TEAM CASTROL/JOHN AND ASHLEY PRE-RACE PACKAGE FOR INDY
TEAM CASTROL JOHN FORCE/ASHLEY FORCE HOOD Pre-Race Package for the 55th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals August Sept. 4-7, 2009 O’Reilly Raceway Park Indianapolis, Ind. 18th and final event setting the field for the Full Throttle Countdown to One playoffs, a six-race shootout that begins Sept. 18-20 with the second running of the NHRA Carolina Nationals a ZMax Raceway at Concord. * * * * follow John Force Racing at _www.twitter.com/jfr_racing_ (http://www.twitter.com/jfr_racing) * * * * OVERVIEW: Robert “Top Gun�?? Hight hopes that history repeats itself this week. If so, the driver of the Auto Club Ford Mustang will earn the 10th and final starting spot in the NHRA’s Countdown to One playoffs. If not, well, anything is possible. If Hight does what he’s done the last three years, which is reach the final round of drag racing’s oldest, largest and most prestigious event, and Cruz Pedregon and Matt Hagan also do what they’ve done in the recent past, which is bow out in the first or second round, it will give Hight another chance at a title that has remained just beyond his grasp. Although he’s never finished worse than fifth in NHRA Funny Car points, Hight enters this week’s race in 12th place, 38 points behind Pedregon, who occupies the 10th and final transfer position, and seven points behind Hagan. If he is to make the playoffs, he’ll have to do so in a car prepared by Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly, who usually are assigned to John Force’s Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang. Two of the other three JFR drivers – Force, the 14-time NHRA champion, and his daughter, Ashley Force Hood – already have locked up their Countdown positions. Second year pro Mike Neff needs only to qualify his Ford Drive One Mustang to join them in a field that will begin racing for the $500,000 championship when the tour moves to Charlotte, N.C., for the second annual NHRA Carolina Nationals. Force Hood, who tested impressively last week in the Castrol GTX Mustang, is the highest placed of the five Ford drivers currently in the Countdown. After leading the points a month ago, the 26-year-old is in third place behind Tony Pedregon and Ron Capps. Also competing at ORP will be the youngest of Force’s daughters – Brittany, 23, and Courtney, 21. Both will drive in the Top Alcohol Dragster class for veteran crew chief Jerry Darien, who won the Top Alcohol title with their sister, Ashley, in 2004. Brittany will be at the wheel of the BrandSource dragster; Courtney at the controls of the Sanyo Supercharged HD dragster. * * * * JFR RACING HISTORY AT O’REILLY RACEWAY PARK: Wins – 8, four by John Force for Castrol GTX High Mileage (1993, 1996, 1998, 2002); one by Gary Densham for the Auto Club of Southern California (2004); two by Robert Hight for the Auto Club of Southern California (2006, 2008); one by Ashley Force Hood for Castrol GTX (2004, Top Alcohol Dragster). Last year – Robert Hight took the Auto Club Ford to the final round for the third straight year and won his second U.S. Nationals title, beating teammate Mike Neff in the second round and “Fast Jack�?? Beckman in the final. Notable #1 – John Force has failed to qualify the last two years at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, the event in which he has most often qualified No. 1 (11 times). Notable #2 – Ashley Force Hood earned her first national event victory when she won the Top Alcohol Dragster title at the 2004 Mac Tools U.S. Nationals the same year that Gary Densham won the Funny Car title for John Force Racing, Inc. Notable #3 – Crew chief Jimmy Prock has put a Funny Car in the final round four of the last five years at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, winning with Gary Densham in 2004 and Robert Hight in 2006 and 2008. He’ll try to win this year with his third different driver as the temporary crew chief to John Force on the Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford. * * * * PRO POINTS (2009 NHRA Full Throttle Series point standings) FUNNY CAR – *1. Tony Pedregon, Q Racing Chevrolet, 1292; *2. Ron Capps, NAPA Dodge Charger, 1219; *3. Ashley Force Hood, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, 1128; *4. Bob Tasca III, Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang, 1008; *5. Jack Beckman, Valvoline/MTS Dodge Charger, 996; *6. Tim Wilkerson, Levi, Ray and Shoup Ford Mustang, 982; *7. Del Worsham, Al-Anabi Toyota Solara, 929; *8. John Force, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang, 919; 9. Mike Neff, Ford Drive One Ford Mustang, 872; 10. Cruz Pedregon, Advance Toyota Solara, 801. Also, 11. Matt Hagan, Shelor Motor Mile Dodge Charger, 770; 12. Robert Hight, Auto Club of Southern California Ford Mustang, 763. TOP FUEL – *1. Antron Brown, Matco Tools dragster, 1435; *2. Larry Dixon, Al-Anabi dragster, 1248; *3. Tony Schumacher, U.S. Army dragster, 1194; *4. Cory McClenathan, Fram dragster, 1040; *5. Brandon Bernstein, Budweiser dragster, 1029; *6. Morgan Lucas, GEICO Insurance dragster, 981; *7. Spencer Massey, US Smokeless Tobacco dragster, 980; *8. Shawn Langdon, Lucas Oil dragster, 932; 9. Doug Kalitta, Kalitta Racing dragster, 765; 10. Clay Millican, Nitrofish dragster, 682. Also, 11. Joe Hartley, Hartley Racing dragster, 679. PRO STOCK – *1. Jeg Coughlin Jr., Jeg’s Chevrolet Cobalt, 1438; *2. Jason Line, Summit Racing Pontiac GXP, 1373; *3. Mike Edwards, Young Life/Penhall Pontiac, 1349; *4. Greg Anderson, Summit Racing Pontiac GXP, 1222; *5. Allen Johnson, Team Mopar Dodge Stratus, 1076; *6. Greg Stanfield, Attitude Apparel Pontiac GXP, 862; *7. Ron Krisher, Valvoline Chevrolet Cobalt, 847; 8. Kurt Johnson, ACDelco Chevrolet Cobalt, 824; 9. Rickie Jones, Quarter-Max/RJ Race Cars Dodge Stratus, 742; 10. Warren Johnson, K&N Filters Pontiac GXP, 715. Also, 11. Johnny Gray, Johnny Gray Racing Dodge Stratus, 706. PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE – *1. Eddie Krawiec, Englishtown, N.J., Harley-Davidson V-Rod, 1026; *2. Andrew Hines, Brownsburg, Ind., Harley-Davidson V-Rod, 837; *3. Hector Arana, Milltown, Ind., Buell, 722; *4. Matt Smith, King, N.C., Suzuki, 720; *5. Douglas Horne, Aberdeen, Md., Buell, 685; *6. Craig Treble, Harvey, La., Suzuki, 673; 7. Matt Guidera, Loomis, Calif., Buell, 583; 8. Michael Phillips, Baton Rouge, La., Suzuki, 500; 9. Shawn Gann, Stoneville, N.C., Buell, 475; 10. Karen Stoffer, Smith, Nev., Suzuki, 459. Also, 11. Steve Johnson, Birmingham, Ala., Suzuki, 457; 12. Junior Pippin, Conyers, Ga., Buell, 409. *clinched position in Countdown to One playoffs. * * * * TELEVISION (all on ESPN2, all times Eastern Daylight): Qualifying – Sunday, Sept. 6, 11:30-2 p.m; 5-7 p.m. NHRA RaceDay – Sunday, Sept. 6, 11 a.m. Race Highlights – Monday, Sept. 7, 1-6 p.m. Repeat race highlights – Friday, Sept. 11, 3-5 a.m. Sportsman highlights – Sunday, Sept. 13, 6-7 p.m. **John Force on SPEED TV's Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain -- Sunday, Sept. 6, 10 p.m. **first in multi-part interview on safety * * * * NEXT EVENTS (2009 NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to One): 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. 4th annual NHRA Virginia Nationals, Oct. 9-11, Richmond, Va. 9th annual NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, Oct. 30-Nov. 1, Las Vegas, Nev. 45th annual Automobile Club Finals, Nov. 12-15, Pomona, Calif. * * * * 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 BP/Castrol Auto Club of Southern California 973-633-2393 714-885-2085 _lorianne.gola@bp.com_ (mailto:lorianne.gola@bp.com) _lalor.rick@aaa-calif.com_ (mailto:lalor.rick@aaa-calif.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 WHICH FORCE FORD WILL RACE AT MAC TOOLS U.S. NATIONALS? 14-Time Series Champ Tries to Put DNQs Behind Him INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – As John Force prepares this week for his 30th Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, his first in a quarter century without Austin Coil as his crew chief, he must wonder which of his Castrol GTX® High Mileage™ Ford Mustangs will show up? Dr. Jekyll? Or Mr. Hyde? When racing begins Friday at O'Reilly Raceway Park, will Force find himself in the Funny Car that's won the world's oldest, richest and most prestigious drag race four times? Or the one that's been eliminated in the first round on seven occasions? Will it be the Castrol Ford that has started from the front at ORP more often than any other (11 times)? Or the one that hasn't made the starting lineup the last two years? Will it be the track record-holder for quarter mile time at 4.691 seconds? Or the Ford that hasn't won a round on Labor Day since 2004. One thing is certain, no matter what car he finds beneath him, Force is determined this year to re-assert himself. "We haven't qualified in two years and that's embarrassing," he said, "but we've fixed the problems. We haven't won this year, but this is a better car. It's more consistent but it hasn't been consistent enough to win, yet. There's still time." If Force breaks out of his slump this week and wins a race for the first time in more than a year he'll do so without Coil, with whom he has won 126 races, 14 series championships at 999 racing rounds over the last 25 seasons. In an effort to build a fire under a team that this year has underperformed, at least by its own standards, Force opted to temporarily swap seats with son-in-law Robert "Top Gun" Hight, who is battling this week for his playoff life. -more- Force/Mac Tools U.S. Nationals 2222 The upshot is that Hight is driving an Auto Club Ford prepared this week by Coil and Bernie Fedderly while Force is in a Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang tuned by Jimmy Prock. It's in the Prock car that the Hall of Famer went to the semifinals two weeks ago at Reading, Pa., thereby securing a berth in the playoffs for the third straight year. "I hate not being with (Coil and Fedderly) because we have done this for so long together," Force said, "but they're who I'll finish my career with. This is just for right now. When the Countdown starts, I'll be back with Austin and Bernie. "The deal was to get Robert in a more consistent Mustang to help him move up in the points," said the 60-year-old drag racing icon. "It was based on putting an older guy like me with a younger kid (Prock) and putting a younger kid like Robert with older guys like Bernie and Austin – just to shake things up." As for Prock, who has struggled mightily this season while dealing with new components and concepts, Force believes he's on the verge of regaining his position as one of the most successful crew chiefs in the sport, one who has saddled the Indy Funny Car winner three times in the last five years. "He's been a little lost, but he's close," said the 14-time Auto Racing All-America selection. "All he needs is to get his confidence back." * * * * Did You Know? – Last year, John was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in Novi, Mich. – This is the furthest John has gone into a season without reaching the final round in his entire career. It's been 32 races since John won the 2008 O'Reilly Summer Nationals at Topeka, Kan. (June 1). – When John reached the semifinals two weeks ago at Reading, Pa., it marked the first time since July 28, 1984 that he had won a racing round without Austin Coil as his crew chief. Jimmy Prock tuned the Castrol GTX High Mileage Mustang to its most recent wins over Matt Hagan and Jeff Arend. Larry Frazier was Force's crew chief when he beat Tim Grose in the first round of the 1984 Mile-High Nationals at Denver. For the Record: – Of the 17 NHRA tour events, past and present, in which he has logged as many as 20 starts, the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals is the only one in which he has won fewer than 40 rounds (39). – 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's reached the finals. – John hasn't qualified No. 1 since Sept. 1, 2006, the last time he made the starting lineup at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. That's a span of 66 races, the longest such streak of his pro career. – By earning one of the 10 starting spots in the NHRA's Countdown to One playoffs, John secured his record 25th straight Top 10 finish. -www.johnforceracing.com- For more information about Castrol-branded products and services, please visit us at Castrol.com/US Force/Mac Tools U.S. Nationals 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 (1032) 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 (25) 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 (519) 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/Mac Tools U.S. Nationals 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 racing rounds won the last 25 years with a crew chief other than Austin Coil. 3 screws securing ankle bones from compound fracture suffered in Sept. 23, 2007 crash at Dallas, Texas. 4 wins in the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals (1993,1996, 1998, 2002). 5 seasons with 10 or more tour victories (1993-94, 1996, 1999-2000). 6 final round appearances in the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals with runner-up finishes in 1991 and 1995. 7 seasons since last Mac Tools U.S. Nationals win 8 current position in Full Throttle points. 9 runner-up finishes before winning for the first time. 10 straight Funny Car titles (1993-2002). 14 times named to AARWBA Auto Racing All-America Team. 22 consecutive seasons with at least one NHRA tour victory. 24 consecutive Top 10 finishes. 126 tour events won 1032 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 FORCE HOOD SEEKS VICTORY ON SPORT'S BIGGEST STAGE Champ's Daughter Hopes to Add FC Win to 2004 Title INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – She's the new face of high performance, an admitted tomboy with helmet hair and clutch dust makeup who, for the next generation, is redefining what is sexy. Although she can dazzle in a little black dress and heels, Ashley Force Hood admittedly is more comfortable in the seven-layer firesuit, gloves, boots and custom helmet she'll don this week to drive a 300 mile-an-hour race car in the 55th annual Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at O'Reilly Raceway Park. No longer a novelty in a division that didn't crown a woman winner in its first 40 years, Force Hood will be one of the Labor Day Funny Car favorites at the wheel of the same Castrol GTX™ Ford Mustang in which she shattered one of the last of drag racing's gender myths. The 26-year-old daughter of drag racing legend John Force added a victory this year at Houston to the historic breakthrough win she claimed last year at Atlanta, but her emergence as a contender is about much more than just her Full Throttle tour titles. Two weeks ago at Reading, Pa., she showed one of the many reasons that she is poised to become the sport's first female Funny Car Champion when, after a spectacular engine explosion and flash fire that carried her 8,000 horsepower hybrid into the guardwall, she brought it to a safe stop, then calmly exited out the emergency hatch cut into the roof. "She did everything we taught her to do," said her father. "She got it to the wall to scrub off some speed, kept it in her lane, got it stopped and got out. I couldn't have been prouder." It was the second major incident of Ashley's brief career after a similar explosion and crash at Seattle during her Rookie-of-the-Year season in 2007. Afterward, she was typically unshaken. -more- Ashley/Mac Tools U.S. Nationals 2222 "(It) felt like everything was going good," she said. "It was going right down the groove and then it just banged. Vision was really the issue. There was some fire initially, but then it was back behind me. I really couldn't see anything (and) I was trying to gauge where I was on the track. "I finally was able to see the wall out of my left window. I got it stopped and we brought it back (and) we were joking that (the car) looked like abstract art. Now, my guys are calling me ‘Fireball Force.'" Indeed, the graduate of Cal State-Fullerton has been a fireball figuratively as well as literally this year. Her five No. 1 starts this season is a category best and her six trips to the final round made her one of the first three drivers to clinch a berth in the NHRA's Countdown to One playoffs which begin in two weeks at zMAX Dragway in Charlotte. The only Funny Car driver to have led the points each of the last two years, Ashley this week is hoping to build momentum for a title run with a strong showing in a U.S. Nationals event she won five years ago in the Top Alcohol Dragster category in which she developed her skills before moving up in classification in 2007. "If you look at all the drivers in our category, there's not one dominant person," Ashley said, "(so) it could be anybody's championship. 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've been alive, we would be thinking about a championship, but in our sport, anything can happen. I think we have a great shot at it." * * * * Did You Know? – 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 named 2008 Female Athlete of the Year by the Jim Murray Memorial Foundation. – 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 is one of four Full Throttle tour regulars whose likenesses were reproduced on special collector's-edition cups distributed the week of the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at 155 participating McDonald's locations in the Indianapolis area. Ashley, Top Fuel contenders Antron Brown and Cory McClenathan and Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Eddie Krawiec were the featured drivers and each made personal appearances at a specific McDonald's store in the area. – 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 and her cat, Simba, are featured in a coffee table book on athletes and their pets by award-winning photographer David Woo. -www.johnforceracing.com- For more information about Castrol-branded products and services, please visit us at Castrol.com/US