Brittany Force Archives – Horsepower & Heels

Brittany Force earns Vegas win

November 6, 2019 // by Horsepower & Heels

NHRA driver Brittany Force and her Advance Auto Parts Top Fuel Dragster team came home with the jackpot at the Dodge NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Record Setting Qualifying

Her winning weekend began in qualifying Friday night, when Force and her Advance Auto Parts team set the Top Fuel national speed record after running 338.17 mph in the second session. She now owns both ends (ET and MPH) of the national record in Top Fuel.

Force’s Friday qualifying pass reset the Vegas track record for ET at 3.659, positioning her as the provisional No. 1 position. She also earned bonus qualifying points as the quickest ET of session Q2, and 2nd quickest in sessions Q1 & Q4.

However, her provisional pole would not stand, as Leah Pritchett would reset the track record again in the final session, just five-thousandths of a second quicker with a 3.654. Brittany Force would enter eliminations in the No. 2 position.

Winning Vegas Eliminations

Beginning eliminations, Brittany Force opened race day with a commanding win against Pat Dakin, who lost traction early for only a 7.786-second pass against Force’s 3.689-second pass at 333.16 mph.

This would pair her against No. 10 qualified teammate Austin Prock for Round 2 eliminations. He held a 3-0 record against her in prior meetings. Prock would take the advantage at the starting line, but Force would reel him back in with a 3.709-second pass at 330.72 mph to his 3.732 at 331.69. The race was a close one, with the margin of victory at the finish just 13 inches or 0.0022 seconds.

The semifinals would prove to be the most pivotal overall in championship standings. All of the top 4 contenders remained – so the outcome of the semi final match ups would have big point implications. Brittany would watch Doug Kalitta, who sat ahead of her in the No. 2 points position, fall to the current points leader Steve Torrence.

She would then take lane choice against Steve’s dad Billy Torrence, the No. 4 in points. Brittany knew that a loss here could allow the father and son pair to take the top points positions entering the final race of the countdown.

With the pressure on, Force needed the Vegas win to move her ahead in the standings. Leaving the tree first, she stayed out front to beat Billy Torrence on a holeshot thanks to her .063-second reaction time on the tree and a 3.714-second pass at 329.99 mph. Torrence would run 3.710 at 332.10 with a .087 reaction time.

This meant Brittany was facing off with the reigning world champion and points leader, Steve Torrence, in the final round. Force and the Advance Auto Parts team would reclaim the Vegas track ET record, laying down the quickest pass of the event at 3.652-seconds, 334.73 mph to defeat Torrence’s 3.719 at 330.63.

“Las Vegas is a home track for me. I grew up out here racing super comp and A-fuel. I’ve always wanted to win here. This weekend has just been incredible for this Advance Auto Parts team. We have the record with mph, a 338. It’s incredible to hold that with the Advance Auto Parts boys. And we set the ET this year too. We’ve accomplished a lot but really what we’re going after is a championship together.”
Brittany Force

The win would mark the 10th career victory for Brittany Force, her first at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (she finished as runner up in 2017) and the second victory of the season.

Valuable Points win in Vegas

Winning Vegas moves the Advance Auto Parts team up to the No. 2 spot in the Mello Yello points standings. With just one race remaining in the countdown, Force trails leader Steve Torrence by just sixteen points.

“It’s a Vegas win, it’s a win in the Countdown which is huge and it moved this Advance Auto Parts team that much closer to the No. 1 spot so, this is a big win for our team. Like I said, it’s been since Houston since we’ve won so we’ve been out of the game for a little while but we’re turning a corner at the right time,” Force said. “We have Vegas and then we go right to Pomona. There’s one left and our minds are in the right place now.”
Brittany Force

Female Double up Win in Vegas

Brittany shared the podium this weekend with Pro Stock’s Erica Enders as well. Just moments before Force crossed the finish line, Enders took the Pro Stock win in Vegas, making her the 150th female win in the history of the sport. Brittany Force’s Vegas win made the 151st win for women in the NHRA.

“I always cheer the ladies on. There’s only a few of us out here and you know, Erica Enders, what she’s done for this sport, with two championships, I’ve always looked up to her. She’s incredible. She started in Jr. Dragsters. I remember watching her movie when it came out on Disney. Courtney and I would watch that thing over and over to get us pumped up before we’d go race in Super Comp, so to share the winner’s circle with her this weekend is pretty awesome. She’s a great friend, she’s an incredible driver and pretty cool that we did 150 and 151 today.”
Brittany Force

Brittany Force 2019 Dallas Results

October 21, 2019 // by Horsepower & Heels

A track record, the top qualifying position, and a semi-final appearance are among the highlights for NHRA Advance Auto Parts Top Fuel Dragster driver Brittany Force at the AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals in Dallas, Texas.

No 1 qualifying Double-up with Dad

For the second time in NHRA history, a parent/child duo scored a double-up in qualifying poles. Brittany Force secured the No. 1 qualifier spot in Top Fuel, while dad John Force also earned the Funny Car pole Saturday at the Texas Motorplex. This marks the second occasion that the pair was able to accomplish this feat, the first time coming from this year’s SpringNationals in Houston, Texas.

“It’s always really special to hold onto any No. 1 qualifier with a teammate but to hold it with my dad, that’s the best. He’s the one who taught me how to drive this car and everything about this sport, and the reason I’m out here is because of him so to be able to share the No. 1 qualifier with him is awesome,” Force said. “We did it earlier this season and now we’re doing it again. It’s just very special to me. I’ve doubled up with Robert a handful of times but to be able to double-up with my dad would be awesome. It’s on my bucket list.”
Brittany Force, driver of Advance Auto Parts Top Fuel Dragster

Brittany Force’s qualifying efforts of an exhilarating 3.651-second pass at 331.28 mph Friday night was enough to set the track elapsed time record and marked her first No. 1 qualifier at the Texas Motorplex. She scored an additional 6 qualifying bonus points for the quickest elapsed times of session Q2 & Q4.

Semi-Final eliminations finish for Force

In the opening round of eliminations, the Advance Auto Parts machine blasted past No. 16 qualified Cameron Ferre with a stellar 3.694-second pass at 330.31 mph defeating Ferre’s 3.984 at 269.19 mph pass.

Round two, Force competed against longtime rival and three-time world champion Antron Brown. In prior meetings, Brown has the edge with a 17-9 record. Brown would leave the starting line first, and Force would encounter trouble when her dragster had cylinders out early, but hung on to run a 3.815-second pass at 319.60 mph upsetting Brown’s 4.113 at 230.72 after he smoked the tires.

The semi-final matchup placed Force against Torrence whom she has a 3-1 record against prior to this meeting. Torrence would take the starting line advantage and never look back for the win. Force dropped a cylinder to run 3.793-seconds at 318.32 mph giving Torrence and his 3.747 at 328.38 mph performance a trip to the finals – and the eventual event win. The margin of victory at the finish line was 0.0606 seconds (approximately 28 feet).

“Going into first round, this Advance Auto Parts team made some big moves especially when points leader Steve Torrence got taken out and No. 2, Doug Kalitta, got beat by my teammate Austin Prock. That opened the doors for this Advance team to pick up some points and catch up and that’s exactly what we did. We made it to the semis and would have obviously liked to have gone all the way but I’m not looking down on it. I’m staying positive and we’re still in the hunt for this championship.”
Brittany Force

Brittany and her Advance Auto Parts team leave the event in the No. 3 points standings for the Countdown to the Championship. They trail current leader Steve Torrence by 46 points with two events remaining.

Brittany Force is ready for the 2019 Four-Wide Nationals

April 25, 2019 // by Horsepower & Heels

Brittany Force is ready for the 2019 Four-Wide Nationals this weekend at ZMax Dragway in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Advance Auto Parts Top Fuel dragster team is hoping to carry the momentum from their recent victory at the Houston race for the NGK Spark Plugs NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, the sixth event on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Season schedule.

Image Credit: Gary Nastase, Auto Imagery

Beginning the season with a new crew and a new car to sort out, Force and her Advance Auto Parts team have been hard at work finding their rhythm. Two first round exits marked the beginning of their season, but Force and the Advance team secured their first No. 1 qualifier during the 50th Anniversary Gatornationals and went on to qualify third and finish as runner-up at the Las Vegas Four-Wide event.

After a stellar weekend at the recent Spring Nationals in Houston ended in the winner’s circle, the Advance Auto Parts team have definitely found their pace. Force, the 2017 Top Fuel world champion, set both ends of the track record with a 3.661-second pass at 332.18 mph for the No. 1 qualifying position. Force and her father, John Force, made history as the first parent-child duo to qualify No. 1 at the same NHRA national event. Brittany would go onto win the race for the second consecutive year and double-up with teammate Robert Hight.

“Coming off a Las Vegas runner-up and a Houston win, I’m eager to get to a little four-wide action in Charlotte. This Advance Auto Parts team has worked incredibly hard this season with so many challenges thrown our way and the hard work is starting to pay off,” said Force. “In Houston David Grubnic took some risks and pushed our car to steal another No. 1 qualifier putting a 3.66 on the board. That run at 332 mph gave us a confidence boost and we pulled off another incredibly quick run at 3.67, took on some heavy hitters and fought our way to the winner’s circle. Pulling off a win this soon in the season with a new team has me so pumped going into the Charlotte Four-Wide and the rest of the season.”

History is on her side, as Brittany is the only woman to score a four-wide event win in the nitro categories in 2016. Force has always performed well at zMAX Dragway, qualifying No. 1 at the 2018 spring event with sister Courtney Force. She earned another No. 1 qualifying spot during the fall 2018 event and raced her way to a runner-up finish.

“My new crew chiefs and my entire new crew took on the Vegas Four-Wide a few weeks back where we were runner-up, so we got in our practice there and are hoping to do the same this time but come out with a win,” said Force. “I’ve won the Charlotte Four-Wide before and it would be great to do it again with my Advance team. We’re confident and ready to get after it on race day.”

Event Coverage

Qualifying for the NGK Spark Plugs NHRA Four-Wide Nationals begins on Friday with qualifying sessions at 4:45 p.m. and 7:45 p.m., and Saturday at 2:15 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Eliminations start at 12 noon on Sunday. Tickets are available from Charlotte Motor Speedway, and children 13 and under get in free. Television coverage can be viewed on FS1 Friday from 8 to 9 p.m. ET, Saturday from 10 to 11 p.m. ET and Sunday from 6 to 9 p.m. ET.

Follow updates on social media: #4WideNats

Semifinal finish for Brittany Force in Sonoma

July 31, 2017 // by Horsepower & Heels

Another semifinal finish for NHRA Top Fuel racer Brittany Force in Sonoma. The Monster Energy sponsored racer scored her fifth semifinal in the last seven NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series races, moving her inside the top five of the Top Fuel points standings following Sunday’s NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway.

Brittany Force began the event with No. 2 qualifying attempt on Friday, followed by a tough qualifying effort Saturday, in which she failed to make a full pass. The second of three Western Swing events, Sonoma is one of Force’s favorite tracks.

During Sunday’s eliminations, Force outran No. 15 qualified Steven Chrisman in the opening round, charging down the track at a session-best 3.705 seconds, and posting a track record 331.61 mph speed to set up a quarterfinals matchup against No. 7 Shawn Langdon.

In round two, both Force and Langdon ran into trouble, but Brittany Force was able to salvage the run, and pedal the car across the finish line in 4.071 seconds at 264.75 mph with Langdon trailing close behind.

That put her up against No. 6, the current NHRA Top Fuel points leader, Steve Torrence. Torrence and crew had a stellar and consistent race day performance, running 3.753 seconds at 329.02 mph in the semifinal to defeat Brittany Force’s 3.882 seconds at 315.27 mph run. Force had fuel spilling out the left side of her car during the pass. Torrence advanced and scored the event win for the NHRA Sonoma Nationals.

The semifinal finish for Brittany Force in Sonoma allowed her Monster Energy team to jump ahead of Doug Kalitta in the NHRA Top Fuel points standings, moving to the No. 5 position. She also claimed the track speed record during her first round pass, a record held previously by Kalitta.

“To have a day like that and then have low ET of the session … I thought we were going to carry it all through the day,” Force said. “But we made a semifinal appearance, which is what we did last weekend too. So that’s pretty good, but the plan for next week in Seattle is to take it off the trailer and end up in the winner’s circle.”

Brittany and the Monster Energy team will head to the third stop on the Western Swing, the NHRA Northwest Nationals on August 4-6 at Pacific Raceway outside Seattle, WA. The event is the 16th of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.

Female Rookie of the Year 2016

January 4, 2017 // by Horsepower & Heels

The Female Rookie of the Year 2016 category received 19 nominations and 39 votes for the Horsepower & Heels Women of the Year Awards. The winner pulled out an early lead, and captured over 30% of the votes.

Runner up at Heartland Park Topeka for Megan Meyer

Female Rookie of the Year 2016 – Megan Meyer

Horsepower & Heels is proud to announce the 2016 Female Rookie of the Year, NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster driver, Megan Meyer!

Megan, in her first full season in the competitive Top Alcohol Dragster class, took her A/Fuel Racer’s Evolved Dragster to six final rounds, capturing her first win in Charlotte, and five runner-up finishes. She earned the top qualifying position twice, and finished the season in the No. 4 position Nationally, and No 2. Regionally.

Megan also captured several other awards, including Best Appearing Car in Gainesville, and Best Appearing Crew honors in Charlotte. Though only a rookie herself, her poise helped welcome sister Rachel Meyer to the seat as well as mentoring other drivers who partnered with Randy Meyer Racing to earn their TAD license.

She returns in 2017 to TAD with the goal of capturing that first championship in the class. Meyer will be joined by sister Rachel mid-season, and the team will also host and mentor Justin Ashley for his TAD debut.

Runner Up – Melissa Surber

NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle racer, Melissa Surber was your Rookie of the Year 2016 Runner-Up for the Horsepower & Heels Women of the Year Awards.

Female Rookie of the Year 2016 Nominees

Krista Baldwin
Kayli Barker
Heather Carter
Lexi Fruggiero
Mia Chapman
Rachel Meyer
Journee Richardson
Sarah Edwards
Shannon Giust
Cheryl Hyrn
Kassidy Kreitz
Brittany Force
Jennifer Pratt
Melissa Urist
Shelley Molea
Jennifer Pratt
Janette Thornley

Female Professional of the Year 2016

January 4, 2017 // by Horsepower & Heels

The Female Professional of the Year 2016 category was the most hotly contested race in this year’s award program. The category received 34 nominations and 209 votes for the Horsepower & Heels Women of the Year Awards. This year, two automotive industry professionals battled it out for the top spot, and a late rally determined your Professional of the Year for 2016.

Professional of the Year 2016 – Courtney Lambert

Horsepower & Heels is proud to announce the winner of the Female Professional of the Year 2016 – motorcycle industry staple, Courtney Lambert!

An always smiling, familiar face in the motorcycle industry, Courtney Lambert stays entrenched in all things two-wheels. Whether you find her traveling the roads avoiding mayhem with Allstate, behind the counter at Kory Souza Originals, or over the airwaves on her very own radio show, she knows only one pace in life, Wide Open. Her busy schedule takes her across the country, to bike weeks and rallies as a Allstate Insurance spokesperson doing stage shows and emceeing national events.

Courtney began hosting her own talk radio show about motorcycles called Wide Open Radio in 2010, and regularly features motorcycle industry talent and icons to the show. Courtney also manages the frontend of Kory Souza Originals, taking care of all the phone calls, billing, foot traffic, marketing, events, product releases and some of the sales for her other half – custom builder, Kory Souza.

Professional of the Year 2016 Runner Up – Jessica Kennedy

Shotgun Shocks Go-To Girl, Jessica Kennedy, is your Professional of the Year 2016 Runner-up for the Horsepower & Heels Women of the Year Awards.

Professional of the Year 2016 Nominees

Erica Enders
Janette Thornley
Sarah Burgess
Leah Pritchett
Heather Carter
Elaine Larsen
Courtney Force
Kayli Barker
Alexis DeJoria
Shannon Giust
Alex Rogeo
Terri Chandler
Dina Parise
Sarah Edwards
Angelle Sampey
Melanie Salemi
Sara Price
Danica Patrick
Ellen Eschenbacher
Mia Tedesco
Lizzy Musi
Christy Miller
Megan Meyer
Valerie Clemens
Aileen Collins-Love
Elisa Coon
Cheryl Hyrn
Ashley Force-Hood
Annie Whiteley
Brittany Force
Annette Bauer

Most Influential Woman of the Year 2016

January 4, 2017 // by Horsepower & Heels

The Most Influential Woman of the Year 2016 category received 28 nominations and 85 votes for the Horsepower & Heels Women of the Year Awards. These are women who not only excel in their fields, but also serve as ambassadors and help encourage and influence women in automotive and motorsports. This was one of the tightest races in the history of the awards, and at the end, it was a deadlocked decision.

Most Influential Woman of the Year 2016 – Shirley Muldowney/Erica Enders

A dead even finish resulted in the first two-way tie for the Most Influential Woman of the Year 2016 category winner. Horsepower & Heels is proud to announce the 2016 Women of the Year Most Influential category winners – Shirley Muldowney and Erica Enders!

Both of these NHRA Drag Racing ladies have made considerable contributions to the sport. Shirley Muldowney was one of the ground breaking women that helped to usher in female participation to the sport, winning countless races and championships in her time at the highest level of Top Fuel. Erica Enders is the modern day champion, a two-time NHRA Pro Stock World Champion, and one of the most prolific winning women in racing today.

Most Influential Woman of the Year 2016 Runner Up – Jessica Kennedy/Courtney Lambert

Where the women of drag racing dead-locked for the top spot, the women of the motorcycle world tied up the runner-up position. Shotgun Shock owner and go-to gal Jessica Kennedy, and Kory Souza Originals and Allstate Motorcycle spokesperson Courtney Lambert tied for the 2016 Horsepower & Heels Most Influential Woman of the Year 2016 Runner Up positions.

Most Influential Woman of the Year 2016 Nominees

Kayli Barker
Elaine Larsen
Janette Thornley
Cheryl Hryn
Terri Chandler
Sarah Burgess
Leah Pritchett
Courtney Force
Sarah Boyce
Alexis DeJoria
Kate Gundlach
Brittany Force
Shannon Giust
Aileen Collins-Love
Annamarie Strawhand
Sara Price
Marina Anderson
Megan Meyer
Ellen Eschenbacher
Karen Sullivan
Susan Roush
Ariel Biggs

Most Improved in 2016

January 4, 2017 // by Horsepower & Heels

The Most Improved Woman of the Year category received 30 nominations and 53 votes for the 2016 Horsepower & Heels Women of the Year Awards. This recognizes women who have made significant strides at their trades.

Most Improved Woman of the Year 2016 – Aileen Collins-Love

Horsepower & Heels is proud to announce the winner of the 2016 Women of the Year Most Improved category – Sprint Car Owner/ Driver Aileen Collins-Love!

Aileen finished in 3rd place for the Eagle Jet Top Gun Series Points for the 2016 season. She improved upon her 10th standing in 2015, and worked hard all season to showcase her talent behind the wheel.

Most Improved Runner Up 2016 – Megan Meyer

Top Alcohol Dragster Drag Racer, Megan Meyer, was your Most Improved Woman of the Year Runner-Up for the 2016 Horsepower & Heels Women of the Year Awards.

Most Improved Woman of the Year 2016 Nominees

Heather Carter
Leah Pritchett
Janette Thornley
Brittany Force
Natalie Waggoner
Shannon Giust
Aileen Collins-Love
Angelle Sampey
Kayli Barker
Cheryl Hyrn
Mia Tedesco
Angelle Sampey
Amber Balcaen
Michelle Furr
Danica Patrick
Marina Anderson
Randi Lyn Shipp
Laura Landry
Lacey Martin
Sarah Burgess
Sondra Leslie
Sarah Boyce
Michele Kato
Shea Holbrook
Brooke Storer
Sarah Edwards

Female Racer of the Year 2016

January 4, 2017 // by Horsepower & Heels

Female Racer of the Year category received 41 nominations and 112 votes for the Horsepower & Heels Women of the Year Awards. This category had an early front-runner, with a few solid challengers through out, but was able to hold strong until the close.

Female Racer of the Year 2016 – Janette Thornley

Horsepower & Heels is proud to announce the winner of the Female Racer of the Year 2016 category – Harley Pro Fuel racer, Janette Thornley.

Last year, she finished in the runner up position, but this year, her fans shot her up to the number one spot. Congratulations to Janette!

Female Racer of the Year 2016 Runner Up – Aileen Collins-Love

Sprint Car racer Aileen Collins-Love was your Female Racer of the Year 2016 Runner-Up for the Horsepower & Heels Women of the Year Awards.

Female Racer of the Year 2016 Nominees

Erica Enders
Melanie Salemi
Kayli Barker
Heather Carter
Leah Pritchett
Elaine Larsen
Nina Gusler
Lilian Cacioppo
Shannon Giust
Alexis DeJoria
Cheryl Hryn
Angelle Sampey
Jessi Combs
Jackie Fricke
Pippa Mann
Courtney Force
Amber Balcaen
Sarah Burgess
Vonnie Mills
Donna Gerstel
Jody Perewitz
Shanna Snyder
Michelle Furr
Mia Tedesco
Sarah Edwards
McKenna Haase
Brittany Force
Danica Patrick
Journee Richardson
Afton Swanson
Sondra Leslie
Sarah Boyce
Yvonne Lucas
Lexi Fruggiero
Laura Landry
Megan Meyer
Lilian Cacioppo
Mali Greenfield

You DO Have to Be Tough to Drag Race

October 12, 2016 // by Scott Huntington

Do you need to be tough to drag race?

When a Top Fuel dragster leaves the line, it’s accelerating more quickly than a fighter jet at takeoff. A good run can see over 8Gs applied to the man or woman at the wheel. The human body often blacks out at 9. The forces and exertions drag racers endure multiple times in a single competition are real and serious. Even with extensive physical training, there’s no avoiding the physical wear involved in the sport.

It’s not just the 10,000 horsepower engine you’re strapped to that places loads on you during a drag race. While you’re not dealing with the face-melting forces of acceleration, you’ve still got to handle the heat coming off of your nitro-fueled monster and reign in whatever lateral forces come through the steering wheel.

Preparing to Win

In the days of Big Daddy Don Garlits and slingshot-style front-engine cars, race preparation might have involved a healthy whiff of nitro, a smoke and maybe a beer. These days, racers understand that You DO have to be tough to Drag Race, and that keeping a healthy body will allow them to compete better, more often.

The types of injuries drivers encounter, excluding those that come from a crash, typically involve the substantial forces placed on the touchpoints in the car. This means injuries to the hands, feet, and back and neck can occur on any 300+mph trip down the track.

To counter these occupational hazards, drivers spend an hour or more a day in the gym and commit to a diet you’d expect from a professional athlete. To deal with muscle and joint pain, some racers even use cryotherapy, which is a quick 2-4 minute exposure to negative 200 degree temperature. Brr!

Courtney Force, a professional NHRA driver, says she eats right by having chicken and veggies for lunch and fruit and almonds as a snack. Courtney’s father, John Force, was a 16-time NHRA champion, and now his three daughters are all competitive drag racing drivers.

Progress at Speed

Courtney and her sisters, Ashley and Brittany are helping literally “drive” women in the sport. While women have been involved in racing as far back as the 1950s, they rarely enjoyed success, oftentimes struggling to earn endorsements because team owners saw men as superior drivers.

These days, the Force sisters are proving that a female can withstand the intense physiological effects of racing dragsters just as well as their male counterparts.

Safety Developments

At the same time drivers are learning how to better prepare their bodies for forces few people will ever face in their entire life, engineers are constantly seeking ways to make racing less hazardous for drivers.

Even the best-trained driver can fall victim to a wreck, and while things like high-tech fuel cells and the neck-saving Hans device have unquestionably saved lives, there is always more that can be done. There is even talk that Top Fuel dragsters may adopt bulletproof clear canopies, similar to those used on fighter jets and racing boats.

Any time you strap into a machine capable of reaching triple-digit speeds in a single second, inherent risk is involved. Being a drag racer certainly requires toughness, and the intense regiments modern drivers go through to win are a testament to that. Combined with new technologies, these advances are heralding a new era of the sport that is faster and more competitive than ever.