Reigning Top Fuel world champion Brittany Force will be sporting a new look this weekend at the 21st annual JEGS Route 66 NHRA Nationals outside of Chicago. The eight-time Top Fuel winner will have an Advance Auto Parts and Monster Energy branded dragster for the first time in 2018. The redesign has Force excited for a number of reasons.
“We are unveiling a new car this weekend and it is cool that Advance Auto Parts is jumping on board with Monster Energy,” explained Force. “This is something I am excited about because it teams me up with my sister Courtney. We’ll have matching Advance Auto Parts race cars so we are hoping to get matching wins for the first time.”
The Force sisters have never shared a winner’s circle but on three occasions they have+
qualified No. 1 including earlier this season at the Charlotte Four-Wide Nationals and twice in 2014 in Topeka, Kan. and then again in Sonoma, Calif.
The NHRA national event at Route 66 Raceway is the first of four in a row for Force during the month of June. This kind of schedule has its plusses and minuses for teams but the Top Fuel world champion looks forward to the non-stop race schedule.
“For me it is easier to run back to back races,” said Force. “Everyone from the crew chiefs to the crew guys to the drivers gets to stay in a race routine. I think you build momentum moving forward and I always liked that with my team. You can start getting more round wins and hopefully pick up some more race wins.”
The past two seasons Force has been the No. 1 qualifier at the JEGS Route 66 NHRA Nationals and over the past four years she has never qualified lower than No. 4. In each of the races she started from the top spot she advanced to the quarterfinals. Her one final round appearance in Chicago was 2014, during her second season behind the wheel of a Top Fuel dragster, when she lost to Antron Brown.
Force enjoys putting on a show for the NHRA fans in the Midwest.
“I definitely get excited when we head to Chicago. We had a weekend off for Memorial Day and now we are back at it. This is the first race of four in a row so we are anxious to get there. We are planning on a good start. My crew chiefs Alan Johnson and Brian Husen have this Advance Auto Parts Monster Energy dragster running really well. We won in Houston and have been running great elapsed times. The track in Chicago is fast and I am looking forward to getting the month of June started with a great finish.”
Qualifying for the JEGS Route 66 NHRA Nationals will begin on Friday at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. and continue Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. Final eliminations will begin at 11 a.m. on Sunday.
JFR PR
