Story By: JERRY BONKOWSKI / JOHN FORCE RACING – INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Brittany Force has advanced to the final round of the U.S. Nationals two of the last three years.
She’s been the No. 1 qualifier in three of her last four appearances and she’s the Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park track record holder for time and speed at 3.640 seconds and 337.75 miles per hour.
The only thing, really, that she hasn’t done is raise the trophy in the world’s most prestigious drag race, a bucket list item she hopes to address when she sends the Dave Grubnic-and-John Collins-prepared Chevrolet Accessories dragster after the Top Fuel championship this week in the 70th renewal of “The Big Go.”
“It’s going to be a fight for this Chevy Accessories team to stay in the Top 10 and give ourselves the best shot at chasing down the title at the end of the season,” said the two-time World Champion and current national record holder.
“We’ve been very successful over the last few seasons at Indy (runner-up finishes in 2021 and 2022; No. 1 starts in 2019, 2021 and 2022) and we hope to continue that tradition this week and take home the Wally (the winner’s trophy named for the late founder of the NHRA, Wally Parks),” said the 16-time tour winner.
Since she missed a race during her dad’s hospitalization and therefore is not eligible for the Countdown on a participation basis, Force must finish Monday at least in the No. 10 position she presently occupies to contest the championship she last won in 2022.
“The U.S. Nationals is the event that everybody wants to win,” Force said. “It is our most prestigious race and (Indianapolis) is the home of our JFR race team. I feel (like) this team has put in such a great effort over the last two years. Winning this week would be redemption and would make it all worthwhile.”