TEAM CASTROL/JOHN AND ASHLEY PRE-RACE PACKAGE FOR ENGLISHTOWN
TEAM CASTROL/JFR 25TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON JOHN FORCE/ASHLEY FORCE HOOD Pre-Race Package for the 41st annual NHRA SuperNationals June 10-13, 2010 Old Bridge Township Raceway Park Englishtown, N.J. 11th event in the Countdown to the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Championship * * * * follow John Force Racing at _www.twitter.com/jfr_racing_ (http://www.twitter.com/jfr_racing) To celebrate 25 years of Castrol sponsorship, go to _www.castrolforce.com_ (http://www.castrolforce.com/) * * * * Castrol/JFR 25th Anniversary Flashback: On May 17, 1998, John Force laid one of the cornerstone’s of his “ Superman�?? reputation when he accelerated his Castrol GTX Ford to a national record-setting speed of 323.89 miles per hour in a final round victory over Jim Epler in what then was the Mopar Nationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. While that is only one of several world record-setting performances by the 129-time tour winner over the course of his 33-year pro career, it was particularly noteworthy because it made him not only the fastest driver in the Funny Car division but the fastest on the planet. That’s because the fastest speed achieved by a Top Fuel dragster at the time was Joe Amato’s national record 323.50 mph. Significantly, Force was not a one run wonder at that event. He qualified second behind Cruz Pedregon at 4.845 seconds and 323.35 mph, which at the time was the fastest speed in Funny Car history. During eliminations, he accelerated to speeds of 321.27 mph, 321.35 mph, 318.32 mph and, finally, 323.89 mph. Force held onto the unofficial “King of Speed�?? title for six-and-a-half months – until Gary Scelzi bumped the Top Fuel record to 326.44 mph on Oct. 30 at Houston, Texas. EVENT OVERVIEW: The experience of John Force, the tireless effort of Robert “Top Gun�?? Hight and the youthful exuberance of Ashley Force Hood insure a potent 1-2-3 punch for Team Castrol this week as the NHRA Full Throttle tour moves to Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. A finalist in each of the last four races and the quickest Funny Car driver at both the quarter mile and 1,000 foot distances (4.636 seconds and 4.005 seconds, respectively), Hight is the first driver this season to knock Force from atop of the driver standings. Last week, Hight became the first Funny Car driver in 10 years, the first since Force in 2000, to win as many as 17 consecutive racing rounds. He did so by taking the Jimmy Auto Club Ford to the final round of the United Association Route 66 Nationals at Joliet, Ill. This week, the reigning NHRA Funny Car champ is determined to start a new streak and, although he never before has won at Raceway Park, his enthusiasm is fueled by crew chief Jimmy Prock’s history at the New Jersey track on which he won with former Team Castrol driver Gary Densham in 2002 and 2004. Nevertheless, Hight certainly isn’t the only John Force Racing driver with incentive this week. Force hasn’t won at Raceway Park since 1999, his longest victory drought at any track in the series, and, after several near misses, Force Hood would like to win her first race of the season in front of pro-Castrol crowd. After struggling a year ago, Force started the season spectacularly by winning three of the first six races, starting from No. 1 three times, his first front-of-the-pack starts since 2006, and pushing the Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang celebrating his 25 years with Castrol sponsorship through the 1,000 foot timers in 4.021 seconds, quicker than current record of 4.022 by Matt Hagan. Although the 61-year-old phenom has “cooled off�?? a bit, he is looking forward to racing at Englishtown, one of the first tracks that took an interest in him back before he was the celebrated champion he is today. Force Hood, the reigning Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Champion, comes into the race tied for third in points with Hagan. She is the highest ranking driver without a 2010 victory, a shortcoming she hopes to address this week. All she wants to do is take her Castrol GTX Mustang one round further than last year when she was runner-up to Tony Pedregon. * * * * JFR RACING HISTORY AT RACEWAY PARK: Wins – 7, four by John Force for Castrol GTX (1993, 1996, 1998, 1999); one by Tony Pedregon for Castrol SYNTEC (2001); two by Gary Densham for the Auto Club of Southern California (2002, 2004). Last year – After qualifying No. 1 and setting a track record for Funny Car speed at the 1000 foot distance (309.84 mph), Ashley Force Hood dropped a .03 of a second decision to Tony Pedregon in the final round. Notable #1 – John Force has gone longer without a victory in the SuperNationals than he has in any other event in the Full Throttle Series. He last won at Raceway Park on May 23, 1999, beating Cruz Pedregon in the final round. He is winless in his last 10 starts at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. Notable #2 – When John Force was struggling to establish himself in professional racing, the late Vinnie Napp was one of the first track operators outside of California to see his potential and pay him to participate in “ match race�?? events. Notable #3 – Mike Neff, now one of the crew chiefs for team owner John Force, set the 1,000 foot record at Raceway Park for Funny Car time when he was clocked last year in 4.051 seconds at the wheel of the Drive One Ford Mustang. * * * * PRO POINTS (Current 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Series point standings): FUNNY CAR – 1. Robert Hight, Auto Club Ford Mustang, 780; 2. John Force, Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang, 759; 3. Tie, Ashley Force Hood, Castrol GTX Ford Mustang, and Matt Hagan, Diehard Dodge Charger, 671 each; 5. Jack Beckman, MTS Dodge Charger, 652; 6. Ron Capps, NAPA Dodge Charger, 627; 7. Bob Tasca III, Quick Lane/Motorcraft Ford Mustang, 563; 8. Tim Wilkerson, Levi, Ray and Shoup Ford Mustang, 532; 9. Tony Pedregon, Quaker State Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 522; 10. Del Worsham, Al Anabi Toyota Solara, 499. TOP FUEL – 1. Larry Dixon, 969; 2. Tony Schumacher, 834; 3. Cory McClenathan, 810; 4. Doug Kalitta, 765; 5. Antron Brown, 646; 6. Brandon Bernstein, 600; 7. Shawn Langdon, 481; 8. Morgan Lucas, 472; 9. Steve Torrence, 410; 10. David Grubnic, 370. PRO STOCK – 1. Mike Edwards, Pontiac GXP, 1085; 2. Allen Johnson, Dodge Avenger, 748; 3. Jeg Coughlin Jr., Chevrolet Cobalt, 645; 4. Greg Anderson, Pontiac GXP, 598; 5. Ron Krisher, Chevrolet Cobalt, 545; 6. Jason Line, Pontiac GXP, 537; 7. Greg Stanfield, Pontiac GXP, 527; 8. Rodger Brogdon, Pontiac GXP, 466; 9. Shane Gray, Pontiac GXP, 403; 10. Rickie Jones, Pontiac GXP, 393. PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE – 1. Hector Arana, Buell, 558; 2. Andrew Hines, Harley-Davidson V-Rod, 423; 3. Matt Smith, Buell, 406; 4. Eddie Krawiec, Harley-Davidson V-Rod, 386; 5. Michael Phillips, Suzuki, 360; 6. L.E. Tonglet, Suzuki, 355; 7. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 339; 8. Craig Treble, Suzuki, 323; 9. David Hope, Buell, 313; 10. Karen Stoffer, Suzuki, 288. * * * * TELEVISION (all on ESPN2, all times Eastern Daylight): Qualifying – Saturday, June 12, 11 pm-12:30 am NHRA RaceDay – Sunday, June 13, 3:30-4 pm Race Highlights – Sunday, June. 13, 4-7 pm Repeat race highlights – Wednesday, June 16, 2-4 am * * * * NEXT EVENTS (2010 NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship): 10th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, June 18-20, Bristol, Tenn. 4th annual Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, June 25-27, Norwalk, Ohio. 23rd annual NHRA Northwest Nationals, July 9-11, Seattle, Wash. 23rd annual FRAM/Autolite Nationals, July 16-18, Sonoma, Calif. 31st annual Mopar Mile-High Nationals, July 23-25, Denver, Colo. 29th annual Lucas Oil Nationals, Aug. 13-15, Brainerd, Minn. * * * * CONTACTS: For John Force Racing, Inc.: Elon Werner Kelly Antonelli Chad Light 214-244-1184 317-858-8900 714-921-8123 _elon@johnforceracing.com_ (mailto:elon@johnforceracing.com) _kelly@johnforceracing.com_ (mailto:kelly@johnforceracing.com) _chad@johnforceracing.com_ (mailto:chad@johnforceracing.com) For BP/Castrol: Dave Densmore Lori Anne Gola _denswood@aol.com_ (mailto:denswood@aol.com) _lorianne.gola@bp.com_ (mailto:lorianne.gola@bp.com) 214-244-0008 973-633-2393 For Ford Racing: Kevin Kennedy _kkennedy@pcgcampbell.com_ (mailto:kkennedy@pcgcampbell.com) 313-203-7108 For the Auto Club of Southern California: Rick Lalor _lalor.rick@aaa-calif.com_ (mailto:lalor.rick@aaa-calif.com) 714-885-2085 * * * * For additional information or photos, contact one of the representatives above or go to _www.johnforceracing.com_ (http://www.johnforceracing.com/) or _www.nhra.com_ (http://www.nhra.com/) . * * * * For Immediate Release FORCE AIMS TO REGAIN LEAD AS TOUR MOVES TO E-TOWN 14-Time Champ Chasing Teammate Robert Hight ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. – Even though he technically is 2,700 miles from his base in Yorba Linda, Calif., drag racing icon John Force insists that he is playing a home game this week in the 41st annual NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. Moreover, the sport’s biggest winner is hoping that “home court�?? will give him all the advantage he needs to reclaim the Funny Car points lead from son-in-law, teammate and reigning series champion Robert “Top Gun�?? Hight. Proximity isn’t a factor for the 61-year-old Hall of Famer. Home, he says, is where the heart is and his heart has belonged to Raceway Park ever since the track’s owner, the late Vinnie Napp, took a chance on an unknown driver with an uncertain future back in the early ‘80s. “Vinnie Napp was an individual who helped me get started,�?? Force said, “ back when I was just struggling to pay the bills. He was one of the first guys who ever booked me for a match race. He was tough, but he was always fair.�?? His relationship with Napp, who made him a Wednesday and Saturday night star long before he won his first NHRA tour event, always has made his return to Raceway Park something special. This year, it is even more so because of the ongoing celebration of his 25-year partnership with primary sponsor Castrol USA, a company headquartered in nearby Wayne, N.J. Ironically, despite his ties to the track and to the state, Force hasn’t had the success at Raceway Park that he has at other tour venues. Oh, he’s won four times at the track still operated by the Napp family, but he hasn’ t reached the winners’ circle since 1999 and his record is worse than at any other site in the series. He’s won just once in every seven starts in the SuperNationals. Over his 33-year career, he’s won once in every four starts (129 wins in 536 races). He hopes to end his Raceway Park victory drought this weekend in a Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang in which he won three times in the season’s first six races, putting behind him a largely forgettable 2009 campaign. “To bring these Mustangs to Castrol’s home track for our 25th season 1-2-3 in points is pretty exciting,�?? Force said. -more- John Force at the NHRA SuperNationals 2222 “All our cars are performing well,�?? said the 14-time champion, “(but) to win in front of a Castrol crowd would mean a lot. They deserve it. They’ ve been great to me and Ashley (his daughter, Ashley Force Hood, who drives the Castrol GTX Mustang), but remember, Robert Hight carries their name on his Auto Club Ford, too. So as long as one of these Mustangs gets that win on Sunday, we’ll be okay.�?? After failing to advance to a single final round last year, Force turned things around by making wholesale changes. He opted for a new chassis built in-house at the John Force Racing, Inc., facility in Brownsburg, Ind., shuffled his crew (retaining only a single member of last year’s unit) and partnered veteran crew chiefs Austin Coil, 64, and Bernie Fedderly, 63, with 43-year-old Mike Neff. Neff, who came to JFR as a driver and won last November’s Auto Club Finals at Pomona, Calif., became available when Force reacted to the economy by parking the fourth of his Ford Funny Cars. That left Neff without a ride but not without options. As crew chief to Gary Scelzi when he beat Force for the 2005 championship, Neff already had proven himself as a tuner. His seamless transition from driver back to crew chief has been a bonus and Coil and Fedderly have been quick to credit the newest member of their team for getting them back in the game. Nevertheless, after that strong start, which included three No. 1 qualifying efforts, Force hasn’t survived beyond the second round in the last four races. He hopes to reverse the trend this week. * * * * Force at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park: �?? John left Raceway Park in 1998 hailed not only as the fastest man in Funny Car racing, but the fastest in all of motor racing after he pushed his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang through the quarter mile timers at a speed of 323.89 mph, setting an NHRA national record at a speed higher than the existing Top Fuel record (323.50 mph by Joe Amato). He held that distinction from May 17 until Gary Scelzi bumped the Top Fuel record to 326.44 on Oct. 30. The Breakdown: At the NHRA SuperNationals 28 races, 28 starts, 10 final rounds, 4 wins, 3 No. 1 qualifiers, 54-24 round record (69.2%) 2010 Season 10 races, 4 final rounds, 3 wins, 3 No. 1 qualifiers, 19-7 round record (73.1%) Career 536 starts, 206 final rounds, 129 wins, 134 No. 1 qualifiers, 1056-407 round record (72.1%) Notable: John has gone longer without a victory at Raceway Park than he has at any other track in the NHRA Full Throttle Series. Although he once won four times in seven years (1993-1999), he hasn’t reached the winners’ circle since beating Cruz Pedregon in the 1999 final. -www.johnforceracing.com- For more information about Castrol-branded products and services, please visit us at Castrol.com/US John Force at the NHRA SuperNationals 3333 FORCE’s Edge Overall NHRA records (which also are Funny Car division records) – Most career victories (129) – Most series championships (14) – Most career final rounds (206) – Most career rounds won (1056) – Most consecutive series championships (10, 1993-2002) – Most consecutive seasons with one or more victories (22, 1987-2008) – Most consecutive seasons with at least one final round appearance (24, 1985-2008) – 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, 1985-present) – Highest winning percentage, one season (91.5%, 65-6) 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 (134) – Most No. 1 starts, one season (11, 1996) – Most consecutive final round appearances, one event (nine, 1992-2000, Atlanta, Ga.) – Career starts (536) Milestones – First start, Oct. 8, 1978, World Finals, Ontario, Calif., lost to Gordie Bonin – First round win, June 1, 1979, Cajun Nationals, Baton Rouge, La., over Tom McEwen – First final round, June 1, 1979, Cajun Nat’ls, Baton Rouge, La., vs. Kenny Bernstein. – First No. 1 qualifier, May 25, 1986, Cajun Nationals, Baton Rouge, La. – First tour victory, June 28, 1987, Le Grandnational, Montreal, over Ed McCulloch – 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 win at 1,000 foot distance, Feb. 14, 2010, Kragen O’Reilly Winternationals, Pomona, Calif. – First (and only) drag racer to win 1,000 racing rounds, May 4, 2008, Madison, Ill. – First Funny Car driver to win in four-wide format, March 28, 2010, Charlotte, N.C. -more- John Force at the NHRA SuperNationals 4444 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) * * * * JOHN FORCE By the Numbers 1 overall Driver of the Year award for American motor racing, 1996 2 points position in the current NHRA Full Throttle standings 3 No. 1 starts in the NHRA SuperNationals (1988, 1993 and 1994), fewer by percentage than at any other tour event 4 time winner of Jerry Titus Memorial Award for receiving most votes in balloting for the Auto Racing All-America Team (1996, 1999, 2000, 2002). 5 NHRA World Champions to whom he has lost in the final round at Raceway Park (Raymond Beadle, 1979; Mark Oswald, 1983; Kenny Bernstein, (1984); Cruz Pedregon, 2000; Tony Pedregon, 2001) 6 years since last final round at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park (2004 loss to teammate Gary Densham) 9 runner-up finishes before winning for the first time at Montreal, Canada in 1987. 10 straight Funny Car titles (1993-2002). 25 consecutive Top 10 finishes (1985-present) 129 tour events won 1056 competitive rounds won -www.johnforceracing.com- For more information about Castrol-branded products, contact us at Castrol/US.com To celebrate 25 years of Castrol sponsorship, go to _www.castrolforce.com_ (http://www.castrolforce.com/) For Immediate Release ASHLEY TRIES TO CHANGE LUCK AT RACEWAY PARK Castrol GTX Driver Seeking First Win of the Season ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. – Who could blame Ashley Force Hood if she started wondering what a girl has to do to get a break in this man’s sport. The dominant driver in Funny Car drag racing last year before brother-in-law Robert Hight mounted a late season rally to beat her to the Full Throttle Championship, Force Hood rolls into Old Bridge Township Raceway Park for this week’s 41st annual NHRA SuperNationals still looking for her first win of the season. To say she’s been close would be an understatement of epic proportions. She and her Castrol GTX Ford Mustang have lost nine times this year by an average margin of .067 of a second. The only race in which the decision wasn’t in question at the finish was the Tire Kingdom Gatornationals at Gainesville, Fla., where a loss of traction in the first round decided the issue early-on. Otherwise, it’s been a “close but no cigar�?? season for the 27-year-old who two years ago became the first woman to win a Funny Car race and the first to lead the driver standings. It’s not bad enough that she dropped a 4.218-4.222 decision to Bob Tasca III at Madison, Ill., or lost to Del Worsham on a hole shot at Topeka, Kan. (despite a track time quicker by .02 of a second), or ran 4.044, just .004 off her career best, in a semifinal loss last week to Matt Hagan, who had to set an NHRA national record (4.022 seconds) to hold her off. The pill that’s been hardest to swallow is that she’s lost two final rounds to family members; her only two finals of the year. She lost to her dad, 14-time series champion John Force, by .006 of a second (4.042 to 4.036) at the inaugural 4-Wide Nationals at Charlotte, N.C., and to Hight, the father of her favorite niece, Autumn, by a 4.185-4.232 difference at the Summit Southern Nationals at Atlanta, Ga. Despite the plethora of near misses, the graduate of Cal State-Fullerton has managed to remain, for the most part, upbeat and she is particularly excited about this week’s return to Raceway Park where, after qualifying No. 1, she was runner-up to two-time former champion Tony Pedregon a year ago. -more- Ashley at the NHRA SuperNationals 2222 “Last weekend might not have been our weekend or Robert’s or dad’s,�?? said the three-time tour winner, “but that doesn’t mean it can’t be our championship. I think (the semifinal and final round losses) lit a fire under everybody and with another race this week, there’s no time for that feeling to fade. “I just feel bad for my crew chiefs, ‘Guido’ (Dean Antonelli) and Ron (Douglas), and for my team. Those guys worked so hard. They did a great job but it just wasn’t our day. But I do believe that day is coming. You just have to stay positive. “We’ll go out and do our best and hopefully New Jersey will be our weekend,�?? said the former high school cheerleader. “I have no idea what to even think about weather. I thought (last week) was going to be a hot, humid, muggy weekend and we all wound up in coats dodging big rain storms. “Whatever (the weather) is, it’s the same for everyone and the good thing is that we know we have a car that can run in the heat or run in the cool. �?? Despite her failure to reach the winners’ circle, Ashley is solidly in contention for the championship which again will be decided in a six-race playoff beginning in September. She presently is tied for third in points despite the fact that she is the only driver in the Top 5 who has not yet won a race. She’s done everything else including qualifying No. 1 and setting a national speed record (316.38 mph). * * * * Ashley at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park: �?? Last year, Ashley reached the final round before losing to her principal nemesis in the NHRA series, Tony Pedregon �?? Before she turned pro in 2007, Ashley enjoyed success at Raceway Park in an A/Fuel dragster tuned by veteran Jerry Darien, earning runner-up honors at the 2005 SuperNationals, and winning two points races. The Ashley Report: At the NHRA SuperNationals 3 races, 1 final round, 0 wins, 1 No. 1 qualifier, 3-3 round record 2010 Season 10 races,, 2 final rounds, 0 wins, 1 No. 1 qualifier, 13-10 round record Career 79 races; 75 starts, 15 final rounds, 3 wins, 10 No. 1 qualifiers, 93-72 round record Notable: Ashley is the reigning Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Champion and the national record holder for Funny Car speed at the 1,000 foot distance at 316.38 miles per hour. Quotable: “I don’t think there’s any more pressure. I think we’ll just have more support. We’ll have a lot of people from Castrol out (at the track and) that will be just more people in our corner, cheering us on.�?? – ASHLEY FORCE HOOD on racing this week in the home state of her principal sponsor, Castrol GTX. -www.johnforceracing.com- For more information about Castrol-branded products and services, please visit us at Castrol.com/US