BRITTANY FORCE EXCITED ABOUT FIRST TRIP TO BANDIMERE SPEEDWAY
DENVER, CO – As drivers on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series circuit prepare for the first of three consecutive races of what is 
popularly known as the Western Swing, one objective comes to mind: get the momentum started at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals in Denver.
For Rookie of the Year contender Brittany Force, it’s about a fresh, new start for these back-to-back-to-back races. Still searching for her first career win, Force hopes the Mile-High city will be the place she takes her Castrol EDGE dragster to victory circle.
“I’m really excited to be heading into Denver. We have (crew chief consultant) Richard Hogan on board after running with him last weekend in Norwalk. We have a new car this weekend that used to be Steve Torrence’s which he only made about six runs with it.
I flew out to Indy during the off week to have it fitted for me. It’s going to be a lot lighter than the car that we’ve been running,” said Force. “I’m really excited because it’s the same car that pretty much most of the other Top Fuel drivers are running. I think all these new changes and having Hogan on the team along with Dean Antonelli and Eric Lane is going to make for an exciting weekend. I’m anxious to get out there. I think it’s going to be an awesome car and I’m really hoping we’re going to make some good runs in it.”
The 27-year-old comes to Bandimere Speedway 14th in the Mello Yello point standings, only 162 points out of the top ten. Considering this is the very first Top Fuel team John Force Racing has ever fielded, Force and her team, led by crew chiefs Dean Antonelli, Eric Lane and Richard Hogan, are hanging tough in the highly competitive class.
“I think our season so far has been great,” Force said. “We’ve had some round wins, but we’ve also gone out in first round. It’s been a struggle, but coming into the Top Fuel car my rookie season, all of this is new to myself and John Force Racing. I wasn’t expecting to come out and win right away. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. In the long run, that makes it better for when we do get our first win because my guys and my crew chiefs have worked so hard. I know when our first win comes it’ll really be worth it. Sitting 14th in the standings I know we’re a ways out, but one race can make a big difference and definitely move us up. We’re going for that top ten. That is our focus during the Western Swing, to qualify in the top half of the field, go as many rounds as we can until we get in.”
It’s not as easy as some drivers make it seem when it comes to dominating the Western Swing. Force’s fellow competitor Antron Brown took home Wally’s in Denver and Sonoma, but fell short of the win in Seattle. Brown is the most recent driver to sweep The Western Swing (2009) and he was so close to becoming the first two-time sweeper. Only seven drivers have swept the swing in NHRA’s history, however, the Cal State-Fullerton graduate and former school teacher feels that if she can get an excellent start in Denver, anything is possible for the next two races.
“We’re coming off a DNQ the previous weekend and obviously I’d love to sweep the swing, but it’s incredibly hard,” Force said. “I can’t believe Antron (Brown) came close to doing it again. That is a lot of work and it’s not easy. Now that I’ve been running this year, it’s not easy to win rounds or win races. Your team, your car, everything has to be consistent. I feel as a rookie team, we have done really well for ourselves.”
