NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

Fresh off a record-breaking season and her second world championship in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season, Top Fuel star Brittany Force has no plans of letting up — or slowing down.

The fastest female in sports, Force broke numerous track records and made the fastest run in Top Fuel history (338.94 mph) during the 2022 season en route to the world title. She hopes to kick off the 2023 campaign on a big note, too, including picking up her second career win at the legendary Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.

Force is also competing in the eight-car Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout on Saturday, which is a specialty race with big money on the line, putting a premium on a great start in her 11,000-horsepower Monster Energy dragster – especially as the reigning world champ.

“There’s going to be pressure going into day one,” Force said. “We go right into the season, and it’s going to be exciting. I’m excited to get in there and take part in another Callout in Gainesville. The Callout is definitely unique, and it brings out a little bit of drama. This puts a lot of focus on who you’re calling out, and it really adds that element of excitement. Doing it at Gainesville, it’s going to be an exciting event.”
 
Tripp Tatum (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock), and Karen Stoffer (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all picked up victories during a record-breaking weekend in Gainesville last year. This year’s event will be broadcast on both FOX Sports 1 (FS1) and the FOX broadcast network, including eliminations coverage beginning at noon ET on Sunday to open the season.

Force would certainly like to pick up where she left off a year ago, when she won five races, went to seven final rounds, and obliterated track records across the country. One of those came in Gainesville, where she sent the track speed mark of 337.75, one of more than 15 records she set in 2023.
 
Force owns both ends of the Gainesville records, while the historic facility also has a special place in the two-time world champion’s heart. Her first career Top Fuel victory came at famed Gainesville Raceway in 2016, and Force is locked in on starting her 2023 on a high note.
 
To do so, she’ll have to get past the likes of teammate Austin Prock, four-time world champ Steve Torrence, Antron Brown, Tony Schumacher, Doug Kalitta, Clay Millican, Mike Salinas, Justin Ashley, Josh Hart, and Leah Pruett. Force is also competing against Torrence, Ashley, Salinas, Kalitta, Hart, Prock, and Millican in Saturday’s Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout, where she will make the first selection on Friday.
 
“That’s what every team wants to do, start your season with a win,” said Force, who has 16 career wins and was also the No. 1 qualifier 10 times last year. “You’ve been out of the seat way too long, so we’re all anxious to get out here. We’re jumping right into it. You want to start with a win, and that really sets the groove for the season. A win would be great, and that’s our goal, but it’s going to be tough.”
 
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series qualifying will feature two rounds at 1:30 and 4 p.m. ET on Friday, March 10, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, March 11 at noon and 3 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 10 a.m. ET on Sunday, March 12. Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 10 a.m. ET. on Saturday and 9 a.m. on Sunday, leading into live eliminations on FOX at noon ET.
 
The opening round of the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout takes place on Saturday at 1:20 p.m. ET, with the semifinals to follow at 2:45 p.m. The finals are slated for 4:25 p.m., and the Callout will be given a featured broadcast on FS1 at 10:30 a.m. ET on Sunday.
 
To purchase tickets to the 2023 Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, fans can visit www.NHRA.com/tickets. Children 12 and under are free in general-admission areas with the purchase of an adult ticket.