JFR POISED FOR US NATIONALS SUCCESS IN TOP FUEL AND FUNNY CAR FOR FIRST TIME

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Led by rookie sensation Brittany Force, the team’s first Top Fuel driver, the No. 4 qualifier in her debut at the “Big Go,” to top half qualifiers in Funny Car John Force (No.6) and Robert Hight (No. 7), John Force Racing is solidly positioned to win both in Funny Car and Top Fuel at the NHRA’s premier event, the Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals. Courtney Force, driver of the Traxxas Ford Mustang, last year’s No. 1 qualifier will make her second attempt at winning the U.S. Nationals from the No. 14 position.

Four-time Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals champion John Force will be looking for his fifth win when he takes on veteran driver Paul Lee in the first round. Force the No. 6 qualifier has built a team that has won the past five U.S. Nationals in a row and six of the last seven events. Force has not personally enjoyed the winner’s circle celebration as a driver but that could change tomorrow as the winningest driver in NHRA history has one the best Funny Cars he has had in recent memory.

“I have a great hot rod. These kids have put this Castrol GTX Funny Car together and (crew chief) Jimmy Prock does a great job working with all the brain trust. At the end of the day the driver has to do everything he can do. Cruz (Pedregon) did what he had to do to beat me (in the Traxxas Shootout). I am going to fix that for the race tomorrow at Indy,” said Force, the only driver to have won over $1,000,000 in NHRA specialty races.

“Certain things motivate me like that Snake and the Mongoose movie and I am not just pitching the movie. That movie tells us where we really came from. TV won’t allow us to be ourselves like the early days. I can’t cuss so I can’t talk. I am going to start being me. All my sponsors are with me like Castrol, Ford, Mac Tools, Traxxas, and Auto Club. We are fine and I am ready to go after it tomorrow. All my hot rods are in the US Nationals and it will be an exciting race,” said Force after his final qualifying effort.

Force is clinched into the 2013 Countdown to the Championship and could move up as high as the No. 2 position in Mello Yello Funny Car points with a win tomorrow and some early exits from his fellow competitors.

Teammate Robert Hight controls his own Countdown destiny going into the final regular season race as the No. 7 qualified Funny Car. Hight is nine points behind the No. 9 driver, Bob Tasca III, in the Mello Yello point standings and has a two round lead over Del Worsham who sits in the No. 11 position. Only the Top Ten drivers will be able to race for the 2013 Mello Yello Funny Car championship at the conclusion of tomorrow’s race.  Hight’s Auto Club Ford Mustang has been consistent all weekend but the two-time Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals champion knows his team is capable of running stronger.

“We are right there. We really haven’t made our best run yet. We tested really well and we have been chasing some things the past couple of days. I have so much confidence in (crew chief Mike) Neff and these crew guys I can’t wait to get to the track tomorrow,” said Hight at the end of the day.

“We control our destiny and I could get some help from Courtney (Force). Our focus is on winning the race and the Countdown will take care of itself. This is the biggest race of the year and we have won it twice. I have a crew chief that won the race the last two years so I have a lot of confidence.”

For the first time John Force Racing will have a Top Fuel dragster competing for the championship at the U.S. Nationals. Brittany Force opened the event with a 3.820 second pass that held up on Friday and Saturday as the No. 1 elapsed time. On the final day of qualifying the 25 year-old Yorba Linda, California resident slipped three spots to go into eliminations tomorrow as the No. 4 Top Fuel Dragster.

“The Castrol EDGE team is excited to be qualified fourth. Indy is a big race. There were 25 cars here, so to be up at the top half of the field in fourth is something we’re really excited about. We’re moving in the right direction and we think we have a pretty good race car put together,” said Force, whose best qualifying effort was a No. 3 start in Denver.

“Just being here at the U.S. Nationals in Indy and being able to make the show and end up fourth is way beyond what I expected. It’s so exciting! This is the biggest race of the year. I remember coming here as a kid, watching my dad and now to be able to do it myself really gets me pumped up.”

In the first round Force will face veteran driver Terry McMillen. She has never raced McMillen but as a rookie driver Force knows she will have not worry about the opponent but rather following her own program and routine.

“I’m excited to be running Terry McMillen. He’s a great guy. I talk to him all the time at pre-race driver intros,” said Force. “He’s a great driver, so I’m excited to be going up against him for the first time and I’m hoping to get that win on him and go some rounds.”

With her high qualifying effort and the accumulation of five qualifying bonus points Force moved up into the No. 12 position in points.

“I’m glad to be moving up in the points, it’s just unfortunate that it’s happening now after the fact that it’s too late to get into the Countdown to the Championship. But, this team is moving forward and moving in the right direction with those extra points is always helpful,” said Force, who is a leading contender for the Automobile Club Road to the Future Award, presented to the professional rookie of the year.

In the Funny Car Traxxas Nitro Shootout 2012 Funny Car Shootout winner John Force was eliminated in the first round by eventual finalist Cruz Pedregon. Courtney Force defeated Johnny Gray in the opening round before losing to Jack Beckman who won the $100,000 to win event. Beckman outran Pedregon in the final and as his Valvoline Dodge Charger crossed the finish line his engine erupted and blew car body pieces across the track in spectacular fashion. Beckman stopped his race car and immediately exited the vehicle under his own power, climbing on top of his Goodyear rear slicks to raise his arms in triumph.

A John Force Racing driver has won the last five U.S. Nationals and sophomore driver Courtney Force is looking to shine during eliminations.

Force came into Saturday in the No. 11 spot after the NHRA teams were shorted one qualifying round. She made her first pass today to win first round of the Traxxas Shootout, but did not improve her qualifying position. She posted a 4.116 ET at 312.06 mph to Johnny Gray’s 4.122 ET at 309.70 mph.

“Today we were able to win first round over Johnny Gray. It was a close race; I saw him right out my window. I tried to keep the car shallow during the Traxxas Shootout. Obviously you’re going after the $100,000 grand to win, but you’re also trying to think about qualifying and wanting to get into the top half of the field for race day on Monday. There were a lot of factors going into today,” said Force.

The 25-year-old went on to face Jack Beckman for round two of the Traxxas Shootout and the final session of qualifying. It was a close race, but Beckman took the win with a 4.082 ET at 310.55 mph to Force’s 4.099 ET at 314.75 mph.

“We moved right into the next round against a tough competitor, Jack Beckman. He was able to get around us and get the win. It was definitely a close race down at the top end. We were just trying to get our car to leave a little bit better and have a better 60 foot time,” said Force.

The Traxxas team slipped to the No. 14 spot throughout the day and will take on Del Worsham in the opening round of eliminations on Monday. If Force defeats Worsham in the first round it will lock her teammate and brother-in-law Robert Hight immediately into the Countdown whether Hight defeats Cruz Pedregon or not in their first round match-up.

“We weren’t able to improve today, qualifying wise, unfortunately, but we have a pretty consistent car. We’ve been going out there and running well so we’ve got a good race car. We’ve gotten it down there every lap. I’m definitely excited and looking forward to tomorrow,” said Force.

Former driver/crew chief combo, Mike Neff, who now tunes Robert Hight’s Auto Club Ford Mustang Funny Car, won the U.S. Nationals at Indy the past two years from the bottom half of the field (2012, No. 10; 2011, No. 9) and Force is taking some confidence from his success from the bottom half of the field.

“We’re trying to get it all figured out, but so far things are looking up for our Traxxas Ford Mustang team and we’re excited going into tomorrow. We’re going to do the best we can. It’s Indy. It’s the Big Go and it’s something that every driver looks forward to all season so we’re excited for tomorrow,” said Force.