TEAM CASTROL/JOHN AND ASHLEY PRE-RACE PACKAGE FOR BRAINERD
TEAM CASTROL JOHN FORCE/ASHLEY FORCE HOOD Pre-Race Package for the 28th annual Lucas Oil Nationals August 14-16, 2009 Brainerd International Raceway Brainerd, Minn. 16th event in the Countdown to the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Championship * * * * follow John Force Racing at _www.twitter.com/jfr_racing_ (http://www.twitter.com/jfr_racing) * * * * OVERVIEW: In an event in which his team has won 14 of the last 21 Funny Car titles and in which he has won a record 11 individual titles, John Force tries to recapture the form that drove him to an unprecedented 14 NHRA championships, the most recent in 2006. Returning to a track on which his four hybrid Ford Mustangs enjoyed their best-ever group qualifying effort last year (1-2-3-5), Force hopes to turn around his season and that of teammates Mike Neff and Robert Hight. That threesome is locked in a battle for the final slots in the NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship with reigning champ Cruz Pedregon and Rookie-of-the-Year contender Matt Hagan. Force presently is eighth, Neff ninth and Hagan 10th with Pedregon and High on the outside, looking in. In an event contested the week that team driver Eric Medlen would have celebrated his 36th birthday, Force, Hight and Neff are hoping to achieve the kind of consistency that enabled Ashley Force Hood’s Castrol GTX Mustang to become the first Ford locked into the six-race Countdown to One that begins with the Sept. 20 Carolina Nationals at Charlotte. Force Hood, Force’s 26-year-old daughter, has appeared in six finals already this year, led the points and won the team’s only race (the O’Reilly Spring Nationals at Houston). She presently is third in points behind only Tony Pedregon and Ron Capps. * * * * JFR RACING HISTORY AT BRAINERD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY: Wins – 14, 11 by John Force for Castrol GTX (1988, 1990-91, 1994-97, 1999-2000, 2002, 2007); two by Eric Medlen for Castrol SYNTEC (2004-05); one by Gary Densham for the Automobile Club of Southern California (2003). Last year – After qualifying No. 1 for the second straight race, Ashley Force lost in the first round to Ron Capps, joining teammates Robert Hight and Mike Neff on the sidelines. Meanwhile, John Force went to the semifinals for 19th time before losing to Tony Pedregon. Notable #1 – John Force has won more often in the Lucas Oil Nationals than in any other event in the NHRA Full Throttle Series. His 11 wins in a single event is unprecedented, as are his 64 round wins and his 84.2 per cent win rate. Notable #2 – The late Eric Medlen earned his first and third career victories at Brainerd, a track on which he posted a 9-1 record in his all too-brief career and one on which he still owns the quarter mile track record (4.730 seconds). Notable #3 – Last year’s 1-2-3-5 start for the four JFR Mustangs was the best in team history. Unfortunately, the only driver to advance was John Force. The 2008 race also produced the first 1-2 start for a father and daughter. * * * * PRO POINTS (2009 NHRA Full Throttle Series point standings): Funny Car – *1. Tony Pedregon, Q Racing Chevrolet, 1101; *2. Ron Capps, NAPA Dodge Charger, 1090; *3. Ashley Force Hood, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, 1054; 4. Tim Wilkerson, Levi, Ray and Shoup Ford Mustang, 919; 5. Jack Beckman, Valvoline/MTS Dodge Charger, 889; 6. Bob Tasca III, Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang, 841; 7. Del Worsham, Al-Anabi Toyota Solara, 824; 8. John Force, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang, 772; 9. Mike Neff, Ford Drive One Ford Mustang, 740; 10. Cruz Pedregon, Advance Toyota Solara, 713. Also, 11. Matt Hagan, Shelor Motor Mile Dodge Charger, 707; 12. Robert Hight, Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang, 698. Top Fuel – *1. Antron Brown, Matco Tools dragster, 1283; *2. Tony Schumacher, U.S. Army dragster, 1084; *3. Larry Dixon, Al-Anabi dragster, 1035; 4. Brandon Bernstein, Budweiser dragster, 945; 5. Cory McClenathan, Fram dragster, 910; 6. Spencer Massey, US Smokeless Tobacco dragster, 853; 7. Morgan Lucas, Geico Insurance dragster, 826; 8. Shawn Langdon, Lucas Oil dragster, 807; 9. Doug Kalitta, Kalitta Racing dragster, 698; 10. Clay Millican, Nitrofish dragster, 619. Pro Stock – *1. Jeg Coughlin Jr., Jeg’s Chevrolet Cobalt, 1273; *2. Mike Edwards, Young Life/Penhall Pontiac, 1213; *3. Jason Line, Summit Racing Pontiac GXP, 1203; *4. Greg Anderson, Summit Racing Pontiac GXP, 1049; *5. Allen Johnson, Team Mopar Dodge Stratus, 989; 6. Greg Stanfield, Attitude Apparel Pontiac GXP, 776; 7. Ron Krisher, Valvoline Chevrolet Cobalt, 739; 8. Kurt Johnson, ACDelco Chevrolet Cobalt, 721; 9. Rickie Jones, Quarter-Max/RJ Race Cars Dodge Stratus, 680; 10. Warren Johnson, K&N Filters Pontiac GXP, 607. Pro Stock Motorcycle – *1. Eddie Krawiec, Englishtown, N.J., Harley-Davidson V-Rod, 837; *2. Andrew Hines, Brownsburg, Ind., Harley-Davidson V-Rod, 767; 3. Matt Smith, King, N.C., Suzuki, 636; 4. Douglas Horne, Aberdeen, Md., Buell, 580; 5. Craig Treble, Harvey, La., Suzuki, 568; 6. Hector Arana, Milltown, Ind., Buell, 526; 7. Matt Guidera, Loomis, Calif., Buell, 499; 8. Steve Johnson, Birmingham, Ala., Suzuki, 392; 9. Shawn Gann, Stoneville, N.C., Buell, 388; 10. Karen Stoffer, Smith, Nev., Suzuki, 386. *Has clinched a position in the Countdown to One. * * * * TELEVISION (all on ESPN2, all times Eastern Daylight): Qualifying – Saturday, August 15, 6-7 p.m. NHRA RaceDay – Sunday, August 16, 11 a.m. Race Highlights – Sunday, August 16, 10 p.m.-1 a.m. Repeat race highlights – Wednesday, August 19, 3-5 a.m. * * * * NEXT EVENTS (2009 NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship): 25th annual Toyo Tires Nationals, Aug. 21-23, Reading, Pa. 55th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, Sept. 2-7, Indianapolis, Ind. 2nd annual NHRA Carolina Nationals, Sept. 18-20, Charlotte, N.C. 24th annual O’Reilly Super Start Batteries Fall Nationals, Sept. 25-27, Dallas, Texas 22nd annual O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals, Oct. 2-4, Memphis, Tenn. * * * * CONTACTS: JFR Team PR and Marketing: Dave Densmore Elon Werner 214-244-0008 214-244-1184 _denswood@aol.com_ (mailto:denswood@aol.com) _elon@johnforceracing.com_ (mailto:elon@johnforceracing.com) Kelly Antonelli Chad Light Andrew Hagstrom 317-858-8900 714-921-8123 714-326-3450 _kelly@johnforceracing.com_ (mailto:kelly@johnforceracing.com) _chad@johnforceracing.com_ (mailto:chad@johnforceracing.com) Sponsor PR: Lori Anne Gola Rick Lalor Kevin Kennedy BP/Castrol Auto Club Ford Racing 973-633-2393 714-885-2085 313-203-7108 _lorianne.gola@bp.com_ (mailto:lorianne.gola@bp.com) _lalor.rick@aaa-calif.com_ (mailto:lalor.rick@aaa-calif.com) _kkennedy@pcgcampbell.com_ (mailto:kkennedy@pcgcampbell.com) * * * * For photo images or further information, contact one of the representatives above or visit us at _www.johnforceracing.com_ (http://www.johnforceracing.com/) . * * * * For Immediate Release FORCE THROWS DOWN GAUNTLET AT BRAINERD 14-Time Champ Eyeing First Win of the Season BRAINERD, Minn. – Okay, here's the deal. John Force, drag racing's biggest winner, the only driver in any category to have won as many as 100 NHRA tour events and 1000 racing rounds, has gone 15 races into the season without a final round appearance for the first time in his 32-year NHRA career. That's right. Never has the 14-time Auto Racing All-American, the first Funny Car driver to break the 4.90, 4.80 and 4.70 second barriers, reached this point in a campaign with so little in his competitive portfolio. Granted, he's holding onto the No. 8 position in the current driver standings and his qualifying results in the Castrol GTX® High Mileage™ Ford Mustang are vastly improved over a year ago (when he was a DNQ in a career high four events), but for a 14-time series champion, his team's current level of performance is wholly unacceptable. Entering this week's 28th annual Lucas Oil Nationals, a race he has won a record 11 times, Force told his crew chiefs that he expects measurable improvement, not just from his own car but from the other two John Force Racing entries that currently are struggling to make the Countdown to the Championship: Mike Neff's Ford Drive One Mustang and Robert Hight's Auto Club of Southern California Mustang. In a meeting that followed the team's less-than-successful performance in the three-race Western Swing (12-12 overall), Force threw down the gauntlet. "After hours of meetings and listening to the sincerity of my guys, I asked for options," Force said. "I considered moving drivers around, moving crew chiefs and changing combinations. In the end, I listened to my brain trust and their vote was to stick with what we have. They convinced me (that) we are about to turn the (competitive) corner with these Ford Mustangs. -more- Force/Brainerd 2222 "I told them they have three races left (and) if we don't turn it around, then change has to come. I challenged my crew chiefs to show me improvement." The upshot is that Force has created an intra-team Countdown-to-the-Countdown that encompasses the next three events this week's Lucas Oil Nationals, the Aug. 21-23 Toyo Tires Nationals at Reading, Pa, and the Mac Tools U.S. National Labor Day weekend at Indianapolis. Although he turned 60 this year and even though he is less than two years removed from the devastating crash that left him hospitalized for almost a month with broken bones in his arms, legs, hands and feet, insiders don't believe Force's abilities have diminished to any significant extent. If anything, he is in better physical condition today than he was when he crashed on Sept. 23, 2007. Rather, the issue has been the lack of data available for the new, stronger-but-heavier chassis that emerged following Force's crash and the earlier testing accident that claimed the life of Eric Medlen. Crew chiefs Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly, both of whom won NHRA championships before coming to JFR, now believe that they're close to achieving a more Force-like level of consistency. "Actions speak louder than words," Force said. "Right now, we need action." * * * * Did You Know? – John is trying to extend to a record-setting 23 the number of consecutive seasons in which he has won at least one NHRA tour event and to 25 the number of successive years in which he has reached at least one final round. – John hasn't qualified No. 1 since Sept. 1, 2006 at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, Ind. That's a span of 64 races, the longest he has gone without a No. 1 start in his entire pro career. – Last year, John was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in Novi, Mich. Force and Coil – In the 25 years they have been together, John Force and Austin Coil have gone to the final round in 198 of 480 NHRA events (41.2 per cent). – Coil won two Funny Car championships with driver Frank Hawley before coming to JFR in 1985. – Together, Force and Coil have won 14 NHRA championships and 126 tour events. At Brainerd International Raceway: – John has won more races (11) and more rounds (64) in the Lucas Oil Nationals than in any other event in the NHRA Full Throttle Series. – John is the track speed record-holder at 1,000 feet at 301.27 mph, a mark he established last year. – John's winning percentage at BIR (84.2%) is only his second best overall. He's won 84.6% of the time at Richmond, Va. (22-4). – 10 of John's 11 victories at BIR have come from either the No. 1 or No. 2 starting position. The only exception was his 1991 win from a No. 5 start. – In 23 appearances in the Lucas Oil Nationals, John never has qualified worse than fifth and has gone to the semifinals or beyond 20 times. – Only in the Summit Southern Nationals at Atlanta, Ga., where he's reached the finals 14 times, has John appeared in more final rounds than he has at BIR (13). -www.johnforceracing.com- For more information about Castrol-branded products and services, please visit us at Castrol.com/US Force/Brainerd 3333 FORCE's Edge Overall NHRA records (and Funny Car division records) Most career victories (126) Most series championships (14) Most career final rounds (202) Most career rounds won (1028) Most consecutive series championships (10, 1993-2002) Most consecutive seasons with one or more victories (22)* Most consecutive seasons with at least one final round appearance (24)* Most consecutive seasons with multiple tour victories (18, 1990-2007) Most consecutive national events without a DNQ (395, 1988-2007) Most consecutive Top 10 seasons (24) Highest winning percentage, one season (91.5%, 65-6) *tied with Warren Johnson, Pro Stock Other NHRA Funny Car division records Most final rounds, one season (16, 1996) Most victories, one season (13, 1996) Most rounds won, one season (65, 1996) Most career No. 1 starts (131) Most No. 1 starts, one season (11, 1996) Most consecutive final round appearances, one event (nine, 1992-2000, Atlanta, Ga.) Career starts (517) Awards Driver of the Year (1996) Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2008 inductee) AARWBA Auto Racing All-America Team (14 times, 1990, 1993-2002, 2004-2006) Jerry Titus Memorial Award (most AARWBA votes, 4 times, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002) AARWBA Comeback Award (2008) Speed TV Comeback Award (2008) SAE Motorsports Achievement Award (2008) AutoSport Magazine's John Bolster Award for lifetime achievement (2005) Force/Brainerd 4444 Milestones First round win, over Tom McEwen, June 1, 1979, Cajun Nationals, Baton Rouge, La. First No. 1 qualifier, May 25, 1986, Cajun Nationals, Baton Rouge, La. First tour victory, June 28, 1987, Le Grandnational Molson, Montreal, Canada First Funny Car driver to break 4.90 second barrier, July 6, 1996, Topeka, Kan. First drag racer to win Driver of the Year award for all of American motor sports (1996) First Funny Car driver to break 4.80 second barrier, Oct. 24, 1998, Dallas, Texas First (and only) drag racer to win 100 events, April 14, 2002, Houston, Texas First Funny Car driver to break 4.70 second barrier, Oct. 2, 2004, Joliet, Ill. No. 2 (behind Don Garlits) in balloting to determine Top 50 drivers in NHRA's first 50 years (2001) First (and only) drag racer to win 1,000 racing rounds, May 4, 2008, Madison, Ill. JOHN FORCE By the Numbers 1 Driver of the Year award (1996, the first drag racer ever so honored). 2 first round losses in 23 appearances in the Lucas Oil Nationals (1986, 2003) 3 screws securing ankle bones from compound fracture suffered in Sept. 23, 2007 crash at Dallas, Texas. 4 DNQs in the 2008 season, a career high 5 seasons with 10 or more tour victories (1993-94, 1996, 1999-2000). 8 current position in Full Throttle points. 9 runner-up finishes before winning for the first time. 10 straight Funny Car titles (1993-2002). 11 wins in the Lucas Oil Nationals, more than in any other single event 14 times named to AARWBA Auto Racing All-America Team. 22 consecutive seasons with at least one NHRA tour victory. 25 consecutive Top 10 finishes. 1028 competitive rounds won. -www.johnforceracing.com- For more information about Castrol-branded products and services, please visit us at Castrol.com/US For Immediate Release WITH POSITION SECURE , ASHLEY PLAYS NEW ROLE Champ's Daughter a Cheerleader for Teammates BRAINERD, Minn. – Before she was a race car driver, Ashley Force Hood was a varsity cheerleader at Esperanza High School in Yorba Linda, Calif., training that should serve her well this weekend when the NHRA Full Throttle tour moves to Brainerd International Raceway for the 28th annual Lucas Oil Nationals. Force Hood, the only Ford driver to have yet earned a starting spot in the NHRA's Countdown to One, plans to do double duty at BIR, pumping up her own resume at the wheel of the Castrol GTX® Ford Mustang while at the same time leading the cheers for her three struggling John Force Racing teammates. Her father, 14-time champion John Force, her brother-in-law Robert Hight and second year teammate Mike Neff need all the help they can get this week as the first phase of the Countdown races to a conclusion. Force and Neff currently occupy the eighth and ninth transfer spots, respectively, while Hight is on the outside with just three races remaining before the NHRA certifies the 10 drivers eligible to win the $500,000 championship. Ashley credits crew chiefs Dean "Guido" Antonelli and Ron Douglas for her own lofty status this season. In only her third pro campaign, the graduate of Cal State-Fullerton has started four races from the No. 1 qualifying position, has been to six final rounds and her win last March in the O'Reilly Spring Nationals at Houston, Texas, represents the only Funny Car victory this season for JFR. -more- Ashley/Brainerd 2222 "My crew chiefs, ‘Guido' and Ron, decided (that) if it ain't broke, don't fix it," Ashley said. "We haven't been trying a lot of new things. Because the NHRA has limited testing, we're running the same combination we always have where the other three teams in our camp have been trying a lot of new things that they've had to test at the races." That difference in philosophy is reflected in the point standings. Ashley rolls into BIR in third place as one of only three drivers to have clinched a starting spot in the Countdown. She also is one of only three drivers to have led the points this year and is the only driver to have led each of the last two years. "If you look at all the drivers in our category, there's not one dominant person," she said. "It could be anybody's championship (and) that's exciting for us because we are a newer team. You wouldn't think that, going up against teams that have been racing longer than I have been alive, including my father, that we would be thinking about a championship, but in our sport, anything can happen. It's not impossible. We definitely have the car to do it if we can just not make mistakes." The difference between this year and last is that a year ago Force Hood's team was randomly doing well. This year, it has achieved the kind of consistency that was the trademark of her father's team during its run to 10 straight titles (1993-2002). "I think we have a great chance at it but, on the other hand, we want dad and Robert and Mike to have a shot, too. There's still time (for her teammates to make the Countdown)," she said. * * * * Did You Know? – Ashley is the Brainered International Raceway record holder at the 1,000 foot distance at 4.110 seconds, a mark she set last year in qualifying No. 1 for the first time at the Lucas Oil Nationals. – Ashley was the 2008 winner of the Automobile Club of Southern California's Road to the Future Award as the NHRA Rookie-of-the-Year. – Ashley is the only Funny Car driver to have led the points each of the last two years. – Ashley was recognized as the 2008 Female Athlete of the Year by the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation in Los Angeles. – Ashley's Castrol GTX Mustang was the fastest Funny Car at the 1,000 foot distance in 2008 (310.05 mph) and is the fastest again this year (312.13 mph). * * * * Off the Track: – Ashley was among a group of drivers and NHRA sponsors who participated in the Opening Bell ceremony at the New York Stock Exchange on June 10. She was joined by BP/Castrol executive Marci Brand, Regional Vice-President, Automotive Americas, as well as by drivers Antron Brown, Bob Tasca III, Morgan Lucas, Karen Stoffer, Tony Pedregon and Eddie Krawiec. – Ashley was one of the stars of Driving Force, a real life series that aired for two seasons on A&E Network and focused on her development as a race car driver. – Ashley and her cat, Simba, are featured in a coffee table book on athletes and their pets by award-winning photographer David Woo. – Ashley has written a children's book focusing on a "Day at the Races" for which a publisher currently is being sought. -www.johnforceracing.com- For more information about Castrol-branded products and services, please visit us at Castrol.com/US