John Force Racing Partners with Simpson Performance Products in Multi-Year Safety Initiative February 3, 2010
New Braunfels, TX (February 3, 2010) Simpson Performance Products and John Force Racing have reached an agreement naming Simpson as the official safety gear for John Force Racing, beginning with the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle season. The partnership between the two companies will further the safety initiatives undertaken by The Eric Medlen Project, a safety initiative that grew out of the tragedy that claimed the life of promising young driver, Eric Medlen.
Additionally, discussions are underway between JFR and Simpson to move some personnel to Brownsburg, IN to grow the effect and influence of The Eric Medlen Project and safety programs in motorsports. The Eric Medlen Project has been responsible for many of the safety innovations that now are mandated by the NHRA in Funny Car and Top Fuel. A worldwide leader in the manufacture of racing safety equipment including helmets, gloves, firesuits and parachutes, Simpson will operate as a “safety partner” with JFR, working with John Medlen and The Eric Medlen Project.
Commenting on the partnership, Chuck Davies, CEO of Simpson said, “Simpson looks forward to working closely with the Force Team and The Eric Medlen Project. Working together and sharing our knowledge and engineering resources with John Force Racing will lead to better, safer products for racers. Everyone at Simpson is very proud to be associated with John, his family and the entire team. John’s sixteen Funny Car championships as a driver and owner are a powerful testimony to his leadership and ability. When Force Racing wants to make something better, it happens. John wants to win with safety as a top priority which is good for everyone in racing.”
“I like and trust the folks at Simpson,” said team owner John Force. “I have worked with Dave Nelson for twenty years on my suits. Dave and his people are the best in the business. For fifteen years, Allen and Debbie Bridges have attended every NHRA Full Throttle event with the traveling Simpson trailer providing support, onsite service and a full complement of Simpson gear. We take safety seriously at John Force Racing. I asked for a safety company to step up and provide more than helmets and firesuits, and Simpson did that. That is why we are partnering with Simpson Performance Products.”
About Simpson Performance Products
Since 1959, Simpson Performance Products (www.teamsimpson.com has been manufacturing a complete line of products for racing safety, including drag parachutes, the flagship Simpson product. That is over 50 years of being the dominant brand in racing safety, protecting the driver and crew from head to toe with helmets, Nomex® firesuits, restraints, shoes and gloves. Simpson firesuits, team apparel and sublimated shirts are created at our 53,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Harbor City, CA. Helmets, restraints and parachutes are manufactured at our 80,000 sq. ft. headquarters in New Braunfels, TX. Simpson offers trackside race support at all NHRA Full Throttle races.
About John Force Racing, Inc.
John Force Racing, Inc. (www.johnforceracing.com) is a professional sports dynasty spanning 35 years, one that has earned 16 Funny Car championships and claimed over 185 funny car tour victories. Led by team owner and driver John Force, the most prolific winner in NHRA history, JFR’s driver lineup also includes 2009 Full Throttle Funny Car champion Robert Hight, driver of the Auto Club Ford Mustang; 2009 Mac Tools U.S. Nationals winner Ashley Force, driver of the Castrol GTX Ford Mustang; and Brittany and Courtney Force, who compete in the Top Alcohol Dragster division.
FORCE FOCUSED ON 2010 CHAMPIONSHIP ADDRESSES ECONOMIC ISSUES January 29, 2010
Completes Year-long Consolidation of Racing Operations at Brownsburg Facility
YORBA LINDA – Responding to an unpredictable economy drag racing icon John Force on Thursday outlined a plan to insure both the competitive and financial viability of John Force Racing, Inc., for years to come. The plan has been a work in progress for over a year.
The cornerstones of Force’s initiative are (1) a reduction in the number of cars the team will support next season in its bid for an unprecedented 17th NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car championship; (2) re-location of all JFR racing resources to the Brownsburg facility; (3) creation of new revenue streams through production of the BOSS 500 engine and the JFR chassis; and (4) personnel consolidation.
“In this economy,” Force said, “I’m having to re-evaluate my programs and my people to create a game plan for the future. It’s all about the Next Generation.”
“I have invested with the IMG group, headed by George Pyne, to help look for new sponsorship opportunities but I also know that I need to insure that my current sponsors, primarily Castrol, in our 25th year together, Ford, Auto Club, BrandSource, and Mac Tools are getting more value than they expect. We will continue to hit the media hard and work with them to make sure that our message along with our sponsors’ messages reaches the fans.”
Whereas JFR has fielded four Ford Funny Cars the last three seasons, Force said he is parking, at least temporarily, the Drive One Mustang directed to a season-ending victory by 2008 Rookie-of-the-Year Mike Neff.
His team’s 2010 lineup will feature only three Ford Mustangs: his own Castrol GTX High Mileage entry; the Auto Club Mustang in which Robert “Top Gun” Hight will defend his Full Throttle championship; and the Castrol GTX Mustang in which reigning Mac Tools U.S. Nationals champion Ashley Force Hood will try to become the first woman to win the Funny Car title.
The 126-time tour winner said Mike Neff, crew chief for Gary Scelzi when they won the 2005 Funny Car world championship will join Austin Coil, the most successful crew chief in drag racing history, in support of his bid for a 15th NHRA driving championship.
Bernie Fedderly, Coil’s partner for the last 17 years and one of only three crew chiefs to have won NHRA titles in both Top Fuel and Funny Car, will continue to be in the mix but will adjust his travel schedule after 30 years. He will also assume the new role of Special Projects Manager at John Force Racing, Inc. as well as contributing to the Coil-Neff alliance.
As Fedderly’s role changed it opened the door to one of the most intriguing crew chief partnerships in recent history. After winning the 2005 NHRA championship as crew chief to Gary Scelzi, Neff spent the last two seasons at the wheel of the Ford Drive One Mustang, earning 2008 Rookie of the Year honors before winning the Auto Club Finals last November at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona.
Coil has won more NHRA races and more championships than anyone – including Force. The man who started as a line mechanic at a Chicago dealership enters 2010 with 16 championship trophies and 133 tour victories. Before joining Force in 1985, he won seven races and two NHRA championships (1982 and 1983) with his own car, the ChiTown Hustler, driven by Frank Hawley.
Significantly, the makeover of Force’s team extends well beyond the crew chiefs. In fact, all but one crew member will be new to the team with the start of the 50th annual Kragen O’Reilly Winternationals, Feb. 11-14, at Pomona.
In addition, the car itself will be new, front to back, utilizing JFR’s in-house chassis that Neff took to victory for the first time last year, the Ford BOSS 500 nitro motor developed by JFR’s John Medlen, in conjunction with Ford Racing, the new, sleeker 2010 Mustang body, new logos and new metallic paint featuring silver highlights that recognize the 25 seasons Force has shared with Castrol.
Neff’s crew chief, John Medlen, will concentrate his efforts on managing The Eric Medlen Project, which will continue to focus on racing safety, as well as the in-house engine and chassis programs he helped create which will generate new revenue streams through production of the BOSS 500 engine and the JFR chassis. Medlen will also be available to team up with crew chief Jimmy Prock and car chief Eric Lane to create a potent tuning triumvirate for the 2009 Funny Car Championship Auto Club Ford Mustang team.
“I am dropping the fourth car for the 2010 season strictly as a business move,” Force said, “because in this economy we haven’t been able to fund it properly through new sponsorship.”
Moreover, to underscore the seriousness with which his teams are pursuing the 2010 title, Force has added track specialist Lanny Miglizzi to work with his crew chiefs and with son-in-law Dan Hood, who last year served as track specialist while also developing as a backup for Fedderly in his role as inventory manager and personnel manager. The combination of Hood and Miglizzi also gives JFR more personnel to monitor the ever changing track conditions as race cars compete throughout the day in Funny Car and the Top Alcohol Dragster.
Miglizzi will also work out of the Brownsburg shop leading the JFR in-house clutch program. For years he operated one of the sport’s most successful clutch management businesses with his late father, Tony. He is widely recognized as one of the most knowledgeable, detail-oriented experts in the field of track-mapping.
Another change is the consolidation of all race car operations at Brownsburg. The last of Force’s race cars to make the move from the West Coast facility in Yorba Linda, Calif., was his own Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford. Furthermore, the machine shop operation, which previously was split between the two facilities, has been centralized in Brownsburg.
Force’s attention has not just been focused on on-track performance. One of the strongest brands in motorsports has also been looking at ways to insure his corporate backing can weather the up and down economy with his teams.
“I’ve had to re-evaluate everything from show car programs to midway displays to help activate programs for the sponsors and help cut costs,” Force said.
“I’ve talked a number of times with Tom McKernan, the CEO of the Automobile Club of Southern California, who helped keep the Auto Club profitable even in tough times, to help me re-evaluate our JFR business plan,” Force said.
“Last year I started talking with Brian Wolfe, who came over from Powertrain where he was instrumental in managing Ford’s mass production capabilities. We talked about how to produce products in-house not only for our team but also to generate revenue by selling to other teams. I will continue to speak to Brian in this area as time permits because he is the expert. In Phoenix I had the chance to speak with Jamie Allison, the new Director of Ford Racing, and it was business as usual. We have to continue to be cost efficient but at the end of the day Ford wants to win.”
“One of my biggest losses was the recent passing of Bob Tasca Sr. He introduced me to Ford in 1997 and he wrote the book “You Will Be Satisfied,” about how to sell to the next generation of consumers. He was one of the icons with Ford and I pray that I listened enough.”
“I listen to these individuals because they’re successful in what they do and, with the 25th anniversary of JFR and Castrol and the continued growth of the NHRA, we need to know where we’re going for the next 25 years,” Force said.
“My priority right now is to execute this business plan, and make sure existing sponsors like Castrol, Ford, Auto Club, BrandSource and Mac Tools can activate trackside and elsewhere. I am investing in show car trailers to help make that happen.
“It’s a tough economy, but these are exciting times, too, because of the way we are responding to the challenge. For me,” Force said, “the key word is ‘activate.’ We need to activate for our sponsors but we need to activate for ourselves, too.”
Photos attached: 1) Mike Neff and Austin Coil, 2) Jimmy Prock, Eric Lane and John Medlen, 3) Lanny Miglizzi and Dan Hood
FORCE HOOD STARTS AND ENDS TESTING DAY WITH SUCCESS -NEFF MAKES LAP IN FORCE’S MUSTANG- January 26, 2010
PHOENIX (January 26, 2010) --- Ashley Force Hood started the day with a blistering run at Firebird International Raceway and she capped the day with an even better pass in her Dean Antonelli - Ron Douglas tuned Castrol GTX Ford Mustang. As the first John Force Racing Mustang to hit the track Force Hood covered the 1,000 ft. racing surface in 4.07 seconds at 305.73 mph as the last Mustang to power down the track she stepped it up with a 4.06 second, 310.34 mph run.
In the early session John Force also made a solid 4.10 second run at 306.99 mph behind the wheel of his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang. 2009 Funny Car champion Robert Hight made three runs in his Auto Club Ford Mustang as crew chief Jimmy Prock tested a variety of clutch packages and tune ups. A day earlier Hight made the quickest run of the 2010 testing session a 4.05 second run at over 310 mph so today’s slower times (5.03, 9.97, and 9.48 seconds) did not dampen his team’s enthusiasm.
While most observers watched the testing action with mild interest the spectators and teams on-hand perked up when Mike Neff made the third and final pass of the day in John Force’s Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang. Neff the most recent NHRA national event winner, Auto Club Finals in November, has been involved with John Force’s team throughout the Phoenix testing session and the team will have some future announcements about the overall organization of Force’s racing operation.
After his run Neff commented on the experience.
"It was fun. It is always fun to climb into one of these Mustangs. It was a little stressful since it was John's Mustang and a few of the controls were in different places. It is not a big deal just a little awkward. It was exciting to make a run. I'm bummed it didn't make it to the top end. That is an awesome feeling to drive one of these Mustangs. I was glad to get back in it and keep my skills sharp," said Mike Neff.
MONDAY’S TRIO OF OHS FOR JFR AT FIREBIRD HAS TEAM GOING IN RIGHT DIRECTION January 26, 2010
PHOENIX (January 25, 2010) --- At the end of the day on Monday the trio of John Force Racing Mustangs that ran down Firebird International Raceway all rang up positive numbers. Led by 2009 Funny Car Full Throttle Champion Robert Hight’s 4.05 second run at over 310 mph in the Auto Club 2010 Ford Mustang every JFR Mustang clocked a time quicker than 4.10 seconds. It was the maiden voyage for Hight underneath his new Mustang body and the Full Throttle Funny Car champ was all smiles at the top end after the run.
“This place is very tricky. It was perfect timing for that run because it was the first run with the 2010 Mustang body. I knew it was a good run. It felt good the whole way. It was pretty awesome. It was cool to hear the excitement of the guys on the radio. It has been a while since we have had some excitement over the radio,” said Hight. “(Crew chief) Jimmy (Prock) says if you hit it right could run 4.03 out here. Hitting it right is the trick. This track will produce huge ETs but you have to hit it right. Every little thing counts. After that run the engine ran fine and the clutch came together nice. We have a pretty good baseline going into Pomona.”
Hight’s run came on the heels of John Force’s best run of testing a solid 4.08 second pass in his 25th anniversary Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang. Force’s run was spectacular on the race course and at the top end. The 14-time champion drifted to the left and clipped a timing cone that was set up to record 1320 ft. times for the handful of sportsman racers that are also sharing the track.
“I’m excited about (the 4.08). Last year here I couldn’t get down the race track for four days and then we finally did. It shows the preparation of the track (this year). That is why so many people didn’t come here and chose to go to Florida or even Vegas. I chose to come here (Firebird International Raceway owner) Charlie Allen said it wouldn’t be like last year they would fix it. This is the road to Pomona,” said Force.
“4.08 (seconds) is good. I am starting to feel a little good there. Robert ran right around me. He got an .05 that is big. I feel good. I feel confident. Although it is never good to get too fast too quick because then you almost feel lucky then luck goes away.”
“They (the track personnel) left the cones out because they have so many different categories running. It is a lot of work in all fairness to them, to change it back. They have to go glue them and everything. I went through the lights not thinking anything was there. I am not supposed to cross the centerline anyway. That’s my fault. When I passed the lights it started to drift over and I didn’t jerk it back. I thought (I would) just pull it back slowly. I had nobody in the other lane and I mowed ‘em (timing cones) down.”
Force's team pulled out the Castrol Edge Mustang body for him to run the rest of the day after the top end incident.
At the end of the day Ashley Force Hood capped the session with her best run of testing a nice 4.09 second run at 310.34 mph behind the wheel of her Castrol GTX Ford Mustang. Her two runs earlier in the day did not yield positive results.
“We were a little frustrated today. We started the testing sessions good then suddenly today it wouldn’t go to half track. We were dealing with some tire shake but they got it under control for that last run. This run it went right down there. It thought about shaking but it powered through. That was a good feeling. It is good to get these different experiences on the track again since you’ll have to deal with that during the season. You don’t want your first experience of tire shake during the season to be in the semi-finals,” said Force Hood.
“Getting a good pass at the end of the day is important for me but also for the guys. If I make a full run or I shake the tires at the hit that is a huge difference for me as far as what I experience. For my crew guys their job is exactly the same whether it goes to the finish line or not. I know they were happy to see that 4.08. Those are the kind of numbers you need to start the season.”
John Force Racing First Day of Testing in Phoenix Results January 23, 2010
PHOENIX (January 23, 2010) --- Saturday was a true shake down day for John Force Racing. The goal of the day was to knock the rust off the teams and begin to put the pieces together to win an unprecedented 17th team Full Throttle Funny Car world championship.
2009 Funny Car champion Robert Hight’s Auto Club Mustang made two passes with the final lap of the day covering the race track in 4.11 seconds at 302.21 mph. Not to be outdone Ashley Force Hood’s Castrol GTX Mustang followed in his tracks recording a 4.11 at 302.75 mph on her second pass. Team leader John Force only made one run on Saturday but it was JFR’s first full pass when the 14-time champ clicked it early and tripped the lights at 4.19 seconds and a diminished 242.06 mph.
“I was a little rusty and I definitely used up a lot of race track. NHRA and Firebird have done a great job with setting up the track. Last year it took us seven or eight runs per team before we got down the race track. On our second try today we went down the track so today was a good way to start. Our biggest deal right now is we want to get it past half track and try to lock the clutch up. That is the biggest thing we are testing right now is our clutch pack. We want a smooth lock up and have it run real quick. We don’t learn that by shutting off at the 330 ft. mark,” said Hight.
“One thing that we have changed from previous years is we are not changing a lot of other things. We are changing what we have to. We spent a lot of time this winter on the dyno and we have a pretty good idea what our clutch disks will do but you don’t know until you put them on together. That is what we are testing now,” add Hight.
O’REILLY STORE MANAGERS SURPRISED BY JOHN FORCE, ASHLEY FORCE HOOD January 20, 2010
YORBA LINDA, CA (January 19, 2010) --- On Monday during the annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Manager’s Conference in Memphis, Tennessee 14-time Funny Car Champion John Force and 2009 Funny CarFull Throttle Championship Runner-Up Ashley Force Hood surprised 4,500 O’Reilly store managers making an unannounced appearance and entertaining the crowd for nearly an hour.
Force talked about the challenges and satisfaction of running his multi-car team in a tough economy and how he felt 2010 would be a much better year for the winningest driver in NHRA history. Ashley Force Hood explained to the crowd how the diversity at all levels of the NHRA was a huge selling point for the sport. At the end of their discussion the crowd gave the pair a standing ovation.
The tandem of Castrol sponsored drivers also presented awards to the top performing store managers and dined with the top brass from O’Reilly.
In addition to the speaking engagement and the awards presentation the drivers signed autographs for the managers until midnight. It was a whirlwind weekend for Force who prior to the O’Reilly event hosted the AARWBA banquet on Saturday night at his Brownsburg, Ind. facility.
Castrol Unveils Official John Force Racing 25th Anniversary Fan Site January 13, 2010
WAYNE, NJ (January 13, 2010) --- After nearly a year of planning and development Castrol launched the official John Force Racing 25th anniversary fan site located at www.castrolforce.com this week. At the end of the 2009 Full Throttle Drag Racing Series fans were asked to sign up to be a part of the most comprehensive and interactive website to celebrate John Force Racing’s upcoming 25th year with Castrol. Almost 10,000 fans got in the ground floor and they got the first opportunity to join the celebration and begin a year-long interactive experience with the winningest driver and team in all of motorsports.
“Having the official website www.castrolforce.com up and running is a major accomplishment for Castrol and our marketing team. This celebration of the first twenty-five years with John Force and John Force Racing will be a season long adventure for Castrol, the entire JFR team and our tens of thousands of fans. The site will boast all sorts of interactive zones as well as pages where fans can upload photos and videos. There will be contests throughout the year and castrolforce.com will become one of the hottest destinations on the web for exclusive John Force Racing 25th anniversary information and news,” said Lori Anne Gola, Assistant Sponsorship Manager.
The castrolforce.com website will be the main destination for fans of John Force Racing who are interested in twenty-five years of stories, photos and exclusive video highlights covering John Force’s rise to the top of the NHRA. Members of John Force Racing from every level of the organization participated in the creation and the ongoing development of the site.
The site is completely free to join and will feature pages highlighting the traditional news and information as well as areas where fans can upload their favorite videos and photos. Contests run throughout the 2010 season revolving around John Force Racing history, fan interaction and a wide variety of promotions.
JFR DRIVERS AND FANS ENJOY AUTO CLUB CRUISE January 7, 2010
YORBA LINDA, CA (January 7, 2010) --- Hundreds of fans rang in the New Year in style enjoying the camaraderie of the John Force Racing Fan Cruise aboard the Carnival Elation cruise ship. Sponsored by the Automobile Club of Southern California fans enjoyed talking with all the drivers representing John Force Racing both in the scheduled Meet & Greets as well as casual meetings around the pool on the Lido Deck.
The entire stable of John Force Racing drivers was available throughout the cruise. On the first day at sea John Force, Mike Neff, Brittany Force and Courtney Force talked about the 2009 season as well as their goals and plans for 2010. Courtney and Brittany were repeatedly asked when they might move up to the Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and both explained that school was their number one priority for now as well as continuing to develop their driving skills behind the wheel of their BrandSource backed Top Alcohol Dragsters.
"My ultimate goal would be to finish college in a year with my Bachelor's degree in Communications and Entertainment Studies at Cal State Fullerton then I would love to move into the Pro categories, either driving a Top Fuel Dragster or Funny Car. I know I want to follow in my sister's (Ashley Force Hood) footsteps by racing professionally but that is depending on whatever ride I can get," explained Courtney Force.
Everyone went ashore in Cabo San Lucas enjoying a full day on the beach or in the shops that seemed to overwhelm even the strongest shopper. Fans fanned out throughout the city but many wound up at the famed Sammy Hagar-owned restaurant and bar, Cabo Wabo. The restaurant was also a must see for many of the John Force Racing group.
On the last day at sea fans we treated to a Q&A session with 2009 Funny Car champion Robert Hight as well as championship runner-up Ashley Force Hood and Castrol GTX co-crew chief Dean “Guido” Antonelli. Questions ranged from how Robert was enjoying being the new champion to how Ashley’s cat Simba was getting along with the new feline addition to the family, Gizmo.
Team owner John Force never missed a chance to talk with the fans or plug his sponsors. He was most excited about the sponsor relationships that have developed over the years including the BrandSource “Win with Force” sweepstakes that sent Wendy Kruz of Elgin, South Carolina on the Auto Club Fan Cruise for free.
“What is cool for me personally, in the overall scheme of racing is that we do our job for the sponsors. To have a fan from another sponsor, BrandSource, win a contest and then come on the Auto Club Cruise is awesome. I had a lot of fun and it gave me the opportunity to get out of a rut. It seems like all you do is work sometimes but to be able to combine work and pleasure as well as spend time with my family has been great. I have loved spending time with my other family, the fans, too,” said John Force.
“It took me about a day to unwind and to let go but I enjoyed being up on the decks. The food was unbelievable. I loved seeing the fans. So many would say ‘We are so sorry to bother you,’ but I want to be bothered. We love it and we loved being on the cruise with them. It was an experience. I truly enjoyed it.”
Wendy Kruz’s name was selected from over 40,000 BrandSource entries at the conclusion of the 2009 season. The first time cruise participant is a long-time John Force fan.
“It has been more than I imagined. I had so much fun it was unbelievable. I’ve been a fan of John Force since my husband, Mark, introduced me to drag racing in 1999. I love all the drivers Mike Neff, Ashley Force Hood, Robert Hight and of course John Force. It was great to see them as people on the cruise. They are just like us and that is what we got to see. If you asked me to pick my favorite moment from the cruise I couldn’t. The whole weekend was just great,” said Wendy Kruz.
“BrandSource was very excited to hear that Wendy and her family had such a great time on the John Force Racing Fan Cruise as our Grand Prize Winner in the 2009 BrandSource “Win with Force” Sweepstakes. We know from her winning entry at the Charlotte NHRA race, that they are big fans of the NHRA and John and Ashley Force and all of their team drivers. The thousands of BrandSource dealers that support the “Win with Force” Sweepstakes were proud to partner with AAA Auto Club of So. California to provide an experience of a lifetime for Wendy and her family,” said Bob Lawrence, BrandSource CEO.
Throughout the cruise fans spent time chatting with representatives from John Force Racing and enjoying some down time before the busy 2010 racing season kicks off in a few short weeks at the 50th annual Winternationals in Pomona. 2009 Funny Car champion Robert Hight summed up everyone’s mood as the ship pulled back into port in San Diego.
“The Auto Club JFR Fan Cruise was a great experience but now it is time to go back to work. Spending time with all the fans was awesome but I am ready to get into the shop and get everything ready for the 2010 NHRA season. I know my Auto Club team will be ready and we are really excited about getting back on the track,” said Hight.
BrandSource "Win with Force" sweepstakes winner Wendy Kruz and her husband Mark pose with 14-time Funny Car champion John Force.
One of the highlights of the Auto Club Fan Cruise was the Meet & Greet session with Robert Hight, Ashley Force Hood and Dean "Guido" Antonelli
BRANDSOURCE WINNER WENDY KRUZ HEADED TO SEA WITH JFR FAN CRUISE December 29, 2009
YORBA LINDA, CA (December 29, 2009) --- John Force Racing fan Wendy Kruz from Elgin, South Carolina will be setting sail in a Penthouse cabin on the John Force Racing Fan Cruise III scheduled to depart December 31, 2009. Kruz’s name was drawn from the over 40,000 entries during the 2009 Full Throttle Drag Racing Series at the BrandSource booth as well as www.brandsource.com online entries. Joining Kruz on the cruise will be all four John Force Racing Funny Car drivers (John Force, Ashley Force Hood, 2009 Funny Car champion Robert Hight and Mike Neff) as well as Top Alcohol Dragster drivers Brittany and Courtney Force. The group will be aboard the Carnival Elation cruise ship for five days and four nights. The cruise departs from San Diego, California and will now be setting sail New Year’s Eve for Cabo San Lucas in Baja, Mexico.
For the third year in a row exclusively through AAA Travel, the John Force Racing Fan Cruise will feature special group benefits including a hosted cocktail party, a $25 shipboard credit per cabin, a complimentary bottle of wine per cabin, and each person receives a special JFR Fan Cruise gift.
By the conclusion of the 2009 Full Throttle season a total of six Whirlpool Washer and Dryer sets were given away through the BrandSource Win With Force qualifying prize when JFR drivers qualified #1 at Pomona1 (Hight), Atlanta (Force Hood), Bristol (Force Hood), Indy (Hight), Dallas (Hight), and Pomona2 (Force Hood).
Ultimately, through #1 qualifiers and race wins, Robert Hight brought five prizes to fans, Ashley Force Hood brought four prizes to fans, and Mike Neff by winning the Auto Club World Finals put a Mitsubishi TV in the hands of one lucky fan.
A total of four Mitsubishi TV’s were given away through the BrandSource Win With Force Event Winner prize when JFR drivers won races at Indy (Force Hood), Charlotte (Hight), Dallas (Hight), and Pomona2 (Neff).
Following the cruise complete recap of the cruise will be available including photos of the fans with John Force Racing drivers.
RFC AUCTIONING ASHLEY FORCE HOOD HELMET, ULTIMATE FAN EXPERIENCE TO RAISE FUNDS December 8, 2009
BROWNSBURG, IN (December 7, 2009) --- Racers for Christ in association with Ashley Force Hood and John Force Racing are inviting NHRA and motorsports fans to bid on two exciting items so one winner can have the ultimate NHRA fan experience. This prize package would trip the win light for any motorsports fan this Christmas.
This is a unique opportunity for an amazing racing experience. It may make the perfect gift this Christmas for your favorite NHRA racing fan.
The auction is currently underway on eBay.com and will end at 8 p.m. PT on December 15th. The auction can be found here: ( Auction Link )or by searching on eBay for item number 160381265328
The total package includes:
A display quality helmet modeled after Ashley Force Hood’s 2010 design autographed by Ashley Force Hood – to be shipped in time for Christmas.
Two full event tickets (general seating) to the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event of the winner’s choice. Visit www.nhra.com to review schedule.
VIP Meet and Greet will all the John Force Racing Drivers on Friday or Saturday of the event the winner attends
The opportunity to stand in a restricted viewing area near the starting line during one of Ashley Force Hood’s qualifying runs
A personalized Ashley Force Hood hero card featuring her Castrol GTX Ford Mustang Funny Car
About RFC
Team RFC is a group of people whose love of the Lord is so strong that we include him in our everyday activities. Racers For Christ provides chapel services, pastoral care, outreach and Christian fellowship year round. RFC participates at races, car shows, cruise-ins and tractor pulls. RFC was established in 1971 by Arnie Krueger, and incorporated as a non-profit in 1978 as fellowship for Christians in the sport of motor racing and has developed into a growing organization with international impact. The overall purpose of RFC's involvement in motor racing is to service emotional and spiritual needs. Realizing that racing is more than just a mechanized existence, we strive to bring a more balanced perspective in providing inspiration and encouragement to motorsports. Cruise around our site, a place where God's name is spoken and Jesus Christ is lifted up.
12th ANNUAL JFR HOLIDAY CAR SHOW A HUGE SUCCESS December 7, 2009
YORBA LINDA, CA (December 6, 2009) --- Mother Nature and the people of Southern California cooperated to make the 12th annual John Force Racing Holiday Car Show one of the biggest in the events history. Ominous clouds made brief appearances over the 14-time champion’s shop but a comfortable breeze was the only weather variance all day as thousands of toys were dropped off making a mountain of memories for children this Christmas season. From 10 a.m. until well after 4 p.m. today toys, stuffed animals and games poured into the John Force Racing shop as fans filled the streets. Tens of thousands of people wandered through one of the largest collections of vintage cars, trucks and street rods.
In addition to the hundreds of car club vehicles a number of specialty vehicles were on display including the Force Borthers “Nightstalker,” Funny Car which returned to competition this year in a one-off event at Norwalk, Ohio, plus Jay Leno’s 1955 Buick Roadmaster custom, a $2 million Bugatti Veyron, a collection of “monster rods” built from Peterbilt trucks and an historic Amphicar designed for road or water.
“Today was awesome. It was all about the kids and I think our fans really came through. We are having tough economic times and I know there are a lot of kids out there who might not have a very good Christmas. I hope being able to donate all these toys to the CHiPs Toy Drive will help. I want to thank all our sponsors for stepping up and helping out especially Tom McKernan and the Auto Club,” said John Force.
“I know Craig Hoelzel really worked hard on this as well as all his volunteers. I want to thank everyone who helped out to make this happen from the bottom of my heart. My hand is just about worn out from signing autographs but it is what we do and I love spending time with the fans. We have a lot of really good friends that come out every year so it is good to see everyone. I want to especially thank Tom McEwen, Jack Beckman and Cory McClenathan. Cory Mac flew straight from Germany to be here.”
Fans were treated to music by the M.O. S. Project, Adria Force Hight’s band, as well as a number of other musical acts. In-N-Out burgers were available all afternoon and fans enjoyed the burgers.
WORLD CHAMPION HIGHT HEADLINES TEAM FORCE DAY AT LA AUTO SHOW December 7, 2009
YORBA LINDA, CA (December 5, 2009) --- On Saturday, December 5th at the Auto Club Exhibit in the Los Angeles Convention Center’s Kentia Hall 2009 NHRA Funny Car World Champion Robert Hight along with teammates 14-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion John Force, Ashley Force Hood and Mike Neff signed autographs. The NHRA Funny Car foursome were the guests of the Automobile Club of Southern California. Robert Hight’s Ford Mustang is sponsored by the Automobile Club of Southern California and all John Force Racing teams carry the Auto Club logos.
“It is always an honor to represent the Automobile Club of Southern California and to represent them at the LA Auto Show was really special. We are based out of Southern California so we got to see tons of fans at the LA Auto Show. Coming on the heels of winning my first world championship and the 16th in twenty years for John Force Racing I expect all the drivers to have pretty tired hands after signing for the fans. It is totally worth it to make them happy and to spend some time with our biggest supporters,” said Hight.
“I did take some time to look at all the new cars especially the new Ford models that were on display. Ford had a great area and it was packed.”
Hight’s winning Ford Mustang has been on display in the Automobile Club of Southern California’s booth since the start of the LA Auto Show.
CARS ARE THE STARS AT JOHN FORCE HOLIDAY CAR SHOW December 2, 2009
Unwrapped Toy Provides Access to Drivers, Other Celebrity Guests
YORBA LINDA, Calif. – The cars will be the stars this week when 14-time NHRA Funny Car Champion John Force opens the gates of his Southern California racing complex for the annual John Force Racing Holiday Car Show benefitting the California Highway Patrol’s “CHiP’s for Kids” Christmas toy drive.
Hundreds of street rods, muscle cars, classics, exotics, motorcycles, trucks, boats, specialty vehicles and race cars including the Force brothers’ “Nightstalker” Funny Car will be on display from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Price of admission is a new, unwrapped $10 toy.
In addition to the “Nightstalker,” which returned to competition this year in a one-off event at Norwalk, Ohio, the vehicle lineup includes Jay Leno’s 1955 Buick Roadmaster custom, a $2 million Bugatti Veyron, a collection of “monster rods” built from Peterbilt trucks and an historic Amphicar designed for road or water.
The event also will celebrate the 50th anniversary of vehicles from the year 1959 – cars, trucks, classics and customs.
Sponsored by the Automobile Club of Southern California, Fairway Ford, System One wax products and Los Angeles television stations KCBS and KCAL, the Holiday Car Show also features vendor booths, tours of the JFR shop and museum, special pricing on items in the John Force RaceStation retail store and music by the bands “The Answer,” “M-O-S Project” and “L’il Mo and the Dynaflos.”
Celebrity guests, each committed to participation in a show-ending autograph session, include newly-crowned NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car Champion Robert “Top Gun” Hight, Ashley Force Hood, Auto Club Finals winner Mike Neff, Force, racing legend Tom “the Mongoose” McEwen, ESPN’s “Queen of Cars,” Genevieve Chappell, Cory McClenathan and, of course, Santa Claus.
JFR’s California complex is located just off the 91 Freeway. Take the Weir Canyon exit north. Turn right on Savi Ranch Road and follow the signs to 22722 Old Canal Road.
COURTNEY FORCE AWARDED FAVORITE FIESTA AGENT TITLE AT LA EVENT December 2, 2009
YORBA LINDA, CA (December 2, 2009) --- For the last six months, 100 Ford Fiesta Agents have been taking to the streets with the Fiesta Movement, promoting Ford’s soon to be unveiled 2011 Ford Fiesta. On December 1st at the world famous Palladium on Sunset Boulevard everyone who joined the movement got a sneak peak of the 2011 Ford Fiesta and one “Agent” was recognized as the Internet’s Top Agent.
That lofty honor went to Courtney Force, of Yorba Linda, Calif. Force received thousands of comments throughout the summer-long program on her MySpace site, her YouTube Channel and on her Twitter account as she drove and then talked about the Fiesta. For the 21 year-old Cal State Fullerton student who is working towards a degree in Communication with an eye on a career as a professional driver winning the award was a thrill.
“This is a great honor. There were so many awesome agents and their videos really made me try harder with every new mission. I have to thank Ford and the Fiesta marketing team for giving me this chance. As I am studying for my degree at Cal State, the Fiesta Movement gave me the chance to take things from the classroom right to the real world and see results,” said Force.
“I also want to thank the thousands of people that voted for me to be the top agent as well as all the thousands and thousands of fans that posted comments to my videos or Tweets over the summer. This is just awesome. I loved driving my Fiesta and got so many great comments from just people on the street.”
For the past two seasons Force has competed in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series behind the wheel of her Sanyo SuperCharged HD A Fuel Dragster. In July Force won her first NHRA national event in Seattle.
SPONSORS CONGRATULATE FUNNY CAR CHAMPION ROBERT HIGHT November 23, 2009
YORBA LINDA, CA (November 20, 2009) --- First time NHRA Funny Car champion Robert Hight has been receiving daily congratulatory e-mails, texts and phone calls since clinching the 16th NHRA world title for John Force Racing at the 45th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona last Saturday. In today’s edition of USA Today Hight’s sponsors join in the ongoing celebration running a full-page color ad in the Sports section. The ad represents Hight’s achievement as well as the collective achievement of his entire Auto Club Ford Mustang team.
“Winning the championship has been a roller coaster of emotions not just for me but for our sponsors as well. They always had confidence in me, Jimmy and my team. They have been congratulating me since last weekend but I was blown away when I saw the USA Today ad. I can’t thank the Automobile Club of Southern California, Ford Racing, Castrol, Mac Tools, BrandSource and Sanyo enough for giving us this kind of recognition,” said Hight before departing for the Ford 300 and Ford 400 in Homestead.
Hight will be the guest of Ford Racing at this weekend’s NASCAR event where he will serve as the Grand Marshal of Saturday’s Ford 300.
AUTO CLUB FORD MUSTANG FUNNY CAR CHAMPION HIGHT ENJOYS FIRST DAY OF NASCAR November 23, 2009
HOMESTEAD, FL (November 21, 2009) --- 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car champion Robert Hight spent his first day enjoying live NASCAR action at Homestead-Miami Speedway talking with the national media, touring the garage and visiting with fans.
Hight and 14-time Funny Car champion John Force arrived before the sun rose on south Florida after spending Friday on the West Coast with primary sponsor the Automobile Club of Southern California. After a quick nap the two Funny Car champions arrived at the media center ready to talk with the national media about Hight’s first Funny Car championship and John Force Racing’s 10th as a member of Ford Racing and 16th overall.
“It was great to talk with the NASCAR writers. They asked good questions and I was glad to be able to talk about how difficult it was to win the Full Throttle Funny Car championship and how strong our entire John Force Racing operation was this season. The most important thing I was able to do was talk about how important my sponsors were to my success. With the backing of Auto Club, Ford Racing, Castrol, Mac Tools, Sanyo and BrandSource we were able to concentrate on racing and winning,” said Hight.
After the media session that included a number of one-on-one interviews, Hight and Force walked through the NASCAR garage talking with crew members, crew chiefs, and fans. The look on fans’ faces as they recognized the legendary Funny Car driver and the newest Funny Car champion in the NASCAR garages was priceless. The two drivers stopped repeatedly to pose for photos and sign tickets, shirts and caps.
“Meeting all the fans was the highlight of walking through the garage. You would see people point at me and John then they would run over for a photo or an autograph. They knew all about our season and my championship. They were very complimentary of the whole NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series,” said Hight.
The pair also spent over 30 minutes on the Taurus stage talking about the 2009 season as well as the team’s plans for 2010. They also took questions from the crowd. At the end of the session there were of course more autographs.
“I love coming to NASCAR country. These guys are our big brothers. All the people were excited to see me and especially Robert. I can’t tell you how many people came up and congratulated him on winning the championship. You can tell he is the next generation of talent in the NHRA just by the number of people that came up to us to say good job or way to go,” said Force, the winningest Funny Car driver of all time.
As the Grand Marshal Hight had a number of official duties to execute prior to the start of the Ford 300. After giving a brief speech to the crowd Hight shook the hands of all the qualified drivers. After the introductions Hight uttered the most famous words in motor sports, “Gentlemen, start your engines,” with gusto and excitement. He then hopped into a Ford Mustang and began leading the parade lap to get the race underway.
“Most of the NASCAR guys stopped and said congratulations as they walked off the stage. That was one of the coolest parts of the day. I have watched a lot of NASCAR races on TV but my schedule never allowed me to see a race in person. Today was really special. I especially liked being here with John and the rest of the Ford Racing executives. Getting to spend time with Brian Wolfe and Ken Czubay was great, too,” added Hight.
Hight ended his day handing the winning trophy to Kyle Busch the race winner and Nationwide Series champion in the winner’s circle.
FUNNY CAR CHAMP ROBERT HIGHT HEADED TO HOMESTEAD FOR FORD NASCAR CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND FESTIVITIES November 19, 2009
YORBA LINDA, CA (November 19, 2009) --- NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car champion Robert Hight is headed to Florida this weekend. The newly crowned champion is not going to Disney World rather the Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang driver will be serving as Grand Marshal of the Ford 300 NASCAR race on Saturday. He will be joined by team owner and 14-time Funny Car champion John Force throughout the weekend but Hight will be the center of attention on Saturday afternoon when he utters the most import words in all of motorsports, Gentlemen, start your engines!
“This is going to be an amazing experience. I have never been to a NASCAR race before so this will be a really fun weekend. I can’t thank Ford enough for giving me the honor of being the Grand Marshal for the Ford 300. It will be great to represent the NHRA, Full Throttle, Auto Club of Southern California, Castrol and all our other sponsors at such an important NASCAR race. It will also be fun to experience it with John. We’ll be spending some time in the media center as well as the driver meeting so it should be really interesting,” said Hight in advance of the trip.
Hight will be arriving in Homestead after a whirlwind week of media and sponsor events. Since clinching the 2009 Full Throttle Funny Car championship late last Saturday night in Pomona, Calif., Hight has been interviewed coast to coast including a spot as the Newsmaker of the Week on award-winning journalist Michael Knight’s Race Reporters show on Wednesday night. On Friday Hight will be honored at the Automobile Club of Southern California headquarters before getting on a red-eye flight for Florida for the Ford Championship Weekend festivities and races, he and Force will attend both the Ford 300 on Saturday and the Ford 400 on Sunday.
As the Grand Marshal of the Ford 300 Hight will spend time with the national media covering the race in the media center, attend the drivers meeting, participate in the driver introductions as well as welcome the huge expected crowd to the race before watching some of the race from his Ford teammates’ pit boxes. He will also ride in the Pace Car on the parade lap before the Ford 300.
“Usually John does the talking when it comes to speeches. I was pretty nervous before my acceptance speech at the NHRA banquet but everyone said I did a good job. I am looking forward to representing Ford this weekend and talking to some of their NASCAR drivers and crew guys,” said Hight. “I am also excited to meet some of our Ford fans on the NASCAR circuit. Hopefully I can turn them into NHRA fans if they aren’t already.”
On Sunday Hight will be spending time in the Ford Display, touring the NASCAR garage, walking the grid as well as signing autographs for the fans before the start of the Ford 400.
Fans will be able to keep up with Hight and Force’s day on Saturday via Twitter by following either @FordRacing or @JFR_Racing. John Force Racing will be tagging posts with the hashtag #FORDRH.
HELP VOTE COURTNEY FORCE – TOP “FIESTA MOVEMENT” AGENT!!! November 19, 2009
Hello Race Fans,
John Force Racing Fans are the best in the world of motorsports. And Courtney Force is asking for your vote!!! She has spent the last year being an ‘AGENT’ for Ford’s ‘Fiesta Movement’ to help promote and educate people about the new Ford Fiesta car that will be introduced to America in 2010. Now the ‘Fiesta Movement’ is searching for the ‘TOP AGENT’ by a voting process. You can vote many times, but only once per day per computer log-in. We know that her fans want to see her win this competition, so we ask that you go to http://fiestamovement.com/votes and VOTE for: COURTNEY F.
ROBERT HIGHT FUNNY CAR CHAMP T-SHIRTS AVAILABLE NOW November 18, 2009
“Everyone at John Force Racing is thrilled to have the championship back at JFR. Robert will be a great champion and we know our fans will love his 2009 Funny Car championship shirt,” said Craig Hoelzel, RaceStation General Manager.
The shirt features the Auto Club of Southern California logo and Hight’s name on the front and a caricature of Hight and his Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang in full color on the back.
In addition to t-shirts the John Force RaceStation sells die-casts, jackets, decals for all forms of motorsports. The retail location is located at 22722 Old Canal Road, Yorba Linda, CA. Check www.JohnForceRaceStation.com for store hours.
NEFF DRIVES TOTAL FORD TO FIRST WIN AT AUTO CLUB FINALS - JFR TEAM REPORTS November 15, 2009
TEAM JFR RACE REPORT
6th race of Countdown to 1
24th of 24 races in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
45th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals
Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
Pomona, CA
Nov. 12-15, 2009
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NEFF DRIVES TOTAL FORD TO FIRST WIN AT AUTO CLUB FINALS
-HIGHT WINS CHAMPIONSHIP, FORCE HOOD SECOND-
POMONA, CA –- Mike Neff and his Ford Drive One Mustang team capped a massively successful weekend for John Force Racing by winning the 45th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway. It was Neff’s first career win as a driver in fifty races behind the wheel and the 191st win for John Force Racing with 185 coming in the Funny Car class. For the former crew chief turned driver the win gave him a whole new appreciation for how a driver can get a win even when their car may not be dominant.
“Things just kind of fell our way today. That is not normally how I would like to do it. I would rather go out there and dominate, be low ET every round but I’ll take it any way we can get it. It was a little hit and miss,” Neff said of his day, “mainly miss. But it just goes to show you that when it’s your day, it’s your day. We ran good when we needed to and we caught some lucky breaks. It turned out to be a pretty exciting final there with Ashley. My car went up in smoke immediately and I saw her out there and just when I thought it was over, I started reeling her back in.”
“I was beginning to wonder if we were ever going to win one. We finally did it in the last race of the year and it’s a good one to win because you get to (enjoy) it all winter. I’m from Southern California. Born and raised here (so) this is the place I wanted to get (my first).”
“It’s awesome. The fans our here at Auto Club Raceway were great. Robert winning the championship, Ashley finishing second and me now getting my first win, it was just the perfect ending.”
Neff had to out-pedal Force Hood in the final. The crowd was immediately on its feet when Neff’s Mustang lost traction only to see Force Hood sashay all over her lane in front of him. Neff was able to gather his Mustang under control and blast past her at the finish line. For Force Hood the ride was dramatic but the outcome was very pleasing.
“That was a wild ride. I didn’t see Neff for a long time. I kept trying to see if he was out there. Then I saw him go on down. Then I tagged a few things including the wall. It was exciting. The fans had a great show. I am OK and the Mustang is OK. We’ll just go back and get ready for the start if the season. We’ll be back here in a few months,” said the 13-time finalist
“I wasn’t sure I hit the wall or if it was just me hitting the roll cage padding. It wasn’t too bad. We have so much safety stuff like padding and ear protection. We also have ear plugs that record how hard we hit. I’ll take some Tylenol and I’ll be alright by tomorrow morning. You never want to hit a wall you always want to avoid that. It disqualifies you if you hit it. You also have to get your car down the track which is what I was trying to do.”
“It was great to see Neff win. I couldn’t be any happier. Robert won the championship and we were able to clinch the second spot. I am so proud of them. They did an amazing job. Getting two cars in the final is awesome. No matter what happens one of us will get the winner’s circle. To have it happen at our home track here in Pomona was cool too," said the 2007 Rookie of the Year.
“Sometimes you are just on a roll and everything goes the right way,” concluded Force Hood. “It is just like magic happening. I think you really feed off of each other. Once Robert clinched it we were so pumped and excited. We are doing well and it sort of built up from there. You see that with teams. It happens when you are that close and you see them do well and it motivates you to do well. If Courtney wins I might just faint. I can’t even believe how great this weekend was. I am just really excited.”
Neff defeated friend Jim Head in the first round, Force in the second and most importantly fellow Ford Mustang driver Tim Wilkerson in the semi-final round. The win locked up Ashley Force Hood’s position as the Full Throttle championship runner-up and the $100,000 payday for the Castrol GTX Mustang team. This was not the first pressure packed round for Neff in the Countdown. In Richmond Hight and Force Hood were eliminated early and Neff defeated Tony Pedregon minimizing any points advantage Pedregon could have picked up on his teammates.
“You want to be able to pull your weight and help your team out. You don’t want to let them down. Everybody is counting on you. It is not like you have to win every race for them but there is a certain amount of pressure in certain situations that you don’t want to let them down. Those are definitely two big wins for us. There was a lot of pressure racing Tim Wilkerson knowing that he was challenging Ashley for that number two spot. We definitely wanted to be able to pull our wait and help them out. Those are the kind of wins where you feel the pressure.”
The second round win for Neff over Force was bittersweet. By ending Force’s race day he stopped two of the most impressive streaks of the 14-time champion’s career. For the first time in 22 years Force ended a season without a win and the last time Force ended a season without a final round appearance the year was 1984.
“I did feel bad. They have been running so good this week. We just got the lucky shot and picked them off. When you are racing John Force there is really no pressure. Even if we lose he is going to win. The pressure really builds when you are racing a non team member. It is always fun racing John Force even if he is your boss. It is still John Force in the other lane so you know it will be exciting.”
The Funny Car win for Neff was personally big but is was a huge performance step forward for John Force Racing and the Ford Racing program. Neff drove a Ford BOSS 500 motor, underneath a Ford Mustang body, riding on a newly developed John Force Racing chassis. For over two year years John Medlen has been working with Ford Racing to develop a Ford power plant that could be competitive in NHRA Funny Car or Top Fuel competition. Neff had reached five finals prior to tonight’s breakthrough win. John Force has also been racing the BOSS 500 motor.
The driver that was least successful today had the biggest weekend of his career. Robert Hight won his first round match up against Jerry Toliver but dropped his second round race against Tim Wilkerson. For the former JFR crew member getting the championship was the biggest thrill of his career.
“It is unbelievable. It makes it more special when you consider how we got into the Countdown. We were 12th going into Indy. Jimmy Prock just got this thing fixed. It is all about timing. He got it all right at the right time. It could not have happened better,” said Hight. “You always believe in your team. I believed that they would turn it around. We worked hard. I tell you what you don’t dream like this. This is absolutely amazing what we have done in the last two months. It is all about believing in your team.”
Hight’s name will join a list of Funny Car champions that previously was limited to Force, Pedregon and Scelzi. Throughout the ‘90s John Force reigned supreme in the Funny Car class winning nine of ten championships in the decade. Force also picked up titles in 2000-02, 2004 and 2006. The brothers Pedregon, Cruz and Tony, won four Funny Car titles; 1992 and 2008 for Cruz and 2003 and 2007 for Tony. Three-time Top Fuel World Champion Gary Scelzi won his lone Funny Car title in 2005.
As far as the future of John Force Racing odds are it will be in good hands. Force’s two youngest daughters Brittany, 23, and Courtney, 21, both raced to the semi-finals where they met in a head-to-head race for the second time this season. In Seattle Courtney got the round win and went on to win the race. Today she also advanced to the final after she executed a spectacular reaction time of .006 (.000 is perfect) versus her sister but she hazed her Goodyear tires at about 300 feet in the final as Jim Whiteley pulled away for the win. While Brittany was disappointed to not advance to a final and have a shot at her first win she felt her 2009 season was a success.
“Getting better as a driver is all about seat time. We got a lot more this year and I think it showed in our performance. We raced a lot more and I got a lot more comfortable in my BrandSource A Fuel dragster. It is always fun to race Courtney and I really wanted shot at my first win. I know I’ll get one sooner or later. I had a great season,” said Brittany Force.
Team leader John Force summed up one of the most dominant performances by a team owner from Mike Neff’s winner’s circle.
“It was really emotional for me in the final after the wrap up for the championship with Robert and Auto Club, Castrol, Mac Tools, Ford, Sanyo, BrandSource, and everybody. Then to go out there and see Mike Neff race against my daughter. I want her to win but you know for John Medlen and everything that went on. It was almost like karma. For the memory of Eric Medlen to get that win in his car and for Mike Neff to be the driver and to have John Medlen working with the tune-up that was huge. That was an all Ford race car. It was Ford motor. It was an all John Force Racing and Ford chassis. That was big. At the end of the day it was pedal-fest. It was unbelievable. My kid, I could not be prouder of her. She had her Mustang sideways up against the wall but she was getting right back in it. Mike Neff earned it. It was well deserved he got the win.”
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Race Winners At-A-Glance:
FUNNY CAR – Mike Neff, Fishers, Ind., Ford Drive One Mustang, 5.131, 285.05 mph, def. Ashley Force Hood, Anaheim Hills, Calif., Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, 6.219, 112.78 mph.
PRO STOCK – Greg Anderson, Concord, NC, Summit Racing Equipment Pontiac, 6.564, 210.70 mph, def. Kurt Johnson, Sugar Hill, GA, AC Delco Cobalt, 6.603, 210.37 mph. (red-light DQ)
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE – Eddie Krawiec, Brownsburg, Ind., Harley-Davidson, 6.905, 194.32 mph, def. Douglas Horne, Buell, Aberdeen, MD., 6.955, 191.40 mph (red-light DQ)
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Unofficial pro points following Sunday’s 45th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals at Pomona:
FUNNY CAR – 1. Robert Hight, Auto Club Ford Mustang, 2547; 2. Ashley Force Hood, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, 2481; 3. Ron Capps, 2433; 4. Tim Wilkerson, 2430; 5. Jack Beckman, 2406; 6. Tony Pedregon, 2403; 7. Del Worsham, 2352; 8. Bob Tasca III, 2326; 9. John Force, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang, 2268; 10. Mike Neff, Ford Drive One Mustang, 2235.
PRO STOCK – 1. Mike Edwards, 2682; 2. Greg Anderson, 2572; 3. Jason Line, 2486; 4. Greg Stanfield, 2403; 5. Jeg Coughlin, 2375; 6. Ron Krisher, 2363; 7. Allen Johnson, 2334; 8. Kurt Johnson, 2307; 9. Johnny Gray, 2300; 10. Rickie Jones, 2142.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE - 1. Hector Arana, 2590; 2. Eddie Krawiec, 2588; 3. Andrew Hines, 2446; 4. Matt Smith, 2369; 5. Douglas Horne, 2362; 6. Michael Phillips, 2321; 7. Karen Stoffer, 2249; 8. Shawn Gann, 2248; 9. Craig Treble, 2202; 10. Matt Guidera, 2020.
TEAM CASTROL Details:
JOHN FORCE, 60, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang
Qualifying position: 2nd at 4.059 seconds, 309.20 mph
Bonus qualifying points: +5 (Quickest of Q2 and second quickest of Q4)
Race results: Beat Gary Densham. Lost to Mike Neff.
Quotable: ““It was really emotional for me in the final after the wrap up for the championship with Robert and Auto Club, Castrol, Mac Tools, Ford, Sanyo, BrandSource, and everybody. Then to go out there and see Mike Neff race against my daughter I want her to win but you know for John Medlen and everything that went on. It was almost like karma.” - JOHN FORCE
ASHLEY FORCE HOOD, 26, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang
Qualifying position: 1st at 4.059 seconds, 310.20 mph
Bonus qualifying points: +3 (Quickest of Q4)
Race results: Beat Bob Bode, Del Worsham, Ron Capps. Lost to Mike Neff.
Quotable: “That was a wild ride. I didn’t see Neff for a long time. I kept trying to see if he was out there. Then I saw him go on down. Then I tagged a few things including the wall. It was exciting. The fans had a great show. I am OK and the Mustang is OK. We’ll just go back and get ready for the start if the season. We’ll be back here in a few months.” – ASHLEY FORCE HOOD
ROBERT HIGHT, 40, Auto Club Ford Mustang
Qualifying position: 3rd at 4.067 seconds, 310.55 mph
Bonus qualifying points: +6 (Quickest in Q1, second quickest Q2 and third quickest of Q4)
Race results: Beat Jerry Toliver. Lost to Tim Wilkerson.
Quotable: “I can’t wait for next year. I can’t wait to work with my team all winter and get ready for next year. I think my schedule coming up will get a little busier than I am used to and I might have to cut back on working on them but that is a good problem to have,” said Hight. “If Jimmy and I stay together with this team Coil and Force might have to look out. We only have 14 more (championships) to catch them. Hopefully we can do that. I am going to enjoy this one right now.” - ROBERT HIGHT
MIKE NEFF, 42, Ford Drive One Mustang
Qualifying position: 10th at 4.137 seconds, 300.00 mph
Bonus qualifying points: 0
Race results: Beat Jim Head, John Force, Tim Wilkerson, Ashley Force Hood
Quotable: “I was beginning to wonder if we were ever going to win one. We finally did it in the last race of the year and it’s a good one to win because you get to (enjoy) it all winter. I’m from Southern California. Born and raised here (so) this is the place I wanted to get (my first).” – MIKE NEFF
BRITTANY FORCE, 23, BrandSource A Fuel Dragster
Qualifying position: 7th at 5.311 seconds, 270.75 mph
Race results: Beat Joey Severance, Johnny Ahten. Lost to Courtney Force
COURTNEY FORCE, 21, Sanyo Supercharged HD A Fuel Dragster
Qualifying position: 6th at 5.306 seconds, 263.72 mph
Race Results: Beat Brandon Johnson, Brian Smith, Brittany Force. Lost to Jim Whiteley.
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Next Events:
50th annual Kragen O’Reilly NHRA Winternationals, February 11-14, Pomona, Calif.
26th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals, February 19-21, Phoenix, Ariz.
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FOLLOW JOHN FORCE RACING at www.twitter.com/jfr_racing.com or at www.johnforceracing.com.
ASHLEY FORCE HOOD GRABS NO. 1 SPOT AT POMONA & SAT. JFR TEAM REPORTS November 14, 2009
TEAM JFR QUALIFYING REPORT
2009 NHRA Saturday Qualifying Summary
6th and final race of the NHRA Countdown to 1
Last race of the NHRA Full Throttle Series
45th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals
Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
Pomona, Calif.
Nov. 12-15, 2009
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ASHLEY FORCE HOOD GRABS NO. 1 SPOT AT POMONA
-JFR Qualifies 1-2-3, Hight Clinches Championship-
POMONA, CA –- On a night when Robert Hight won his first funny car world championship Ashley Force Hood grabbed the top spot in qualifying at the 45th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals positioning her Castrol GTX Mustang team to hold onto the No. 2 position in the Full Throttle point standings.
Force Hood was paired with Hight and she made a tremendous 4.059 second pass at 310.20 mph racing past her father for the top spot while Hight cruised to championship with a 4.067 second run also at 310.20 mph.
“I knew when we rolled up we were going to run something special. All the guys on the team were like we are going to buckle you in extra tight. They were kind of joking with me about it. They get excited when there is a good number out there. You can’t try every run because conditions are great all the time. We were in the field tonight and we were locked out of the championship so there was nothing to lose. My team loves it when there is that kind of scenario,” said the 2007 rookie of the year.
Hight made his emotional last qualifying lap with tears in his eyes. As he was waiting to run the weight of the situation finally hit the former JFR crew member.
“When people started telling me I clinched I never really got emotional. I was in the car with my helmet on and I couldn’t hold it. We still had to make a run out there. That is so tough to do. I heard Ashley leave so I must have been an hour late. It doesn’t matter in qualifying,” said the newly crowned 2009 Funny Car champion. “I don’t even know what we ran. It is so emotional and so exciting we have all worked so hard for so long for this. What is really the coolest is John Force taking the chance on this guy from northern California. Stuff like this just doesn’t happen.”
In the final pair of Funny Cars 14-time champion John Force was hoping to grab the top spot back from his daughter so he could end a frustrating streak of his own. The last time the winningest driver in NHRA history was the No. 1 qualifier was the 2006 Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Force’s Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly tuned Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang launched hard and when the scoreboard lit up it showed the same ET as Force Hood but unfortunately for Force his mile per hour was one mile per hour slower handing Force Hood the No.1 qualifier title.
“When they said over the PA that it was a tie I was like, ‘What are the chances of that?’ and then when they said it would go to mph. We usually come up a little short on those kind of things but we were really excited when they said it was us. Then we realized we got around our boss and my dad. They were so pumped yesterday. It is good to see their car running well. We are excited for tomorrow,” added Force Hood.
The Force Hood, Force, Hight finish in qualifying is the 10th time John Force Racing has finished 1-2-3 in qualifying.
All the teams knew conditions would be extraordinary and Force Hood’s crew chief tandem of Dean Antonelli and Ron Douglas had her Mustang loaded up for her final qualifying attempt. The third year driver was both excited and nervous as she was strapped into her 8,000 hp Funny Car.
“Ron and Guido they were going for it. The conditions were right and the car was there, why not do it. It is Saturday night in Pomona. It is the final race of the year. It is our home track and Robert clinched the championship. It is a great night for us and it is great to have our Mustang back where it belongs,” said Force Hood.
Mike Neff pulling driver and crew chief duties on his Ford Drive One Mustang was looking for an improved performance as the air temperature cooled. Unfortunately he is still working through some growing pains with his new chassis and clutch management system. Neff did not improve on his earlier time of 4.137 seconds and will enter race day in the No. 10 qualify position.
“These are killer conditions. We have a new clutch management system and stuff. It is like starting over. It is making it difficult. We will keep pecking away. Tomorrows conditions will be a little different. As long as it goes down the track we will have something to build off of,” said the 2008 Auto Club NHRA Finals No. 1 qualifier.
Top Alcohol Dragster ran their first round of eliminations after the final Top Fuel qualifying session and both Brittany and Courtney Force advanced to round two. Brittany dispatched Joey Severance 5.408 to 5.728 and Courtney bested Brandon Johnson 5.530 to 6.674. The Brandsource A Fuel dragster and the Sanyo Supercharged HD A Fuel dragster will both move onto the second round with a possible head to head race in the semi-finals.
JOHN FORCE, 60, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang
Final qualifying: 2nd at 4.059 seconds, 309.20 mph
Bonus qualifying points: +5 (Quickest of Q2 and second quickest of Q4)
First round opponent (W-L): Gary Densham (33-9)
Quotable: On Hight winning championship “The key thing was his personality and putting him with Jimmy Prock. Jimmy turned that car around this year and he made this thing run unbelievable. The way Jimmy and Robert teamed up gave us a championship. Robert Hight pulled off the championship for us.” – JOHN FORCE
ASHLEY FORCE HOOD, 26, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang
Final qualifying: 1st at 4.059 seconds, 310.20 mph
Bonus qualifying points: +3 (Quickest of Q4)
First round opponent (W-L): Bob Bode (2-0)
Quotable: “Ron and Guido they were going for it. The conditions were right and the car was there, why not do it. It is Saturday night in Pomona. It is the final race of the year. It is our home track and Robert clinched the championship. It is a great night for us and it is great to have our Mustang back where it belongs.” – ASHLEY FORCE HOOD
ROBERT HIGHT, 40, Auto Club Ford Mustang
Final qualifying: 3rd at 4.067 seconds, 310.55 mph
Bonus qualifying points: +6 (Quickest in Q1, second quickest Q2 and third quickest of Q4)
First round opponent (W-L): Jerry Toliver (4-0)
Quotable: On winning FC world championship “It is unbelievable. It makes it more special when you consider how we got into the Countdown. We were 12th going into Indy. Jimmy Prock just got this thing fixed. It is all about timing. He got it all right at the right time. It could not have happened better. You always believe in your team. I believed that they would turn it around. We worked hard. I tell you what you don’t dream like this. This is absolutely amazing what we have done in the last two months. It is all about believing in your team.” – ROBERT HIGHT
MIKE NEFF, 41, Ford Drive One Mustang
Final qualifying: 10th at 4.137 seconds, 300.00 mph
Bonus qualifying points: +2 (Second quickest in Q1)
First round opponent (W-L): Jim Head (3-0)
Quotable: “These are killer conditions. We have a new clutch management system and stuff. It is like starting over. It is making it difficult. We will keep pecking away. Tomorrows conditions will be a little different. As long as it goes down the track we will have something to build off of.“ – MIKE NEFF
BRITTANY FORCE, 23, Brandsource A Fuel Dragster
Final qualifying: 7th at 5.311 seconds, 270.75 mph
First round opponent: Beat Joey Severance
Second round opponent: Johnny Ahten
COURTNEY FORCE, 21, Sanyo Supercharged HD A Fuel Dragster
Final qualifying: 6th at 5.306 seconds, 263.72 mph
First round opponent: Brandon Johnson
Second round opponent: Brian Smith
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ROBERT HIGHT WINS FIRST FUNNY CAR CHAMPIONSHIP November 14, 2009
- Former JFR Crew Member Wins 16th World Title for John Force Racing-
POMONA, CA (November 14, 2009) --- Robert Hight and his Auto Club Ford Mustang team fulfilled a dream that ten years ago was beyond his comprehension when he won the 2009 Full Throttle Funny Car World Championship today at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. For the former John Force Racing crew member clinching the championship on Saturday night with a No. 3 qualifying performance was more than a huge achievement for Hight. For the 16th time in twenty years the Funny Car championship will be held by a team racing for Yorba Linda, Calif., based John Force Racing.
“It is unbelievable. It makes it more special when you consider how we got into the Countdown. We were 12th going into Indy. Jimmy Prock just got this thing fixed. It is all about timing. He got it all right at the right time. It could not have happened better,” said Hight. “You always believe in your team. I believed that they would turn it around. We worked hard. I tell you what you don’t dream like this. This is absolutely amazing what we have done in the last two months. It is all about believing in your team.”
Hight’s name will join a list of Funny Car champions that previously was limited to Force, Pedregon and Scelzi. Throughout the ‘90s John Force reigned supreme in the Funny Car class winning nine of ten championships in the decade. Force also picked up titles in 2000-02, 2004 and 2006. The brothers Pedregon, Cruz and Tony, won four Funny Car titles; 1992 and 2008 for Cruz and 2003 and 2007 for Tony. Three-time Top Fuel World Champion Gary Scelzi won his lone Funny Car title in 2005.
“I owe a lot to Roger Primm. He is the guy that got me started in drag racing. I wanted to do it so long. He finally gave me the shot. He gave me a job working on his car and that is how I got to meet the John Force Racing group. This is all I wanted to do.”
“Once I saw these cars run and watched drag racing I used to follow it on TNN when it was two weeks tape delayed. I finally got to go to a race in Sacramento when I was going to college. I saw two Funny Cars run. It was John force and Jim Dunn at a match race,” said Hight. “When I saw those cars run I knew this is what I wanted to do. I didn’t think I would ever get here. I never thought I would really get to drive. I wanted to learn about these cars. I was a mechanic. This is where I wanted to be. This is what I wanted to do. These machines are unbelievable. I still feel that way.”
As the No. 10 qualifier for the Countdown to 1 Hight dominated from the first race winning in Charlotte then grabbing the points lead for good with a win in Dallas. He grabbed two No. 1 qualifiers, never lost in the first round and picked up a critical win in Las Vegas building a 105 point lead over his sister-in-law and teammate Ashley Force Hood entering the final race of the season.
He added to that lead by picking up six additional qualifying bonus points at the 45th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals. Throughout the Countdown to 1 Hight’s Auto Club Ford was dominant in qualifying and on race day. They picked up a class leading twenty nine of the possible seventy-two qualifying bonus points and grabbed three wins heading into tomorrow’s elimination rounds.
For the 14-time tour winner, Saturday’s result ended five years of title frustration. Hight was championship runner-up in 2006 and 2007. He has never finished outside the Top Five in his five year career.
For crew chief Jimmy Prock, the championship ended a drought of even longer duration. In his rookie year as a crew chief Prock missed the 1992 Top Fuel title with driver Cory McClenathan by a mere nine points.
“It is starting to sink in now that we managed to do it. Yeah, it is starting to sink in. Probably more after this race is over. We still have a race to run tomorrow and we are going to try and win it. I have really enjoyed racing with Robert. He knows so much about the cars and we feed off of one another. We talk stuff around and we make each other think. I know that is why we have been able to be successful,” said crew chief Jimmy Prock.
“I was watching (him) go down the track and I knew it was done when we got that run in. I guess when it was finally over and he got down there safe I was happy.”
Throughout a tumultuous 2009 season Hight and Prock supported each other never losing the faith that their driving and tuning skills could get them the coveted title. As the sun set on Auto Club Raceway Hight knew that while one championship dream was coming true another was beginning.
“I can’t wait for next year. I can’t wait to work with my team all winter and get ready for next year. I think my schedule coming up will get a little busier than I am used to and I might have to cut back on working on them but that is a good problem to have,” said Hight. “If Jimmy and I stay together with this team Coil and Force might have to look out. We only have 14 more (championships) to catch them. Hopefully we can do that. I am going to enjoy this one right now.”
JOHN FORCE BLASTS TO PROVISIONAL NO. 1 AT POMONA & FRIDAY JFR TEAM REPORTS November 13, 2009
TEAM JFR QUALIFYING REPORT
2009 NHRA Friday Qualifying Summary
6th and final race of the NHRA Countdown to 1
Last race of the NHRA Full Throttle Series
45th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals
Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
Pomona, Calif.
Nov. 12-15, 2009
* * * *
JOHN FORCE BLASTS TO PROVISIONAL NO. 1 AT POMONA
POMONA, CA –- John Force claimed a little bit of Robert Hight’s magic on Friday night at the 45th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals at Auto Club Raceway. In the only qualifying session on Friday Force blasted to the top of the Funny Car pack with an outstanding 4.06 second run at nearly 308 mph. The entire John Force Racing crew chief brain trust has been working furiously to get the 14-time champion’s Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang back to its championship ways.
“The credit goes to the brain-trust Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly. John Medlen came over to work on our car. We had Dean Antonelli and Ron Douglas help Jimmy Prock and then Jimmy came over and helped us. What we created was a group that worked together. They got me out of my embarrassing situation. I’ll take it but it will be gone tomorrow without a doubt. Robert (Hight) almost got it. A low qualifier would mean a lot I used to take them for granted,” said the winningest driver in NHRA history.
If Force holds onto the No. 1 position it would be the 132nd No. 1 for Force and it has been seventy-three races since Force has gone into race day in the top spot. The last time that happened was the 2006 Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis.
While Force was pleased with his performance her was not confident it would hold up through Saturday’s two remaining qualifying sessions.
“Tomorrow is a new day. Today is great. I am always excited but there is a lot going on in our camps. I have a good race car and I’ll be in the show. I am happy to be here and make the show. Conditions will be good. They will run quicker out there. I know Jimmy Prock will. Right now there is a lot of focus just trying to get me back in the game. Castrol pays good money. This is the second worst season I have had since I started,” said Force.
While Force made the biggest jump in performance his daughter and championship contender Ashley Force Hood also stepped up today. Force Hood’s Castrol GTX Ford Mustang also reclaimed some of its mo jo racing to the provisional No. 4 spot with a solid 4.098 second run at 307.58 mph. The run was an emotional experience for the third year driver.
“That was the kind of run I am used to. It was pulling me all the way down the track. That was definitely like, my good old Mustang. I am really pumped and actually had a tear going down my face. I don’t know if it was from my allergies or just the force of the run or being happy that my car was back. I think it was a little of all three. I was actually crying on that run. It was funny that I had tears going down my face,” said Force Hood.
Points leader Robert Hight and the Auto Club Mustang added two more qualifying bonus points after making the second quickest run of the session. His team is now 110 points ahead of Force Hood and they continue to control their own destiny headed into the final day of qualifying for the 2009 Full Throttle season. Hight’s Friday lap was an impressive 4.069 seconds at a category fastest, 310.55 mph.
Mike Neff and the Ford Drive One team will head into Saturday with the 6th quickest time after two days of qualifying. His time of 4.137 seconds from Thursday will hold up after he lost power on his Friday run and slowed to a pedestrian 9.039 seconds in the last pair with Hight.
John Force Racing’s next generation of drivers Brittany and Courtney Force had two shots at the track today and they made the most of them. Courtney Force and the Sanyo Supercharged HD A Fuel Dragster will start tomorrow elimination round from the No. 6 position. Brittany will begin her day piloting the BrandSource A Fuel Dragster from the No. 7 position after the laid down passes of 5.306 and 5.311 respectively. They could potentially meet in the semi-final round.
* * * *
RACE SCHEDULE:
Saturday, Nov. 14
Pro Qualifying: 11:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
JOHN FORCE, 60, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang
Friday qualifying: 1st at 4.060 seconds, 307.72 mph
Bonus qualifying points: +3 (Quickest of Q2)
Quotable: “That is the Mustang that I used to know. Tom McKernan is out here from Auto Club. I told him I don’t know what is wrong with this thing. Everybody has worked on it. The whole brain trust has. It was good to see Ashley get her Mustang back on track. It was great to see mine back on track. It is a little late for this championship but the fans out there and Ford, Castrol, Auto Club, Mac Tools, Brandsource, Sanyo I appreciate all you guys.” – JOHN FORCE
ASHLEY FORCE HOOD, 26, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang
Friday qualifying: 4th at 4.098 seconds, 307.58 mph
Bonus qualifying points: 0
Quotable: “That was the kind of run I am used to. It was pulling me all the way down the track. That was definitely like, my good old Mustang. I am really pumped and actually had a tear going down my face.” – ASHLEY FORCE HOOD
ROBERT HIGHT, 40, Auto Club Ford Mustang
Friday Qualifying: 2nd at 4.069 seconds, 310.55 mph
Bonus qualifying points: +5 (Quickest in Q1 and second quickest Q2)
MIKE NEFF, 41, Ford Drive One Mustang
Friday qualifying: 6th at 4.137 seconds, 300.00 mph
Bonus qualifying points: +2 (Second quickest in Q1)
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HIGHT CONTINUES DOMINANT WAYS, PROV. NO. 1 AT POMONA & THURS. JFR TEAM REPORT November 12, 2009
TEAM JFR QUALIFYING REPORT
2009 NHRA Thursday Qualifying Summary
6th and final race of the NHRA Countdown to 1
Last race of the NHRA Full Throttle Series
45th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals
Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
Pomona, Calif.
Nov. 12-15, 2009
* * * *
HIGHT CONTINUES DOMINANT WAYS, PROV. NO. 1 AT POMONA
POMONA, CA –- Robert Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang picked up right where they left off after winning the 9th annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals two weeks ago. The Jimmy Prock tuned Mustang blasted to the top of the field on Thursday at the 45th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals running an impressive 4.093 seconds at over 309 mph. Hight was ready to get onto the track and start racing after having to sit out an open weekend.
“This last week and a half has gone by so slow from Vegas. We want to get out here and get going. We are focused. (Crew chief) Jimmy (Prock) and the whole team are so focused. We are not going to let our guard down and act like we have this sewn up. That is when you make mistakes and things happen. That run was huge. I am pretty sure that 4.09 we just ran will qualify. It should stay in the show,” said Hight.
“That is the first step. Now that that is done you look at the conditions tomorrow for Funny Cars because we will be last and clear at the back. It will be later and cooler. We can really try and run hard. We could run a mid to low oh and be close for a back-up on a record. That is what the others are going to need to get us for the championship. If we can get that record that is what we are shooting for.”
Hight entered the race with a 105 point lead over second place Ashley Force Hood. He added three more bonus points for his Thursday qualifying effort to move to 108 up on Force Hood. Hight and the entire John Force racing organization received a pep talk yesterday at the Yorba Linda shop. The significance of the moment was not lost on Hight and the rest of his team.
“John Force put us all together yesterday and pulled up some old videos of him winning his first championship and showed Jimmy back in 1992 when he came so close with Cory Mac in his rookie season. It didn’t happen for them (Prock and McClenathan missed the Top Fuel championship by nine points in 1992). John just wanted to show us you guys have wanted this forever and we need to stay with it. We need to stay focused. This is what we have worked for. We’ve earned it and we deserve it. It is not over yet. He wants us to get out there and work hard but have some fun. That is what we are doing now,” said the provisional number one.
Hight is in front of teammate Mike Neff on the provisional sheet and Neff is pleased with the improvement of his Ford Drive One Mustang. His team stayed after the Las Vegas event and tested. They exceeded their testing limit and will not earn points this weekend by Neff felt that information was more important that points as they figure out the new JFR chassis heading into 2010.
“The chassis has been working fine ever since started running the car. It is just the clutch and the clutch management. We tested that in Las Vegas and we got some stuff figured out. We are still kind of guessing a little since we only have one or two runs with all the stuff changed around. We took our best guess and came pretty close. We feel good and we are happy to get a solid run down the track. Now we have something to look at and build off of. We are still kind of tiptoeing our way through it at this point,” said Neff.
“Our set-up is pretty much like the other cars (Hight, Force and Force Hood) as far as the clutch management system. Every car is different all the flow system settings are different. There are some subtle differences here and there. It is not as easy as just duplicating it. We have something to look at so we are going to take it one run at a time.”
Making a strong run on Thursday gives Neff and his team a lot of confidence to attack the track over the next three sessions. They are still looking for their first win and they know that they can make strides this weekend towards that goal.
“It is very crucial to get down the track on that first run so you are on the offense from that point on. If you smoke the tires then you are on the defensive and you start out a little behind the eight ball. Guys that make it down the track with a good solid run definitely have an advantage,” said Neff.
Neff made is first qualifying run beside his boss and 14-time Funny Car champion John Force. They made one of the best side by side runs of the session with Neff’s 4.137 at 300 mph pass bettering Force’s 4.165 at 303.97. Force landed in the provisional no. 6 spot.
Finally, Ashley Force Hood made the eighth quickest pass of the day covering the 1,000 ft. track in 4.211 seconds at 290.88 mph. The 2007 rookie of the year and No. 2 Funny Car driver in points will have three more shots at improving. Her Dean Antonelli and Ron Douglas tuned Castrol GTX Mustang cannot be counted out with cooler conditions expected for tomorrows lone session.
* * * *
RACE SCHEDULE:
Friday, Nov. 13
Pro Qualifying: 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 14
Pro Qualifying: 11:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
JOHN FORCE, 60, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang
Thursday qualifying: 6th at 4.165 seconds, 303.97 mph
Bonus qualifying points: 0
ASHLEY FORCE HOOD, 26, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang
Thursday qualifying: 8th 4.211 seconds, 290.88 mph
Bonus qualifying points: 0
ROBERT HIGHT, 40, Auto Club Ford Mustang
Thursday Qualifying: 1st at 4.093 seconds, 309.34 mph
Bonus qualifying points: +3 (Quickest in Q1)
Quotable - “Jimmy Prock just knows what he is doing right now. He has a good handle on this race car. His confidence is what I am feeding off of right now. As a driver I can see it. He knows what this thing is going to run and he knows it will run well. I can go out there and do my job. It is just working out perfectly right now.” - ROBERT HIGHT
MIKE NEFF, 41, Ford Drive One Mustang
Thursday qualifying: 2nd at 4.137 seconds, 300.00 mph
Bonus qualifying points: +2 (Second quickest in Q1)
Quotable: “It is very crucial to get down the track on that first run so you are on the offense from that point on. If you smoke the tires then you are on the defensive and you start out a little behind the eight ball. Guys that make it down the track with a good solid run definitely have an advantage.” – MIKE NEFF
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FORCE HAS ONE LAST CHANCE TO EXTEND CAREER RECORDS November 12, 2009
FORCE HAS ONE LAST CHANCE
TO EXTEND CAREER RECORDS
14-Time Champion Trying to Recapture Past Form
Did You Know?
Last year, John was inducted into the Motorsports Hall
of Fame of America.
This is the furthest John ever has gone into a season
without at least reaching one final round.
John hasn't qualified No. 1 since Sept. 1, 2006. That's
a span of 72 races, the longest such streak of his pro
career. Auto Club Raceway is the only track in the Full
Throttle Series on which John has won three different
events. In addition to the Auto Club Finals and the
season-opening Winternationals, John won the special
50th Anniversary NHRA Nationals, contested one year
only, in 2001.
POMONA, Calif. Sometimes you have to take a step back in order to move
forward. That's the situation in which drag racing icon John Force finds himself this
week when he sends his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang into the season-
ending 45th annual Auto Club Finals
at Auto Club Raceway with no
chance of moving up in the Full
Throttle driver standings.
Already certain to finish
worse than he has in his last 25
years on the NHRA pro tour, Force
opted last week to begin testing for
a 2010 season in which he will
celebrate a quarter century with
Castrol as his primary sponsor.
Since the most recent test
session was his fifth of the year, exceeding the NHRA-imposed limit of four, the sport's
most high profile driver is ineligible to earn any additional points this weekend.
That means he will finish the season no better than ninth. That's his worst
showing since 1984, when he was 12th, and it's only the fourth time in 25 years that he
has finished outside the Top 5.
That said, the 126-time tour winner still hasn't given up on extending his streaks
for most consecutive seasons with a final round appearance (currently 24 and holding),
most consecutive seasons with a victory (stalled at 22) and most consecutive seasons
with a winning record (also on pause, at 24).
For the Record:
John is trying to extend to a record-setting 23 the number of
consecutive seasons in which he has won at least one NHRA
tour event and to 25 the number of successive years in which
he's appeared in a final.
John has won 12 races and an amazing 103 racing rounds
at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. In the Auto Club Finals,
he has gone to the final round 11 times with seven wins.
If he is to secure a winning record for the 25th straight
season, John must reach the final round of this week's race.
He comes in with a 22-23 record.
John is the only driver in the Funny Car Top 10 who hasn't
gone to a final round this season. He's reached the
semifinals on six separate occasions but has yet to advance.
All of John's wins in the Auto Club Finals have come in
even numbered years, the most recent in 2006, the last time
he won the championship. Of his other five wins at Pomona,
four came in odd-numbered years.
"Robert and Jimmy Prock turned things around with the Auto Club Ford and
they were struggling worse than me," Force said, referring to teammate, son-in-law,
points leader and title favorite
Robert Hight. "We're trying to
get better. We've just had some
issues."
Primary among those
issues has been the
inconsistency of a car that once
was the most dominating hybrid
in the sport.
Force hasn't started a
race from the No. 1 qualifying
position in more than three years
and hasn't been in a final since
winning at Topeka in 2008.
Nevertheless, it's been
anything but a throwaway
season for the 14-time Auto Racing All-America selection.
For one thing, he is the owner of the Fords that enter the finale 1-2 in Full
Throttle points (daughter Ashley Force Hood trails Hight by 105 points). That virtually
assures John Force Racing, Inc., an unprecedented 16th championship in 20 seasons.
For another, 2009 this has been a year of validation for the Hall of Fame driver's
safety initiatives. The challenge undertaken by the Eric Medlen Project has begun to
pay dividends in the form of a much safer race car, one from which rookie driver Daniel
Wilkerson emerged with not so much as an scratch after slamming into the guardwall
last month at Memphis, Tenn.
"Winning is still a priority, but now it goes hand-in-hand with safety," Force said.
"Vince Lombardi said winning is everything, but I don't think he ever lost a man on the
playing field (and) we owe Eric Medlen to make the sport safer for the next generation."
FORCE's Edge
Overall NHRA records (and Funny Car division records)
Most career victories (126)
Most series championships (14)
Most career final rounds (202)
Most career rounds won (1037)
Most consecutive series championships (10, 1993-2002)
Most consecutive seasons with one or more victories (22)*
Most consecutive seasons with at least one final round appearance (24)*
Most consecutive seasons with multiple tour victories (18, 1990-2007)
Most consecutive national events without a DNQ (395, 1988-2007)
Most consecutive Top 10 seasons (25)
Highest winning percentage, one season (91.5%, 65-6)
*tied with Warren Johnson, Pro Stock
Other NHRA Funny Car division records
Most final rounds, one season (16, 1996)
Most victories, one season (13, 1996)
Most rounds won, one season (65, 1996)
Most career No. 1 starts (131)
Most No. 1 starts, one season (11, 1996)
Most consecutive final round appearances, one event (nine, 1992-2000, Atlanta, Ga.)
Career starts (525)
Awards
Driver of the Year (1996)
Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2008 inductee)
AARWBA Auto Racing All-America Team (14 times, 1990, 1993-2002, 2004-2006)
Jerry Titus Memorial Award (most AARWBA votes, 4 times, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002)
AARWBA Comeback Award (2008)
Speed TV Comeback Award (2008)
SAE Motorsports Achievement Award (2008)
AutoSport Magazine's John Bolster Award for lifetime achievement (2005)
Milestones
First round win, over Tom McEwen, June 1, 1979, Cajun Nationals, Baton Rouge, La.
First No. 1 qualifier, May 25, 1986, Cajun Nationals, Baton Rouge, La.
First tour victory, June 28, 1987, Le Grandnational Molson, Montreal, Canada
First Funny Car driver to break 4.90 second barrier, July 6, 1996, Topeka, Kan.
First drag racer to win Driver of the Year award for all of American motor sports (1996)
First Funny Car driver to break 4.80 second barrier, Oct. 24, 1998, Dallas, Texas
First (and only) drag racer to win 100 events, April 14, 2002, Houston, Texas
First Funny Car driver to break 4.70 second barrier, Oct. 2, 2004, Joliet, Ill.
No. 2 (behind Don Garlits) in balloting to determine Top 50 drivers in NHRA's first 50
years (2001)
First (and only) drag racer to win 1,000 racing rounds, May 4, 2008, Madison, Ill.
* * * *
JOHN FORCE By the Numbers
3 screws securing ankle bones from compound fracture suffered in the 2007
accident.
5 seasons with 10 or more tour victories (1993-94, 1996, 1999-2000).
6 semifinal appearances this year without advancing to a single final round.
7 victories in the Auto Club Finals (1988, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006)
9 runner-up finishes before winning for the first time.
10 straight Funny Car titles (1993-2002).
14 times named to AARWBA Auto Racing All-America Team.
22 consecutive seasons with at least one NHRA tour victory.
25 consecutive Top 10 finishes.
103 rounds won at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
126 tour events won
1037 competitive rounds won.
FORCE HAS ONE LAST CHANCE TO EXTEND CAREER RECORDS November 12, 2009
FORCE HAS ONE LAST CHANCE
TO EXTEND CAREER RECORDS
14-Time Champion Trying to Recapture Past Form
Did You Know?
Last year, John was inducted into the Motorsports Hall
of Fame of America.
This is the furthest John ever has gone into a season
without at least reaching one final round.
John hasn't qualified No. 1 since Sept. 1, 2006. That's
a span of 72 races, the longest such streak of his pro
career. Auto Club Raceway is the only track in the Full
Throttle Series on which John has won three different
events. In addition to the Auto Club Finals and the
season-opening Winternationals, John won the special
50th Anniversary NHRA Nationals, contested one year
only, in 2001.
POMONA, Calif. Sometimes you have to take a step back in order to move
forward. That's the situation in which drag racing icon John Force finds himself this
week when he sends his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang into the season-
ending 45th annual Auto Club Finals
at Auto Club Raceway with no
chance of moving up in the Full
Throttle driver standings.
Already certain to finish
worse than he has in his last 25
years on the NHRA pro tour, Force
opted last week to begin testing for
a 2010 season in which he will
celebrate a quarter century with
Castrol as his primary sponsor.
Since the most recent test
session was his fifth of the year, exceeding the NHRA-imposed limit of four, the sport's
most high profile driver is ineligible to earn any additional points this weekend.
That means he will finish the season no better than ninth. That's his worst
showing since 1984, when he was 12th, and it's only the fourth time in 25 years that he
has finished outside the Top 5.
That said, the 126-time tour winner still hasn't given up on extending his streaks
for most consecutive seasons with a final round appearance (currently 24 and holding),
most consecutive seasons with a victory (stalled at 22) and most consecutive seasons
with a winning record (also on pause, at 24).
For the Record:
John is trying to extend to a record-setting 23 the number of
consecutive seasons in which he has won at least one NHRA
tour event and to 25 the number of successive years in which
he's appeared in a final.
John has won 12 races and an amazing 103 racing rounds
at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. In the Auto Club Finals,
he has gone to the final round 11 times with seven wins.
If he is to secure a winning record for the 25th straight
season, John must reach the final round of this week's race.
He comes in with a 22-23 record.
John is the only driver in the Funny Car Top 10 who hasn't
gone to a final round this season. He's reached the
semifinals on six separate occasions but has yet to advance.
All of John's wins in the Auto Club Finals have come in
even numbered years, the most recent in 2006, the last time
he won the championship. Of his other five wins at Pomona,
four came in odd-numbered years.
"Robert and Jimmy Prock turned things around with the Auto Club Ford and
they were struggling worse than me," Force said, referring to teammate, son-in-law,
points leader and title favorite
Robert Hight. "We're trying to
get better. We've just had some
issues."
Primary among those
issues has been the
inconsistency of a car that once
was the most dominating hybrid
in the sport.
Force hasn't started a
race from the No. 1 qualifying
position in more than three years
and hasn't been in a final since
winning at Topeka in 2008.
Nevertheless, it's been
anything but a throwaway
season for the 14-time Auto Racing All-America selection.
For one thing, he is the owner of the Fords that enter the finale 1-2 in Full
Throttle points (daughter Ashley Force Hood trails Hight by 105 points). That virtually
assures John Force Racing, Inc., an unprecedented 16th championship in 20 seasons.
For another, 2009 this has been a year of validation for the Hall of Fame driver's
safety initiatives. The challenge undertaken by the Eric Medlen Project has begun to
pay dividends in the form of a much safer race car, one from which rookie driver Daniel
Wilkerson emerged with not so much as an scratch after slamming into the guardwall
last month at Memphis, Tenn.
"Winning is still a priority, but now it goes hand-in-hand with safety," Force said.
"Vince Lombardi said winning is everything, but I don't think he ever lost a man on the
playing field (and) we owe Eric Medlen to make the sport safer for the next generation."
FORCE's Edge
Overall NHRA records (and Funny Car division records)
Most career victories (126)
Most series championships (14)
Most career final rounds (202)
Most career rounds won (1037)
Most consecutive series championships (10, 1993-2002)
Most consecutive seasons with one or more victories (22)*
Most consecutive seasons with at least one final round appearance (24)*
Most consecutive seasons with multiple tour victories (18, 1990-2007)
Most consecutive national events without a DNQ (395, 1988-2007)
Most consecutive Top 10 seasons (25)
Highest winning percentage, one season (91.5%, 65-6)
*tied with Warren Johnson, Pro Stock
Other NHRA Funny Car division records
Most final rounds, one season (16, 1996)
Most victories, one season (13, 1996)
Most rounds won, one season (65, 1996)
Most career No. 1 starts (131)
Most No. 1 starts, one season (11, 1996)
Most consecutive final round appearances, one event (nine, 1992-2000, Atlanta, Ga.)
Career starts (525)
Awards
Driver of the Year (1996)
Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2008 inductee)
AARWBA Auto Racing All-America Team (14 times, 1990, 1993-2002, 2004-2006)
Jerry Titus Memorial Award (most AARWBA votes, 4 times, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002)
AARWBA Comeback Award (2008)
Speed TV Comeback Award (2008)
SAE Motorsports Achievement Award (2008)
AutoSport Magazine's John Bolster Award for lifetime achievement (2005)
Milestones
First round win, over Tom McEwen, June 1, 1979, Cajun Nationals, Baton Rouge, La.
First No. 1 qualifier, May 25, 1986, Cajun Nationals, Baton Rouge, La.
First tour victory, June 28, 1987, Le Grandnational Molson, Montreal, Canada
First Funny Car driver to break 4.90 second barrier, July 6, 1996, Topeka, Kan.
First drag racer to win Driver of the Year award for all of American motor sports (1996)
First Funny Car driver to break 4.80 second barrier, Oct. 24, 1998, Dallas, Texas
First (and only) drag racer to win 100 events, April 14, 2002, Houston, Texas
First Funny Car driver to break 4.70 second barrier, Oct. 2, 2004, Joliet, Ill.
No. 2 (behind Don Garlits) in balloting to determine Top 50 drivers in NHRA's first 50
years (2001)
First (and only) drag racer to win 1,000 racing rounds, May 4, 2008, Madison, Ill.
* * * *
JOHN FORCE By the Numbers
3 screws securing ankle bones from compound fracture suffered in the 2007
accident.
5 seasons with 10 or more tour victories (1993-94, 1996, 1999-2000).
6 semifinal appearances this year without advancing to a single final round.
7 victories in the Auto Club Finals (1988, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006)
9 runner-up finishes before winning for the first time.
10 straight Funny Car titles (1993-2002).
14 times named to AARWBA Auto Racing All-America Team.
22 consecutive seasons with at least one NHRA tour victory.
25 consecutive Top 10 finishes.
103 rounds won at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
126 tour events won
1037 competitive rounds won.
FORCE HOOD HANGS TOUGH IN BID FOR FUNNY CAR TITLE November 12, 2009
Trails Teammate Entering Season-Finale at Auto Club Raceway
POMONA, Calif. – It'll be a bittersweet season finale for Ashley Force Hood who,
barring the alien abduction of points leader Robert Hight, appears destined to fall
agonizingly short in her bid to become the first woman to win an NHRA Funny Car
championship.
After a dismal performance two weeks ago at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor
Speedway, where her usually consistent Castrol GTX® Ford Mustang was victimized
by engine woes, Force Hood enters this week's 45th annual Auto Club Finals at Auto
Club Raceway trailing Hight by 105 Full Throttle points.
The irony is that without the help of Ashley's crew chiefs, Dean "Guido" Antonelli
and Ron Douglas, Hight has said many times that he would not now be in position to
deliver a 16th championship in 20 years to John Force Racing, Inc.
That her team played a role in Hight's recent success provides some small measure
consolation for Ashley who, through the first three quarters of the season, was the
team's lone championship contender.
She started from No. 1 a category-best five times, advanced into seven final rounds,
won two races including the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, the sport's most important single
event, and swapped the points lead with Ron Capps and Tony Pedregon. In the
Countdown, though, the 26-year-old has struggled, winning just six rounds in five races.
"This is one of the weirdest times of my life," Ashley said. "It is like crushingly sad
(for my team), but so exciting for Robert. I'm really proud of Robert's team. They took
a way longer journey than the rest of us to get to this spot. They went from the very
back of the pack to the front (and) that's what we're all so proud of."
Despite her disappointment, Ashley still considers this a successful season, one in
which her team established itself as one of the best in the series.
"I've got the best bunch of guys," she said. "We were in a position to win but things
don't always go like we want them to. I've said before that in addition to skill, you have
to have a little luck, too."
In Ashley's case, the luck she got down the stretch was all bad. The grooves in the
new pistons delivered to the team at Las Vegas Nationals were not within the normal
tolerences. As a result, the engine suffered significant damage on four straight runs
culminating in a No. 14 starting spot and a first round loss to Hight. That turned a 13
point deficit into 105.
Still, for the graduate of Cal State-Fullerton, a former high school cheerleader, it's
not all bad.
"Here we are in just our third year (as a team) and we're battling for the NHRA
championship," she said. "That's a pretty neat spot to be in (and) we're trying to enjoy it
and not let (everything) take away the fun of it."
Is it important for her to be the first female Funny Car champion? If not this year,
then next?
"It's not a big deal to me," she said. "I had nothing to do with being a female. I'm
just a race car driver. I have a team of men that work on my car (and) it's them and me,
together as a team, that are going for that championship.
"I've made plenty of mistakes," she said, "but it's been a big advantage that I've
had a team that has supported me. Guido' (Antonelli) and Ron and the team have
given me such a good race car, it really shortened the learning curve for me, I think."
* * * *
Off the Track:
– Ashley was among a group of drivers and NHRA sponsors who participated in the
Opening Bell ceremony at the New York Stock Exchange on June 10. She was joined
by BP/Castrol executive Marci Brand, Regional Vice-President, Automotive Americas,
among others.
– Ashley and her cat, Simba, are featured in a coffee table book devoted to celebrities
and their pets created by photographer David Woo.
Did You Know?
– Ashley is one of only two Funny Car drivers, along with brother-in-law Robert Hight, to
have led the Funny Car points each of the last two years.
– Ashley was named 2008 Female Athlete of the Year by the Los Angeles-based Jim
Murray Memorial Foundation.
– Regardless of where she ultimately finishes in the points this year, Ashley will start
the 2010 season, her dad's 25th with Castrol sponsorship, as one of the Funny Car
favorites.
FUNNY CAR DRIVER ASHLEY FORCE HOOD GUEST DJs ON KCRW November 12, 2009
YORBA LINDA, CA (November 11, 2009) --- 2007 NHRA Rookie of the Year and 2009 Funny Car championship contender Ashley Force Hood enjoys flying down the race track in her Castrol GTX Ford Mustang at NHRA national events and she loves cruising the California highways behind the wheel of her street legal Mustang. While the G-forces are the biggest difference between the two Mustangs the lack of tunes in her 8,000 hp Mustang is also something that Force Hood misses.
“It was actually harder than I originally thought to pick five songs because I love so many different kinds of music. I tried to pick a variety and songs that I didn’t just enjoy listening to, but also that had special meaning to me. It was a fun project to get to be a part of and very different from my usual race car driver duties,” said Force Hood.
Force Hood was able to give listeners a peak at the songs she enjoys when she was the guest DJ on Santa Monica-based public radio station KCRW (89.9 FM in LA and KCRW.com worldwide). As part of the weekly Guest DJ Project, she picked five songs and discussed the significance with KCRW DJ Raul Campos. This morning, a quick snippet of her guest spot was broadcast by Music Director Jason Bentley during KCRW’s signature music show Morning Becomes Eclectic.
Previous guest DJ’s have included athletes Brian Vickers, Tony Hawk, Stacey Peralta, Gabrielle Reece, Kelly Slater, actors Tim Robbins, Jorja Fox, and Scarlett Johansson as well as iconic television producer Norman Lear and comedian Bobcat Goldthwait.
About KCRW
KCRW, a community service of Santa Monica College, is Southern California's leading National Public Radio affiliate, featuring an eclectic mix of music, news, information and cultural programming. The station boasts one of the nation's largest arrays of locally- produced, nationally-distributed talk program content. KCRW.com extends the station's profile globally, with three streams featuring web-exclusive content: all music, all news and the live station simulcast, as well as an extensive list of podcasts. The non-commercial broadcast signal reaches 550,000 listeners weekly and is supported by 55,000 member/subscribers.
JFR MUSEUM AND YORBA LINDA RACE SHOP OPEN TO PUBLIC November 11, 2009
YORBA LINDA, CA (November 11, 2009) --- The home shop and museum of 14-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force will be open on Thursday (Nov. 12) and Friday (Nov. 13) from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. The John Force Racing Museum is filled with trophies, race cars, memorabilia and hundreds of photos spanning the thirty year career of John Force as well as all his drivers including points leader Robert Hight, 2008 rookie of the year Mike Neff, daughters Ashley Force Hood, Brittany Force and Courtney Force.
Fans will also be able to see the John Force Racing shop during this midday opportunity. While the teams will be busy at Auto Club Raceway qualifying for the 45th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals fans can see behind the scenes where Force’s stable of Mustangs are worked on when they travel to the West Coast.
“This is a great chance for our fans to stop by and see some of John’s great memorabilia, winning race cars including Robert Hight’s LA Dodgers Mustang from last season and unbelievable photographs. We really only open the shop and museum to the general public a couple times a year. Fans can spend a couple of hours here and then head to the racetrack and see great racing action,” said Craig Hoelzel, manager of the JFR RaceStation.
The John Force Racing shop is located at 22722 Old Canal Road, Yorba Linda, Calif., 92887, (714) 921-1651.
John Force Race Shop and Museum are approximately 20 minutes northeast of Disneyland - 20 minutes south of the NHRA Museum and 45 minutes from Los Angeles. >From the 91 Freeway in Yorba Linda – Exit Weir Canyon/Yorba Linda Blvd. (North) – Right Turn at Savi Ranch Parkway - Right Turn At Old Canal Road - Left Turn At Eastpark Drive - Left Turn Into First Driveway on Left.
John Medlen Joins Sixteen World-Renowned Motorsports Safety Experts to Provide Insight and Expertise November 9, 2009
Indianapolis Motor Speedway, International Motorsports Industry Show
Come Together for Inaugural Safety Conference December 1
John Medlen Joins Sixteen World-Renowned Motorsports Safety Experts to Provide Insight and Expertise
INDIANAPOLIS (Nov. 9, 2009) – Officials from the International Motorsports Industry Show (IMIS) announced today that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will serve as a partner in the inaugural IMIS Safety Conference Dec. 1 in the Sagamore Ballroom of the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis.
The IMIS Safety Conference presented by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will help kick off the inaugural IMIS show, set for Dec. 2-3, also at the Indiana Convention Center. The safety conference will feature a world-class panel of 17 racing safety experts presenting insight for those at the top levels of racing to the weekly, grassroots racer.
“One of the core values of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1909 has been the advancement of safety for competitors, officials and fans,” said Chris Schwartz, vice president of marketing for the Speedway. “For 100 years, the Speedway has been at the forefront of technology and safety and the IMIS safety conference is something we feel very strongly about and are proud to be a part of.”
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway had a medical center on the grounds as early as 1910 and was the first speedway to use the rear-view mirror (1911), track warning lights (1935), mandate helmets (1935), use crash data recorders on cars (1993) and install the SAFER Barrier (2002).
“The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has a long and proud history of safety innovation that is second-to-none,” said Tom Weisenbach, co-founder of IMIS and executive director of the Indiana Motorsports Association. “We’re thrilled to have them as a partner for this historic conference. Whether you race on the biggest stage or participate at your local track on Saturday night, the IMIS Safety Conference presented by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a must-attend for drivers, team members, safety equipment manufacturers and suppliers, as well as track promoters and series officials.”
Kirk Russell, former vice president of competition for Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) and a world-renowned consultant on motorsports safety, serves as the IMIS Safety Conference Coordinator and assembled the panel of experts.
The individuals that will make presentations at the IMIS Safety Conference presented by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway are:
Presenter
Title
Location
Trevor Ashline
President, Safety Solutions, Inc.
Mooresville, N.C.
Dave Brown
Track Safety Coordinator, Indy Racing League
Indianapolis
Tom Gideon
Director of Safety Initiatives, NASCAR
Daytona Beach, Fla.
Hubert Gramling
Head of Research, Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)
Paris
Robert Hubbard
Creator, HANS Device; Professor, Michigan State University
East Lansing, Mich.
Dan Jones
Fire Chief, Town of Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Arnie Kuhns
President and CEO, SFI Foundation, Inc.
Poway, Calif.
Randy LaJoie
President, The Joie of Seating
Concord, N.C.
Joe Marko
Owner, HMS Motorsport, Ltd.
Danvers, Mass.
John Medlen
Project Manager, Eric Medlen Project; Crew Chief, John Force Racing
Brownsburg, Ind.
Andrew Mellor
Head of Technical Affairs, Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)
Paris
John Melvin
Consultant and Adjunct Professor, Wayne State University
Detroit
Steve Mumma
Manager, Security Engineering, Geobrugg Security Engineering
Oregon City, Ore.
John Oates
Fire Chief, East Hartford, Conn.
East Hartford, Conn.
Dean Sicking
Developer of SAFER Barrier; Professor, University of Nebraska
Lincoln, Neb.
Dan Thomas
Vice President & Treasurer, Snell Memorial Foundation
North Highlands, Calif.
Terry R. Trammell
Partner, Orthopedics Indianapolis, Inc.
Indianapolis
“Each of the 17 experts scheduled to present at the IMIS Safety Conference have dedicated much time and effort to improving motorsports safety around the world,” Russell said. “I’ve had the opportunity to work with several of these individuals and look forward to them sharing their knowledge and expertise with those in attendance at the IMIS Safety Conference presented by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This is a must-attend conference for any person involved with racing.”
The IMIS Safety Conference presented by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway begins with welcoming remarks from Russell at 7:50 a.m. EST. From 8 a.m. to noon, the conference will focus on event and facility safety, while the 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. portion will focus on personal safety.
The two-day IMIS trade show offers individuals and companies from all facets of the racing business the chance to interact, share ideas and products, build relationships and attend seminars to improve motorsports business around the world, all while showcasing Indianapolis as the “Racing Capital of the World.”
More than 530 booths have already been booked for IMIS, but for racing companies and people interested, there is limited space still available. For details on how to be a part of the show or to register for the IMIS Safety Conference presented by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, visit www.imis-indy.com.
NEFF GRABS ANOTHER TOP TEN FINISH, LOOKING FOR TEAM SUCCESS November 9, 2009
John Force Racing
Mike Neff Pre-Race Package
Event: 45th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals
6th and final race of Countdown to 1
Season finale of the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
Site: Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Pomona, Calif.
Dates: Nov. 12-15, 2009
* * * *
NEFF GRABS ANOTHER TOP TEN FINISH, LOOKING FOR TEAM SUCCESS
“(Las Vegas) was a disappointing weekend for us. It is kind of the new car blues. The new chassis we built is great. The problem that we discovered is the parts we put on it that control all the electronics. (The new chassis) changed everything. We couldn’t get a handle on it. It kind of threw us a curve ball. We are going to fix all that and go to Pomona. We will be close and take a shot at it.”- Mike Neff
* * * *
Team info at www.johnforceracing.com
Follow John Force Racing at www.twitter.com/jfr_racing
Follow John Force RaceStation store at www.twitter.com/JFRaceStation
Follow Courtney Force at www.twitter.com/courtneyforce
****
The Driver
Mike Neff, 42, driver of the Ford Drive One Mustang, is entering the fifth race of the 2009 Countdown to 1 in the 10th spot. He clinched his Countdown to 1 spot when he qualified for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. He has reached two final rounds in 2009 (Phoenix and Reading). The 2008 winner of the Auto Club’s Road to the Future award that identifies the Rookie of the Year, he took over the driving duties for the late Eric Medlen, who succumbed to injuries sustained in a testing accident in March of 2007.
* * * *
Mike Neff By the Numbers:
2 – Number of final rounds in 2009, Phoenix and Reading
4 – Number of races Neff was the driver and crew chief this season, Phoenix, Gainesville, Richmond and Las Vegas2
3 – Number of JFR drivers who have been named Auto Club Road to the Future Award winners, most recently Mike Neff was honored as the professional rookie of the year (Robert Hight, 2005 and Ashley Force Hood, 2007)
5 – Number of finals Mike Neff has reached in his young career, most recently Reading, August 2009
10 – Neff’s position in the Full Throttle point standings
* * * *
Full Throttle Point Standings after five Countdown to 1 races and 23 NHRA events
FUNNY CAR – 1. Robert Hight, Auto Club Ford Mustang, 2485; 2. Ashley Force Hood, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, 2380; 3. Tony Pedregon, 2372; 4. Jack Beckman, 2371; 5. Ron Capps, 2358; 6. Tim Wilkerson, 2353; 7. Del Worsham, 2299; 8. Bob Tasca III, 2294; 9. John Force, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang, 2268; 10. Mike Neff, Ford Drive One Mustang,2235.
PRO STOCK – 1. Mike Edwards, 2594; 2. Greg Anderson, 2455; 3. Jason Line, 2406; 4. Greg Stanfield, 2348; 5. Jeg Coughlin, 2344; 6. Ron Krisher, 2303; 7. Allen Johnson, 2278; 8. Johnny Gray, 2267; 9. Kurt Johnson, 2215; 10. Rickie Jones, 2111.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE - 1. Hector Arana, 2525; 2. Andrew Hines, 2372; 3. Eddie Krawiec, 2471; 4. Matt Smith, 2334; 5. Michael Phillips, 2288; 6. Douglas Horne, 2262; 7. Karen Stoffer, 2213; 8. Shawn Gann, 2209; 9. Craig Treble, 2168; 10. Matt Guidera, 2020.
****
TRACK RECORDS:
Top Fuel - 3.778 seconds by Antron Brown, Feb. ’09; 317.42 mph by Tony Schumacher, Nov. ’08.
Funny Car - 4.037 seconds by Robert Hight, Feb. ’09; and 310.41 mph by Del Worsham, Feb. ’09.
Pro Stock - 6.528 seconds by Greg Anderson, Feb. ’09; and 211.63 mph by Jason Line, Feb. ’09.
Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.929 seconds by Chris Rivas, Nov. ’08; 194.66 mph by GT Tonglet, Nov. ’04.
(Top Fuel and Funny Car race distance is 1,000 feet; Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle race distance is 1,320 feet)
NATIONAL RECORDS:
Top Fuel - 3.771 sec. by Tony Schumacher, Oct. ’08, Richmond, Va.; 319.60 mph by Antron Brown, Oct. ’09, Richmond, Va.
Funny Car - 4.023 sec. by Ron Capps, Feb. ’09, Chandler, Ariz.; 312.13 mph by Ashley Force Hood, April ’09, Atlanta
Pro Stock - 6.509 sec. by Mike Edwards, Oct. ’09, Richmond, Va.; 212.36 mph by Greg Anderson, Oct. ’09, Richmond, Va.
PS Motorcycle- 6.851 sec. by Hector Arana, Sept. ’09, Memphis, Tenn.; 197.45 mph by Andrew Hines, March ’05, Gainesville, Fla.
(Top Fuel and Funny Car race distance is 1,000 feet; Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle race distance is 1,320 feet)
****
Race Schedule:
Thursday, Nov. 12
Pro Qualifying: 1:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 13
Pro Qualifying: 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 14
Pro Qualifying: 11:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 14, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 10:30 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Nov. 15, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will air NHRA Race Day, at 11 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, Nov. 15, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of final eliminations at 7 p.m. (ET).
****
MIKE NEFF
NEFF GRABS ANOTHER TOP TEN FINISH, LOOKING FOR TEAM SUCCESS
POMONA, CA (November 9, 2009) --- For second year driver Mike Neff and the Ford Drive One team 2009 has been a season of success but not the ultimate success. They have raced to finals and been number one qualifier on multiple occasions. They qualified for the Countdown to 1 for the second consecutive year but as the 2009 Full Throttle Drag Racing season comes to a close they are still looking for their first win.
To further complicate matters Neff has been thrust back into the dual role of driver and crew chief for the final races of the Countdown to 1 as original crew chief John Medlen joined John Force’s team prior to Richmond to add an extra set of veteran hands to the 14-time champion’s Ford Mustang. Making the tuning calls and driving is a responsibility that Neff relishes and he is enjoying the challenges as he heads into the final race of the season.
“It is busy. It is stressful. You start making some runs and seeing results, which helps you with the changes. You sort of feel your way though. This Mustang has been running good for a while and John Medlen had it set up so this was the easiest deal to step into. It just added more responsibility. I just think about the car all the time. When Medlen was making the tuning calls I just bopped around here with no worries until I got strapped in before the run. It just seems like the wheels are turning non-stop,” said Neff.
While Neff has been eliminated from Championship contention he knows that has played a role in contributing to the on-track success of points leader Robert Hight and second place points holder Ashley Force Hood. His biggest moment of late was the first round victory over Tony Pedregon in Richmond. Hight and Force Hood made early exits and Neff’s win stopped any momentum Pedregon could have gained.
After that win Neff knew he had helped the team’s championship hopes.
“You can really feel the pressure. We know what is at stake and that was a huge round for us to help our teammates. I got picked off by Tony in Memphis on a close race and this time we really wanted to get that win. It is really awesome for this Ford Mustang and John Force Racing to get by Tony Pedregon,” said Neff.
Neff raced to the semi-finals in Richmond that day and on Monday following that race he made the first full passes in the new John Force Racing designed chassis. He continued to run the new chassis in Las Vegas and has been working out challenges to get a jump start on 2010 for all the John Force Racing Mustangs. A first round loss in Las Vegas was partially attributed to figuring out the new chassis.
“(Las Vegas) was a disappointing weekend for us. It is kind of the new car blues. The new chassis we built is great. The problem that we discovered is the parts we put on it that control all the electronics. (The new chassis) changed everything. We couldn’t get a handle on it. It kind of threw us a curve ball. We are going to fix all that and go to Pomona. We will be close and take a shot at it,” said Neff.
“The biggest thing here for Team Force is we are thrilled to see Robert win. We want to put a nail in that coffin for the championship. That is what it is all about and that is what our goal is. That makes me feel good even after out disappointment.”
Last year at the Auto Club NHRA Finals Neff had the car to beat racing to the No. 1 qualifying position and reaching the semi-finals before a timing box malfunction ended his day versus Cruz Pedregon. It was by far his strongest performance as a driver at Auto Club Raceway and Neff is looking forward to another strong performance this weekend.
“We tested after Las Vegas and continued to work some things out on this Ford Drive One Mustang. We won’t get any points at Pomona but more important than points is getting this Mustang to the winner’s circle and finishing strong. We learned a lot and we will be a in a good position. I am excited to get back out onto the race track see what we can for our Ford Drive One Team as well as for Robert and Ashley in their race for the championship,” said Neff.
HIGHT, PROCK LOOK TO LOCK UP FIRST FUNNY CAR CHAMPIONSHIP November 9, 2009
John Force Racing
Robert Hight Pre-Race Package
Event: 45th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals
6th and final race of Countdown to 1
Season finale of the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
Site: Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Pomona, Calif.
Dates: Nov. 12-15, 2009
* * * *
HIGHT, PROCK LOOK TO LOCK UP FIRST FUNNY CAR CHAMPIONSHIP
“When you’re on a team like this, you’re expected to win, so that puts a little added pressure on you, but you also know that you have good equipment, a good car, and that makes it easier to learn. Trust me I’m still learning.”- Robert Hight
* * * *
Team info at www.johnforceracing.com
Follow John Force Racing at www.twitter.com/jfr_racing
Follow John Force RaceStation store at www.twitter.com/JFRaceStation
Follow Courtney Force at www.twitter.com/courtneyforce
****
The Driver
Robert Hight, 40, driver of the Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang, entered the 2009 Countdown to 1 in the 10th spot and has risen to 1st place with one race remaining. He has won three of the previous five Countdown events Charlotte, Dallas and Las Vegas. The 2005 winner of the Auto Club’s Road to the Future award that identifies the Rookie of the Year, he owns the two quickest 1000 foot times in Funny Car history (4.056 and 4.005 seconds) and well as the quickest quarter mile times in Funny Car history (4.646 and 4.636 seconds).
* * * *
Robert Hight By the Numbers:
1 – Hight’s position entering the Auto Club NHRA Finals
3 – Number of races Hight has won in the 2009 Countdown to 1 (Charlotte, Dallas, Las Vegas2)
4 – Hight’s finish in the 2008 Full Throttle point standings
5 – Number of points Hight edged out Cruz Pedregon for final Countdown position
7 – Number of positions Hight jumped after first Countdown to 1 race in 2009
10 – Hight’s position entering the Full Throttle Countdown to 1 point standings
105 – Number of points Hight is ahead of teammate Ashley Force Hood
150 – Maximum number of points a driver can earn in one NHRA national event
* * * *
Full Throttle Point Standings after five Countdown to 1 races and 22 NHRA events
FUNNY CAR – 1. Robert Hight, Auto Club Ford Mustang, 2485; 2. Ashley Force Hood, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, 2380; 3. Tony Pedregon, 2372; 4. Jack Beckman, 2371; 5. Ron Capps, 2358; 6. Tim Wilkerson, 2353; 7. Del Worsham, 2299; 8. Bob Tasca III, 2294; 9. John Force, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang, 2268; 10. Mike Neff, Ford Drive One Mustang,2235.
PRO STOCK – 1. Mike Edwards, 2594; 2. Greg Anderson, 2455; 3. Jason Line, 2406; 4. Greg Stanfield, 2348; 5. Jeg Coughlin, 2344; 6. Ron Krisher, 2303; 7. Allen Johnson, 2278; 8. Johnny Gray, 2267; 9. Kurt Johnson, 2215; 10. Rickie Jones, 2111.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE - 1. Hector Arana, 2525; 2. Andrew Hines, 2372; 3. Eddie Krawiec, 2471; 4. Matt Smith, 2334; 5. Michael Phillips, 2288; 6. Douglas Horne, 2262; 7. Karen Stoffer, 2213; 8. Shawn Gann, 2209; 9. Craig Treble, 2168; 10. Matt Guidera, 2020.
****
TRACK RECORDS:
Top Fuel - 3.778 seconds by Antron Brown, Feb. ’09; 317.42 mph by Tony Schumacher, Nov. ’08.
Funny Car - 4.037 seconds by Robert Hight, Feb. ’09; and 310.41 mph by Del Worsham, Feb. ’09.
Pro Stock - 6.528 seconds by Greg Anderson, Feb. ’09; and 211.63 mph by Jason Line, Feb. ’09.
Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.929 seconds by Chris Rivas, Nov. ’08; 194.66 mph by GT Tonglet, Nov. ’04.
(Top Fuel and Funny Car race distance is 1,000 feet; Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle race distance is 1,320 feet)
NATIONAL RECORDS:
Top Fuel - 3.771 sec. by Tony Schumacher, Oct. ’08, Richmond, Va.; 319.60 mph by Antron Brown, Oct. ’09, Richmond, Va.
Funny Car - 4.023 sec. by Ron Capps, Feb. ’09, Chandler, Ariz.; 312.13 mph by Ashley Force Hood, April ’09, Atlanta
Pro Stock - 6.509 sec. by Mike Edwards, Oct. ’09, Richmond, Va.; 212.36 mph by Greg Anderson, Oct. ’09, Richmond, Va.
PS Motorcycle- 6.851 sec. by Hector Arana, Sept. ’09, Memphis, Tenn.; 197.45 mph by Andrew Hines, March ’05, Gainesville, Fla.
(Top Fuel and Funny Car race distance is 1,000 feet; Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle race distance is 1,320 feet)
****
Race Schedule:
Thursday, Nov. 12
Pro Qualifying: 1:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 13
Pro Qualifying: 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 14
Pro Qualifying: 11:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 14, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying coverage at 10:30 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Nov. 15, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will air NHRA Race Day, at 11 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, Nov. 15, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of final eliminations at 7 p.m. (ET).
****
ROBERT HIGHT
HIGHT, PROCK LOOK TO LOCK UP FIRST FUNNY CAR CHAMPIONSHIP
POMONA, CA (November 9, 2009) --- Auto Club driver Robert Hight and crew chief Jimmy Prock are heading to a track that they are very familiar with but in a total new position. The tandem enters the 45th Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals as the points leader and the favorite to win their first NHRA Full Throttle championship.
For Hight a successful weekend at Auto Club Raceway would be a culmination of a dream that he thought had already come true on one level when he joined John Force Racing as a crew member.
“I never honestly dreamed that I would be at this point. I didn’t ever think that I would ever get to drive a race car. I was just content and happy driving down the road in John Force’s truck and working on his race car, and I just owe it all to him for giving me this opportunity to come out here. When you’re on a team like this, you’re expected to win, so that puts a little added pressure on you, but you also know that you have good equipment, a good car, and that makes it easier to learn. Trust me I’m still learning,” said Hight.
The perennial championship contender Hight has been in position to win the Funny Car title almost every year of his racing career. The previous two year have by far been his best opportunities but a mechanical failure at the Las Vegas race in 2007 and then tire smoke in the first round of the Auto Club NHRA Finals last season sealed championship victories for Tony Pedregon and Cruz Pedregon, respectively.
Throughout the brief Countdown to 1 history the Funny Car driver that has entered the Auto Club NHRA Finals with the points lead has gone on to win the title. Hight hopes that trend continues but he knows he still has work to do when qualifying gets underway in Pomona.
“To have a 105 point lead going into Pomona it gives you a lot of confidence. It is still not over. I think the only (teams) that really has a chance are (teammate) Ashley (Force Hood) along with Tony (Pedregon) and (Jack) Beckman,” said 14-time NHRA national event winner.
“I knew that we would figure this thing out and fix it. Jimmy Prock has just done such a great job since the Countdown started even at Indy (where Hight reached his fourth consecutive final) getting three wins in five races of the Countdown. That is stout. It has all been on performance. We have not gotten lucky. I haven’t had to pedal the race car. We have just out muscled these guys. That is what Cruz Pedregon did last year.”
For crew chief Jimmy Prock a championship season would also me a momentous occasion. Prock narrowly missed winning a Top Fuel championship in 1992 with Cory McClenathan. They came in second place nine points behind Joe Amato. The team was forced to skip the Montreal NHRA national event for economic reasons missing out on the 10 entry points. Since then Prock has been right at the cusp of championship glory with Hight. The veteran tuner knows that being close does not give him an advantage or a right to a title win.
“I don’t feel I’m owed (a championship). Nobody is owed anything in this, you have to earn it, and you need to be just fortunate. Did I ever think that maybe we would never win a championship? Maybe not, but I didn’t believe that. You just come here and give it your best shot. As long as we give it our best we have to live with those results,” said Prock.
Hight will be racing at his home track and one that he has had considerable success at over his career. A five time finalist in nine races he won the Auto Club NHRA Finals in 2007 and has two previous Winternationals victories to his credit (2006 and 2008). He has only been ousted in the first round twice at the storied facility.
With a 105 point lead going into the last race of the season Hight controls his own destiny. It is a destiny that he has been focused on all season, throughout the teams many ups and downs. The corner was turned when his teammate Ashley Force Hood’s crew chiefs Dean “Guido” Antonelli and Ron Douglas worked with Prock down the stretch of the regular season. The input to Prock and the never say die attitude of the entire Auto Club Ford Mustang team have Hight ready to join a distinguished list of recent Funny Car champions.
If he is successful he knows he will not be joining that list on just his own merits.
“Ashley’s team is one of the main reasons we are in the Countdown. They fixed us. We were just lost. It’s amazing what a win can do and get you that confidence back. You can just see Jimmy Prock, he’s not lost out there. He doesn’t go to the car 100 times to change things. He leaves the pit area with a tune-up and he might make a little change in the staging lanes and then boom, it goes.”
####
Robert Hight career points standings entering the Auto Club NHRA Finals
2005 NHRA Season entering Pomona (maximum of 138 points per national event)
1. Gary Scelzi, 1458
2. Ron Capps, 1456 (-2)
3. John Force, 1430 (-28)
4. Robert Hight, 1325 (-133)
2006 NHRA Season entering Pomona (maximum of 138 points per national event)
1. John Force, 1520
2. Ron Capps, 1449 (-71)
3. Robert Hight, 1447 (-73)
2007 NHRA Season entering Pomona (maximum of 138 points per national event)
1. Tony Pedregon, 3147
2. Gary Scelzi, 3056 (-91)
3. Robert Hight, 3048 (-99)
2008 NHRA Season entering Pomona (maximum of 118 points per national event)
1. Cruz Pedregon, 2449
2. Tim Wilkerson, 2437 (-12)
3. Robert Hight, 2410 (-39)
2009 NHRA Season entering Pomona (maximum of 150 points per national event)
1. Robert Hight, 2485
2. Ashley Force Hood, 2380 (-105)
3. Tony Pedregon, 2372 (-113)
4. Jack Beckman, 2371 (-114)
5. Ron Capps, 2358 (-127)
6. Tim Wilkerson, 2353 (-132)
NHRA OPENS FAN VOTING FOR THE FULL THROTTLE MOMENT OF THE YEAR November 3, 2009
NHRA OPENS FAN VOTING FOR THE
FULL THROTTLE MOMENT OF THE YEAR
ESPN analyst Mike Dunn has selected four finalists from each of the four pro categories and fans will be able to vote online for their favorite
GLENDORA, Calif. (Nov. 2, 2009) — No sport does a better job of treating its fans as partners than the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series so it should come as no surprise that the league is turning to its fans to determine who will win “The Quest for the Full Throttle Moment of the Year” and the combined purse of $70,000.
Beginning today, Nov. 2, 2009, fans will be asked to go to http://www.nhra.com/features/quest.aspx to vote for what they believe was the most unforgettable moment of the 2009 season in each of the four NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series pro categories – Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle.
The “Quest for the Full Throttle Moment” is an innovative bonus program developed by Full Throttle and NHRA that recognizes a single unforgettable moment from each of the pro categories at each of the 24 races (the single moments from the season-ending Auto Club NHRA Finals are not eligible for the overall award).
At the conclusion of the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, ESPN analyst Mike Dunn selected four finalists from each of the four pro categories and those finalists can be found on http://www.nhra.com/features/quest.aspx. The rest is up to the fans, to debate on the merits of Dunn’s selections, and to vote on which “Moment” they think is the most unforgettable.
The winning “Moments” will be announced at the year-end Awards Ceremony, Nov. 16, at the Hyatt Regency Century City.
The winning teams in Top Fuel and Funny Car were awarded $3,000 ($1,500 for Pro Stock, $750 for Pro Stock Motorcycle) each time they were recognized for the Full Throttle Moment at an individual race and the teams identified as having created “The Quest for the Full Throttle Moment of the Year” will be awarded $25,000 ($15,000 for PS, $5,000 for PSM).
The four finalists in each of the four categories are:
TOP FUEL
1) Atlanta – Morgan Lucas scores first career Top Fuel win
2) Chicago – Terry Haddock snaps Tony Schumacher’s 35-race first-round win streak
3) Sonoma – Antron Brown becomes the seventh Pro driver to sweep Western Swing
4) Indy – Tony Schumacher ties Don Garlits with eight career U.S. Nationals wins
FUNNY CAR
1) Gainesville – Bob Tasca III wins first career FC event from No. 1 qualifying spot
2) Brainerd – Tony Pedregon wins after losing crew chief Dickie Venables
3) Indy – Ashley Force Hood becomes first woman to win in Funny Car at U.S. Nationals
4) Memphis – Jeff Arend gets emotional first win with Kalitta Motorsports
PRO STOCK
1) Englishtown – Jeg Coughlin wins despite not having lane choice in final round
2) Norwalk – Jason Line wins sponsor’s event and moves into top 10 all-time in PS wins
3) Denver – Greg Anderson runs first 6-second Pro Stock run in Denver history (6.993)
4) Richmond – Mike Edwards sets national e.t. record in round 1 (6.509)
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE
1) Atlanta – Eddie Krawiec gets first career Po Stock Motorcycle win
2) Reading – Michael Phillips runner-up moves him into Top 10 for first time this season
3) Indy – Hector Arana scores first career U.S. Nationals win
4) Las Vegas – Arana defeats Eddie Krawiec on a holeshot in the semifinals
ABOUT NHRA
Headquartered in Glendora, Calif., NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. It presents 24 national events through its NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. The NHRA has 80,000 members and 140 member tracks. The NHRA-sanctioned sportsman and bracket racing series’ provide competition opportunities for drivers of all levels. The NHRA develops the stars of tomorrow by offering the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, NHRA Summit Racing Series, and the NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style presented by AAA. The NHRA also offers Jr. Drag Racing League for youths ages 8 to 17.
ABOUT THE COCA-COLA COMPANY
The Coca-Cola Company is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with nearly 500 sparkling and still brands. Along with Coca-Cola, recognized as the world’s most valuable brand, the Company’s portfolio includes 12 other billion-dollar brands, including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, Vitaminwater, POWERade, Minute Maid and Georgia Coffee. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, juices and juice drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy the Company’s beverages at a rate of nearly 1.6 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that protect the environment, conserve resources and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. For more information about our Company, please visit our Web site at www.thecoca-colacompany.com.
HIGHT WINS LAS VEGAS, EXTENDS POINTS LEAD & JFR TEAM REPORTS November 2, 2009
TEAM JFR RACE REPORT
5th race of Countdown to 1
23rd of 24 races in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
9th annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas, NV
Oct. 30 – Nov. 1, 2009
* * * *
HIGHT WINS LAS VEGAS, EXTENDS POINTS LEAD
LAS VEGAS, NV –- Robert Hight and his Jimmy Prock tuned Auto Club Ford Mustang dominated their competitors at the 9th annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals today in way that was reminiscent of last year’s Countdown performance by Cruz Pedregon in grabbing their third win in five races. Hight ran the quickest elapsed time of every elimination round in route to his third victory in five races.
In the first round he faced arguably the toughest car all year in the Funny Car category teammate Ashley Force Hood and her Castrol GTX Mustang. Coming into the race he had a thirteen point lead over Force Hood but in an unlikely turn of events Force Hood struggled in qualifying and was forced to race a teammate in the opening stanza. Hight knew whoever won that race would have a great shot at winning the entire event and setting themselves up for the Full Throttle Funny Car championship.
“I knew that we would figure this thing out and fix it. Jimmy Prock has just done such a great job since the Countdown started even at Indy getting three wins in the countdown in five races. That is stout. It has all been on performance. We have not gotten lucky. I haven’t had to pedal the race car. We have just out muscled these guys,” said Hight.
“That is what Cruz Pedregon did last year. To have a 105 point lead going into Pomona it gives you a lot of confidence. It is still not over. I think the only person that really has a chance is Ashley. I still believe if she would have beat me first round she would be standing here today. That is a great race car. They are the reason we are on this Countdown. They fixed us. It is amazing what a win can do and get you that confidence back. You can see it in Jimmy Prock. He is not lost out there. He doesn’t go to the car a hundred times and change things. He might make a little change here and there in the staging lanes. That was a close race in the final. It hurt itself. All the rest of the runs this weekend were on performance.”
In the past five seasons Hight has been in contention for the Funny Car championship but for the first time he will be heading into the Auto Club Finals as the points leader. The former crewman for John Force Racing is excited about the final race of the season but also wary of getting over confident. Hight’s confidence is directly attributed to the performance improvement of his Auto Club Mustang.
“My Auto Club Mustang’s performance gives you a lot of confidence. You don’t have to go out there and do dumb things trying to pull wins out. I did that earlier in the year when we were struggling. I got lucky since I never red-lit. I was trying to do too much because I knew the car needed little help. It doesn’t work that way. You have to do what you know how to do. It is all about confidence,” said Hight.
“I never thought I would get to this point. I never thought I would get to drive a race car. I was happy and content to be driving down the road in one of John Force’s trucks and working on his race car. I just owe it all to him for giving me this opportunity to come out here. When you are on a team like this you are expected to win. That put a little added pressure on you. You also know you have good equipment and a good car. That makes it easier to learn and trust me I am still learning. “
Hight defeated Force Hood in the first round then solidly outran John Force in the second round 4.125 to Force’s tire smoking 5.723 seconds. In the semis Hight made the quickest Funny Car lap of the day under the hottest conditions a blistering 4.08 at 312.57 mph to Tim Wilkerson’s 4.233 at 285.41 mph. In the final Hight outdistanced Beckman 4.125 to 4.154 in a spectacular fire spewing side by side race.
Ashley Force Hood entered the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals in second place in the point standings and she is leaving in second place. Unfortunately she knows that her championship aspirations are now a little more of a long shot. Each season she has improved in the point standings and this year she is in contention for her first title in only her third year driving a Fuel Funny Car.
“My goal going into this year was to finish fourth or better I would be pumped with that. To be fighting for first or second this year has gone better than I ever expected it to. When you are right in the middle of it you get greedy and you want everything. Really if you take a step back I never expected to be running for first. Now after this year we will be gunning for first,” said Force Hood. “That is not to take away from my team we are only three years in. It is not something I expected to happen. The sky is the limit for us next year. If we can have a team like we did this year next year sometimes luck plays a part in it. We will just do the best we can. Either way if we can be celebrating in Pomona everything that builds up the stress and the anxiety doesn’t matter. In Pomona if one of our teams is on that stage in first place that is all that matters. That is what we have been working for all season.”
After the race team leader John Force was happy for the success Hight is experiencing especially since he has seen him miss a number of championship opportunities.
“We still haven’t wrapped it up but (Robert) has a heck of a lead. Ashley still has a shot. At the end of the day for Auto Club it is great. They have been real loyal. They have stood by us. Even when we struggled they supported us. For Ford motor company in this economy it is a great time to deliver a win. This only makes sense if we can pull it off. One more race and we will know. I have two cars trying to run for the championship. We will be rooting for them and pulling hard for it,” said Force.
“If you look back a few years ago Robert should have won the year Eric (Medlen) was killed. We had to go into missing races and we didn’t make it. That hurt us. Now the new Countdown actually gave him a chance to get back in at Indy. The car has been magic ever since.”
In order to get to the second round Force had to face one of his toughest opponents Cruz Pedregon. The 14-time champion was up to the fight and grabbed the win with a tire smoking Mustang swinging 4.662 to 4.855 battle. At the top end Force was over the top as he described the ride.
“I wanted to give these fans a show so they will go buy Castrol motor oil, Ford Mustangs and Auto Club insurance. I have to tell you that race was for me. That was a great white knuckler against my buddy, Cruz Pedregon. I was sideways and I was like I am going to take the whole side of this hunk. I love this hot rod. I love my team of Austin Coil and Bernie (Fedderly).”
Mike Neff was pulling double duty (driving and tuning) with a twist as he tuned and drove his Ford Drive One Mustang that was resting on one of the new John Force Racing chassis. The switch to the new chassis gave the 2005 Funny Car champion crew chief a new set of issues to deal with. He was up to the task getting his car qualified by in the first round he did not have enough to get around jack Beckman.
“It was a disappointing weekend for us. It is kind of the new car blues. The new chassis we built is great and it will be better than what we have. The problem that we discovered is the parts we put on it that control all the electronics it changed everything. We couldn’t get a handle on it. It kind of threw us a curve ball. We are going to fix all that and go to Pomona. We will be close and take a shot at it. The biggest thing here for Team Force is we are thrilled to see Robert win. We want to put a nail in that coffin for the championship. That is what it is all about and that is what our goal is. That makes me feel good even after out disappointment. It turned out to be a good weekend,” said Neff.
In the Top Alcohol Dragster ranks Brittany and Courtney Force both advanced out of the first round today but in doing so they set up a sister versus sister second round. Courtney took the win but stumbled in the semi-finals against Brandon Johnson.
* * *
Race Winners At-A-Glance:
FUNNY CAR – Robert Hight, Yorba Linda, Calif., Auto Club Ford Mustang, 4.125, 304 mph, def. Jack Beckman, North Hills, Calif., Valvoline/MTS Dodge Charger, 4.154, 303.16 mph.
TOP FUEL – Spencer Massey, Vista, Calif., US Smokeless dragster, 3.827, 314.53 mph def. Larry Dixon, Brownsburg, Ind., Al-Anabi dragster, 5.503, 174.87 mph.
PRO STOCK – Larry Morgan, Newark, Ohio, Lucas Oil Dodge Stratus, 6.720, 205.69 mph, def. Rickie Jones, Galesburg, Ill., Elite Motorsports Dodge Stratus, 6.794, 203.16 mph.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE – Andrew Hines, Brownsburg, Ind., Harley-Davidson, 6.998, 190.70 mph, def. Hector Arana, Lucas Oil Buell, Milltown, Ind., 9.816, 86.50 mph (Red-light DQ)
* * *
Unofficial pro points following Sunday’s 9th annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:
FUNNY CAR – 1. Robert Hight, Auto Club Ford Mustang, 2485; 2. Ashley Force Hood, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, 2380; 3. Tony Pedregon, 2372; 4. Jack Beckman, 2371; 5. Ron Capps, 2358; 6. Tim Wilkerson, 2353; 7. Del Worsham, 2299; 8. Bob Tasca III, 2294; 9. John Force, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang, 2268; 10. Mike Neff, Ford Drive One Mustang,2235.
PRO STOCK – 1. Mike Edwards, 2594; 2. Greg Anderson, 2455; 3. Jason Line, 2406; 4. Greg Stanfield, 2348; 5. Jeg Coughlin, 2344; 6. Ron Krisher, 2303; 7. Allen Johnson, 2278; 8. Johnny Gray, 2267; 9. Kurt Johnson, 2215; 10. Rickie Jones, 2111.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE - 1. Hector Arana, 2525; 2. Andrew Hines, 2372; 3. Eddie Krawiec, 2471; 4. Matt Smith, 2334; 5. Michael Phillips, 2288; 6. Douglas Horne, 2262; 7. Karen Stoffer, 2213; 8. Shawn Gann, 2209; 9. Craig Treble, 2168; 10. Matt Guidera, 2020.
TEAM CASTROL Details:
JOHN FORCE, 60, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang
Qualifying position: 11th at 4.144 seconds, 293.09 mph
Bonus qualifying points: 0
Race results: Beat Cruz Pedregon. Lost to Robert Hight
Quotable: We still haven’t wrapped it up but he has a heck of a lead. Ashley still has a shot. At the end of the day for Auto Club it is great. They have been real loyal. They have stood by us. Even when we struggled they supported us. I have two cars trying to run for the championship. We will be rooting for them and pulling hard for it.”- JOHN FORCE
ASHLEY FORCE HOOD, 26, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang
Qualifying position: 14th at 4.197 seconds, 292.52 mph
Bonus qualifying points: 0
Race results: Lost to Robert Hight.
Quotable: "We will just do the best we can. Either way if we can be celebrating in Pomona everything that builds up the stress and the anxiety doesn’t matter. In Pomona if one of our teams is on that stage in first place that is all that matters. That is what we have been working for all season.” – ASHLEY FORCE HOOD
ROBERT HIGHT, 40, Auto Club Ford Mustang
Qualifying position: 3rd at 4.065 seconds, 308.71 mph
Bonus qualifying points: +7 (Quickest in Q1, third quickest in Q2 and quickest of Q4)
Race results: Beat Ashley Force Hood, John Force, Tim Wilkerson, Jack Beckman.
Quotable: “I never thought I would get to this point. I never thought I would get to drive a race car. I was happy and content to driving down the road in one of John Force’s trucks and working on his race car. I just owe it all to him for giving me this opportunity to come out here. When you are on a team like this you are expected to win. That put a little added pressure on you. You also know you have good equipment and a good car. That makes it easier to learn and trust me I am still learning“ – ROBERT HIGHT
MIKE NEFF, 42, Ford Drive One Mustang
Qualifying position: 9th at 4.128 seconds, 302.62 mph
Bonus qualifying points: 0
Race results: Lost to Jack Beckman.
Quotable: “The biggest thing here for Team Force is we are thrilled to see Robert win. We want to put a nail in that coffin for the championship. That is what it is all about and that is what our goal is. That makes me feel good even after out disappointment. It turned out to be a good weekend.– MIKE NEFF
BRITTANY FORCE, 23, BrandSource A Fuel Dragster
Qualifying position: 2nd at 5.282 seconds, 262.64 mph
Race results: Beat Dale Carlson. Lost to Courtney Force.
COURTNEY FORCE, 21, Sanyo Supercharged HD A Fuel Dragster
Qualifying position: 10th at 5.393 at 265.12 mph
Race Results: Beat Ashley Bart, Brittany Force. Lost to Brandon Johnson.
* * * *
FINAL EVENT:
COUNTDOWN TO ONE
45th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals, Nov, 12-15, Pomona, Calif.
* * * *
FOLLOW JOHN FORCE RACING at www.twitter.com/jfr_racing.com or at www.johnforceracing.com.
POINTS LEADERS SQUARE OFF IN LAS VEGAS ROUND ONE & SATURDAY JFR TEAM REPORTS November 1, 2009
TEAM JFR QUALIFYING REPORT
2009 NHRA Saturday Qualifying Summary
5th race of the NHRA Countdown to 1
23rd of 24 races in the NHRA Full Throttle Series
9th annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas, NV
Oct. 30 – Nov. 1, 2009
* * * *
POINTS LEADERS SQUARE OFF IN LAS VEGAS ROUND ONE
-Hight will face teammate Force Hood in opening round of eliminations-
LAS VEGAS –- Robert Hight and Ashley Force Hood knew they would be battling each other for the 2009 Funny Car championship. They just did not expect to be squaring off in the opening round of eliminations at the 9th annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals.
Ashley Force Hood struggled all weekend on a tricky track and made it into the field on her last qualifying attempt grabbing the No. 14 spot with a run of 4.197 seconds at 292.52 mph. In a cruel twist of fate she will face the No. 3 qualifier, funny car points leader Robert Hight, and his Auto Club Ford Mustang in the first round.
“It is kind of a bummer. We all wanted to get in here and qualify near the top with both of our teams. That is a tough first round race because besides my car Ashley has got as good a car that is out there. You know that Dean Antonelli and Ron Douglas will fix that thing. We are going to have to go out there and make a good run,” said Hight.
Force Hood’s elapsed time was equal to former JFR driver Gary Densham but the tie-breaker is faster mile per hour so because her Castrol GTX Ford Mustang covered the 1000 ft. track at 292.52 mph versus Densham’s 288.64 mph she faces Hight.
Hight’s Auto Club Ford Mustang has been a dominant competitor at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway picking up qualifying bonus points in three of the four sessions. He accumulated seven points for his qualifying effort and was able to distance himself from Force Hood by 25 points which is equal to more than a round of racing.
“We qualified well and got some points in just about every qualifying session. I think that puts us more than a round ahead of her so if we lose it is still not over. Those qualifying points that the NHRA came up with….good job. Those definitely helped us. We are just going to go out there and give the fans a good side by side show. We are going to help those guys if they need a little help tonight because without them we would not be in this Countdown. They really helped us. That is the way we work at John Force Racing,” said Hight.
Both drivers addressed the Las Vegas media and they were joined by Hight’s daughter Autumn. When asked who she would be rooting for Autumn calmly proclaimed she would be pulling for her daddy. Aunt Ashley also touched on her five year old niece’s rooting attitude.
“If Robert wins then I want him to win the race. We want one of us to win this championship. It has come to the end and there are only a handful of rounds left. If it is not going to be our team winning it then I want this Auto Club team to get it. Autumn just wants to celebrate in the winner’s circle tomorrow night,” said Force Hood.
Hight was disappointed that his Auto Club Ford Mustang did not perform better on Saturday.
“We thought we could run better. We were shooting for a lot better than what everybody ran this morning. We have to calm it down a little bit. It is greasy out there. NHRA will fix that thing. We are liable to have a different race track tomorrow, one that is better so I am not worried about my car. It will run. It has run good and three of the four runs it ran ohs and nobody else did that. Tomorrow it will basically be noon with the time change you are still going to have track temperatures in the low 90s. You ought to be able to run 4.09 or 4.10 in the morning,” said Hight.
Team leader John Force also struggled to get down the track and his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang qualified No. 11. He will face off against nemesis Cruz Pedregon in the first round. The winner of that round will face the Hight versus Force Hood winner.
Mike Neff is alone in the top half of the ladder as the No. 9 qualifier racing No. 8 qualifier and Countdown contender Jack Beckman. Neff is 2-2 versus Beckman with a win in the first round at the Mac Tools US Nationals in their most recent meeting.
In the Top Alcohol Dragster ranks Brittany Force qualified No. 2 in her Brandsource A Fuel Dragster with a solid 5.282 second pass at 26264 mph. and Courtney Force and her Sanyo Supercharged HD A Fuel Dragster landed in the No. 10 spot after running 5.393 seconds at 265.12 mph.
JOHN FORCE, 60, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang
Final qualifying: 11th at 4.144 seconds, 293.09 mph
Bonus qualifying points: 0
First Round Opponent: Cruz Pedregon
ASHLEY FORCE HOOD, 26, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang
Final qualifying: 14th at 4.197 seconds, 292.52 mph
Bonus qualifying points: 0
First Round Opponent: Robert Hight
Quotable: “If Robert wins then I want him to win the race. We want one of us to win this championship. It has come to the end and there are only a handful of rounds left. If it is not going to be our team winning it then I want this Auto Club team to get it.” – ASHLEY FORCE HOOD
ROBERT HIGHT, 40, Auto Club Ford Mustang
Final Qualifying: 3rd at 4.065 seconds, 308.71 mph
Bonus qualifying points: +7 (Quickest in Q1, third quickest in Q2 and quickest in Q4)
First Round opponent: Ashley Force Hood
Quotable - “(Racing Ashley in the first round) is definitely a shock. It is not what you would expect. You expect them to qualify well just like our car. You want to meet up in the semis or later. That is what we have been doing. We have raced twice already in the Countdown in the semi-finals. It has not sunk in yet. It is going to be exciting I know that.” - ROBERT HIGHT
MIKE NEFF, 41, Ford Drive One Mustang
Friday qualifying: 9th at 4.128 seconds, 299.66 mph
Bonus qualifying points: 0
First Round Opponent: Jack Beckman
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AUTO CLUB’S ROBERT HIGHT LEADS JFR FRIDAY AT LAS VEGAS & JFR TEAM FRIDAY REPORTS October 30, 2009
TEAM JFR QUALIFYING REPORT
2009 NHRA Friday Qualifying Summary
5th race of the NHRA Countdown to 1
23rd of 24 races in the NHRA Full Throttle Series
9th annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas, NV
Oct. 30 – Nov. 1, 2009
* * * *
AUTO CLUB’S ROBERT HIGHT LEADS JFR FRIDAY AT LAS VEGAS
LAS VEGAS –- Robert Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang grabbed four valuable qualifying bonus points as they raced to the provisional No. 3 qualifying position at the 9th annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals today.
Hight made the quickest run of the first session right out of the trailer and then followed that run up with the third quickest run of the second session a solid 4.06 second pass. He is right behind the pair of Don Schumacher owned Funny Cars, rookie Matt Hagan (4.030) and veteran Ron Capps (4.041). Those two runs surprised Hight but he was looked at the big picture at the end of the day.
“Honestly I didn’t think anyone would run that quick. I thought you would have to run 4.05 to be low qualifier. Wrong. Whatever those guys are doing they have it figured out. They are swinging for the fences and we are inching up on it. It is not like we are going out there smoking the tires. We are going down the track. We can tune from what we are doing. I would like to have one more shot at it tomorrow night. With 27 dragsters and over 20 funny cars we will be at the end of the pack. We should have a good shot at another night session like this. We are going to make the best of it,” said Hight.
The additional four points were four more than second place Ashley Force Hood earned, three more than third place Tony Pedregon earned and two more than fourth place Ron Capps earned.
“We earned four points today and there is nothing wrong with that. My guys have all done a great job. We are going to tune from this. What I am really looking forward to is we are going to race on a track that is 105 degrees on Sunday it looks like from the forecast. That changes things. I think my Auto Club Ford Mustang has a little bit of an edge in those conditions,” added Hight.
Hight’s closest competitor for the championship, teammate Ashley Force Hood, missed the mark in the second session when her Castrol GTX Mustang did not improve on her first session’s 4.16 second run.
“In the first round it ran pretty well but on the second run (my Mustang) dropped a cylinder at the hit so that whole run was off. The good thing is here in Las Vegas the conditions tomorrow should be good and we ran a 4.16 in the first session today,” said Force Hood. “Tomorrow we should have a chance to duplicate that and get right back in the show. We know how the conditions will be and we can still get some points as long as we are one of the quickest cars of each session. We will just see what we can do.”
2008 Rookie of the Year Mike Neff is driving and tuning the Ford Drive One Mustang for the final three races of the season. The double duty has the second year driver burying his head in the computer monitor when he is not spending time with the fans. To add another challenge to the equation Neff is also running one of the first John Force Racing built chassis.
“This track is in real good shape and we expect to have good conditions tomorrow. We get two more shots and we’ll try and pick it up a little bit. It is not running as quick as we are trying to run. We are still trying to work out a couple of bugs with this new chassis,” said the 2005 Funny Car champion crew chief.
“Tomorrow we should be able to make some progress. The chassis has been great it is just all the different components that are in there. We are still trying to get some of the timing things right. The numbers are a little different. We are making some adjustments. To go down the track twice is really good because we can look at everything. We need to keep it going down the track so we can keep trying to improve.”
Team leader John Force made two passes down The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway but the times were not up to his championship standards. For a driver who is used to being at the top of the standings his recent swoon has him looking for answers. The good news is Force’s team is still setting the pace for the class.
“I am going down the race track but I am not competitive. It is not where it needs to be. I am in the top twelve. I would feel better if Ashley was ahead of me. She will be tomorrow. We are doing the best we can,” said the winningest driver in NHRA history. “(Crew chiefs) Austin Coil, Bernie (Fedderly) and John Medlen are working hard and we’ll see improvement. Robert and the Auto Club Mustang came out swinging. We have three of our Mustangs in the top twelve.”
The second session of Top Alcohol Dragster was postponed until tomorrow after Top Alcohol Funny Car driver Jay Payne crashed and an extensive clean-up took place. In the first session Brittany Force powered her BrandSource A Fuel Dragster to the No. 2 qualifying position with a 5.282 second, 262.64 mph run. Courtney Force smoked the tires in her Sanyo Supercharged HD A Fuel Dragster and will be vying to make the top sixteen tomorrow starting at 1:30 p.m.
* * * *
RACE SCHEDULE:
Saturday-
Nitro Qualifying 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
TAD Qualifying 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
JOHN FORCE, 60, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang
Friday qualifying: 11th at 4.144 seconds, 293.09 mph
Bonus qualifying points: 0
Quotable: “We are doing the best we can. Coil, Bernie and John Medlen are working hard and we’ll see improvement. Robert and the Auto Club Mustang came out swinging.” – JOHN FORCE
ASHLEY FORCE HOOD, 26, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang
Friday qualifying: 13th quickest at 4.163 seconds, 303.23 mph
Bonus qualifying points: 0
Quotable: “The good thing is here in Las Vegas the conditions tomorrow should be good and we ran a 4.16 in the first session today. Tomorrow we should have a chance to duplicate that and get right back in the show.” – ASHLEY FORCE HOOD
ROBERT HIGHT, 40, Auto Club Ford Mustang
Friday Qualifying: 3rd at 4.065 seconds, 308.71 mph
Bonus qualifying points: +4 (Quickest in Q1 and third quickest in Q2)
Quotable - “We earned four points today and there is nothing wrong with that. My guys have all done a great job. We are going to tune from this.” - ROBERT HIGHT
MIKE NEFF, 41, Ford Drive One Mustang
Friday qualifying: 9th at 4.128 seconds, 299.66 mph
Bonus qualifying points: 0
Quotable: “This track is in real good shape and we expect to have good conditions tomorrow. We get two more shots and we’ll try and pick it up a little bit.” – MIKE NEFF
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FORCE HOOD HANGS TOUGH IN BID FOR FUNNY CAR TITLE October 30, 2009
Vying for Championship with Hight, Pedregon, Others
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – It is impossible to succeed in this town without a little bit of luck.
Whether you're into high stakes poker at The Palms, playing the slots at the Monte
Carlo or driving an 8,000 horsepower race car at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor
Speedway, site of this week's ninth annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, you need
something more than mere skill to attain your goals.
Ashley Force Hood understands that and accepts it. Two years removed from her
Rookie-of-the-Year season, she just considers herself lucky to be one of those in
contention for the NHRA's $500,000 Full Throttle Funny Car Championship.
"We're really pumped," said the 26-year-old daughter of drag racing icon John
Force. "We've had a really great season and we're right where we want to be (in
second place, one round behind teammate Robert Hight).
"It's easy to get caught up in the stress of it all," acknowledged the driver of the
national record-holding, 312.13 mile-per-hour Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, "but we're
trying to look at it from another point of view.
"Here we are in just our third year (as a team) and we're battling for the NHRA
championship," she said. "That's a pretty neat spot to be in (and) we're trying to enjoy it
and not let the (pressure) take away the fun of it."
It's being an integral part of a high-functioning, top-of-the-line racing team that most
appeals to the graduate of Cal State-Fullerton, who is poised to become the first
woman in the 40-year history of the NHRA Funny Car class to win the championship.
It's an accomplishment she tries to downplay, with very little success.
"It's not a big deal to me," she said, "and I think the reason is because I had nothing
to do with being a female. I'm just a race car driver. I have a team of men that work on
my car (and) if you've ever seen me work on an automobile, you know I wouldn't be
second in points if I was on the crew. It's them and me, together as a team. We are
the ones going for that championship, not just me as an individual.
"Now, some day, if we could get an all-female team, the mechanics, tuners and
driver, that would be pretty amazing," she continued. "I think that will happen in my
lifetime because there are more and more women moving up in the ranks and there are
so many girls in junior drag racing and sportsman categories."
Right now, though, the former high school cheerleader considers herself very lucky
to be the woman in the driver's seat.
"I've made plenty of mistakes, but it's been a big advantage that I've had a team that
has supported me and I've had the (resources that kept me from) having to learn to
drive a car while it's having motor problems and parts failures," she said. " Guido' (crew
chief Dean Antonelli) and Ron (Douglas) and the team have given me such a good race
car, it really shortened the learning curve for me, I think."
The reigning Mac Tools U.S. Nationals champion and the No. 1 qualifier a class best
five times this season, Ashley will start this week's competition 13 points behind Hight
and 35 ahead of third place Tony Pedregon.
"If we can just keep doing what we've been doing and have nothing go wrong no
mistakes, no mess-ups, no bad luck, we have a really great chance," she said.
* * * *
Off the Track:
– Ashley was among a group of drivers and NHRA sponsors who participated in the
Opening Bell ceremony at the New York Stock Exchange on June 10. She was joined
by BP/Castrol executive Marci Brand, Regional Vice-President, Automotive Americas,
among others.
– Ashley and her cat, Simba, are featured in a coffee table book devoted to celebrities
and their pets created by photographer David Woo.
– Ashley will be signing autographs at Team Ford, 5445 Drexel Road, Las Vegas, from
5:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29.
Did You Know?
– Ashley is one of only two Funny Car drivers, along with brother-in-law Robert Hight, to
have led the Funny Car points each of the last two years.
– Ashley was named 2008 Female Athlete of the Year by the Los Angeles-based Jim
Murray Memorial Foundation.
– Ashley's Castrol GTX Mustang was the fastest Funny Car at the 1,000 foot distance
in 2008 (310.05 mph) and is the fastest again this year at 312.13 mph, a speed NHRA
now recognizes as the official national record at 1,000 feet.
FORCE REMAINS A FACTOR AS TOUR MOVES TO LVMS October 30, 2009
14-Time Champion Trying to Extend Two Streaks
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Entering this week's ninth annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals
at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, John Force hasn't given up on himself, his
team or his Castrol GTX® High Mileage™ Ford Mustang as they race to extend two of
the most remarkable streaks in professional drag racing history.
With just two races remaining in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Series, Force is
winless for the first time in 23 years. Not only that, he is final-less for the first time since
1984. If you do the math, that's a quarter century.
Six trips to the semifinals this year in his 8,000 horsepower hybrid Mustang have
yielded no final round appearances for the 60-year old drag racing icon.
A 126-time tour winner, Force already has raced himself out of contention for a 15th
career title. He presently is ninth in points and, barring a miracle, is on the way to his
worst finish since the aforementioned 1984.
Nevertheless, it's been anything but a throwaway season for the 14-time Auto
Racing All-America selection.
For one thing, he owns the cars that are 1-2 in Full Throttle points (those driven by
Robert Hight and Ashley Force Hood) and that has placed his team, John Force
Racing, Inc., in position to win the NHRA Funny Car championship for the 16th time in
the last 20 seasons.
For another, despite his struggles, Force already has assured himself of another
Top 10 finish, his 25th in succession, and he is on pace to again post a winning record
although he presently is one down in the win column (21-22). The last time the 1996
Driver of the Year didn't have a winning record was, you guessed it, 1984, one year
before he hired Austin Coil as crew chief.
But, most of all, this has been a year of validation for the Hall of Fame driver's safety
initiatives as manifiested in The Eric Medlen Project.
Especially gratifying was rookie Daniel Wilkerson's emergence from a frightening
accident at Memphis, Tenn., without so much as a bruise.
"Winning is priority," Force said, "but now it goes hand-in-hand with safety. Vince
Lombardi said winning is everything, but I don't think he ever lost a man on the playing
field (and) we owe Eric Medlen to make the sport safer for the next generation."
As for his performance struggles this year, Force is a little confused.
"A lot of people are saying, you want Robert to win or you want Ashley to win,'" he
said, "well, what about me? I'm still trying to keep my winning streaks alive. I'd like to
do that. We've struggled so bad over here, Austin, Bernie (Fedderly) and myself (that)
we brought John Medlen over to see if we could shake things up. I've still got faith that
we can turn it around. It's all about destiny."
* * * *
Did You Know?
– Last year, John was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.
– This is the furthest John ever has gone into a season without at least reaching one
final round.
– John hasn't qualified No. 1 since Sept. 1, 2006. That's a span of 72 races, the longest
such streak of his pro career.
– John's appearance in the inaugural NHRA Las Vegas Nationals in 2001 produced
one of the most bizarre incidents in history. John's first round opponent, Bob Bode, left
the starting line before the electronic timing system was armed. Reacting to the
situation, Force then accelerated away from the line. Unfortunately, by rule, both were
disqualified for leaving the starting line before the electronic system was activated even
though it was clear that Bode had done so first. NHRA subsequently amended the rule
to penalize ONLY the driver guilty of the initial violation.
For the Record:
– John is trying to extend to a record-setting 23 the number of consecutive seasons in
which he has won at least one NHRA tour event and to 25 the number of successive
years in which he's appeared in a final.
– John has won just one time at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. His 2002 win
in the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals provided the momentum that propelled him to a
10th consecutive NHRA Funny Car championship.
– In 25 seasons together, John and crew chief Austin Coil have contested 494 NHRA
tour events, DNQed at only seven and compiled a record of 1001-361 en route to a
record 126 victories.
– The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is the only track in the Full Throttle Series on
which John has qualified No. 1 less often than he has DNQed. In 17 appearances, his
only No. 1 start came at the spring race 2002, the same race for which he DNQed in
2007 (ending a record streak of 395 consecutive starts) and again in 2008.
FORCE's Edge
Overall NHRA records (and Funny Car division records)
Most career victories (126)
Most series championships (14)
Most career final rounds (202)
Most career rounds won (1036)
Most consecutive series championships (10, 1993-2002)
Most consecutive seasons with one or more victories (22)*
Most consecutive seasons with at least one final round appearance (24)*
Most consecutive seasons with multiple tour victories (18, 1990-2007)
Most consecutive national events without a DNQ (395, 1988-2007)
Most consecutive Top 10 seasons (25)
Highest winning percentage, one season (91.5%, 65-6)
*tied with Warren Johnson, Pro Stock
Other NHRA Funny Car division records
Most final rounds, one season (16, 1996)
Most victories, one season (13, 1996)
Most rounds won, one season (65, 1996)
Most career No. 1 starts (131)
Most No. 1 starts, one season (11, 1996)
Most consecutive final round appearances, one event (nine, 1992-2000, Atlanta, Ga.)
Career starts (524)
Awards
Driver of the Year (1996)
Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2008 inductee)
AARWBA Auto Racing All-America Team (14 times, 1990, 1993-2002, 2004-2006)
Jerry Titus Memorial Award (most AARWBA votes, 4 times, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002)
AARWBA Comeback Award (2008)
Speed TV Comeback Award (2008)
SAE Motorsports Achievement Award (2008)
AutoSport Magazine's John Bolster Award for lifetime achievement (2005)
Milestones
First round win, over Tom McEwen, June 1, 1979, Cajun Nationals, Baton Rouge, La.
First No. 1 qualifier, May 25, 1986, Cajun Nationals, Baton Rouge, La.
First tour victory, June 28, 1987, Le Grandnational Molson, Montreal, Canada
First Funny Car driver to break 4.90 second barrier, July 6, 1996, Topeka, Kan.
First drag racer to win Driver of the Year award for all of American motor sports (1996)
First Funny Car driver to break 4.80 second barrier, Oct. 24, 1998, Dallas, Texas
First (and only) drag racer to win 100 events, April 14, 2002, Houston, Texas
First Funny Car driver to break 4.70 second barrier, Oct. 2, 2004, Joliet, Ill.
No. 2 (behind Don Garlits) in balloting to determine Top 50 drivers in NHRA's first 50
years (2001)
First (and only) drag racer to win 1,000 racing rounds, May 4, 2008, Madison, Ill.
* * * *
JOHN FORCE By the Numbers
1 No. 1 start in 17 appearances at the The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
(fall, 2002)
2 final round appearances in the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals(2002 and 2004)
3 screws securing ankle bones from compound fracture suffered in the 2007
accident.
4 qualifying position from which he won his only race at LVMS (2002)
5 seasons with 10 or more tour victories (1993-94, 1996, 1999-2000).
6 semifinal appearances this year without advancing to a single final round.
7 position occupied in Funny Car points the last two years
8 LVMS appearances since last reaching the final round
9 runner-up finishes before winning for the first time.
10 straight Funny Car titles (1993-2002).
14 times named to AARWBA Auto Racing All-America Team.
22 consecutive seasons with at least one NHRA tour victory.
25 consecutive Top 10 finishes.
126 tour events won
1036 competitive rounds won.
HIGHT’S CHAMPIONSHIP ASPIRATIONS HANG IN BALANCE IN LAS VEGAS, AGAIN October 29, 2009
John Force Racing
Robert Hight Pre-Race Package
Event: 9th annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals
5th race of Countdown to 1
23nd of 24 events in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
Site: The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas
Dates: Oct. 30 – Nov. 1, 2009
* * * *
HIGHT’S CHAMPIONSHIP ASPIRATIONS HANG IN BALANCE IN LAS VEGAS, AGAIN
“We have had good success in Las Vegas and Pomona. The next two weeks will be very important for us to get everything prepared and do our jobs right so we give ourselves the best opportunity to win.” - said Robert Hight
* * * *
Team info at www.johnforceracing.com
Follow John Force Racing at www.twitter.com/jfr_racing
Follow John Force RaceStation store at www.twitter.com/JFRaceStation
Follow Courtney Force at www.twitter.com/courtneyforce
****
The Driver
Robert Hight, 40, driver of the Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang, entered the 2009 Countdown to 1 in the 10th spot and rose to 1st place. He clinched his Countdown to 1 spot by reaching the finals at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, a feat he accomplished for the fourth year in a row (two wins 2006 and 2008). He is the only Funny Car driver to have led the points each of the last five seasons. He has won two Countdown races (Charlotte and Dallas). The 2005 winner of the Auto Club’s Road to the Future award that identifies the Rookie of the Year, he owns the two quickest 1000 foot times in Funny Car history (4.056 and 4.005 seconds) and well as the quickest quarter mile times in Funny Car history (4.646 and 4.636 seconds).
* * * *
Robert Hight By the Numbers:
1 – Hight’s position entering the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals
2 – Hight’s position entering the previous event, the NHRA Virginia Nationals in Richmond
2 – Number of races Hight has won in the 2009 Countdown to 1 (Charlotte and Dallas)
4 – Hight’s finish in the 2008 Full Throttle point standings
5 – Number of points Hight edged out Cruz Pedregon for final Countdown position
7 – Number of positions Hight jumped after first Countdown to 1 race in 2009
10 – Hight’s position entering the Full Throttle Countdown to 1 point standings
13 – Number of points Hight is ahead of teammate Ashley Force Hood
* * * *
Full Throttle Point Standings after four Countdown to 1 races and 22 NHRA events
FUNNY CAR – 1. Robert Hight, Auto Club Ford Mustang, 2362; 2. Ashley Force Hood, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, 2349; 3. Tony Pedregon, 2314; 4. Ron Capps, 2299; 5. Tim Wilkerson, 2280; 6. Jack Beckman, 2276; 7. Bob Tasca III, 2259; 8. Del Worsham, 2227; 9. John Force, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang, 2216; 10. Mike Neff, Ford Drive One Mustang, 2203.
PRO STOCK – 1. Mike Edwards, 2524; 2. Greg Anderson, 2396; 3. Jason Line, 2373; 4. Jeg Coughlin, 2292; 5. Greg Stanfield, 2276; 6. Allen Johnson, 2244; 7. Johnny Gray, 2233; 8. Ron Krisher, 2222; 9. Kurt Johnson, 2184; 10. Rickie Jones, 2020.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE – 1. Hector Arana, 2420; 2. Eddie Krawiec, 2392; 3. Michael Phillips, 2255; 4. Matt Smith, 2253; 5. Andrew Hines, 2249; 6. Douglas Horne, 2210; 7. Karen Stoffer, 2159; 8. Shawn Gann, 2157; 9. Craig Treble, 2136; 10. Matt Guidera, 2020.
****
TRACK RECORDS:
Top Fuel - 3.781 seconds by Tony Schumacher, Oct. ’08; 318.92 mph by Schumacher, Oct. ’08
Funny Car - 4.043 seconds by Robert Hight, Oct. ’08; 310.05 mph by Ashley Force Hood, Oct. ’08
Pro Stock - 6.656 seconds by Mike Edwards, April ’09; 206.70 mph by Greg Anderson, April ’09
Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.979 seconds by Matt Smith, Oct. ’08; 191.08 mph by Matt Hines, Oct. ’02
(Top Fuel and Funny Car race distance is 1,000 feet; Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle race distance is 1,320 feet)
NATIONAL RECORDS:
Top Fuel - 3.771 sec. by Tony Schumacher, Oct. ’08, Richmond, Va.; 319.60 mph by Antron Brown, Oct. ’09, Richmond, Va.
Funny Car - 4.023 sec. by Ron Capps, Feb. ’09, Chandler, Ariz.; 312.13 mph by Ashley Force Hood, April ’09, Atlanta
Pro Stock – 6.509 sec. by Mike Edwards, Oct. ’09, Richmond, Va.; 212.36 mph by Greg Anderson, Oct. ’09, Richmond, Va.
PS Motorcycle- 6.851 sec. by Hector Arana, Sept. ’09, Memphis, Tenn.; 197.45 mph by Andrew Hines, March ’05, Gainesville, Fla.
(Top Fuel and Funny Car race distance is 1,000 feet; Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle race distance is 1,320 feet)
****
Race Schedule:
Friday, Oct. 30
Pro Qualifying: 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 31
Pro Qualifying: 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 31, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 11 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Nov 1, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will air NHRA Race Day, at 2:30 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Nov. 1, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of final eliminations at 7:30 p.m. (ET).
****
ROBERT HIGHT
HIGHT’S CHAMPIONSHIP ASPIRATIONS HANG IN BALANCE IN VEGAS, AGAIN
LAS VEGAS, NV (October 27, 2009) --- The second Las Vegas stop on the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series has been a cruel mistress for Robert Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang team.
In 2007 Hight was vying for his first championship and posted the number one qualifying time only to have his Mustang break during the burnout in the first round. The loss opened the door for eventual champion Tony Pedregon to distance himself from Hight for the championship.
Last season Hight was locked into a tight battle with Cruz Pedregon and Tim Wilkerson for the championship. He once again qualified No. 1 and he raced to the final round where he was defeated by eventual Funny Car world champion Cruz Pedregon.
In both years Hight was sitting in the No. 3 position in points coming into The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This year Hight is rolling into Las Vegas in the No. 1 position in points, 13 points ahead of teammate Ashley Force Hood, 48 points ahead of Tony Pedregon and 63 points ahead of Ron Capps.
The lead does not give Hight a ton of confidence but he likes this position with two races remaining. He is also looking forward to the possibility of getting another championship for John Force Racing
“I’m very excited about it. We’ve kind of gotten spoiled over here over the years. This team won 12 straight championships, with Tony and John. Then, there was a year that we lost, and now the last two, so we definitely want to get John Force Racing and these Ford Mustangs back in the top where we belong. We feel that we work harder than the rest of the teams out there, and we need to win,” said Hight. “This championship needs to go back to where it belongs, and that’s kind of where we’re at, you know? Not trying to be greedy or anything else, but we work hard here, Ford works hard, all of our sponsors, and as long as it’s one of the two of us, I’m excited. It’s probably less pressure when you’re racing one of your own teammates than having to go out there and race another one of those cars.”
Hight has had the textbook up and down season in 2009. He turned his championship hopes around racing to the finals at the Mac Tools US Nationals and then winning the first two races of the Countdown. His positive attitude was the one constant for Hight.
“I never gave up, that’s for sure. The whole team never gave up. It probably made it easier having Ashley doing so well. She was kind of carrying the load for the whole team. But the way this whole team works is we help each other, we work together, and we knew that if we got too lost and what we were doing wasn’t working that we could go over with Dean Antonelli and Ron Douglas’ help, and probably get our car to run similar to theirs – and that’s actually what happened,” said Hight.
“(Team owner) John (Force) kind of put that all together. I think John changing drivers clear back in Reading, Pennsylvania, had something to do with that. You know, I’m a big baseball fan, and I follow the Dodgers, and I used to watch Tommy Lasorda, and he would go out there and he would coach third base. You know, the manager never does that. But I asked him about it last year when he was the Grand Marshal at Pomona, and he said, ‘You’ve just got to shake things up. When that batter looks down there at third base and sees a regular batting coach, he’s not thinking. But, if he looks down there and sees the manager, his boss, he’s probably going to perform a little better, and it just shakes things up. (Crew chief) Jimmy (Prock) looking in there at John, and John looking out at Jimmy, I think for whatever reason it worked, and my car turned around that weekend.”
One thing is for sure Hight will be focused on going rounds and taking care of business this weekend. At the Las Vegas event press conference Hight was relaxed and looking forward to getting back to the track.
“I hated having so much time off. I would like to race every weekend. Getting back to the track with my guys will be a lot of fun and we are going to race hard for this championship,” said Hight.
JFR drivers at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway:
Races Starts Finals Wins Won-Lost
Robert Hight
LV Nationals 4 4 1 0 3-4
All LVMS events 9 9 2 1 11-8
FAST FACT: No. 1 qualifier in the Las Vegas Nationals the last three years, he moved beyond round one for the first time last season, reaching the final round before losing to eventual series champion Cruz Pedregon. He is the track record holder for both the quarter mile and 1,000 foot distances (4.677 and 4.043 seconds, respectively).
Races Starts Finals Wins Won-Lost
Ashley Force
LV Nationals 2 2 1 0 4-2
All LVMS events 5 5 2 0 8-5
FAST FACT: When she reached the finals in 2007, she became the first woman to compete in an NHRA Funny Car final round. She followed up by reaching the finals at the spring race in 2008.
Races Starts Finals Wins Won-Lost
John Force
LV Nationals 7 7 2 1 (2006) 10-6
All LVMS events 17 15 2 1 17-14
FAST FACT: In the first round of the 2001 race, was victimized by an unusual double DQ precipitated by rival Bob Bode, who left the starting line before the system was activated, prompting Force to follow him. Under a rule revised following the incident, he would have advanced.
Races Starts Finals Wins Won-Lost
Mike Neff
LV Nationals 2 2 0 0 1-2
All LVMS events 4 4 0 0 1-4
FAST FACT: As a driver, has yet to win a racing round in the Las Vegas Nationals and has won just one in four overall appearances at LVMS. He will see double duty this week and in the season-ending Auto Club Finals, serving as both driver and crew chief on the Ford Drive One Mustang.
Get team info here: www.johnforceracing.com
Follow John Force Racing at www.twitter.com/jfr_racing
DRIVER/CREW CHIEF MIKE NEFF NOT A LONGSHOT AT LAS VEGAS October 29, 2009
Event: 9th annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals
5th race of Countdown to 1
23nd of 24 events in the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
Site: The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas
Dates: Oct. 30 – Nov. 1, 2009
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DRIVER/CREW CHIEF MIKE NEFF NOT A LONGSHOT AT LAS VEGAS
Mike Neff on tuning and driving the Ford Drive One Mustang - “It is busy. You start making some runs and seeing results which helps you with the changes. You sort of feel your way though. (You are) nervous before the first run be we want to make sure we have everything covered. You just don’t really know what to expect. This car has been running good for a while.” - said Mike Neff.
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Team info at www.johnforceracing.com
Follow John Force Racing at www.twitter.com/jfr_racing
Follow John Force RaceStation store at www.twitter.com/JFRaceStation
Follow Courtney Force at www.twitter.com/courtneyforce
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The Driver
Mike Neff, 42, driver of the Ford Drive One Mustang, is entering the fifth race of the 2009 Countdown to 1 in the 10th spot. He clinched his Countdown to 1 spot when he qualified for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. He has reached two final rounds in 2009 (Phoenix and Reading). The 2008 winner of the Auto Club’s Road to the Future award that identifies the Rookie of the Year, he took over the driving duties for the late Eric Medlen, who succumbed to injuries sustained in a testing accident in March of 2007.
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Mike Neff By the Numbers:
2 – Number of final rounds in 2009, Phoenix and Reading
3 – Number of races Neff was the driver and crew chief this season, Phoenix, Gainesville and Richmond
3 – Number of JFR drivers who have been named Auto Club Road to the Future Award winners, most recently Mike Neff was honored as the professional rookie of the year (Robert Hight, 2005 and Ashley Force Hood, 2007)
5 – Number of finals Mike Neff has reached in his young career, most recently Reading, August 2009
10 – Neff’s position in the Full Throttle point standings
159 – Difference in points between No. 10 Mike Neff and No. 1 Robert Hight in Funny Car Points
150 – Total number of points available at each NHRA Countdown to 1 national event
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Full Throttle Point Standings after four Countdown to 1 races and 22 NHRA events
FUNNY CAR – 1. Robert Hight, Auto Club Ford Mustang, 2362; 2. Ashley Force Hood, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, 2349; 3. Tony Pedregon, 2314; 4. Ron Capps, 2299; 5. Tim Wilkerson, 2280; 6. Jack Beckman, 2276; 7. Bob Tasca III, 2259; 8. Del Worsham, 2227; 9. John Force, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang, 2216; 10. Mike Neff, Ford Drive One Mustang, 2203.
PRO STOCK – 1. Mike Edwards, 2524; 2. Greg Anderson, 2396; 3. Jason Line, 2373; 4. Jeg Coughlin, 2292; 5. Greg Stanfield, 2276; 6. Allen Johnson, 2244; 7. Johnny Gray, 2233; 8. Ron Krisher, 2222; 9. Kurt Johnson, 2184; 10. Rickie Jones, 2020.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE – 1. Hector Arana, 2420; 2. Eddie Krawiec, 2392; 3. Michael Phillips, 2255; 4. Matt Smith, 2253; 5. Andrew Hines, 2249; 6. Douglas Horne, 2210; 7. Karen Stoffer, 2159; 8. Shawn Gann, 2157; 9. Craig Treble, 2136; 10. Matt Guidera, 2020.
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TRACK RECORDS:
Top Fuel - 3.781 seconds by Tony Schumacher, Oct. ’08; 318.92 mph by Schumacher, Oct. ’08
Funny Car - 4.043 seconds by Robert Hight, Oct. ’08; 310.05 mph by Ashley Force Hood, Oct. ’08
Pro Stock - 6.656 seconds by Mike Edwards, April ’09; 206.70 mph by Greg Anderson, April ’09
Pro Stock Motorcycle - 6.979 seconds by Matt Smith, Oct. ’08; 191.08 mph by Matt Hines, Oct. ’02
(Top Fuel and Funny Car race distance is 1,000 feet; Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle race distance is 1,320 feet)
NATIONAL RECORDS:
Top Fuel - 3.771 sec. by Tony Schumacher, Oct. ’08, Richmond, Va.; 319.60 mph by Antron Brown, Oct. ’09, Richmond, Va.
Funny Car - 4.023 sec. by Ron Capps, Feb. ’09, Chandler, Ariz.; 312.13 mph by Ashley Force Hood, April ’09, Atlanta
Pro Stock – 6.509 sec. by Mike Edwards, Oct. ’09, Richmond, Va.; 212.36 mph by Greg Anderson, Oct. ’09, Richmond, Va.
PS Motorcycle- 6.851 sec. by Hector Arana, Sept. ’09, Memphis, Tenn.; 197.45 mph by Andrew Hines, March ’05, Gainesville, Fla.
(Top Fuel and Funny Car race distance is 1,000 feet; Pro Stock and Pro Stock Motorcycle race distance is 1,320 feet)
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Race Schedule:
Friday, Oct. 30
Pro Qualifying: 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 31
Pro Qualifying: 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 31, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 11 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Nov 1, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will air NHRA Race Day, at 2:30 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Nov. 1, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of final eliminations at 7:30 p.m. (ET).
****
MIKE NEFF
DRIVER/CREW CHIEF MIKE NEFF NOT A LONGSHOT AT LAS VEGAS
LAS VEGAS, NV (October 27, 2009) --- Heading into Las Vegas Mike Neff and the Ford Drive One are still technically in contention for the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car championship. Funny Car is the closest category of the four NHRA professional classes with 159 points separating Neff in 10th place from teammate Robert Hight in 1st. A team can pick up 150 points in one event so with two national events left on the schedule a strong Vegas showing by the Ford Drive One team could shuffle the Funny Car deck.
Neff controls his own destiny behind the wheel and under the hood. For the fourth time this season Neff will be spearheading tuning duties on the Ford Drive One Mustang as well as piloting it down The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Earlier this year Neff pulled double duty when crew chief John Medlen missed Phoenix and Gainesville to have heart condition evaluated in Indianapolis. He raced to a runner-up finish in Phoenix and qualified No. 5 in Gainesville.
Three weeks ago Neff was pressed into the dual role again in Richmond when team owner John Force moved Medlen over to his Castrol GTX High Mileage team to work with his brain trust of Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly. Neff tuned his Mustang to a No. 8 qualifying position and reached the semi-finals.
The added workload keeps Neff hopping during the races but it is a challenge the world championship crew chief and 2008 rookie of the year is up for.
“It is busy. It is stressful especially when you haven’t done it in a while and you are not really familiar with the moves that you are making. You don’t feel real sure of what you are doing sometimes. You start making some runs and seeing the results which helps with changes. You sort of feel your way though,” said Neff in Richmond. “I was nervous before the first run I wanted to make sure we had everything covered. You just don’t really know what to expect. This car has been running god for a while and John Medlen had it set up so this was the easiest deal to step into. Medlen was here all weekend (in Richmond) helping me. It just added more responsibility. I was thinking about the car all the time. When Medlen was making the tuning calls I just bopped around here with no worries until I got strapped in before the run. It just seemed like the wheels were turning non-stop this weekend.”
Racing to the semi-finals was a strong showing for Neff and the Ford Drive One team but they are really drawing a bulls-eye on getting the team’s first win. Neff knows that he can’t afford to make any mistakes if they are going to make it to the winner’s circle.
“The positive thing (in Richmond) is we went down the track every run, seven times in a row. I made a change to the clutch and put more cutters in there (on Sunday) and I t
