Defending Denver winner John Force gunning for fourth consecutive final at Bandimere

Published July 20, 2017

DENVER – PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil driver John Force hopes to keep an impressive streak going in the Mile-High Nationals this weekend at Bandimere Speedway.

The Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car driver has been to three consecutive final rounds in Denver, winning last year by beating daughter Courtney Force in the final.

“Any time you can get to a final, it’s like winning the race – you just don’t get the trophy,” Force said. “But you got the exposure. We want to come back and repeat. Hope I can have two cars in the final again.”

The 2016 win gave John Force a total of seven victories at Denver, the most among Funny Car drivers and tied for most among the professional classes.

“We come off of Denver with a win last year,” Force said. “We obviously figured out how to run on the hill. I was in the final, and so was Courtney. Love going back to Denver. The Bandimeres are the greatest people. It’s God’s mountain out there.”

Denver brings plenty of challenges for NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series teams, including the nitro classes. The mile-high altitude robs engines of oxygen and therefore horsepower, making the track unique in drag racing.

That means drivers and teams have to treat Denver differently than any other track.

“A race car is just like a person,” Force said. “The high altitude and lack of air means we have to tune with compression and other stuff. You have to pace yourself on the hill because of the altitude and depending on how the heat is.”

Nitro qualifying for the Mile-High Nationals begins Friday, with two sessions at 5:30 and 8 p.m. Mountain time (televised on Fox Sports 1 at 8 p.m. Eastern). The final two sessions of nitro qualifying are scheduled Saturday for 4:30 and 7 p.m. Mountain (televised at midnight Eastern Sunday on FS1). Elimination rounds begin Sunday at 11 a.m. Mountain (three hours of live television coverage on FOX beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern).

Western Swing, which starts this weekend in Denver, is Auto Club driver Robert Hight’s ‘favorite time of the year’

– This weekend’s Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway kicks off the three-race “Western Swing” that takes the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series to Colorado, California and Washington.
And it’s a trip that puts a wide smile on the face of Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car driver Robert Hight.

Hight is a California native and currently lives and works in the southern part of the state.

“It’s the start of three in a row and my favorite time of the year,” Hight said. “The Western Swing is my favorite time of the year. I’m from the West Coast, so a lot of friends and family will be at all three races. We’re going to go into Denver and hit it hard, move to Sonoma and then Seattle.”

Denver has been a good track to Hight over his stellar career, as he’s won three times on the mountain. Hight beat team owner and teammate John Force in 2014 and 2010 and Phil Burkart in 2005. Plus, he’s been No. 1 qualifier twice.

“I’m excited about going to Denver,” Hight said. “It’s high altitude, and I’ve won there a few times. (Crew chief) Jimmy (Prock) loves that place.”

So does John Force Racing, which has won the Denver race 12 times since 1994, the most recent by Force himself in 2016.

And while Hight is looking for his fourth victory at Denver, he’s still gunning for his first win this season. He’s been to two final rounds and has shown lots of speed, including two No. 1 qualifiers.

“We’re going to get some wins here,” Hight said. “They’re coming.”

Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force heads into Denver, Western Swing with confidence

– Courtney Force remembers last year’s race at Bandimere Speedway all too well. She qualified No. 1 for the Mile-High Nationals, the start of the annual Western Swing, and raced to the finals before she was taken out by her boss – father John Force.

Of course, you never want to lose to your dad, even if he is a 16-time NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Funny Car champion, but it was a victory for John Force Racing nonetheless.

This time, however, Force is confident she and her Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro team will wind up on the winning end.

“We’re going to try and perform just like we did last year, and if we do, we should be in good shape,” Force said. “I’m feeling confident going into it. We’re looking to go some rounds, and get some points, because we definitely need to start the Western Swing off on the right foot.”

Denver is the only track on the Western Swing – which includes Sonoma Raceway and Pacific Raceways – which Force has yet to win. But she’s been close – really close. Her runner-up finish last season came on a holeshot, as her elapsed time was two thousandths of a second better than her father’s. But John Force was better on the light, and he triumphed by about seven feet.

In 2012, Force led the majority of the race, including at the 60-, 330- and 660-foot marks. But the car slid all over the track and nearly hit the wall, and she fell approximately four feet short of winning.

“Denver is a great track for our team, and I’m excited about going back,” said Force, sixth in Funny Car points standings. “Obviously, this is a tricky track for a lot of teams out here because of the high altitude, being the Mile-High Nationals. Our car went all the way to the final round last year, only to be taken out by my dad. Looking for a great three-race streak, and excited to get to Denver.”

All in all, Force looks forward to a strong Western Swing and solid conclusion to the regular season, as there are only five more races until the Countdown to the Championship. Her mindset now, she said, is going rounds and staying consistent. Of course, a victory isn’t out of the question either.

“We’re hoping the Western Swing goes well for us,” Force said. “I’m excited to get back to the West Coast and hopefully turn things around for our Advance Auto Parts team. We definitely need more rounds and more points.”

Monster Energy driver Brittany Force seeks strong start to Western Swing, strong end to regular season

– The last big stretch of races before the Countdown to the Championship begins this weekend, with the Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway kicking off the annual three-race Western Swing.

For Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster, the Western Swing is vital as she looks ahead to the Countdown, the last six races that determine the NHRA Drag Racing Series championships. Force is currently No. 6 in the Top Fuel points standings, but she heads into Denver and the Western Swing with a significant amount of moment.

Force qualified No. 1 in the last race, the NHRA Route 66 Nationals, earlier this month in Joliet, Ill., and has won first-round matchups in six consecutive races, dating back to May. She won the NHRA New England Nationals in Epping, N.H., to start the last big segment of races, four consecutive races unofficially referred to as the Eastern Swing, and hopes to start the Western Swing in the same fashion.

“I love the Western Swing,” said Force, of Yorba Linda, Calif. “It’s close to home. It makes things easy for those who are based out of California. But it’s the last big group of races leading up to the Countdown. We’re right there. We’re only a handful of races until the Countdown begins. The Monster team – we’ll bring our game, but we have to figure it out by the time we get there.”

Bandimere Speedway lays claim to the highest altitude on the NHRA circuit, sitting at 5,860 feet above sea level. Force acknowledged there are challenges to the track and said the altitude, among other things, has made it a struggle in previous races, but statistically, she’s done well there.

In four races, she’s qualified in the top four on three occasions, won every first-round matchup, and advanced to the semifinals twice. She also has one finals appearance, in which she raced from the bottom half of the bracket to win three rounds in 2015. Of course, she’s seeking one more round victory this time.

“Denver is always a tough one for us,” Force said. “It’s tough going into the Western Swing and starting with Denver, because we’ve always struggled there. It’s a place where we’ve always battled, trying to figure things out. With (tuning consultant) Alan Johnson and (crew chief) Brian Husen and the entire Monster Energy team, together we have last year’s runs we made and we’re going off of. Hopefully in qualifying we’ll get everything figured out and into the right shape for race day, and go some rounds.”

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