Story By: SARA SLAUGHTER / JOHN FORCE RACING – MORRISON, CO – Brittany Force and the Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster team enter this weekend’s Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway sitting fourth in points as they compete for their first win of the season. This is only the second season in the two-time and reigning world champion’s career that she has reached the 10th race of the year without a victory, the first was her 2015 rookie year.
A win this weekend would not only be the first for the 2023 season but would also mark Force’s first victory at Bandimere Speedway, a fan-favorite track just outside of Denver that is hosting it’s final NHRA National event this weekend. In her last two starts at the historic facility, Force started race day from the No. 1 qualifying position but came up short in the second round each time. En route to her first No. 1 in Denver, Force set the track elapsed time record at 3.717 seconds (July 17, 2021).
“This Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team heads to Denver next to begin our NHRA Western Swing which is my favorite part of the year. Unfortunately, Bandimere Speedway is closing, so it’s definitely bittersweet. This is s race track I’ve been going to since I was a baby. I remember coming here with my sisters watching my dad race,” Force said. “Now to be up here on the mountain running, there’s just nothing like this racetrack. We’re really upset to see it go away but this team wants to end on a good note. We’ve made some good memories there, but we’ve never won the thing, so we’d like to turn it around and win this weekend.”
Despite still looking for a win, Force and her David Grubnic and Brandon Hazelton tuned dragster team have earned three No. 1 qualifying starts at the season-opening Gatornationals and both Four-Wide events in Las Vegas and Charlotte. The Monster Energy team has also had five semifinal points finishes in the last seven events including the most recent in Norwalk, Ohio earning them a spot in this weekend’s Mission Foods #2Fast2Tasty Challenge. Force will have a rematch against her semifinal opponent and points leader Justin Ashley when she begins Saturday qualifying.
The Dodge Power Brokers NHRA Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway begins with qualifying Friday at 4:30 and 8:00 p.m. and Saturday at 3:30 and 7:00 p.m. The Mission Food #2Fast2Tasty Challenge will be contested during qualifying Saturday at approximately 3:50 with the final at 7:25 p.m. Eliminations are slated to begin Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Television coverage of qualifying will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) Friday at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday at 10:30 a.m. ET. Eliminations coverage will be on FOX Broadcasting Network Sunday at 4:00 p.m. ET.