Story By: JERRY BONKOWSKI / JOHN FORCE RACING – DINWIDDIE, VA – Driving the quickest and fastest race car ever adorned in a HendrickCars.com livery, Brittany Force took the first step toward reversing a season of frustration Saturday when she drove past reigning champion Doug Kalitta and Tony Schumacher to win the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Top Fuel Challenge, a prelude to Sunday’s 14th PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park.
It was the 37-year-old’s first ever #2Fast2Tasty win and it gave John Force Racing its first double in the unique bonus race that reprises the semifinal rounds from the most recent event in the NHRA’s Mission Series. Austin Prock won in the Funny Car class for the fourth time this year and the second time in succession, again beating boss and teammate John Force in an all-JFR final.
For Brittany, the final round win over Schumacher reversed the order from the Arizona Nationals in Phoenix, her only other appearance this year in the #2Fast2Tasty Challenge.
“This is big for us because we’ve been struggling,” Brittany said. “To be able to win this Mission Foods event is huge for our team. We needed it just to keep us moving forward; keep us pumped up.”
The two-time Top Fuel World Champion not only shared the #2Fast2Tasty winners’ circle with Prock but also with Pro Stock’s all-time biggest winner, Greg Anderson, whose Chevy also benefits from HendrickCars.com support.
“We still feel like we’re going to win this thing, so to bring home this win for this team is huge and we’re excited about race day tomorrow,” said the 16-time tour winner who will start Sunday from the No. 11 qualifying position.
Prock grabbed an advantage at the start and never trailed in the Funny Car final. The 28-year-old guided his Cornwell Quality Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS down the all-concrete surface at Virginia Motorsports Park in 4.037 seconds at 315.93 miles per hour to forge a narrow margin over Force, who trailed in 4.048 seconds at 314.83 mph in his PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Camaro.
“Austin Prock’s really doing well,” acknowledged the man he beat in the final. “He did his job on the starting line. The kid’s really good and Brittany, she’s on top of her game, they’ve got that car coming around. David Grubnic and John Collins, the went A to B and got the win over Schumacher. So, it has started out as a good weekend for John Force Racing. A lot of rounds today; a lot of heat, but we survived it. Let’s see what we can do tomorrow with PEAK, Cornwell Tools and HendrickCars.com.
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MISSION FOODS 2FAST/2TASTY NHRA CHALLENGE
FUNNY CAR Semifinals – John Force, PEAK Coolant and Antifreeze Chevrolet Camaro, 4.138, 303.98 mph, def. J.R. Todd, Toyota Supra, 4.597, 193.24 mph; Austin Prock, Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro, 4.122, 315.34 mph, def. Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 4.140, 298.01 mph.
FINAL – Prock, 4.037, 325.93 mph, def. Force, 4.048, 314.83 mph.
TOP FUEL Semifinals – Brittany Force, HendrickCars.com dragster, 3.984, 308.14 mph, def. Doug Kalitta, foul; Tony Schumacher, 4.405, 192.30 mph, def. Clay Millican, 4.688, 163.18 mph.
FINAL – Force, 3.966, 316.97 mph, def. Schumacher, 4.261, 206.83 mph.