INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – When the historians close the book on the driving career of Ashley Force Hood they might look back to the 56th annual Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals as a career turning point. Heading into the biggest race of the 2010 Full Throttle season Ashley Force Hood and her Castrol GTX Ford Mustang team had struggled for the first seventeen races but they knew that their championship aspirations could turn around with a strong race day. The Dean Antonelli and Ron Douglas tuned Mustang exercised a season of race demons in four rounds of racing culminating in a dominant final round win over 4-time Mac Tools U.S. Nationals champion John Force.

With the win Force Hood won her first race of the 2010 season and fourth of her career. She also solidified her position as a serious threat for the Full Throttle Funny Car championship jumping from 8th place to 4th place in the point standings.

As Force Hood walked to the front of the assembled media at O’Reilly Raceway Park Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Top Fuel champion and veteran driver Larry Dixon paid the fourth year Funny Car driver a tremendous compliment with an impromptu introduction.

“In all the times I have been to Indy there is one thing I have never (done) which is win back-to-back (pause) and up next someone who deserves everything she gets,” said the two-time Top Fuel world champion.

“This has just been an amazing day. This win might be bigger than last year’s win because we struggled this year. Last year at this point in the season we were on a roll. We had been to finals and we had won some races. We were up high in the points going into the Countdown. This year we have been at the complete other end of the spectrum. We have struggled. We couldn’t get past first round or second round,” said Force Hood.

“We got into the Countdown in the 8th spot. My team has stayed positive. We were hating the points structure last year but we are loving it this year. You get a second start to your season. We went into this race saying let’s put the past behind us. Let’s see what we can do here and kick off the Countdown how we want the rest of the season to go. We have had one of those days where we were not on the losing end of the luck thing.”

“At one of the races Guido (crew chief Dean Antonelli) said we are not going to win the championship on luck. We are going to win it on consistency and doing our job from one end of the track to the other. Today we didn’t have any luck. We had hard races and tough conditions. We had a consistent good running car. My lights were better than they have been in the past. When you put those two things together you have a really good shot to win. Today was our day.”

In the opening round Force Hood dispatched veteran driver and Countdown contender Del Worsham. She then took out Paul Lee and in the semis she faced her former racing instructor Jack Beckman, driver for Don Schumacher Racing. That race for Force Hood was bigger than the final.

“For me personally I think running Jack; that was big for me. He was my teacher back when I was sixteen and I went to Frank Hawley’s drag racing school. He taught me in a Super Comp car. He is a good family friend of ours. That Schumacher team is our arch rival and to have him and (Matt) Hagan against me and dad in the semis that is one of those ideal stories. It could have gone either way. It just happened to fall on our side.”

Heading into the final versus teammate and father John Force the pressure was lifted off the 27 year old. She knew there was no downside to the outcome of the race.

“The pressure really is off when you run your teammates. When you run them later in the day that is the best. (Teammate) Robert (Hight) and I were able to get to the final last year here and this year it was me and dad. We went up there and we were having fun. The hardest part was the semis. We were so excited to win that round and then to have dad win right behind us was really the final round for our team. We could go up there and whatever happens would happen. We are going to end up 1 and 2 not in the points but in the Indy finish. It is just fun. It takes off all that pressure.”

The Force versus Force Hood was the 33rd all John Force Racing final and the second straight all JFR final at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. This was the ninth win at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals for JFR and it is the third year in a row that a JFR driver has won the biggest and most prestigious drag race. John Force Racing has won six of the last nine U.S. Nationals.
In the final John Force launched his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang but it immediately began to slow as Force Hood pulled away from the 14-time Funny Car champion. After a big win in the semi-finals over Matt Hagan when both drivers smoked the tires and muscled their fuel coupes to the finish line Force was surprised by the outcome.
“When we looked at the video replay of the final round, the injector was only part way open.  It looked like I wasn’t stepping on the gas.  It had broken off up at the injector.  It was obviously bent on the run before against Hagan, when I had to pedal it (feather the throttle to regain traction),” said Force.

“The car was real weak when it went out there and it just shut off.  The cameras showed that the injector that was attached to the throttle was broken.  You can see it.  It is just one of those things.  What was really funny was that it was bent leaving but it would let the injector open (slightly), which is why it was so slow leaving.  Then (it) broke off.”
The sting of defeat was lessened slightly for the proud father as he recounted the success of his oldest racing daughter.

“I know no woman has ever won two in a row and I don’t know if a man has. I think Don Prudhomme has for sure and if you are doing what Prudhomme accomplished that is big. He is my hero. He is the man. I am just proud of her as a driver. I am proud of (co-crew chiefs) Dean Antonelli and Ron Douglas. What they have put together is special as team. She had a .061 light against me in the final. Credit goes to that team and to the driver on a day when it needed to get done. If you won no other race Indy is the one to win,” said the winningest driver in NHRA history.

Force Hood’s crew chiefs gave the team concept all the credit but they did not attribute today’s success to anything new the team was doing.
“(Winning Indy) was part of the plan honestly. It doesn’t matter if we were in Indy or Charlotte or Dallas whatever the first race of the Countdown was our goal was to win that race. We had a good weekend and a good car. We are very happy,” said Ron Douglas

“It is two seasons. It doesn’t matter where the win was it just happened to be the grand daddy of them all. We get to go back-to-back and obviously it is an awesome feeling but it is all about the points chase and the Countdown. Our guys have been together all season. It has been a trying season the car has run good she has driven good and we just haven’t been able to put it all together. The guys believed in Ron and I as well as Ashley and kept giving us a good Mustang. You can’t ask for anything more than that,” added Dean Antonelli.

The biggest surprise of the day happened when 2009 Full Throttle Funny Car champion Robert Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang smoked the tires in their first round match-up with Paul Lee. Hight’s Mustang had been arguably the baddest Funny Car of the weekend picking up nine qualifying bonus points. He also had experience on his side racing to the past four Mac Tools U.S. Nationals finals in a row, the second longest streak in U.S. Nationals Funny Car history.

“We had a clutch malfunction and it just got too much clutch. It got a lot of clutch all at once and it couldn’t take it. It doesn’t make a difference when it happens. A first round loss is a first round loss. It is not good. Points are points. When you add the points up it doesn’t matter where you lost first round whether it was the first race the middle race or the last it doesn’t matter. All we can do is get ready for Charlotte. I have all the confidence in Jimmy and my guys. We will be ready for Charlotte,” said a dejected Hight at the end of the day.

John Force Racing will head to the second race of the Countdown to 1 with three teams in the top five lead by John Force in the No. 1 spot with a 60 point lead (three rounds) over No. 2 driver Jack Beckman. Force Hood holds down the No. 4 spot and Hight is in the No. 5 position. In two weeks the teams will race at Bruton Smith’s zMax Dragway in Charlotte with Hight entering the event at the defending champion.

ASHLEY FORCE HOOD, 27, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang
Final Qualifying: 6th at 4.059 seconds, 310.98 mph.
Bonus Qualifying Points: +3 (3rd quickest of Q1, 2nd quickest for Q4)
Race Results: Beat Del Worsham, Paul Lee, Jack Beckman, John Force
Quotable: “It is going to be interesting. It is going to be exciting. That is what the fans want to see and that is what we want to be a part of. When I was sitting up there getting ready for the finals and I was getting a little nervous and anxious I remember thinking this is going to be nothing like the pressure at the end of the year. Pressure will be in a few weeks when the Countdown is coming down. I am going to enjoy this and who knows what the next two months will bring. At least we can say we did well here and we turned our season around hopefully. There is no better time to do it than the first race of the Countdown in Indy.” – ASHLEY FORCE HOOD

Only a persistent drizzle and a strict curfew at Hockenheimring stood between Melanie Troxel and certain victory at the 25th annual FIA Nitrolympx on Sunday.. 

Troxel had advanced to the Pro Mod final and was scheduled to face teammate Micke Gullqvist for the championship, but a slight rain began to fall and organizers didn’t believe it would stop in time to run any more cars before the 5 p.m. curfew.

“We came a long way to race here and it’s a shame the weather got in the way when we were so close to completing the event,” Troxel said. “We’re all disappointed about that but thrilled with the weekend as a whole.”

Both Troxel and Gullqvist pled their case to run the final, but officials insisted that their hands were tied. At the post-race awards ceremony, the first place trophy was awarded to Troxel because she set low ET every round this weekend as well as a Hockenheim track record.

It was a touchy day from the start as racers and fans were greeted with dark skies and intermittent rain, causing several delays in the racing. However, the showers let up just long enough to get all two of the three scheduled rounds of Pro Mod racing completed. Troxel’s R2B2 Racing Camaro was as quick and consistent as it had been all weekend long.

It was a rush to get the Pro Mods up to the line for the semifinals, but crew chief Al Billes and the crew of Mark Savage, Johnny Bamuda, Donna Billes, and Travis Rice remained cool under pressure.

Troxel got off clean in the semifinals as her opponent Urban Johanssen jumped the light by .038 seconds and lit the red light. Troxel cruised to a record 6.007 at 242.25 mph to get lane choice over Gullqvist, who beat Mats Ericksson with a pass of 6.042 seconds at 236.56 mph.

“We missed a five-second run here by just a hair,” Troxel said. “I think we would have liked to do that, and might have had a chance to do that if we would completed the race.”

Gullqvist said he liked the direction his car was going, and thought he might have been able to give Troxel a real challenge.

“I think it was an exciting weekend with Melanie and I being the Nos. 1 and 2 qualifiers and scheduled to meet in the finals,” Gullqvist said. “My car didn’t perform the way I wanted it most of the weekend, but today we really got it going. We learned a lot each round today.

“In the end, I think we could have really challenged Melanie.”

In quarterfinal round, Troxel soundly defeated Roger Johanssen with a lap of 6.082 seconds at 240.56 mph to Johanssen’s 6.509 at 199.44 mph.

Despite not getting a chance to run for the trophy, Troxel said the team walked away with a lot of positives during the weekend – including smashing the track record.

“We improved every run this weekend except for one when we ran the same ET as the run before,” she said. “The car performed great and we had a great time while we were here.”

Troxel and her R2B2 Racing crew will have one more chance to bring home gold from Europe this season at the FIA Finals at Santa Pod Raceway in England in September.

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At 70, Shirley Muldowney has lost none of the fighting qualities that helped her cross the gender line in top-level drag racing.

Muldowney, who began competing seriously in the mid- to late-60s, talked about her experiences as a female racer at the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association luncheon Tuesday at the Detroit Science Center (DSC).

Muldowney, who lives near Milan Dragway, was among a group of racing greats who will be guests at tonight’s 22nd annual Motorsports Hall of Fame of America induction ceremony at the Fillmore Theater in Detroit.

“I was a victim of being ahead of my time,” said Muldowney, who was inducted in 1990 along with motorsports legends such as Mario Andretti, Jim Clark, Mark Donohue, Gar Wood and William France Sr. “Someone had to open the doors (for women).”

Muldowney crashed through the doors, winning NHRA Top Fuel championships in 1977, 1980 and 1982, and becoming the subject of “Heart Like a Wheel,” a 1983 movie about her career and challenges.

Muldowney never flinched in her battle to be accepted.

“I was the only girl, and I had to beat the boys,” said Muldowney, who won 18 career NHRA events and retired at 63. “They hated me. There I was when they pulled through the gates at the racetrack, and I wasn’t going away.”

Muldowney, who at one time had legendary Connie Kalitta as her crew chief and engine builder, would jump into a dragster right now if she had sponsorship, she said.

“Driving cars was natural to me,” Muldowney said. “I’d like to go back and settle a few scores. I like a good fight. It never ends.”

Muldowney wants a new drag strip built somewhere near downtown Detroit and more money invested in the sport.

“NASCAR, bless their hearts, have picked our pockets,” she said. “But we still have the best form of motorsports. You can visit and talk to the drivers in the garage, and you can sit in the stands and watch the action from 8 until 8. It doesn’t get better than that.”

Muldowney will be on hand tonight as fellow drag racer Dale Armstrong, late NASCAR champion Alan Kulwicki, AMA Supercross champion Jeremy McGrath, veteran sportscaster Ken Squire, former Trans-Am winner Jerry Titus, USAC sprint and midget icon Rich Vogler and late stunt driver and Indy car star Joie Chitwood are inducted into the the Hall of Fame.

Joining Muldowney at Tuesday’s luncheon were current Hall members Mel Kenyon (midgets), Tom D’Eath (powerboats), Bob Bondurant (road racing/sports cars), Danny Ongais (Indy cars) and Elliott Forbes-Robinson (road racing/sports cars).

Former Indianapolis Motor Speedway executive and newly appointed Daytona International Speedway president Joie Chitwood III also attended the lunch, as did Jennifer Revson, sister of the late F1/Can-Am and Indy 500 driver Peter Revson, who was killed at 35 during practice for the 1974 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami.

Read more: Racer Shirley Muldowney hasn’t slowed down at 70 | freep.com | Detroit Free Press

American drag racer Melanie Troxel had a busy Saturday at the 25th annual FIA Nitrolympx at the historic Hockenheimring, qualifying No. 1 in Pro Mod with a track-record pass and cruising to a first-round victory over Robert Joosten.

“It’s nice to know the car can go down the track and consistently run a good number,” Troxel said. “We’re excited about the handle we have on the race car, and I’m real comfortable in it. We’re ready to go for Sunday.”

Troxel blazed past Joosten in their elimination matchup with a run of 6.045 seconds at 241.14 mph, which tied the ET record she had set earlier in the day. Joosten had problems off the start and crossed the center line at half track, resulting in a disqualification.

“I think (crew chief Al Billes) was tempted a little to try and run a five-second number here,” Troxel said. “But we knew the smart thing to do was go down the track.

“I didn’t see (Joosten) at all, which was probably for the best. It’s never fun to see another car come over and get into your lane.”

Joosten, of the Netherlands, was the first alternate in Pro Mod and got his chance when No. 16 qualifier Patrik Wikstrom of Sweden couldn’t make the call. Joosten’s qualifying lap was a 6.526 at 194.14 mph.

Troxel faces No. 9 qualifier Roger Johansson of Sweden when eliminations resume Sunday morning. Johansson beat countryman Jan Gunnarsson in the first round with a lap of 6.216 at 226.29 mph to Gunnarsson’s 6.291 at 229.95 mph.

Warm conditions in Germany haven’t bothered Troxel or Billes as the R2B2 Racing Camaro got quicker with each successive qualifying run during the weekend. In her first qualifying effort on Saturday she broke the track record with a pass of 6.052 seconds at 241.38 mph.

“I don’t think we could have asked for anything more this weekend,” Troxel said. “We were the quickest car each session, improved each session and gone down the track each time. We’re very happy with things.

“The car is doing what we wanted it to do and the weather has held up.”

Troxel followed her final qualifying run with her 6.045 at 241.59 mph to improve on the record. The No. 2 qualifier was Troxel’s teammate Micke Gullqvist of Sweden, who drove an R2B2 Racing car to a win at the Get Screened America Pro Mod Series in Atlanta earlier this summer. Gullqvist had a best qualifying pass of 6.107 seconds at 234.63 mph.
Gullqvist faced Norbert Kuno in the first round on Saturday and won easily, running a 6.113 at 234.55 mph to Kuno’s 6.378 at 226.18 mph.

In other racing at Hockenheimring, Anita Makela of Finland held on to her No. 1 qualifying spot in Top Fuel with a best pass of 4.800 seconds at 299.94 mph. Fred Hansssen took the top spot in Top Methanol Dragster with a top lap of 5.381 at 266.02 mph.

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Canadian Samantha Whitfield loves to race. Her pride and joy is a 2002 Harley Davidson Ford F-150 which she has been drag racing since she was a teenager.

Samantha studied automotive services at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) which she was able to put to use on her F-150, while working as a helicopter mechanic at Langley Airport. Samantha then began to apply her drive and determination to her dream to become a model, which was realised when she lost over 80 pounds and began participating in photo shoots. This has allowed Samantha to combine her love of modelling and passion for cars, as well as enabled her to use her story to inspire others. When she’s not too busy modelling her current focus is on making her pride and joy the fastest F-150 in the world. I had the chance to talk to Samantha about her passion for racing, her F-150 and ask her about what advice she had for others chasing their dreams.  

How and when did you get involved in drag racing?
As soon as I got my drivers license I was ready to race! I always loved to go fast when I was growing up. Whether it was when I was riding my horse or pedalling like crazy on my bike! I never set out to get into racing; it was just sort of something that happened. I was 17 years old with a fairly stock truck (just an airaid intake box and superchips tuner) I ran a 13.99 and although I knew that was decent for a 5,000+lb truck I wanted to go faster. The more times I went out the more competitive I got and I realized this was something I wanted to do and was very passionate about. It became something I thought about all the time and was constantly making lists of what I wanted to do to the truck to make it go faster.
 
Did you face any difficulties getting into the sport and if so how did you overcome them?
I don’t think I faced anything that made me reconsider what I was doing or wonder if it was right for me. I knew getting into it that it’s a male dominated sport, but I have always been different and not your typical girl. I am very fortunate and have many supporters and fans that appreciate the fact I am passionate about racing and knowledgeable on what I do. For sure there are guys that don’t like the fact a girl can kick their ass at the track, or that my truck is faster than their car, but it weeds out the boys from the men and its so true, whenever someone isn’t supportive or tries to bring you down, it gives you that much more drive!
 
Tell me a bit about the F-150 you drive/race.
The truck has come a long way over the past 6+ years. From running a 13.99 a few years back to running an 11.35 last year. I was extremely proud and happy the truck managed to run a low 11 second pass as a full-size truck, with dead tires and crappy stock suspension, BUT it wasn’t quick enough! After spending a lot of time approaching companies I have been very fortunate to have many big name sponsors and people helping me out. We are going for a mid 10 second pass once it’s done in a few weeks!
 
I understand you want to make it the fastest F-150 in the world, how is that progressing?  What ET are you aiming for?
I am aiming for a mid 10 second pass. Because the truck is going to be so completely different: ladder bar setup, mini tub, new slicks, DEI triple threat nytrex and cryo setup, 3.4 whipple, kirkey seats etc it is hard to predict what it will do. I am confident that not only because it will have more horsepower, but the proper suspension to put it to the ground, the possibilities are endless!
 
How often do you race?
Currently I haven’t raced in awhile since the truck has been undergoing the makeover, but when it’s done I race every Friday night street legal at the local track, Mission Raceway.
 
I understand you currently race predominantly at Mission Raceway, have you got any plans to try some new tracks?
For sure! I love Mission Raceway and we are all very lucky to have such a great track to race at, in such a great location. The President and Vice President, Ken and Brian are great people who are just as passionate about racing as all the racers are. I will probably travel to the US later this year and try out a new track after getting a great time at Mission.
 
What do you like most about drag racing?
I love the adrenaline. My heart racing, legs shaking and that rush I get when I’m seconds away from stabbing the gas pedal makes all the hard work and stress all worth it!

I love having lots of people come up to me at the track and ask about the truck and be blown away that a truck can beat a lot of cars. It’s always nice to meet the fans that come to the track to watch us all race.
 
You went from working as a helicopter mechanic to working as a full-time model, what was the transition like?
I sometimes really miss working on the helicopters. It was fun to take something apart after it was damaged and fix it up, putting it all back together. Then to see it fly off after it was completed.

After I lost a lot of weight through willpower and working very hard the modelling came as something to show others that with hard work and dedication you can reach your goals. I love to incorporate the modelling with the racing and the truck. I don’t need another girl to pose in front of my truck when I can do it myself!
 
How important is your BCIT qualification to you?
Although certificates and qualifications don’t always mean everything I believe that being a woman in this industry it doesn’t hurt to have a qualification for Auto Mechanics. I think it’s good for young girls to see a woman in this sport and the fact I went to school for it. A lot of girls are into cars and racing but don’t always feel they can get involved since they are the minority. I do think it is slowly becoming more of an equal playing field and I don’t doubt we will see more women out at the tracks racing.
 
If you could give one piece of advice to others chasing their dreams what would it be?
If you are passionate about what you do and willing to work hard and dedicate yourself you truly can achieve anything you want to. It isn’t always easy and there are for sure bumps in the road but it’s all the trials and tribulations that make it all worth it when you get to that place you have worked so hard for. Never let anyone doubt what you are doing or try to make you think you should do something else. If it’s in your heart it is meant to be.
 
Who do you receive support from?
I receive a lot of support from my fans and family. My boyfriend, Stefan has helped with the build of the truck and done all the hard work from building the ladder bars to completing the moly cage. My Mum is a huge support and has always stood next to me no matter what. Although I scare her and make her worry as I’m going down the track she is also the person screaming the loudest cheering me on!  I would like to thank my amazing sponsors for all their support: DEI, Lethal Performance, Mickey Thompson, Ken Herring of Texas ChassisWorks,  Mission Raceway, Harwood Hoods, Amazon Tuning Solutions, Ricks Tanks.
 
Is there anything else you’d like to say?
Please check out my website for many videos, pictures and info to stay up to date on myself and my Harley truck build! Thanks so much! samanthawhitfield.com

On behalf of Girlracer Magazine I’d like to thank Samantha for her time and Rob Robinson of Blown Sports Marketing for bringing this passionate and talented racer to our attention! Chelsea Woods Girlracer magazine

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BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG, Germany — American drag racing superstar Melanie Troxel will return to the Europe for the second time this season to race in the FIA Nitrolympx, which takes place Aug. 13-15 at Germany’s famous Hockenheimring.

Troxel will be piloting the same ‘67 Camaro she drove to the quickest and fastest run on European soil when she zoomed down the quarter-mile in 5.937 seconds at 242.42 mph (390.13 kph) on May 30 at Santa Pod Raceway in England. The Roger Burgess-owned racecar has since improved those marks to 5.911 seconds at 245.78 mph (395.52 kph) with Hasselby, Sweden’s Micke Gullqvist behind the wheel when he drove it to the title of the FHRA Nitro Nationals earlier this month at the Alastaro Circuit in Finland.

“It’s really exciting to be racing FIA again, even more so knowing we’ve got the best car on the European circuit at the moment,” Troxel said. “We had just gotten the car dialed in at the end of the race in England, but our best run came on an exhibition pass. We certainly feel like we have some unfinished business to take care of over there.”

This season has been a busy one for the world’s quickest female as she’s pulled double-duty on the NHRA tour, racing both the In-N-Out Burger Dodge Charger R/T Funny Car and the In-N-Out Burger Chevrolet Camaro Pro Mod car.

The only female in the 60-year history of NHRA competition with wins in both Top Fuel and Funny Car — a feat accomplished by just 14 racers — Troxel was named 2006 Sportswoman of the Year by the Billie Jean King Foundation. That same season she was nominated for two ESPY awards (best driver and best female athlete), named winner of the prestigious Driver of the Year first quarter award, led the Full Throttle Series point standings for the first 12 races of the season, set the Top Fuel record for most consecutive final round appearances to open a season (five), and became the eighth female in NHRA history to earn a No. 1 qualifying position.

“It would be really special to add an FIA trophy to our collection here at R2B2 Racing,” said Troxel, who will banner the WorldWide Pro Mod Association in Germany. “Michael (Gullqvist) came over here this spring and won the Atlanta race so maybe we can return the favor in Germany.

“We actually attended this event as spectators last year and we were all very impressed with the Hockenheim facility and the huge crown that turned out for the event. Drag racing fans are passionate about the sport no matter where they’re from and I’m looking forward to meeting everyone when we get over there.”

Burgess and his staff at R2B2 Racing have been assisting Gullqvist this year. The first European racer to win a national event on the NHRA tour, Gullqvist will race as a teammate to Troxel at the Nitrolympx.

After two events, Gullqvist is second in the FIA championship points. Troxel, who did not race in Finland, is 15th overall out of 29 drivers.

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After my accident in Seattle with the loss of the tire on my A-Fuel Dragster, I started getting constant headaches and my mom felt it best to at least get it checked out. I went into emergency and got a CT scan where they told me I had a concussion, which was likely to be the cause of my headaches.

They have since gotten better, and I expected to race again soon but I’m starting to get the feeling and have overheard discussions from my dad that he may park my car because of its age. But because my dad is evaluating where we are going in the future, he says he just needs “think time.”

It will be a week or two before my dragster gets to Murf McKinney’s chassis shop, and then we’ll get an idea of what took place with the chassis. He said it’s not just the amount of runs on it, but after eight years of traveling on a trailer, a car takes a lot of stress. Maybe this time off will give me an opportunity to focus on a potential transition into the Fuel Funny Car. Some of it even started this weekend in Sonoma, Calif.

It looked like I was going to get a little break from racing, at least I thought. There is so much I have already begun to learn while being with my dad and his team at Infineon Raceway this past weekend. I was able to focus on observing the Fuel Funny Car and the operation and how the car really works. Let me tell you, I thought that A/Fuel was a lot of stress, but my dad and his teammates run all day long.

I had a few moments with my mom to tour some of the beautiful Sonoma County, and even taste-tested some wines and cheese. I understand the stress that Ashley, Robert and my dad have and it made me more appreciative that I had the opportunity to have a little time away with my mom.

The weekend was short for our Funny Car teams, being beat in the first and second rounds. Robert had to race against Ashley in the first round, which Robert won. Dad raced against Tony Pedregon and got around him. But both were beaten in round two. As drivers, I watch them and they seem to count every point from qualifying points, competitor points, and round win points to see where they stand in the Countdown. It truly is stressful.

I worry sometimes that my dad might have a heart attack, but mom assures me that he won’t. She says it’s the way he has to work to get the job done.

The fans were great, I got to sign a lot of autographs representing BrandSource and Ford, and I didn’t even have a car in the race. But over the course of the weekend, dad had me practicing the process of getting in and out of his Funny Car. And following most of his runs he had me tow the Funny Car back to the pits.

Sonoma is a race track built into the side of a mountain, and it is beautiful, but the return road goes uphill and downhill and is very steep in certain spots. Dad says that more than once he has seen experienced drivers run into the back of their tow vehicles, that’s why he felt it was necessary for me to tow in the hills of Infineon Raceway in Sonoma.

His team was great, teaching me different things, and being patient with me. I asked dad why it was so important for me to continue towing in the car. He said: “The more time in the car pulling on the brake and steering the car and learning the visuals of being in the car, would be a big help in the future.”

He said there was no extra expense or manpower needed and that’s why he wanted to put me in the car now, because it is no extra cost to the teams. I could still feel the heat from the motor and the clutch from the run while towing back. That smell of a freshly run engine is something I never experienced before, because the engine was always behind me in the A/Fuel dragster. I could still feel the heat, and can’t even imagine how hot it would be and what the Boss 500 engine would smell like during a full run.

I am really anxious to get into the car and learn how to race it. But dad said that for the next couple weeks this will be my regimen before even getting to start the motor.

We are driving back home to Yorba Linda as opposed to flying because dad wants us to look at all ways to cut costs when possible. I am driving with mom in the car, while my dad is driving with our team Marketing Manager, Chad Light. Poor Chad just got stuck with dad for 8 hours.

Even though we are trying to cut costs I did manage to buy a few bottles of Napa/Sonoma Valley wines to take home to my new condo. I just moved in a month ago, but haven’t had a chance to spend any real time there. Dad says I have to keep working hard to pay for it, and I know every bit of hard work helps.

I learned the importance of work ethic, time management and responsibility during an internship at my dad’s office and while at a young age on the television show Driving Force. Now learning the business of driving Funny Cars is part of it. But dad’s team and the guys from all of the teams are always helpful in increasing my chances to potentially drive Fuel Funny Cars along with my family.

Speaking of family, Ashley with her husband, Danny, and their cats, Simba and Gizmo, have enjoyed being on the Western Swing during the El Monte RV motor coach trip. But she has also been writing a weekly blog on behalf of El Monte RV. We can’t sweep the Western Swing as my dad has been fortunate enough to do in his career before, because we have lost in both Seattle and Sonoma. But they will be battling it out for a win in Denver in the week to come.

I am not going to Denver; I plan to stay home for a few days. I’ll be in California hitting the beaches, soaking up a few rays and enjoying my new home. Believe me, my mom is a bit mad that I moved out but dad told her not to worry — “she’ll be back.”

Next week I will let you know what happened in Denver as I will be following on the internet and watching on Saturday and Sunday. I will provide a full report on my next Tuesday blog.

The following week I will fly to Indianapolis to work with Ashley’s crew chiefs, Ron Douglas and Dean Antonelli. Hopefully my Fuel Funny Car will be done to the point where I can sit in it, hit the throttle, hear the sound and smell the nitro. … I CAN’T WAIT!

[News & Picture Source]

Just because Becky Jaques was the only female in the Quick 16 drag racing class Friday night at Dunn Tire Raceway Park, it didn’t stop her from defeating all the boys in the night’s eliminations.

Jaques, of North Tonawanda, powered her 1994 Chevy Lumina entry past Pete Maduri Jr. in the Quick 16 final to earn a hard-fought victory. Both Becky and her father/crew chief Mike Jaques were wearing large smiles on their faces after the triumph.

“The girl won tonight,” said an elated Becky. “It’s very exciting to come out here and do this. We just have so much fun. To do it in a door [full body] car against a dragster is cool.

“Pete [Maduri] is a good driver and it was a very close race. We were both real close on the starting tree and I ran right on my numbers and he was just a bit off on his at the finish line. For once, the girl finished first.

“Hey, I’m a girl and I got to throw that out there. I’m the only girl in the class. It’s fun that way.”

It’s easy to see where Jaques acquired her enthusiasm for drag racing. It was inherited from her dad.

“I’ve been in the garage since I can remember,” she said. “They couldn’t find me sometimes because I was always under cars. It’s in my blood and he’s given me the chance to do it. I’m very fortunate.”

Jaques’ biggest win came in 2004 when she won the Quick Rod class at an IHRA national event held at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ont.

As one might expect, Jaques earned a very big passing grade from her father Friday night.

“She was on tonight and that’s all it was,” said Mike. “She was good on the starting lights, the car was consistent. That’s all we could ask for. It’s great. She won that national event up in Canada in 2004 and it’s been a long dry spell since then. This is pretty cool. I’m a very proud dad.”

Mike Jaques has been involved with drag racing for many years and is best known as a past crew member of the Persico Brothers Racing team. The elder Jaques is also a former driver. He turned the wheel over to Becky earlier this decade.

“She started driving in 2000 when I got out of it,” said Mike. “I helped Dave [Persico] for many years. It’s been a lot of work and fun. Certain nights like tonight are special.”

Becky defeated Brian Hitchcock, Wes Cayea and Andy Gregoire Friday before her final. Gregoire is a multi-time track champion and Maduri has been one of the stronger competitors at the Lancaster strip the last few seasons.

Meanwhile, not many drivers have been involved with drag racing at Lancaster for as long as Carey Hodge. Friday, Hodge picked up another win, this time downing Dale Eckert in the Mod ET final. Hodge was very consistent with his reaction times to the green light in each round.

“I was able to hit lights all night,” said Hodge. “I was able to string together good reaction times. I had to race tough competitors like Dale in the final and Jeff Kerl in the first round so it was an all-around good night.

“I’ve been racing here 15 years now. I don’t get out as much as I used to. I had a big win up in Cayuga two weeks ago so I think over the last couple weeks I’ve gone about 14 rounds or so straight without losing.”

Dunn Tire Raceway Park drag motorcycle veteran Ken Babiak Sr. said he had a weird feeling beforehand that he would make it into Friday night motorcycle class final and emerge victorious. It turned out he was right. He just didn’t know that the fellow competitor he would beat in the final would be his son, Brian.

“I hope I get this feeling every Friday afternoon,” Babiak Sr. said.

“This was the first time I’ve raced against any of my sons in the final and it’s a great feeling for both of us to make it that far. I’ve been racing since 1981 when I got out of the military. Brian has been racing about three years now. Another son, Ken Babiak Jr., is the 2006 motorcycle champion here and now he drives cars. That leaves Brian and I to do battle.”

Mike Nowak was not on the track Friday as his race car is still being rebuilt after suffering a vicious crash earlier this season. He’ll be back in about three weeks.

“Six weeks ago I had a brand new car and the radiator hose blew out and got water under the slicks,” said Nowak. “Before I could correct it and pull the chutes the car did a couple of flips and slid all the way down to the end. I went across the finish line at 125 mph on my roof.

“The roll cage did its job and the safety safari got me out and now it’s just a matter of rebuilding.”

Just because Becky Jaques was the only female in the Quick 16 drag racing class Friday night at Dunn Tire Raceway Park, it didn’t stop her from defeating all the boys in the night’s eliminations.

Jaques, of North Tonawanda, powered her 1994 Chevy Lumina entry past Pete Maduri Jr. in the Quick 16 final to earn a hard-fought victory. Both Becky and her father/crew chief Mike Jaques were wearing large smiles on their faces after the triumph.

“The girl won tonight,” said an elated Becky. “It’s very exciting to come out here and do this. We just have so much fun. To do it in a door [full body] car against a dragster is cool.

“Pete [Maduri] is a good driver and it was a very close race. We were both real close on the starting tree and I ran right on my numbers and he was just a bit off on his at the finish line. For once, the girl finished first.

“Hey, I’m a girl and I got to throw that out there. I’m the only girl in the class. It’s fun that way.”

It’s easy to see where Jaques acquired her enthusiasm for drag racing. It was inherited from her dad.

“I’ve been in the garage since I can remember,” she said. “They couldn’t find me sometimes because I was always under cars. It’s in my blood and he’s given me the chance to do it. I’m very fortunate.”

Jaques’ biggest win came in 2004 when she won the Quick Rod class at an IHRA national event held at Toronto Motorsports Park in Cayuga, Ont.

As one might expect, Jaques earned a very big passing grade from her father Friday night.

“She was on tonight and that’s all it was,” said Mike. “She was good on the starting lights, the car was consistent. That’s all we could ask for. It’s great. She won that national event up in Canada in 2004 and it’s been a long dry spell since then. This is pretty cool. I’m a very proud dad.”

Mike Jaques has been involved with drag racing for many years and is best known as a past crew member of the Persico Brothers Racing team. The elder Jaques is also a former driver. He turned the wheel over to Becky earlier this decade.

“She started driving in 2000 when I got out of it,” said Mike. “I helped Dave [Persico] for many years. It’s been a lot of work and fun. Certain nights like tonight are special.”

Becky defeated Brian Hitchcock, Wes Cayea and Andy Gregoire Friday before her final. Gregoire is a multi-time track champion and Maduri has been one of the stronger competitors at the Lancaster strip the last few seasons.

Meanwhile, not many drivers have been involved with drag racing at Lancaster for as long as Carey Hodge. Friday, Hodge picked up another win, this time downing Dale Eckert in the Mod ET final. Hodge was very consistent with his reaction times to the green light in each round.

“I was able to hit lights all night,” said Hodge. “I was able to string together good reaction times. I had to race tough competitors like Dale in the final and Jeff Kerl in the first round so it was an all-around good night.

“I’ve been racing here 15 years now. I don’t get out as much as I used to. I had a big win up in Cayuga two weeks ago so I think over the last couple weeks I’ve gone about 14 rounds or so straight without losing.”

Dunn Tire Raceway Park drag motorcycle veteran Ken Babiak Sr. said he had a weird feeling beforehand that he would make it into Friday night motorcycle class final and emerge victorious. It turned out he was right. He just didn’t know that the fellow competitor he would beat in the final would be his son, Brian.

“I hope I get this feeling every Friday afternoon,” Babiak Sr. said.

“This was the first time I’ve raced against any of my sons in the final and it’s a great feeling for both of us to make it that far. I’ve been racing since 1981 when I got out of the military. Brian has been racing about three years now. Another son, Ken Babiak Jr., is the 2006 motorcycle champion here and now he drives cars. That leaves Brian and I to do battle.”

Mike Nowak was not on the track Friday as his race car is still being rebuilt after suffering a vicious crash earlier this season. He’ll be back in about three weeks.

“Six weeks ago I had a brand new car and the radiator hose blew out and got water under the slicks,” said Nowak. “Before I could correct it and pull the chutes the car did a couple of flips and slid all the way down to the end. I went across the finish line at 125 mph on my roof.

“The roll cage did its job and the safety safari got me out and now it’s just a matter of rebuilding.”

[News Source]

[Picture Source]

Editor’s note: NHRA driver Courtney Force will document her summer on the drag-racing circuit in an online diary for USA TODAY:This week was an exciting week because I had the opportunity with my sisters Brittany and Ashley to be a part of an awards ceremony for a local elementary school in Orange County. This was especially great because it wasn’t just any awards ceremony … it was racecar-themed!

STANDINGS: Updated NHRA points

We were asked to be a part of the students’ special day since we’re drivers within the drag racing community. They asked us to help pass out the awards to the students who had succeeded in the reading competitions throughout the year. These reading competitions had been themed to racing with the various reading groups being their “pit crews.” The gym was decorated according to theme and packed with kids.

My sisters and I were able to bring some of our own props to add to the excitement. We got the chance to speak to the students about the importance of staying in school and how much it could have an impact on their future careers. We got to congratulate them on their hard work while sharing with them a little bit about what we do. We brought a video that highlighted our cars and drivers at John Force Racing, while we showed them our die-cast cars, fire suits, helmets, and all other safety equipment.

It was so exciting to see the looks on their faces when they got to see a clip of our race cars speeding down the track. It’s always fun to introduce the NHRA to those who are unfamiliar with it. We passed out signed hero cards and presented them with gold, silver, and bronze medals. While these students worked hard to achieve their goals in reading, it was amazing to be a part of the experience and help to motivate them, while pushing them to reach high for their career goals and to never give up.

After spending a day with them, I was back to towing around the parking lot in the Funny Car working toward my own personal goal in life. In addition, I had to take a trip back down the street to Cal State-Fullerton to take an English writing exam that I need to pass in order to graduate in the fall. My exam topic was on my personal feeling toward group projects and I couldn’t think of anything more fitting. Group projects are kind of like teamwork on a race team and everyone knows there’s no “I” in Team!

I believe that if everyone on a team is passionate about what they do and are willing to put forth an effort, then you can achieve your ultimate goal. Without my crew guys and my family, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to say we’ve achieved winning a national event. I’ll never forget that day last July when my win light came on in Seattle and they handed me my first Wally. My team is very important to me and we support each other all through race day.

While spending the weekend at home, I was bummed to have missed such a great weekend in Chicago with our race teams. Robert raced to another final in his Auto Club Ford Mustang but just missed winning four races in a row. Ashley also almost made it to the final round to race Robert, but Matt Hagan made an amazing run to beat her in the semifinals.

I am not flying to Englishtown this weekend unfortunately. This is a big race for John Force Racing since Castrol, our major sponsor, has their headquarters nearby. There will be hundreds of employees at the race cheering my dad, Ashley and Robert on. Last year my sister Brittany had a chance to win that race in her BrandSource dragster.

I flew to Indy on Monday to get fitted for my race car seat. I’m sure I’ll have some tales to tell from being at our Brownsburg shop for a couple of days.

***

Follow Courtney Force at twitter.com/courtneyforce

 [News & Picture Source]

Editor’s note: NHRA driver Courtney Force will document her summer on the drag-racing circuit in an online diary for USA TODAY:It’s been almost a year since my last USA TODAY journal entry and a lot has happened! Let me catch everyone up, just in case you missed it.

STANDINGS: Updated NHRA points

I ended my season in the NHRA A-Fuel Dragster category with my first National event win in Seattle, Wash.; I won a People’s Choice Award as a Ford Fiesta Agent; my brother-in-law Robert Hight won the Full Throttle Championship in the NHRA’s Funny Car class; my sister Ashley Force Hood was runner-up for the Championship; and my dad, John Force, is currently No. 1 in points this season in Funny Car … and he’s still driving our family crazy!

This past week started the beginning of my summer vacation, from Cal State Fullerton, but I definitely didn’t get to stop and rest. However, being in a fast-paced family, I’m pretty used to it.

After finishing my last final exam, I packed up my suitcase and got on a flight for the Topeka, Kansas race. I was able to take my BrandSource/Ford A-Fuel Dragster all the way to the semifinal round along with my sister Brittany, who also races for BrandSource.

Although we were hoping to race each other in the final round of eliminations, our cars couldn’t quite outrun our opponents for that round. Our teams had our cars running consistent all weekend and I think we got off on a great start for this summer. My brother-in-law Robert Hight had a little bit better luck than us and was able to get past the semis and went on to win his third race in a row this season.

When I returned home to California, this meant returning to “training.” Ever since I was a little girl, growing up watching my dad race his Funny Car, I’ve always wanted to follow in his footsteps. I grew up either watching my dad race on TV or I would travel across the country to the race track once summer began. This was always an amazing experience to be able to grow up in and I’ve been so blessed to have the opportunity to race with my family today.

In school it was always difficult to try and receive advice from teachers and counselors whenever I would tell them what I wanted to do as a profession, which was to be a drag racer. I’m sure it sounded a little strange to them but it’s the sport I grew up in that I love. Trying to figure out a major that would correlate with drag racing was always impossible. It’s too bad there isn’t a similar major in college so then I could leave with a degree in Drag Racing.

Now that I’ve been in the Sportsman category racing for five years, I’m looking towards pushing myself to move into the professional ranks. Recently my older sister Ashley Force Hood created a “Funny Car 101″ syllabus on teaching me the basics of drag racing as a profession. This includes the anatomy of a Funny Car, driving it, handling it, dealing with media and fans, and most importantly how to work with dad.

The first step of training has been to tow around our Yorba Linda race shop parking lot in the Funny Car chassis to familiarize myself with how to drive it since it’s completely different than my dragster. After hours of this training throughout the week I was able to add the body to the race car and continue towing to get a feel of how limited my vision is compared to my dragster.

Every week is a new step to this process, which will continue throughout the summer. Although this training process seems a little strange, I’m taking advice from my dad and sister and hope that by following what they tell me, it will help me to achieve my goal.

While I wasn’t training over the Memorial Day weekend I was able to spend a lot of time with my family. We decided to have a barbecue on Sunday and all got to pitch in and help cook something. But of course, Dad got to do most of the cooking!

It’s nice to get a little time off but it won’t be long until I’m back in the seat driving my A-Fuel Dragster and training in “Funny Car 101.”

***

Follow Courtney Force at twitter.com/courtneyforce

 [News & Picture Source]