Career-best speed propels Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force to Topeka second round

Career-best speed propels Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force to Topeka second round Photo credit: Gary Nastase and Auto Imagery TOPEKA, Kan. (May 21) – Courtney Force, of course, wants to win more rounds and more races with her Advance Auto Parts Funny Car team. But she also knows progress continues to be made, progress that will eventually lead to adding to her career win total. Force raced to the second round of the Menards NHRA Heartland Nationals on Sunday at Heartland Park Topeka, posting her career-best speed – and second all time – in the process. “Really excited about our Advanced Auto Parts team,�?? Force said. “Joining in the 338 mph club this weekend was a killer run for us. Not many people have done it, and this was the weekend, this was the track, here at Heartland Park to do it.�?? Force accomplished that feat in the first round, as her pass of 3.821 seconds at 338.68 mph knocked off No. 15 qualifier Tim Wilkerson. It was also her best run in the first round this season, as crew chief Dan Hood and co-crew chief Ronnie Thompson build consistency into Force’s fast Chevrolet Camaro SS. “I’m really excited to see these strides our team is making,�?? Force said. “More importantly, the fact that we have had a consistent car on race day. We backed it down a little when we went up there for round two, wanted to be safe and make sure we got to run down there. “But the track changed completely from round one so we backed it down and it was a little bit too much; we got outrun in that second round.�?? While eventual race winner Ron Capps made a run of 3.866 seconds at 325.45 mph, Force trailed with a pass of 3.902 seconds at 333.00 mph.  “It’s still a great feeling for our Advance Auto Parts team,�?? Force said. “I’m really excited for what we currently have right now and I feel like we have the consistency we have been looking for, so I’m really excited to be going into four in a row with this kind of momentum and looking forward to seeing what we can do with the Eastern swing.�?? Force and the Advance Auto Parts Fuel team return to action June 2-4 for the NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H. That’s the first of four races in four weekends for the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. 4-Second Reads: Best Qualifying Effort: 3.815 sec./335.23 mph (Round 2) Elimination Round 1 (Left Lane): 3.821 sec./338.68 mph, def. No. 15 Tim Wilkerson, 3.913 sec./328.30 mph; vs. Wilkerson – now 10-3 all-time; 1-0 this season; 1-0 at Topeka Elimination Round 2 (Quarterfinals, Left Lane): 3.902 sec./333.00 mph, lost to No. 7 Ron Capps, 3.866 sec./325.45 mph; vs. Capps – 7-15 all-time; 0-1 this season; 0-2 at Topeka Force is now 7-8 this season in 15 elimination rounds. Force is now 8-5 at Heartland Park Topeka in 13 elimination rounds. Force is now 19-14 all-time in 33 elimination rounds from the No. 2 qualifying spot. Force is now 138-119 all-time in 257 elimination rounds. Funny Car Points Standings: 1. Ron Capps, 748; 2. Matt Hagan, 644; 3. John Force, 524; 4. Robert Hight, 518; 5. Jack Beckman, 502; 6. Courtney Force, 464. About John Force Racing John Force Racing, Inc., based in Yorba Linda, Calif., and Brownsburg, Ind., is a professional sports dynasty, one that has earned 18 NHRA championships and claimed 251 professional victories in Funny Car (248) and Top Fuel (3). Led by team owner and driver John Force, a 16-time Funny Car Champion, 1996 Driver of the Year for all of American motor racing, 2011 International Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee, and driver of the PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, JFR is additionally comprised of Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS driver Robert Hight, 2009 Funny Car champion and 2005 NHRA Rookie of the Year; Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS driver Courtney Force, 2012 NHRA Rookie of the Year; and Monster Energy Top Fuel Dragster driver Brittany Force, 2013 NHRA Rookie of the Year. For more information, please visit johnforceracing.com. Media Contact: Lee Montgomery John Force Racing Public Relations (704) 258-0903 lmontgomery@johnforceracing.com Media Contact: Michael Harker John Force Racing Public Relations (386) 547-3943 mharker@johnforceracing.com Connect with us         John Force Racing | 498 Southpoint Circle, Brownsburg, IN 46112 Unsubscribe submit@theautochannel.com Update Profile | About our service provider Sent by lmontgomery@johnforceracing.com in collaboration with Try it free today