John Force Racing
JOHN FORCE COUNTING ON FAN SUPPORT IN BID FOR 9th SHOOTOUT VICTORY
BRAINERD, MN – The winningest driver in NHRA history has enjoyed unrivalled support from his legions of fans 
for nearly four decades. When John Force was starting his now historic career fans encouraged him, cheered him and in many cases fed his low budget team. This year Force will rely on his fans one more time in his bid to race in the 2016 edition of the Traxxas Nitro Funny Car Shootout. He has two wins in 2016 but the surging Force in his PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS was not one of the first seven Funny Car drivers to win this season and will vie for the 8th and final spot through the fan vote and lottery process. Fans can vote for John Force by clicking this link http://bit.ly/Traxxas2016 which will take them to the fan vote on NHRA’s Facebook page. Voting is open now and will remain open until 9 a.m. (ET) on Tuesday, Aug. 30.
“I have a great race car and it just took us a while to get a win. We are No. 7 in the points and we got wins in Denver and Sonoma which were two tough races. I have raced in a lot of All-Star races and I definitely want to race this year in this PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car,” said Force. “The competition has never been tougher and I love being in my race car. These young kids led by my crew chief Jon Schaffer are working hard at every race and I want to keep them busy at the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals.”
BRITTANY FORCE WINS LUCAS OIL NATIONALS; NOTCHES THIRD WIN OF 2016
BRAINERD, MN – Brittany Force made the most of her return to the final round at the 35th annual Lucas Oil NHRA 
Nationals. Last year Force came up a little short to No. 1 qualifier Richie Crampton but today against two-time world champion Antron Brown Force took the win in a wild, fireball spewing final run. Force and her Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster had just enough power to outrun a tire-smoking Brown, who she beat last year in Brainerd in the semifinals.
“It’s just awesome to be able to win here. I felt good coming in here this weekend just because we had some success (runner-up finish) last year. We had been struggling a little bit and to come out here and get the win is exactly where we want to be going to the Countdown and the biggest race of our season in Indy (the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals), so we’re exactly where we want to be,” said Force. “I have to say thank you to my entire Monster Energy team for all their hard work, and it feels so good to bring home another win.”
BRITTANY FORCE STRONG ON SATURDAY AT LUCAS OIL NATIONALS
BRAINERD, MN – Brittany Force and the Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster saved their best for last at the 35th 
annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. In the final qualifying session Force blasted to the No. 2 qualifying position with a stellar 3.693 second run. Eventually the two-time 2016 winner settled into the No. 3 qualifier spot, her best start at Brainerd International Raceway.
“It always boosts your confidence when every time you go out there you improve on your performance. To end on the best run we made all weekend, a 3.693, that is an impressive run. Going into race day with a killer run like that just boosts everyone’s confidence. We go up against Terry Haddock who I have never raced before. I am excited for tomorrow and I will be ready,” said Force.
JFR IN MIX ON QUICK FRIDAY AT LUCAS OIL NATIONALS
BRAINERD, MN – Courtney Force and Brittany Force led the way for John Force Racing in qualifying today at the 
39th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway. Both of the Force daughters finished up the first day of qualifying as the No. 5 provisional qualifiers in their respective classes.
The Traxxas Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car that Courtney powered to a 3.892 second pass was a brand new race car for the fifth year pro and was sporting a new paint scheme. At the end of the day Force was glad to get two runs but a little sorry she had to wait ten days to get back into her 10,000 hp Nitro Funny Car after her crash in Seattle.
Fresh off career-best run, Pritchett knows Papa John’s team has the ingredients to challenge at Brainerd, in Countdown BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Aug. 17, 2016) – For Leah Pritchett, the NHRA Countdown to the Championship started several weeks ago. Two Mello Yello Drag Racing Series events remain, including this weekend’s at Brainerd International Raceway in northern Minnesota, before the field of 10 is determined for the six-race Countdown that begins in a month, But, Pritchett’s championship battle has been ongoing as she has been fighting to hang onto the No. 10 ranking in Top Fuel dragster. The 28-year-old Southern California native, currently living near Indianapolis, will compete in her seventh event for Don Schumacher Racing this weekend in the NHRA Nationals at Brainerd and her second running of the gold Papa John’s Pizza dragster, with crew chief Todd Okuhara. She will begin racing Friday afternoon at Brainerd with a 19-point lead over No. 11 Terry McMillen. Each round win during Sunday eliminations is worth 20 points at Brainerd and 30 in two weeks in the prestigious NHRA U.S. Nationals near Indy. “Each race leading to up to Brainerd has brought on different dimensions of pressure and strategy and Brainerd won’t be any different,” said Pritchett, who won this season’s second Top Fuel title with another team. “The dynamic of changing teams and starting a new one at DSR with sponsors, crew and racecars has taught me to own the incremental pressure, and finding a way to perform at 110 percent level regardless. It has not diluted the inherit nature of why I race, my love of driving these cars and winning. “This weekend it’s imperative more than ever to not only qualify, but to shoot for running quick in every session to gain small (qualifying) points, with the larger picture of winning one round at a time on Sunday.” The last race for Pritchett two weeks ago near Seattle featured two career highlights; first when she unveiled her new gold Papa John’s Pizza Top Fuel dragster (NASDAQ: PZZA) and then when her team earned the No. 8 qualifying position and then began Sunday with her career-best elapsed time of 3.707 seconds. “I knew we were on a really good pass when we went 3.707 because it was so uneventful, so smooth and pulled hard for the entire 1,000 feet. I’ve logged that run in my mental data bank as a reference, and our Papa John’s team is looking forward to many more runs similar to that. I know we can do it with the consistency this car and team have shown. “The reality is that we now have a solid team, with an ultra-competitive racecar capable of conquering our goals, and that is an incredibly welcoming and comforting feeling.” COUNTDOWN BREAKDOWN Brainerd and the U.S. Nationals, to be held over Labor Day Weekend near Indianapolis, close out the 18-race Mello Yello season. The points payout in the U.S. Nationals are increased by 50 percent; each round win is worth 30 points instead of the customary 20 meaning the event winner will earn 150 instead of 100 at the other 23 Mello Yello events. After Indy, the top-10 drivers in each pro category will earn opportunities to race for world championships in the six-event Countdown to the Championship playoff that run concurrently with regular Mello Yello competition. At that point, points for the top-10 are reset with the regular season winner starting the Countdown opener at Charlotte with 2,110, which includes a 20-point bonus for finishing first in the regular season. Second place starts 30 points behind with 2,080 and the following contenders drop at 10-point increments through the 10th position.
COURTNEY FORCE EAGER TO GET BACK ON TRACK IN BRAINERD
BRAINERD, MN – Following a first round collision with the guardwall at Pacific Raceways in Seattle Courtney Force 
is eager to get back on the track at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals this weekend. In the first round against Jeff Diehl Force pedaled her Traxxas Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car in the left lane and just past the mid-track point the 10,000 hp Funny Car swung to the left making hard contact with the concrete safety barrier. Force exited her Funny Car under her own power but was transported to a local hospital for evaluation. She was cleared and released later that day and has spent the past two weeks rehabbing and preparing to return to racing action.
“I am excited to get back in the seat. After how I last left the track (in Seattle) I am definitely ready to get back in the car and go down the race track. I have been going through physical therapy every day. I have been working with Dr. Ortmeyer who is the same doctor that worked with my dad after his crash. I am seeing huge progress every day with my knee,” explained Force the Wednesday before the race. “ I have gone from being on crutches the first couple of days to getting comfortable walking on it to being able to bend it all the way now. I definitely feel good enough to be back in the race car. That’s my throttle leg so I will be ready to pound on the throttle for sure.”
JOHN FORCE, ROBERT HIGHT HEADLINE SPECTACULAR NIGHT UNDER FIRE
NORWALK, OH – On Saturday night, August 13th, history will be made at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, 
Ohio. In addition to legendary NHRA 16-time Funny Car world champion John Force and 2009 NHRA Funny Car champion Robert Hight once again thrilling fans with their 10,000 hp Nitro Funny Cars, the great Bob Motz will make his last pass in his iconic jet truck.
Force and Hight racing their 320 mph Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Cars, they will be joined by reigning NHRA Funny Car champion Del Worsham, two-time Funny Car world champion Cruz Pedregon, Tim Wilkerson, Bob Bode Jr, Dale Creasy Jr and Jack Wyatt to give fans a Nitro experience they will never soon forget.
Gates will open at 8 a.m. with a free autograph session in the Bud Chalet starting at 3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Fans will want to be in their seats for the pre-race ceremonies at 5:30 p.m. followed by the amazing feature show beginning at 7:00 p.m.
HIGHT TO QUARTER-FINALS; C. FORCE CRASHES IN FIRST ROUND
SEATTLE, WA – Robert Hight raced to the quarter-finals at the 29th annual Protect the Harvest NHRA Northwest 
Nationals and dropped a very close race to No. 1 qualifier and national elapsed time record holder Del Worsham. The final round of nitro eliminations were postponed due to persistent rain showers and will be concluded in two weeks at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. Hight and the Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car took a starting line advantage and led Worsham well past half-track before Worsham narrowly moved around Hight by three thousandths of a second. At the finish line it was Worsham with a 3.883 to Hight’s 3.894 as both drivers ran faster 320 mph.
“We were behind all weekend. We should have run that 3.86 on Friday night. We were just way off. We ran 3.89 and it isn’t good enough to get you lane choice. My guys picked it up. We ran 3.86 in the first round which is a career best,” said Hight in his hauler. “(Crew chief Mike) Neff says we can pick this up against Worsham who has been running awesome. Neff does exactly what he wants. He picks it up on the 60 ft. time but it is way down on power. We lost by three thousandths of a second and the week before we lose by seven thousandths of a second. I left first both weeks.”
COURTNEY FORCE ESCAPES SERIOUS INJURY FROM SEATTLE INCIDENT
RENTON, WA – NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series racer Courtney Force escaped serious injury after a racing 
incident in the first round of Sunday’s eliminations at Pacific Raceways. Force’s Traxxas Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car made contact with the left guard wall. Force exited the vehicle on her own power and was checked by NHRA emergency services personnel before heading to Valley Medical Center in Renton, Wash., where she was evaluated for head, neck, knee, elbow and shoulder injuries.
“I am beat up pretty good. My arm, my shoulder, and my right knee are banged up. I am really thankful that the second I got out of the race car there was already a Safety Safari person right there to help me get down. I couldn’t put any weight on my right knee. I want to say thanks to everyone that was at the track who helped me. I got right to the ER and the doctor checked me out. I am extremely relieved nothing is broken,” said Force.
COURTNEY FORCE NO. 3 AT RECORD SETTING NORTHWEST NATIONALS
SEATTLE, WA – Today featured the top five quickest runs in Funny Car history. Courtney Force was right in the 
thick of the historic qualifying sessions settling in the No. 3 position at the Protect the Harvest NHRA Northwest Nationals with a stout 3.855 second run at 328.14 mph. The pass set a national ET record in Funny Car and she held the record for approximately seven minutes. Two pairs later 2015 Funny Car champion Del Worsham posted a 3.841 second run to take the record. In the final session Worsham was passed by Ron Capps briefly before setting low elapsed time with a stunning 3.832 second pass and securing the national record for the day.
“We broke the national ET record and ran a 3.85 in this Traxxas Camaro and it was pretty awesome being the Fastest Name in Radio Control cars and the fastest one on the track. It wasn’t long after, Del Worsham went up and shattered the record right behind me, but it was awesome to hold onto the record for a little bit for the Traxxas team,” said Force.
BRITTANY FORCE BLASTS TO NO. 2 POSITION ON FRIDAY IN TOP FUEL
SEATTLE, WA – The Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster powered to the provisional No. 2 position on Friday at the 
29th annual Protect The Harvest NHRA Northwest Nationals presented by Lucas Oil. Driver Brittany Force had to make the run racing into a setting sun at the westward facing track but experience gave her the confidence to make a solid pass. She moved to the top spot on the strength of her 3.729 second pass before being pushed back one position by Steve Torrence.
“The glare is definitely tricky at this track. I remember it from last year. When the sun starts going down you are driving right into it. When I got to that 1000 ft. marker I got a little lost but Brian Husen, my crew chief, said I nailed it and I drove it right to the finish line. That is just a feeling the driver has when you know where you are on the track,” said Force. “That felt good. We ran 3.72 and ended up No. 2 which is an awesome place to be qualified. This Monster Energy team is made up of the hardest workers that I know. I am proud to be the driver of this Top Fuel dragster. I’ll be ready for Saturday.”
