Heading to Las Vegas, PEAK driver John Force hopes music will continue, dice stay hot

LAS VEGAS – Lady luck please let the dice stay hot. That’s one of the lyrics Elvis Presley sung in his 1963 hit Viva Las Vegas.

As he heads to America’s entertainment capital this weekend, John Force is hoping the same holds true – stay hot and add to his winning streak. The most recent winner on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series calendar in the Funny Car class, Force seeks a second consecutive victory in Sunday’s NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“We’ve got a lot of work cut out for us this weekend,” Force said. “One, you got to qualify. Two, you got to race. Three, got a test on Monday. And we look forward to all those things. But it will be great. We look forward to the fans there; they’re great. And who doesn’t love Las Vegas?”

A melodious theme has emerged as Force said recently he’s found the proverbial music – one which he said helped carry him and his PEAK Coolant & Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS team to victory March 19 at Gainesville Raceway in Florida.

After reuniting with longtime crew chief Mike Neff, co-crew chiefs Jon Schaffer and Jason McCulloch and their team, the squad earned the No. 1 qualifying spot for the first time in over a year-and-a-half. Consistent, quick passes during the elimination rounds propelled Force into the winner’s circle for a record 148th time.

The decision to switch teams with teammate Robert Hight just a week before Gainesville was, in a sense, a roll of the dice, and it paid off.

“I got all wound up and crazy because I won,” said Force, now second in the points standings behind Matt Hagan. “I never thought it would come together so quickly; I thought it was going to take time. But Neff and Jimmy Prock – they’re unbelievable. We got the win, and the rest is history.”

Now, it’s off to Vegas, where the focus won’t necessarily be on the flashy, neon lights on the famous Las Vegas Strip, but more so on the LED lights of the Christmas Tree at the 1,000-foot drag strip. And it’s a place where Force seeks a lucky No. 7. He already has a series-high six Funny Car victories at The Strip, including two wins in the spring race, most recently 2015, in which he defeated Hight in an all-John Force Racing final.

Additionally, the last time competitors tackled The Strip in October, it was Force in Funny Cars, winning for the 147th time by besting daughter Courtney Force in another all-JFR showdown. Force set the track speed record – 331.94 mph – during the event as well.

“I’ve had a lot of big wins there,” Force said. “We’re hearing the music, and excited to be back. We won the race last year in the Countdown. All of John Force’s cars are hearing the music. Viva Las Vegas.”

All you need’s a strong heart and a nerve of steel, Presley also sang in Viva Las Vegas. The same holds true this and every weekend on the NHRA circuit, and at the end of Sunday, Force hopes both carry him to another victory. But if the music and singing that came after Gainesville return, it might just stay in his head.

“I won’t sing anymore, I promise,” Force said.

The NHRA Nationals begins Friday, with the first two rounds of qualifying, followed by two more rounds of qualifying Saturday. Elimination rounds Sunday will be televised starting at 6 p.m. Eastern.

Brittany Force seeks Las Vegas luck as Monster Energy team heads back west

 – Brittany Force has a lot of memories of racing her family at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This weekend, she wants to create a new one – for herself and her Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster team.

Force seeks her fourth career NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Top Fuel victory and first in Las Vegas in Sunday’s NHRA Nationals.

“I love going to Vegas,” said Force, who enters the weekend fifth in Top Fuel points standings. “For me, it’s close to home – jump in the car, drive up there. I’ve been going there since I was little. I drove there in Super Comp, drove up there with my sister next to me to race her Super Comp dragsters, and our A/Fuel dragsters. So, really so many memories there.”

Not only is Force seeking her first victory at Vegas, she expects to advance past the quarterfinals for the first time. She’s won opening-round matchups twice in the Las Vegas spring race before losing in her quarterfinals races. She’s had similar showings in the fall race, winning three opening-round matchups but falling in quarterfinal rounds.

But there’s no reason to believe Force won’t go further this time. She’s won all three of her opening-round elimination races this season and she’s consistency putting together good runs. She advanced to the finals of the NHRA Nationals last month at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, setting five of the top 10 quickest times of her career in the process.

Already filled with confidence, she’ll also rely this weekend in part on fan support in addition to support from her team, she said.

“The fans get you pumped for the weekend and give you an extra spark to attack and go after the win,” Force said. “The Monster Energy team’s plan is to make four solid runs to get us set up for race day. After a weekend off I’m ready to get back in my seat and I’m looking for another win, and there’s no better place than to do that in Sin City.”

The NHRA Nationals begins Friday, with the first two rounds of qualifying, followed by two more rounds of qualifying Saturday. Elimination rounds Sunday will be televised starting at 6 p.m. Eastern.

Courtney Force confident Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet team can find some luck in Las Vegas

 – Courtney Force has shown plenty of speed from her Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car through three races of the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.

But the drag racing superstar hopes that can translate into some consistency, beginning with the NHRA Nationals this weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Force has qualified second, third and fourth in the first three races this season, and she went to the final round of the season-opener at Pomona, Calif. But first-round defeats in Phoenix and Gainesville has her and her Advance Auto Parts team determined to bounce back.

“Our Advance Auto Parts team is looking forward to going out to Vegas,” Force said. “Obviously, we’ve struggled the last couple races and had a rough start, heading out on in the first round of eliminations. I know our team is better than that, and I know we have a car that can out-run these other guys.”

Force opened 2017 by making a pass under the national ET record during Nitro Spring Training. That speed continued into Pomona, as crew chief Daniel Hood, co-crew chief Ronnie Thompson and the rest of the team have given Force a fast Camaro.

“I’m really excited to get back to a track where we’re really familiar with and have had previous success at before,” Force said. “Can’t wait to get out there and hopefully get this race car figured out and make it more consistent so we can make go some rounds on race day.”

Force has been to the final round in Las Vegas three times, all in the fall race here. She lost to her father John Force in the fall race last year.

Courtney Force knows she has a race car capable of getting back to a Vegas final.

“We’re looking at it, wondering what kind of changes we need to make going in to Vegas,” Force said. “Something needs to change, but I’ve got the right team that knows how to do it. With Dan Hood and Ronnie Thompson and all my guys, we know what this car is capable of doing. We saw it in the off-season. We’ve just got to get it back there.”

Fox Sports 1 will televise three hours of live finals coverage, beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern on Sunday.

Auto Club driver Robert Hight ready to make more history at Las Vegas

– Past NHRA Funny Car champion Robert Hight brings a strong history and a strong Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car to the NHRA Nationals this weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Hight qualified No. 2 and ran career-bests in elapsed time and speed during the Gatornationals two weeks ago. That came after a crew swap at John Force Racing brought crew chief Jimmy Prock and co-crew chief Chris Cunningham to Hight’s team.

Now, Hight and his team head to Vegas, where he ranks as the winningest driver in this event. Hight has won the first Las Vegas race three times to lead all Funny Car drivers. Plus, he has five victories overall at The Strip, putting him tied for second behind only team owner John Force.

“I’m looking forward to Las Vegas, based on how we ran at Gainesville,” Hight said. “Jimmy and I have won Las Vegas quite a few times, and I’m the winningest Funny Car drivers in this race at Las Vegas. We’ve gotten it done before, and we know how to do it.”

Hight has been to the final round of this event five times and eight times overall. Hight made the final round here in both races in 2015, winning the fall event and falling to Force in the spring race.

The Strip is a unique track on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, as it’s not at sea level, nor is it the mile-high elevation seen at Bandimere Speedway in Denver.

“Vegas is challenging because you’re halfway to Denver,” Hight said. “You’re at 2,000 feet elevation, so it’s challenging to make power there. But we’re up for it.”

Though NHRA was off last weekend, Hight was still at a race track. He attended all three days of the Auto Club 400 NASCAR weekend at Auto Club Speedway, spending Sunday with John Force and Brittany Force as they watched the Monster Energy Series race.

“Had a great weekend,” Hight said. “I went all three days, and Auto Club kept me busy. I got some good interviews with MRN, and they even played the one I did on Friday all throughout the Cup and the Xfinity race, so I lots of people calling and texting me, ‘Hey, you’re on the big screen.’ That was cool.

“The Auto Club really go all in with everything they do. Their display at the NASCAR race, just like at the NHRA race, is showing the things we filmed over the winter with Joey Logano. A lot of people really liked the movie trailer, too. It was good to go out and represent them and at the same time hang out with the Monster Energy and Chevrolet guys.”

Fox Sports 1 will televise three hours of live finals coverage, beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern on Sunday.