Top Fuel driver Brittany Force talks about her sophomore season with an eye on her third year racing in the NHRA’s quickest and fastest pro category. In 2014 Force raced to four final rounds and three No. 1 qualifiers on the way to reaching the Countdown for the first time in her young professional career.

What was the biggest highlight for you last season?

Brittany Force: The biggest highlight of my 2014 season was locking into the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown in the No. 7 position in Brainerd. That was a proud moment for me knowing regardless of the final races I would be standing on stage at our awards banquet next to the best Top Fuel drivers!

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Robert Hight driver of the Auto Club Funny Car and President of John Force Racing Inc. looks back at 2014 and also looks ahead to 2015. Last season Hight won a class leading five races and finished No. 5 in the NHRA Mello Yello point standings.

What was the biggest highlight for you last season?

Robert Hight: Winning five races which was the most of any Funny Car driver last year was the highlight. We had a good run at the beginning of the year and we went to a lot of finals. We went a little flat in the middle and towards the end of the season but getting those five wins was a good start. That was the first full season I have been with (crew chief) Mike Neff and I am excited about next year since we are all staying together. We’ll be looking for more wins and better results. I believe with what we have in place we can really do that.

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Traxxas Funny Car driver Courtney Force looks back at the 2014 season and also turns her attention to the 2015 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. In 2014 Force raced to four wins (a season high for a female in the Funny Car class) as well as a No. 4 finish in the Mello Yello point standings.

What was the biggest highlight for you last season?

Courtney Force: The biggest highlight for me was becoming the winningest female in Funny Car history, after our Traxxas team picked up our 5th win of my career, in Sonoma, CA. Going into the Countdown and getting back-to-back wins totaling seven of my career, made this a highlight in itself.

Can you talk about your growth as a driver in your third season?

CF: It’s unbelievable to think I have just completed my third season in Funny Car. As a driver I think I’ve pushed myself harder than ever before and am learning with every pass, at every track on the circuit. I think we have reached a point where we are strong as a team and I’ve been working hard to make less mistakes and try to improve my lights growth in myself as the years go on. Plus we made our best finish yet, concluding the 2014 season where we finished 4th!

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POMONA, CA – It was a seesaw battle of Funny Car titans today at the 50th Auto Club NHRA Finals as John Force just came up shy of winning his 142 career victory. The 16-time NHRA Mello Yello World Champion was also racing for Funny Car title number seventeen and despite the fact the mathematical odds favored his rival Matt Hagan, Force never gave up and pushed the gas pedal as far as it would go in his 8000 horsepower Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang. Force understood the 23 points he trailed Hagan by would be tough to make up, but he drove like a machine with a beating heart during Sunday’s eliminations at the iconic Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California.

“We were going for it, so was he (Hagan) and my hot rod was trucking in the finals. We tried to run a low 4.00 with it and it was going to but, if it don’t run, it don’t run. Got down there, it started rattling and drove me out of the groove, I tried to pedal it and it blew the blower off and set me on fire. You either need a good win at the end of the season to get ready for next year, or you need a good fire – and I had an awesome one. I’m excited – I congratulated Hagan and all the winners here at Auto Club Raceway. But, at the end of the day, I want to thank Castrol for 29 years of my life and being part of our family. And I want to thank Ford for 17 great years. We’ll be back next year, this isn’t the end, it’s just the beginning,” said John Force.

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POMONA, CA – John Force was playing for keeps today as he fired the opening salvo during day one of qualifying at the 50th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals from the hallowed grounds of Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, California. The 16-time NHRA Mello Yello World Champion is racing for another title and knows every point is critical if he’s going to get around his rival Matt Hagan. The winningest driver in NHRA history ended the day qualified in the number four spot and claimed two valuable NHRA Mello Yello Bonus Points, cutting his deficit to 19 points unofficially or one round of racing.

It was in the opening session the Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang blasted right down the groove at Auto Club Raceway and turned in a 4.015 second run at 316.60 mph. This put Force in the number two spot and he picked up two additional bonus points after the run. Force knew Hagan would step it up and therefore he rallied his team as they went to work with crew chiefs Mike Neff and John Medlen as they reviewed the run data and went to work on extracting more power from the already potent 8000 horsepower BOSS 500 engine.

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YORBA LINDA, CA  – The 2014 NHRA Mello Yello season is ready to cross the finish line as the teams roll into Auto Club Raceway at Pomona for this weekend’s 50th Annual Auto Club NHRA Finals. For John Force, it’s all or nothing, as he will be going full steam ahead in pursuing his 17th NHRA Mello Yello Funny Car World Championship title. When Force gets strapped into this 8000 horsepower Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang, he’ll be focused on rewriting the NHRA record books and claiming what could be his 142nd career victory, and another world title when the smoke and clutch dust clears after final eliminations this Sunday.

Force left last weekend’s NHRA Toyota Nationals in Vegas just 21 points behind current leader Matt Hagan, after suffering a final round defeat against Del Worsham.

“I want to win this championship for my partner of 29 years, Castrol, and the Ford Motor Company, who’s been with me for 11 years. They’re moving on and I’d like to bring that title home like the others. Auto Club has been with us a long time and with Traxxas, Brand Source, Mac Tools, Freightliner, and my other wonderful sponsors, I just want to win,” said John Force.

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LAS VEGAS – Two drivers from John Force Racing along with other stars of the NHRA were featured on a segment with Today Show hosts Willie Geist and Tamron Hall today. John Force and his daughter Courtney Force talked with Geist about the excitement and power of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The duo also explained to the Today Show audience how they balanced their competitive impulses with a very healthy family support network.

The segment can be seen here: http://www.today.com/video/today/56353759

The segment was filmed prior to the NHRA national event in Reading, Pennsylvania. John Force and the Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang Funny Car are currently No. 2 in the Funny Car point standing only 21 points away from first place while Courtney Force and the Traxxas backed Ford Mustang is solidly in third place.

LAS VEGAS, NV – John Force, the winningest driver in NHRA history, was hoping to claim his 142nd career win today at the NHRA Toyota Nationals in Las Vegas but the 16-time NHRA Mello Yello champ was denied that victory in the final round against vetran Del Worsham. However, Force’s bid for an unprecedented 17th NHRA Funny Car title will not be deterred as he more determined than ever to make history. To get that title, he’ll need to make up ground in two weeks when the Castrol GTX High Mileage team rolls into Pomona, California. Force will need to go rounds and drive around current leader, Matt Hagan, who’s currently 21 points ahead of Force.

“I want to win this championship for my partner of 29 years, Castrol, and the Ford Motor Company, who’s been with me for 11 years. They’re moving on and I’d like to bring that title home like the others. Auto Club has been with a long time and with Traxxas, Brand Source, Mac Tools, Freightliner, and my other wonderful sponsors including new sponsor Peak. I just want to win,” said Force.

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LAS VEGAS, NV – Elon Werner, who directs the publicity and communications for drag racing’s biggest  star John Force and Force’s championship team, today was announced as winner of the 2014 Jim Chapman Award for excellence in motorsports public relations.

The Chapman Award is considered by many in the industry as the highest honor in racing public relations. It is named in memory of Chapman, the legendary PR executive and innovator, who worked with Babe Ruth and was named Indy Car racing’s “most influential man” of the 1980s. Chapman died in 1996 at age 80.

The announcement and presentation were made at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway before Sunday’s NHRA national event by Michael Knight, chairman of the selection committee, and one of Chapman’s closest friends. The award is determined by a vote of national media members, most of who knew Chapman, and is authorized by the Chapman family. PR representatives from all forms of motorsports are eligible for consideration.

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