ASHLEY FORCE ONE STEP AWAY FROM MAKING HISTORY

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – At The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a track on which she made history last fall as the first woman to race in an NHRA Funny Car final, Ashley Force tries to take her burgeoning drag racing career one critical step further this week when she climbs back behind the wheel of her 330 mile-an-hour Castrol GTX® Ford Mustang to compete in the ninth annual SummitRacing.com Nationals. [Read more]

FADAL HOSTS ASHLEY FORCE, ROBERT HIGHT AT WESTEC ‘08

FADAL HOSTS ASHLEY FORCE, ROBERT HIGHT AT WESTEC ‘08
-Drag Racing Stars Meet Fans, Speak to Nat’l Machine Tool Assoc.-

YORBA LINDA — On April 1st while most of the general public was concerned about having pranks pulled on them John Force Racing drivers Ashley Force and Robert Hight were pressing the flesh as guests of FADAL at the 2008 WESTEC Show at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The drag racing tandem met with fans, posed for pictures and talked about the previous weekends NHRA O’Reilly Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park.
[Read more]

Nancy Matter Houston Wrap Up

Transmission Gremlin Forces DNQ for Matter’s Season Opener

 

 

BAYTOWN, Texas – The Top Alcohol Funny Car Team of Nancy Matter had hoped for better results at the 21st Annual running of the O’Reilly Spring Nationals in Baytown this past weekend. The team, armed with a complete new arsenal of parts, was plagued with transmission issues for each pass keeping them from qualifying within the 16-car field.

“We made some significant changes in the fuel system prior to going into this race”, stated Matter. “On the first pass, when the car launched, it shook and bounced around a bit but I opted to drive through it. [Read more]

ASHLEY FORCE REACHES SECOND CAREER FINAL AT SPRING NATIONALS

21st Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals
Houston Raceway Park, Houston, Tex.
March 28-30, 2008

* * * *

Castrol/JFR Highlights: Ashley Force advanced to the second final round of her career…John Force reached the semi-finals for the second time in 2008… both Ashley and John moved up in the Funny Car point standings to No.5 and No, 6, respectively…pre-race points leader Robert Hight failed to qualify but only fell to 4th place in the points standings.

* * * *
[Read more]

Pro Stock Driver Erica Enders Becomes VP Marketing Of ‘Herself’

Pro Stock driver Erica Enders has taken control of her racing future by assuming the responsibilities of vice president of marketing of Master Formula Xtreme Polishes, Waxes, Cleaners, and Sealers. The agreement will allow the most successful female Pro Stock racer of all time to resume her driving career in an Allen Johnson-powered Dodge Stratus R/T.

Unlike in traditional motorsports marketing programs that promise sales results in exchange for up-front sponsorship dollars, Enders plans to use her unique familiarity with millions of race fans and the business community to bolster the Southern California-based company’s bottom line. As sales of Master Formula products increase, a percentage of gross revenue will be allocated to funding her on-track activities. [Read more]

ASHLEY FORCE LEADS JFR AT FRUSTRATING GATORNATIONALS

39th annual ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals
Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, Fla.
March 14-16, 2008

* * * *
(GAINESVILLE) — Everyone involved with John Force Racing knew that the 39th annual ACDelco Gatornationals would be an emotional weekend. All four drivers expressed a serious desire to win this race in honor of their fallen teammate Eric Medlen who crashed during a post race testing accident following the 2007 installment of this historic event. Unfortunately, a variety of issues conspired against one of the most successful dynasties in sports.

2007 Rookie of the Year Ashley Force achieved the most Sunday success, advancing to the second round before falling to eventual winner Tony Pedregon. Even though she did not win she survived a pedal fest with the reigning champ and showed the mental patience for a veteran beyond her years.
[Read more]

NO LONGER A ROOKIE - ASHLEY’S A CONTENDER

March 11, 2008

Event: 39th annual ACDelco Gatornationals, third of 24 events in the 2008 NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

Site: Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, Fla.

NO LONGER A ROOKIE, ASHLEY A CONTENDER

Force’s Daughter Looking for a Win at Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Despite the disappointment of not qualifying last month at Phoenix, Ariz., 2007 NHRA Rookie-of-the-Year Ashley Force remains upbeat about her chances this week in a race certain to create an emotional drain not only on her, but on her John Force Racing teammates.

It was at Gainesville Raceway just one day after the conclusion of last year’s ACDelco Gatornationals that rising star Eric Medlen suffered injuries that four days later would claim his life.

The 25-year-old daughter of drag racing champion John Force, Ashley had known Medlen since 1996 when he had begun working as a mechanic on her father’s Funny Cars.

[Read more]

Randy Meyer Racing Signs New ‘Young Gun’ Driver for ‘08 Season

OLATHE, Kan. –

Diana Harker

Three time Division Five Champion and 2007 Brute Essence of Racing Award Winner, Randy Meyer has announced that he will be foregoing the driving duties of his A/Fuel Dragster for the 2008 season to focus on improving the teams performance and will instead hand the driver responsibilities over to new ‘young gun’ and rookie driver, Diana Harker. A highly respected member of the NHRA Drag Racing family, Randy Meyer has had a successful career spanning over 30 years of racing as Driver, Team Owner and Crew Chief from AHRA Pro-Comp to IHRA Top Fuel and NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster. A highlight for Meyer and team came in 2003 as Team Owner and Crew Chief, Randy Meyer tuned current Top Fuel Driver, Alan Bradshaw to an NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster Championship cementing the Meyer Racing Team as force in the Alcohol Dragster ranks.

Meyer’s decision to sign Harker as driver for the team came after a successful debut in late 2007 where the Harker-Meyer team campaigned across four events at both the National and Divisional levels of the NHRA Lucas Oil Series. The 2008 season will see Harker and Meyer competing at a scheduled 12 races comprising of 7 National and 5 Divisional events on the Lucas Oil Series and the team will proudly represent Headman Hedders, ARP, Aeroquip, Taylor Cables, Solder Seal Gunk, Aeromotive, and Meyer Truck Center.

Diana Harker

“After a disappointing 2007 season, I’ve decided to forego the driving duties and focus solidly on improving the performance of this new car and to make sure it is once again up to our standards. I did not have to look very far for a replacement driver, Diana has proven that she can do the job very well and represent my team professionally. There is a new attitude and exciting times ahead for Randy Meyer Racing and I am proud to have Diana be apart of it.” said Meyer

Second generation Alcohol driver, Diana Harker is no slouch when it comes to racing. Having already had an extensive 11year drag racing career in Australia, the 24 year old rookie is looking to follow her twin sister, Kate’s example and gain much needed seat time in the A/Fuel Dragster ranks. Having made the transition to the United States in early 2007, Harker spent the year learning the ropes crewing on her father, Steve’s Alcohol Funny Car along with Sister, Kate’s A/Fuel Dragster ride owned by Tom Conway.

“I can’t tell you how excited I am to finally have the opportunity to be competing this season on the NHRA Circuit and to be working with such a great professional team is a dream come true. Randy Meyer is a fantastic teacher and I have already learned a great deal from working with him and his team and I can’t thank them all enough for this opportunity.” said Harker

The Harker-Meyer Team will make their first debut race at the GatorNationals, March 13-16 in Gainesville FL but will first make a stop at the Eastern Spring Test Nationals in Valdosta GA March 6-8th in preparation for their debut.

[ Source ]

Thanks again to Erica Ortiz for sending us this article..

Troxel’s experience in Funny Car opens a new chapter of experience

Melanie Troxel entered the volatile world of nitro Funny Cars with few preconceived notions. The Avon, Indiana-based Top Fuel veteran knew converting from her 300-inch wheelbase dragster to the shorter confines of a nitro-burning Funny Car would provide the challenge of a lifetime.

Those who know the six-time (two in Top Alcohol Dragster) national event winning Troxel admit she’s up to any challenge. Funny Car will prove no different.

Add into the mix an off-season of uncertainty with Funny Car chassis design specs and sponsorship issues, Troxel’s first days behind the wheel were anything but a walk in the park.

“We did a lot of testing in the pre-season, I had only two full passes to get my license,” Troxel admitted.

Add into the mix a broken chassis on the team’s primary test car, a vehicle updated to the 2008 S.F.I. specs, and Troxel was forced into the team’s back-up car not only for the balance of the Phoenix test but also at the season-opening NHRA CARQUEST Winternationals in Pomona, Ca.

Troxel never flinched at the challenge. She headed into Pomona and responded in her unique competitive way by leading qualifying for one session on Saturday before settling into the third seeding for Sunday’s final eliminations. Her early successes was, in a manner, Troxel’s way of thumbing her nose at the bad fortunes which had beset the team before they even turned a tire under power in 2008.

“The two passes that we made in Pomona were literally my third and fourth passes to the finish line in a Funny Car,” Troxel said. “I’m still quite a rookie. It’s given me a lot of confidence just to have the car down there and to reassure myself that I’m keeping up with the car. I’m still making adjustments to the way I drive the car.”

“We try not to do competitive things around our house. No good would come from that.” – Melanie Troxel

Of course, it doesn’t hurt when your husband is competitive Funny Car driver Tommy Johnson, Jr., driver of Kenny Bernstein’s Monster Energy-sponsored entry.

“I’ve listened for years to Tommy talk about how much more aggressive you have to be with these cars,” Troxel said. “I know that but when you get in the car your instincts take over and after 10 years of driving dragsters it’s hard to break those habits. I’m literally having to, in the four seconds that the car is going down the track, you literally have to just react; you’re not thinking, ‘oh yeah I have to be more aggressive about this, you just do it.”

Troxel has previous experience in a Funny Car, but not of this caliber and certainly, not of the nitro-burning persuasion. She is, by her own admission, getting a serious dose of on-the-job training. She credits the Gotham City Racing crew led by veteran tuners Brian Corradi and Mark Oswald as an asset in the high-speed learning curve.

“Every pass I’m breaking habits and hopefully making new ones,” Troxel said. “I’ve got a great group of guys to work with that have been absolutely supportive and there’s no pressure over there. If we don’t qualify then we don’t qualify kind of thing. That’s made it very enjoyable for me.”

Is the Funny Car experience like driving a Cadillac? Not hardly, if you ask the freshman standout. Troxel said the demands of her time in the cockpit are greatly increased.

“You know what’s funny is that after I made a couple of passes — I think my first 2 passes — in this car after Vegas we were like a 4.82 and a 4.81, which were pretty good passes for the car. I was like ‘oh really is that good?’” Troxel said.

“I didn’t really know and you don’t get the sensation I think obviously for a couple of reasons,” Troxel pointed out. “The Funny Car is not as quick as the dragster, I’ve got 4.45 in the dragster and we’re not ever going to come close to that, at least not anytime soon in the Funny Car. It was less of a sensation of quickness and speed for me but you’ve got that body around you, you’re a lot busier.

“It’s not to say that it’s less exciting I mean you don’t get quite the sensation of speed but you’re a whole lot busier and working a whole lot harder to keep that car in the groove.

At this point, she cannot tell a good pass from apple butter. A good pass to her, at this point in the game, is not measured in elapsed time but whether or not her Dodge Charger Funny Car makes it to the finish line under power.

“I’ve got 4 passes to my name so far so I don’t know,” Troxel admitted. “The guys are like hey did you know you were on a good pass? I’m like, ‘no I knew it was going to the finish line and that was great. That’s how I judge passes right now. If we can get to the finish line in a groove then that’s a great pass. I don’t have a real good feel. I feel what the car is doing and I’m actually enjoying how much more feedback this car gives you than a dragster.

“You can hear what the engine is doing so much more clearly — and feel what the car’s doing. I’m still learning what I’m feeling in the car. All of these sensations are new to me. As far as knowing how hard it pulls to be on a really good run I haven’t quite got to that point yet.”

Troxel held a special press conference with the media on Saturday following her incredible No. 3 qualifying effort, and in the midst of that gathering the reporters tried their best to goad her into doing the one thing that used to irritate her as a Top Fuel driver – make a comment about how easy Top Fuel driving is when compared to the challenge of a Funny Car.

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Troxel responded to the trademark questions while smiling to her publicist. “A lot of people have tried to get me by saying which do you like better? I don’t have enough passes yet to say which I like better. I’m having a great time right now and I knew that this would be quite a challenge, which is kind of part of the reason that I liked it. I’m having a good time right now and they’re two totally different things.

”I spent years listening to the Funny Car drivers talk about how easy the dragsters were and how hard the Funny Cars are to drive so I would not even go there now to my old dragster buddies and say anything about those cars. It’s much more of finesse; it’s still a skill to be able to finesse a dragster and not be able to drive it the way you drive one of these. It’s just a different skill set that you use for that car but like I said I’m having fun with this car right now so that’s all that matters.”

Troxel’s last experience behind the wheel of a Funny car was a decade ago when she piloted an alcohol Funny Car. Her experience was limited to earning a license and performing in a match race. The second major difference that many dragster drivers turned flopper drivers point is the visibility factor. That level of vision is greatly decreased within the confines of a Funny Car.

“It’s a little bit to get used to,” said Troxel. “You don’t see near as much of the track but to be honest it’s better than I expected. I had experience in a Funny Car before this program, enough to know that when they lowered the body I was going to be ok and I wasn’t going to freak out in there. I’ve heard Tommy talk for a couple of years now about how much worse the visions getting, how much higher the dog house is getting in there and you can’t see much of the track.

“I had been in the car and hadn’t had the body down so I was expecting it to be really bad. We actually towed up to make my first pass still never had the body lowered and they were like hey you want us to put the body down? I was like yeah that would be good I’d like to see what I’m going to be seeing out there. I was pleasantly surprised but I don’t have a reference point to go off of but just to listen to Tommy talk it was better than I expected.”

There’s somewhat of a misnomer that mandates a Funny Car driver must be of above average upper body strength. Troxel has heard the talk and she doesn’t necessarily subscribe to the theory.

“I’d say when you’re actually driving and going down the track it’s not something that enters my mind,” Troxel said. “I can’t actually sit there and think, ‘Wow I can’t. This is hard to do.”

“I can tell you just towing the car around it is an enormous difference when you’re just towing around,” Troxel continued. “So you know that even going a little faster it’s going to be a little bit easier that it is definitely tougher to steer than the dragsters. Off and on all my life I’ve been into lifting weights and doing things so I kind of think that I’m better than the average as far as upper body strength so I wasn’t really concerned with it. It’s definitely harder but I don’t think it’s so much harder that somebody couldn’t overcome it if they wanted to do that you could pretty easily.”

But, there is an inherent difference as Troxel found out on one of her full runs.

“Coming off the end of the track — you know your coasting down your coming around, the first time I did that at this track they’ve got the end of the wall and some hay bales down there,” Troxel confided. “I started going down and I’m not going to make it. I’m like, ‘what do I do?”

“With one hand I couldn’t make it around the corner, it’s that hard to steer the car so it’s definitely a big difference.”

Troxel wouldn’t mind flexing her muscles following the impressive performance in Pomona, but her humble nature and consideration for her spouse keeps the emotions in check. Johnson failed to make the 16-car cut in Pomona.

“I was heartbroken for Tommy — that’s incredibly frustrating as a driver,” Troxel said. “They’ve got a new deal going on over there so it may take just a little longer to gel and everything. I’m sure they will come back at the next race and be just fine. This is kind of what we talked about people make a big deal about when you guys come up to race each other and you meet each other in the final round. Hey that’s great, if we both make it to the final round that’s a good day for everybody.

“It’s times like Pomona when one of us is doing well and the other isn’t that kind of rubs salt in the wound a little bit.”

All will be fine on the home-front for Troxel and Johnson on those weekends because of an unwritten rule.

“We try not to do competitive things around our house,” Troxel said. “No good would come from that.”

[Source: Torco Racing Fuels]

« Previous Page