and now with their new, in-house chassis built by John Medlin and in-house Ford Boss motors. This could be the first of many race wins. How long before all 3 teams are running the new chassis? Not long. -Pikesan
Here’s the race recap from John Force Racing:
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JOHN FORCE WINS 50TH NHRA WINTERNATIONALS
POMONA — John Force broke the longest dry spell of his historic career opening the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing season with an emotional victory at the 50th annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals. Force was the model of consistency on race day defeating veteran Bob Bode, daughter Ashley Force Hood, Jack Beckman and Ron Capps with an average elapsed time of 4.123.
“I heard (Top Fuel winner Larry) Dixon say that he grew up in California and I’m from California too but I never grew up. I just love it and I have to tell you I can drink that Full Throttle. That stuff hops me up for a race like this. The 50th of this race at Auto Club Raceway is big and with Ford as official car of the NHRA, for all my sponsors Castrol, Ford, Auto Club, MacTools and BrandSource. This is twenty-five years with Castrol. It ain’t about a paycheck it is all about you (the fans). You are the blood that flows in my veins,” said Force from the winner’s circle stage.
“I know where (Ron) Capps comes from. I tried to hire him years ago before (Don) Prudhomme snatched him up. The kid is fighting for what he wants. That is that championship. He’s going to get that one of these days. A lot times it just takes a long time. He’ll get there because he has the talent. That is why I armed up for him. I gave him everything I had. I knew this guy will tree you. (Capps’ crew chief) Ed McCullough is going to throw a hardball. The weather is cooling down. We got the win.”
“I live this game. You race a kid like Capps and up against Schumacher Racing. They are tough. You have to just keep your focus. We have shuffled our team around. Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly they have teamed up with Mike Neff. All them together with Jimmy Prock, John Medlen, Guido (Dean Antonelli) and Ron Douglas they were all in the think tank trying to figure me out. Just seeing the younger generation with the older generation it works. My change worked.”
This was the 127th career victory for Force and the first since his win over Tim Wilkerson in Topeka on June 1, 2008, a span of twenty months and forty races. It is the 186th win for John Force Racing. It is the second win in a row for John Force Racing at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. In November at the season ending Auto Club Finals Mike Neff drove the Ford Drive One Mustang to the winner’s circle.
Ironically Neff shifted gears this race and tuned Force to victory beside Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly. Force was the no. 3 qualifier and on race day he recorded the quickest elapsed times every round. Neff’s last win as a crew chief was June 10, 2007 in Joliet when he tuned Gary Scelzi to victory.
John Force Racing has won all three 50th annual or anniversary events in the history of the NHRA. Gary Densham, then a JFR driver, won the 50th Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in 2004 and Force won the 50th anniversary NHRA national in July of 2001.
“This is fifty years here. That is unique to be a part of that. You’ll win a lot of races. I’ve won Winternationals and World Finals but to win this race that has the magic. I want my kids to look back. You know when you were great and the kids were little and nobody cared. They were like I don’t care dad let’s go to Disneyland. All of a sudden you aren’t any good anymore and then all of a sudden you think you have done all you can do but your legs won’t carry you. My trainer, Horn at Fanatics, told me if I kept working I could get my legs back. He told me I had to keep building my legs so I could push on that gas. My leg was shaking so bad last year holding the clutch and you can’t drive like that. I wasn’t going to cry about it. I didn’t want you all to know I was so screwed up,” said Force. “Over the winter I hit it harder and all of a sudden I had strength to get through the day. It is awesome. I remember I got in the treadmill I couldn’t run for two minutes now I can go for an hour. That is a fact. I can’t run with my knees but I can put it up to three or three and half. I haul tail. Man, this is big for me.”
Force won a crucial round when he defeated his daughter Ashley Force Hood and her Castrol GTX Ford Mustang in the second round. They were the two quickest Funny Cars from round one and the odds were whoever won that race had the inside track on victory today.
As Force Hood rolled through the water box one of her parachutes fell out of the parachute pack and unfurled behind her Castrol GTX Ford Mustang. Her co-crew chief Ron Douglas immediately gave her the stop sign and she sat for minutes as her team furiously repacked her chute. Unfortunately, in the other lane John Force did not see what the problem was as he completed his burn out. He waited patiently but was unclear if he was making a single run or if Force Hood would be able to run beside him.
“I didn’t know until I got out at the end that I had a parachute problem. I thought maybe someone fell or got bumped by the car. Ron was telling the guys to be sure to get the tires clean and then I thought maybe I rolled through some oil. They told me I was going to do a short burnout and back up. Then they decided there wasn’t enough time to do a burnout at all and we were going to just pull up. Dad was already staged,” said Force Hood from outside her trailer after the round loss.
“(My dad) thought he was on a single. I just remember thinking ‘How can they send me down the track with oil on my tires?’ I should have more faith in my team that they would never do that. I just stepped on it thinking I have no idea what this thing is going to do. It went right down the track. I knew I shouldn’t have been worried about all these other things when none of it was correct. I don’t know why I didn’t think if the parachutes before. We have never had a problem like that before. It was just one of those fluke things. We didn’t do the burn out so there were so many things that go along with doing the burn out that didn’t happen.”
“At the time I knew I just needed to wait and do whatever they told me to do. It wasn’t that chaotic where I was sitting. I remember just sitting there and clicking my visor down which it the last thing I do before I pre-stage. I remember thinking let me get myself ready so that when I pull up I don’t have anything else to think about. I remember thinking I am all set to go so I just pretended I already did a burn out so I could pull up and stage,” added Force Hood.
“I was surprised it did go down the track. It wasn’t as quick (running a 4.187 second elapsed time) as they wanted. They said it was heavier because of all the fuel still in it. The clutch didn’t get warmed up enough. It still made it. That is something to just learn. The best part was that I was racing against one of my own teammates. So if I had to lose at least one of my teammates went on. I felt bad for dad because he was getting a lot of mixed signals. He wasn’t sure what was going on. I was at least just getting my information from Ron. I didn’t know what was going on but I knew what I was supposed to be doing. That is a good feeling for a driver,” concluded Force Hood.
Newly crowned 2009 Full Throttle Funny Car champion Robert Hight’s day ended unceremoniously early. The no. 1 qualifier Hight in his Auto Club Ford Mustang was the victim of a first round upset to no. 16 qualifier Cruz Pedregon. In just over an hour’s time Hight was handed his Full Throttle champion’s jacket and ring then dispatched from the first race of the season in the first round. Hight is extremely excited to be getting back on a track next weekend in Phoenix for the NHRA Arizona Nationals.
“(Crew chief) Jimmy (Prock) is still baffled that we smoked the tires. Even after looking at the data. The tires weren’t hot. I had it perfectly lined up in the center of the groove. I knew I left on it. I saw the amber. It felt awesome. I pedaled it and got back on it and it hooked. When it does that usually it goes. I stayed in it and then all of a sudden it turned sideways so I lifted. When it does that the tires really start spinning. They slow down and then they really speed up and it shoots you. Unfortunately it shot me across the center line and I couldn’t bring it back,” said Hight. “It wasn’t going to run 4.30 anyway after pedaling it out that far. We have to not smoke the tires. It looks funny especially when Ashley goes out and runs 4.12 right behind us. It is just one of those deals and we’ll move on. We are still learning this clutch package. It is not like last year when we were struggling to figure it out. We just have to fine tune this Mustang to get it to react the way we need it to. We’ll get it.”
“Going to Phoenix next weekend is huge for me. I don’t have to think about this for a week. I can get right back to work. We’ll get that work done and get ready to head to Phoenix and start over again. I am really looking forward to Phoenix. With this race being the 50th anniversary of the Winternationals it has been huge. It has been a crazy, crazy weekend. I’m back at my home track after winning the championship. I got my ring today and my champion’s jacket. There were just lots of things going on. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I am not complaining. It will be nice to get to a more normal race weekend. It is good to be back with the fans and all the sponsors. I have missed my team. They are all in Indy,” said the two-time Winternationals winner.
In the Top Alcohol Dragster ranks Courtney Force lost in her first round match up on Saturday when here BrandSource Ford Racing A Fueler crossed the center line versus Art Trautman.
“I was hoping it would be a good straight solid run. It had some tire shake and that drove me over to the center line. My helmet kind of fell down on me and I couldn’t see very well. That is when I lifted. I tried to pedal it and get right back into it when I got my vision back. Right when I did that my wheel was over and I hit a couple of cones. I did my best to drive it back into my lane. That is when I let off again,” said the no. 2 qualifier.
“It is still a big learning curve. I am still learning but people can tell you what to do but there is no real way to know how to do it until it happens to you. I don’t think I did too bad. I did hit a couple of cones but I am just really glad I was able to bring it back into my own lane and didn’t hurt the other racer.”
No.1 qualifier Brittany Force won her first round race against Brooks Brown but today her Jerry Darian tuned BrandSource A Fueler was just barely outrun by Shawn Cowie, 3.383 to Cowie’s 5.374.
“That race was really close. We have had a great car all weekend. It has been pretty consistent. I could see I was coming up right against him and I knew he was right there. I would like to do more racing than my schedule will allow me to with school and student teaching. I am looking forward to getting to the next race and going some more rounds. I haven’t been in my BrandSource A Fuel dragster in a while so this race was really nice. I was a little nervous that first run but I got back into my routine. Getting the no. 1 qualifier was great and it was good to be back,” said Brittany.
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FULL THROTTLE POINT STANDINGS
FUNNY CAR – 1. John Force, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang, 121; 2. Ron Capps, 94; 3. Bob Tasca III, 78; 4. Jack Beckman, 74; 5. Del Worsham, 59; 6. Matt Hagan, 57; 7. Ashley Force Hood, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, 56; 8. Cruz Pedregon, 51; 9. Robert Hight, Auto Club Ford Mustang, 43; 10. Tony Pedregon, 33; 10. Jim Head, 33.
TOP FUEL – 1. Larry Dixon, 122; 2. Doug Kalitta, 96; 3. Cory McClenathan, 86; 4. Tony Schumacher, 81; 5. Shawn Langdon, 55; 6. Brandon Bernstein, 52; 6. Antron Brown, 52; 6. Troy Buff, 52; 9. Morgan Lucas, 36; 10. Steve Torrence, 34; 10. Thomas Nataas, 34.
PRO STOCK – 1. Mike Edwards, 130; 2. Greg Anderson, 95; 3. Allen Johnson, 78; 4. Larry Morgan, 71; 5. Rodger Brogdon, 54; 6. Greg Stanfield, 53; 7. Justin Humphreys, 51; 7. Shane Gray, 51; 9. Jeg Coughlin, 42; 10. Ron Krisher, 39.
THE DRIVERS
JOHN FORCE, 60, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang
Final Qualifying: 3rd at 4.066 seconds, 310.41 mph
Bonus Qualifying Points: +5 (quickest of Q2 and 2nd quickest of Q4)
Race Results: Beat Bob Bode, Ashley Force Hood, Jack Beckman, Ron Capps
Quotable: “I live this game. You race a kid like (Ron) Capps and up against Schumacher Racing. They are tough. You have to just keep your focus. We have shuffled our team around. Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly they have teamed up with Mike Neff. All them together with Jimmy Prock, John Medlen, Guido and Ron Douglas they were all in the think tank trying to figure me out. Just seeing the younger generation with the older generation it works. My change worked.” – JOHN FORCE
ASHLEY FORCE HOOD, 27, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang
Friday Qualifying: 6th at 4.093 seconds, 310.70 mph
Bonus Qualifying Points: +2 (third quickest of Q1 and Q3)
Race Results: Beat Tim Wilkerson. Lost to John Force
Quotable: “The best part was that I was racing against one of my own teammates. So if I had to lose at least one of my teammates went on. I felt bad for dad because he was getting a lot of mixed signals. He wasn’t sure what was going on. I was at least just getting my information from Ron. I didn’t know what was going on but I knew what I was supposed to be doing. That is a good feeling for a driver.” – ASHLEY FORCE HOOD
ROBERT HIGHT, 40, Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang
Friday Qualifying: 1st at 4.059 seconds, 312.86 mph
Bonus Qualifying Points: +5 (quickest of Q1, 2nd quickest of Q3)
Race Results: Lost to Cruz Pedregon
Quotable: “Jimmy is still baffled that we smoked the tires. Even after looking at the data. The tires weren’t hot. I had it perfectly lined up in the center of the groove. I knew I left on it. I saw the amber. It felt awesome. I pedaled it and got back on it and it hooked. When it does that usually it goes. I stayed in it and then all of a sudden it turned sideways so I lifted.” – ROBERT HIGHT
BRITTANY FORCE, 23, BrandSource A Fuel Dragster
Final Qualifying: 1st at 5.293 seconds, 268.82 mph
Race Results: Beat Brooks Brown. Lost to Shawn Cowie
Quotable: “That race was really close. We have had a great car all weekend. It has been pretty consistent. I could see I was coming up right against him and I knew he was right there. Getting the no. 1 qualifier was great and it was good to be back.” – BRITTANY FORCE
COURTNEY FORCE, 21, BrandSource/Ford A Fuel Dragster
Final Qualifying: 2nd at 5.302 seconds, 251.39 mph
Race Results: Lost to Art Trautman
Quotable: “I was hoping it would be a good straight solid run. It had some tire shake and that drove me over to the center line. My helmet kind of fell down on me and I couldn’t see very well. That is when I lifted. I tried to pedal it and get right back into it when I got my vision back. Right when I did that my wheel was over and I hit a couple of cones. I did my best to drive it back into my lane. That is when I let off again.” – COURTNEY FORCE
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Ashley Force-Hood Video Preview: 2010 NHRA Season
January 24, 2010 by pikesan · 2 Comments
I can’t say it’s cool when you enter the John Force Racing compound. It’s OVERWHELMING! The people, the parts, the action, I love it!
We (Pikesan and Swanee) first entered the pit area of John Force, Ashley Force-Hood and NHRA Champion Robert Hight at the test and tune at Firebird Raceway in Chandler, AZ to find every team working feverishly, even though, racing for the night was done. It’s obvious, this team works well together, everyone knows their job and they’re ready to rock for the Winternationals in Pomona.
As a huge fan of the NHRA, especially the John Force Racing team, meeting and talking to Austin Coil, then having a short sit down with the charming, yet #2 in the world funny car racer, Ashley Force-Hood was a dream come true. It’s a sure sign that the JFR team loves their fans.
So dig this short interview of loveliest lady of motorsports (Danica, it ain’t even close!) Ashely Force-Hood. After making several full passes, I found her listening to the Vikings, Saints game on TV while working on her laptop.
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It takes a strong woman to compete in a male dominated sport, then to be a calm and professional (one take’s all you need!) as Ashley. About 20 minutes before the interview above, she did this:
I gotta thank the John Force Racing team for getting us so close to the starting line!
No doubt who we’ll be rooting for in the 2010 season of NHRA drag racing. The season kicks off with the fabled and now 50th, Winternationals in Pomona, CA on February 11-14. Take your honey to the race… I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Valentines Day!
Who else is rooting for John Force, Ashley and Robert Hight? Let us know!
Ed McCulloch’s Top 5 Most Influential Funny Cars
June 14, 2009 by Hechtspeed · 2 Comments
MyRideisMe.com has your Funny Car hookups! We asked 3 current NHRA superstars in funny car and top fuel what funny cars are their “Top 5″ most influential of all time, and why. Look for the Top 5 from Ed McCulloch, Ron Capps and Don Schumacher.
Let’s get started with the Napa Auto Parts funny car crew chief, Ed “Ace” McCulloch.
The “Ace” has a drag racing career stretching back more than 30 years. A socal boy living right in the middle of where hot rods and drag racing really took off. It’s no wonder he’s driven everything from top fuel to funny’s.
During those early days racing all over the country at whatever track was paying, he learned what it takes to make a nitro burning beast go fast and more importantly, win. He’s got 18 wins in funny car and another 4 in top fuel and he won at Indy 5 times.
“Ace” is truly a legend in funny car and a perfect kick off for MyRideisMe.com’s 5 Most influential Funny Cars…
Ed “Ace” McCulloch’s Top 5 Funny Cars
“Going back some years, probably ‘Jungle Jim’ Liberman would be included. He was a great showman, just a natural. When we used to match race, that was what it was all about, putting on a show. I guess one of the most influential would definitely have to be ‘Jungle Jim’ Liberman.”
“Another one would be the Blue Max, with Raymond Beadle. They were a really good group of guys on that car.”
“(Paul) Candies and (Leonard) Hughes would be one of the top ones, too. Really competitive cars. They always ran hard.”
“Even though I hate to do it, I have to put Don Prudhomme and the Army car in there because he was good in his day, won a lot of races for a long time.
“I could put five of mine in front of those four already,” he added. (note: I’m trying to get some of Ace’s private stash of pictures to post.)
“Obviously, on today’s circuit and going back in time with Austin Coil’s career and then his going on to John Force Racing, they would have to be in the top five.
“There’s probably a lot of cars there that are equally as good that I haven’t mentioned, but based on what they’ve done, the fame they earned and the way they presented themselves, those are probably my top five.”
“It depends on how you want to position this. I mean, do I think any of my time with Capps is good enough for my top five, probably not. Not yet. I’ve got a wider stretch to choose from.
“Blue Max and Jungle Jim had a lot of cars over time and they were always very dominant and had very good race cars. I can’t single it down to just one specific time frame or year or car. I’m looking at it over a period of time. As for the Snake, probably his Army car, in my opinion, was his dominant car. The rest of them it’s just what I think were influential over time.”
MyRideisMe.com thanks 70sfunnycars.com, draglist.com, monza.homestead.com, bluemaxfunnycar.com and fastmachines.com for the pictures shown.
Another big thanks to Judy Stropus from Don Schumacher Racing and her intern Leah Vaughn for getting the info out of these Funny Car legends.
What’s your top 5? Leave a comment and let us know!
