Entering this weekend’s NHRA Toyota Nationals, reigning Top Fuel world champion Brittany Force is riding the momentum of a runner-up finish and No. 1 qualifying position at the most recent NHRA event in Charlotte. After struggling through the majority of the 2018 season, Force and her Monster Energy team seem to have turned a corner and, although it’s late in the year, it’s just in time for some redemption and a chance to end the year on a high note.
“With just two races left I am excited to get to Las Vegas. I am ready to get on track at The Strip. This whole team has been working hard and we want that to turn into round wins on race day,” Force said. “We want to get another win this season and get this Monster Energy dragster back into the winner’s circle.”
Heading to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Force finds herself in a very different situation than her 2017 championship season. With only one win coming back in April at the SpringNationals in Houston, the 8-time event winner is sitting sixth in the points standings, but she’s proud. After a handful of first round exits throughout the year, Force has nothing but admiration for her Monster Energy team, headed by Alan Johnson and Brian Husen, for continuing to move forward.
“After an awesome weekend in Charlotte where we raced to the finals and we qualified No. 1 we are ready to get back to the races. We made some big improvements to our race car. You saw the improvements with our performance in Charlotte,” Force said. “We have been struggling but I think we have turned this team around in the Countdown.”
With a renewed determination, Force heads to Las Vegas this weekend looking to right a mistake she made last year at the same event.
“Last season we should have won this race and we had a red-light in the final. I definitely want to redeem myself and get back out there and get a win for this team,” Force explained. “We are currently No. 6 in the points after an awesome weekend in Charlotte. There are just two races left and we want to move up from 6th place with this Monster Energy Top Fuel team.”
Force’s 2017 NHRA Toyota Nationals showing, where she was the No. 4 qualifier and runner-up, was the best of her career at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. She’s qualified fourth at the spring event twice as well.
Nitro qualifying at the NHRA Toyota Nationals is scheduled at 12:30 and 3 p.m. on Friday, 12:30 and 2:45 p.m. Saturday. The single elimination tournament will begin at 11 a.m. Sunday.
JFR PR/Photo Credit: Gary Nastase, Auto Imagery
