Ashley Force fastest qualifier at Brainerd
Ashley Force topped the qualifying field at the Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minnesota. Ashley Force ran her Castrol GTX Mustang 4.110 seconds E.T. at 299.40 MPH to secure the position on Friday. Qualifying ended with four John Force racing cars in the top five positions. John Force qualified second with a 4.112 second E.T. at 301.27 MPH run, that was 0.002 behind his daughter Ashley. Robert Hight ran a 4.119 second E.T. at 300.26 MPH for the third spot and Mike Neff took the fifth spot with a 4.176 second E.T. at 298.80 MPH.
Del Worsham and his Checker Schuck’s Kragen Impala managed to be the only competitor to break through John Force Racing's domination of qualifying, by running a 4.152 second E.T. at 291.01 MPH for the forth qualifying slot. Worsham is currently 12th in points and is hoping to break into the top ten this weekend to make it into the Countdown to One. He'll have to earn two more points than Bob Tasca III and 42 points more than Jack Beckman to make the countdown.
Tags: Ashley Force, Del Worsham, John Force, Mike Neff, NHRA, Robert HightAshley Force qualifies 1st at the Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals
Ashley Force was the fastest qualifier for the Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals at Sonoma, California this weekend. Running the shortened race distance of 1,000 feet, Force ran a 4.096 second E.T. at 301.60 MPH, giving her the first top qualifier in her career. Force is currently tied for fourth with Cruz Pedregon in the Championship points.
Qualifying times and first round pairings for Sunday’s eliminations:
Ashley Force Castrol GTX Mustang 4.096 301.60
Tommy Johnson Jr. Monster Energy Drink Charger 4.327 286.38
Tony Pedregon Prestone Impala 4.101 299.80
Bob Tasca III Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang 4.276 282.72
Cruz Pedregon Advance Auto Parts Solara 4.110 300.53
Mike Neff Old Spice Mustang 4.238 290.51
John Force Castrol GTX Mustang 4.119 298.80
Jack Beckman Valvoline/MTS Charger 4.220 292.52
Ron Capps NAPA Auto Parts Charger 4.121 292.77
Gary Densham RaceBricks Impala 4.205 287.41
Del Worsham Techron Impala 4.132 295.98
Robert Hight AAA of So. Cal Mustang 4.194 289.57
Melanie Troxel ProCare RX Charger 4.156 297.29
Jerry Toliver Rockstar Energy Drinks Charger 4.136 298.34
Tim Wilkerson Levi, Ray & Shoup Impala 4.146 295.40
Gary Scelzi Mopar Oakley Charger 4.152 297.42
Drag racing circuit takes steps toward mainstream
June 18, 2008 by Robert
Filed under NHRA, Racing News
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Great news for drag racing! Checkout this article from Cox News Service:
Anticipating NASCAR-like growth spurt, sport markets itself to broader audience
The National Hot Rod Association appears to be positioning itself for a growth period similar to the one NASCAR enjoyed in recent years as that sport broadened its fan base from mostly automotive enthusiasts to mainstream America.
The NHRA itself has taken several key steps recently — the hiring of the giant sports-marketing firm IMG and adding the powerhouse ad agency Edelman to help steer its public-relations campaign. And a new track is ...
Read the full article by Rick Minter at Ohio.com
Ashley Force fastest on Friday – Route 66 NHRA Nationals
Friday's Qualifying Session results from the NHRA Powerade 11th annual Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 NHRA Nationals in Joliet, IL. Ashley Force had the fastest run of the day with a 4.759 second, 329.1 MPH run.
Qualifying Round 1
1. Robert Hight AAA of So. Cal Mustang 4.850 293.54
2. Bob Tasca III Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang 4.856 315.93
3. John Force Castrol GTX Mustang 4.857 315.71
4. Melanie Troxel ProCare RX Charger 4.859 326.16
5. Jerry Toliver Rockstar Energy Drinks Charger 4.908 314.53
6. Gary Densham RaceBricks Impala 4.929 302.28
7. Mark Oswald Charger 4.946 293.09
8. Mike Neff Old Spice Mustang 5.267 205.44
9. Scott Kalitta DHL Solara 5.316 239.61
10. Ashley Force Castrol GTX Mustang 5.319 200.20
11. Del Worsham Checker Schuck's Kragen Impala 5.710 212.26
12. Tony Pedregon Herzog Impala 5.813 166.76
--------- Not Qualified ---------
13. Tommy Johnson Jr. Monster Energy Drink Charger 6.275 148.53
14. Jack Beckman Valvoline/MTS Charger 6.402 144.81
15. Jim Head Head Racing Solara 6.642 132.18
16. Gary Scelzi Mopar Oakley Charger 9.019 83.67
17. Cruz Pedregon Advance Auto Parts Solara 9.630 84.61
18. Bob Bode Alard Machine Products Monte 12.021 80.65
19. Tony Bartone Canidae Pet Food Monte Carlo DQ
20. Tim Wilkerson Levi, Ray & Shoup Impala DQ
Qualifying Round 2
1. Ashley Force Castrol GTX Mustang 4.759 329.10
2. Cruz Pedregon Advance Auto Parts Solara 4.780 324.51
3. Jerry Toliver Rockstar Energy Drinks Charger 4.783 325.77
4. Mark Oswald Charger 4.783 324.67
5. John Force Castrol GTX Mustang 4.783 319.22
6. Tony Pedregon Herzog Impala 4.797 323.43
7. Gary Scelzi Mopar Oakley Charger 4.799 320.89
8. Bob Tasca III Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang 4.820 320.05
9. Tim Wilkerson Levi, Ray & Shoup Impala 4.843 314.02
10. Ron Capps NAPA Auto Parts Charger 4.844 316.82
11. Robert Hight AAA of So. Cal Mustang 4.850 293.54
12. Jack Beckman Valvoline/MTS Charger 4.851 315.19
--------- Not Qualified ---------
13. Gary Densham RaceBricks Impala 4.852 315.86
14. Melanie Troxel ProCare RX Charger 4.859 326.16
15. Scott Kalitta DHL Solara 4.876 290.76
16. Jim Head Head Racing Solara 4.889 313.88
17. Del Worsham Checker Schuck's Kragen Impala 4.900 311.41
18. Tommy Johnson Jr. Monster Energy Drink Charger 4.903 314.61
19. Mike Neff Old Spice Mustang 5.267 205.44
20. Bob Bode Alard Machine Products Monte 6.045 157.65
21. Tony Bartone Canidae Pet Food Monte Carlo DQ
Results courtesy of NHRA
Tags: Ashley ForceAshley Force, Schumacher, Warren Johnson and Chris Rivas Top Qualifiers After Day One at Route 66
June 7, 2008 by Robert
Filed under Racing News
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Ashley Force led an action-packed first day of Professional racing at 11th annual Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway in Chicago. The second-year Funny Car driver wowed the crowd by posting a 4.750 e.t. and the fastest speed of the season at 329.10 mph in an effort that could make her the first woman in Funny Car history to qualify No. 1. Tony Schumacher, Warren Johnson, and Chris Rivas also lead their respective classes.
Schumacher sits atop the Top Fuel class in what could be the 50th top spot of his career. W.J., the all-time qualifying leader with 138 No. 1s, made the quickest...
Read the full article by Brad Littlefield at NHRA.com
Forceful winds play havoc with NHRA
Ashley Force and John Force are household names on the NHRA circuit. But it was "Gale Force" who was the biggest of the name players during qualifying rounds Friday at the Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 Nationals.
But it was "Gale Force" who was the biggest of the name players during qualifying rounds Friday at the Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 Nationals.
That's Gale Force, as in the strength of the winds that spawned tornado watches and warnings across ...
Read the full story and detailed analysis of how the weather effected racing performance by Rob Kremer at The Plainfield Sun
Tags: Ashley ForceWilkerson Top Qualifier Again
Wilkerson's stellar year continues as he earned a start from the top of the Funny Car field for the fourth time in seven races, this time with the lowest e.t. of the season. The driver of the Levi, Ray, and Shoup Chevy Impala flew to a 4.744 at 326.16 mph in the first session of the day and held onto the lead despite the incredible efforts of three drivers: Mike Ashley, whose eleventh-hour ...
Read the full article at NHRA.com
Hal Pilger: Wilkerson wins respect of Forces
MADISON — Three weeks ago, Ashley Force was on the verge of making racing history at Las Vegas when Springfield driver Tim Wilkerson beat her in the Funny Car finals.
Wilkerson’s first National Hot Rod Association victory since 2004 thwarted Ashley’s attempt to become the first woman to win...
Read Hal Pilger's full article Springfield State Journal Register