NHRA FUNNY CAR DRIVER COURTNEY FORCE VISITS CHICAGO AHEAD OF THE O’REILLY AUTO PARTS ROUTE 66 NHRA NATIONALS
Joliet, IL – On Thursday, NHRA Funny Car driver Courtney Force visited Castaways Bar & Grill on North Avenue Beach in Chicago 
for a summer beach party in anticipation of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries at Route 66 Raceway, June 26-29.
Force joined fans, along with NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Chase Elliott, for a question-and-answer session on Castaways’ upper deck. Following the Q-&-A, the pair hit North Avenue Beach for a game of sand volleyball with 103.5 KISS FM morning show personalities, Fred & Angi. It was Force and Angi, as well as two NHRA fans that ultimately won the game. Their team effort was just enough to hold off Elliott and KISS FM’s Fred, in a 15-12 victory.
Force will return to Route 66 Raceway later this month for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by Super Start Batteries, June 26-29. Force and her fellow racers will be going 320 mph in four seconds at the upcoming NHRA Nationals event. Force says, “It’s a crazy sport. It’s a lot of fun and it’s for the entire family. The cool thing is, every ticket is a pit pass. You can come right up and watch the guys tear apart the motor and rebuild it.”
Currently sixth in the NHRA National Funny Car standings, Force, 25, is the youngest daughter of 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force. This season, Force raced to the 100th victory by a female driver in NHRA history. She was also featured on the cover of the 2013 ESPN the Magazine’s Body Issue.
Tickets to the O’Reilly Auto Parts Route 66 NHRA Nationals, including new tailgating parking on the north side of the track, are on-sale now. Every ticket is a pit pass, and fans can purchase tickets several ways; online at www.Route66Raceway.com, by calling 888-629-RACE, through the Route 66 Raceway mobile app, or by visiting the Route 66 Raceway Administrative office Monday-Friday 8:30am – 5:00pm.
The NHRA Nationals begin with Dialed-in Thursday, where kids 12 and under are admitted for free. Friday Night on Fire, featuring the first night of qualifying for the stars of NHRA, is followed by a jet car finale and a newly added fireworks show for the whole family to enjoy. The following day, All-Star Saturday, features the JEGS Allstars, a competition reserved for 100 of the top Sportsman racers from the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series as they blaze down the track for a share of a $119,000 purse. John Force, Courtney Force, Antron Brown, hometown favorite Tony Schumacher, and company return to the track that evening for a second round of Top Fuel and Funny Car qualifying on Saturday night.The weekend wraps up with the crowning of new track champions on prestigious Championship Sunday, the weekend finale. Championship Sunday features an all-access experience for fans including a track walk, driver introductions and a Winner’s Circle celebration.
