NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

At this point in the season, legendary Funny Car driver John Force is only focused on one thing when it comes to this weekend’s 10th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park.

 

“We want to get into the winner's circle,” said Force, who has 143 Funny Car victories but none this year. “That is our goal for our sponsors like Peak Antifreeze and Advance Auto Parts. They have been on this Chevy for a couple weeks, and I want to get them a win. This is a tough class, and you look at all the other teams, and we are bunched up pretty good."

 

Force’s last victory came in Epping a year ago, a span of 25 races. He is ready to change that in his 10,000-horsepower Peak Antifreeze Chevrolet Camaro this weekend in Norwalk, where he won in 2014.

 

Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel), Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and Karen Stoffer (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were last year’s winners of the event. For the first time, the race will be televised nationally on FOX Sports 1. The race is the 12th of 24 in 2016, making it the official halfway point of the season, and finishes a stretch of four consecutive race weekends during June.

 

Just six races follow the Norwalk event before the start of the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship, but Force is focused on picking up his first victory of the season and his first in his new Camaro body.

 

The iconic driver advanced to the final round at the second event of the season in Phoenix but has battled a number of problems since then, falling in the first round to Beckman last weekend in Bristol. It has dropped Force to ninth in the points standings in the loaded Funny Car class, but the longtime standout sees nothing but positives coming his way.

 

“I have a young team led by [crew chief] Jon Schaffer, and I know we are getting better every race,” Force said. “We aren't where we want to be, but I am excited to have all these young kids around me. This team is working every day to get better, and so am I.

 

“So many people worked on this Chevy Camaro hot rod. It is my new 'company car,' and I love it. You see so much better out of it, and Mike Neff, my lead Funny Car crew chief from the Auto Club team, is working with Schaffer and Danny Hood along with Ronnie Thompson to get all these Camaros running quick. Courtney [Force, daughter] should have her new car in Chicago. These Camaros are going to be great for us, and I have to thank everyone at the shop and all the Chevrolet engineers for all the hard work.”

 

The good news about the current four-race stretch is it allows for drivers to quickly make amends from the previous weekend. That will be on the mind of Force after an especially tough outing for the three John Force Racing Funny Car teams. In Bristol, Force fell in the first round, and Courtney Force and Robert Hight lost a round later.

 

It made for a frustrating weekend, but Force knows his team is only going to push forward, knowing full well he has a car capable of winning plenty of races.

 

"[Bristol] wasn't the weekend we wanted for any of us,” Force said. “We are all still in the top 10 [points standings], but that isn't where we want to be. We want to be in the top three. We are learning every day. That's all I can say. Sitting here we have a great car. I love this Chevrolet. It is working. We just have a lot of work to do in the drivetrain, and we will figure it out.”

 

Courtney Force, who won this season in Houston, is in third, and Hight is in eighth. Both will be among the top contenders in Norwalk, where everyone will be chasing points leader Ron Capps, who has won two of the last three races. Others to watch include Beckman, who is second in points, Bristol winner Tommy Johnson Jr., Matt Hagan, defending world champion Del Worsham, Alexis DeJoria, and Tim Wilkerson, who has two victories in 2016.

 

Racing in Norwalk at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park also always marks a special occasion for Force, who races at the track more than once each year.

 

"I have match raced there for years, and the Baders are a great family and great promoters,” Force said. “The crowds are awesome, and you see how all the people at the gates and concession stands are smiling, and it is a fun place to race."

 

Mello Yello Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 5 and 7:45 p.m. Friday, June 24, and the final two rounds of qualifying Saturday, June 25, at 12:30 and 3:15 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday, June 26.

 

To purchase general-admission or reserved seats, call Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, 419) 668-5555, or log on to www.summitmotorsportspark.com. Kids 12 and younger will be admitted free in general-admission areas with a paid adult.