NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Courtney Force is eager to get back on the track at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals this weekend following a first-round collision with the guardwall at Pacific Raceways in Seattle

In the first round against Jeff Diehl Force pedaled her Traxxas Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car in the left lane and just past the mid-track point the car swung to the left, making hard contact with the concrete safety barrier. Force exited her Funny Car under her own power but was transported to a local hospital for evaluation. She was cleared and released later that day and has spent the past two weeks rehabbing and preparing to return to racing action.

“I am excited to get back in the seat. After how I last left the track (in Seattle) I am definitely ready to get back in the car and go down the race track. I have been going through physical therapy every day. I have been working with Dr. Ortmeyer who is the same doctor that worked with my dad after his crash. I am seeing huge progress every day with my knee,” explained Force the Wednesday before the race. “ I have gone from being on crutches the first couple of days to getting comfortable walking on it to being able to bend it all the way now. I definitely feel good enough to be back in the race car. That’s my throttle leg so I will be ready to pound on the throttle for sure.”

Force has not had much success in the Land of 10,000 Lakes but the fifth year pro knows that momentum can start rolling at any time. With her win in Houston plus two runner-up finishes getting back into the racing groove is critical for the 2012 Rookie of the Year. She was also looking at the very small bright side from her Seattle incident.

“I didn’t want to lose out on racing Brainerd because this is the time to get everything in order for Indy and the Countdown. We had planned on front halving my Traxxas Chevy after Seattle. If anything if you had to crash a car that was a good time to do it since we were already planning on doing a lot of work between races. You never want to crash but thankfully I have great guys at the shop in Indy that were ready to go to work on it. Since my team had to do so much extra work I sent them a Man-Crate' full of beef jerky and different kinds of nuts to say I was sorry for crashing the car,” said Force.

Last year a winless Force was looking to secure a guaranteed spot in the Traxxas Shootout and battle her way into the Top Ten at the Lucas Oil Nationals. She was able to compete in the Shootout thanks to the fan vote and lottery but missed the Top Ten for the first time in her career. In 2016 a whole new attitude has enveloped Force and her Traxxas Camaro SS Funny Car team.

“This is a huge turnaround from where we were last year. I think this is the best shot at the championship we have ever had. We are hopefully going into the Countdown in the No. 2 spot. We are trying to hold onto that position right now with two races left. Being in that spot would give us a lead going into the last six races of the rest of the Top Ten for the championship,” said Force.

“This is definitely a huge difference from where we were a year ago. I love the team that I with and the crew chiefs I am working with. The car they have given me definitely feels like the most consistent race car I have ever had in my five years of racing Funny cars. I am thrilled about that as a driver. This is the best time for me to really be on my game with reaction times. I have really been trying hard to be the most consistent that I have ever been before. If we can get everything right we definitely would have the full package. I think we have a great shot of going after the championship this year. I am not going to let that slip away.”

Finally Force will be in a brand new look Funny Car for the next two races on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. The wild multi-colored Camaro has been retired and Force will roll into Brainerd International Raceway with blue Camaro that should be as quick as it is eye-catching.

“I am going to run a cool blue Traxxas Camaro for Brainerd and Indy. It is kind of an electric blue with lightning bolts running through it. It is a nice change from the multi-colored Funny Cars which I also loved. It gets people talking about what is coming next,” summed up Force.

Force has teased the look on her social media platforms and fans will get their first full look during at the track on Friday.