JOHN FORCE STEPS UP ON SATURDAY AT NORWALK

TEAM JFR QUALIFYING REPORT2016
NHRA Final Qualifying Summary12th
of 24 races in the NHRA Mello Yello Series 10th
annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals
Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports ParkNorwalk,
OhioJune
24-26, 2016Photos courtesy of Gary
Nastase Photography (JForce, CForce, BForce) and Ron Lewis Photography (Hight)
for media use only *
* * *JOHN FORCE
STEPS UP ON SATURDAY AT NORWALKNORWALK, OH –
Conditions warmed up today at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals and the
race cars of John Force Racing kept pace posting some of the quickest runs of the
day in Funny Car and Top Fuel. Team leader John Force made the biggest
improvement qualifying No. 11 after struggling on Friday. Robert Hight and
Courtney Force held onto their No. 3 and No. 4 spots respectively with Hight
earning two bonus points in the third session. The Monster Energy Top Fuel
dragster remained No. 3 and was consistently quick again for the fourth year
pro Brittany Force.Coming into
the final day of qualifying John Force was looking to turn his luck around in
Norwalk. Luckily for the 16-time Funny Car champion his Jon Schaffer tuned PEAK
Antifreeze Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS stepped up the performance
numbers today during both qualifying sessions. Force posted a strong 4.049 second
run at 316.52 mph in the opening session to secure the No. 12 qualifying spot
which was important to not have a first round match-up with a JFR teammate.In the second
session under slightly cooler but still hot conditions Force stepped up even
more running 3.979 seconds at 324.12 mph to move up to the No. 11 spot in
qualifying. Force’s run was also third quickest of the final session and sets
him up with a first round match-up against Matt Hagan. The run was a big boost
for the 143-time winner who had struggled on Friday wrestling his Funny Car
through two tough qualifying runs.“I like tell
the fans read the manual when you buy a new Chevrolet. It helps. Now we are
coming around with this young team. We are starting to show some promise and
this Chevrolet Camaro body is working good. We keep putting this PEAK Advance
Auto Parts in the show because that is my job. I am excited to get this hot rod
in the show and I am looking forward to race day tomorrow,�?? said Force who
holds a 16-14 record versus Hagan.Robert Hight
and the Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car were the second quickest Funny
Car of first session today. He lit up the scoreboard with a 4.008 elapsed time
that crew chief Mike Neff felt was a little off from what he was expecting.In the final
run of the day in Funny Car Hight ran beside friend and reigning Funny Car
champion Del Worsham. Both Funny Cars crossed the finish line in 3.99 seconds
with Hight getting the edge 3.991 to Worsham’s 3.994. Worsham had no parachutes
and took his Camry through the sand trap but escaped unharmed as Hight made the
turn off with no problems.“This Auto
Club Camaro is coming around. Mike Neff and these crew guys are doing a great
job. It was really hot today and we made two great runs. We are getting the
consistency we need and I am excited to be driving this new Chevrolet. We ran
four flat and 3.99 today in the heat and those are numbers that can win rounds,�??
said Hight.The 2009
Funny Car champion will race Brandon Welch for the first time in the opening
round of eliminations.Brittany
Force and Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster ran 3.873 seconds at 313.22 mph which
was quick enough to be the third quickest in the heat in the opening session.
In second session Force stepped up with a solid 3.848 at 317.72 mph run to go
into race day against Chris Karamesines for the second race in a row. Force
outran the legendary driver in the first round last week in Bristol.“It has been
a tough weekend here in Norwalk because the temperatures are just through the
roof. It is a struggle for this Monster Energy team and all the teams out here.
We have made four great passes straight down the race track and especially our
two runs today,�?? said Force. “Those are the runs we really need to get ready
for Sunday. It is going to be really warm tomorrow so those will be similar
conditions. I feel good we will be set up for tomorrow after two great passes
today. We are hoping to turn on a lot of win lights and we have Chris
Karamesines first round. We’ll see what the Monster Energy team can do.�??Courtney
Force made two passes on Saturday, but neither trumped her 3.889 second pass
from Friday’s evening qualifying session. She opened up today with a 4.242 ET
at 225.60 mph in the heat and followed up with a 4.010 second pass at over 318
mph in the final qualifying session.“Our Traxxas
team laid down a 3.889 early in qualifying to put us in the No. 4 spot and
we’ve managed to hold onto that throughout the weekend. In Q3 today we didn’t
get all the way down the track. My Traxxas Chevy started spinning down there so
I had to get out of it early. In Q4 we were on a really good run in the heat
and it dropped a hole so it slowed us down a little bit at the end of the run,
but we still managed to get a 4.01 out of it,�?? said Force.The
28-year-old Traxxas pilot will line up beside John Hale in the opening round on
Sunday morning.  This is only the second
time the pair have met in eliminations and the first time this season. Their
last meeting was Brainerd in 2015 when Force’s Traxxas Chevy smoked the tires
allowing Hale to get the first round win.“We’re
really looking forward to tomorrow. We have already gone back and looked at the
data needed for first round. We’re looking forward to matching up with John Hale
and we’re hoping for some first round luck here in Norwalk,�?? said Force.Force took
her Traxxas team to the final round on race day last year at NHRA Summit Racing
Equipment Nationals after qualifying in the No. 9 position.  *
* * *NHRA ON TVSunday
June 26Qualifying            12:00 AM - 1:00 AM ET (FS2)
   REPLAYQualifying            12:00 AM - 1:00 AM ET (FS1)Qualifying            8:30 AM - 9:30 AM ET (FS1)
   REPLAYFinals                     11:00 AM - 1:30 PM ET (FS1)
   LIVEFinals                     6:30
PM - 9:30 PM ET (FS2)Monday,
June 27Finals                     12:00
AM - 3:00 AM ET (FS1)Tuesday
June 28Finals                     8:30
AM - 11:30 AM ET (FS1)    REPLAYWednesday,
June 29Finals                     8:00
PM - 11:00 PM ET (FS2)    REPLAYThursday,
June 30Finals                     6:30
AM - 9:30 AM ET (FS1)    REPLAYFinals                     11:00
PM - 2:00 AM ET (FS2)    REPLAYJuly
2, SaturdayFinals                     6:00
AM - 9:00 AM ET (FS1)    REPLAYJuly
3, SundayFinals                     11:00
PM - 2:00 AM ET (FS2)    REPLAY *
* * *THE DRIVERSJOHN
FORCE, 67, PEAK/Advance Auto Parts 2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS
Final Qualifying: 11th at 3.979, 324.12 mph 
Bonus Qualifying Points: +1 (3rd quickest of Q4)First
round opponent (W-L): Matt Hagan (16-14)ROBERT
HIGHT, 46, Auto Club 2016 Chevrolet Camaro SS
Final Qualifying: 3rd at 3.886, 324.90 mph 
Bonus Qualifying Points: +3 (3rd quickest of Q2 and 2nd quickest of Q3)First
round opponent (W-L): Brandon Welch (0-0)COURTNEY
FORCE, 28, Traxxas Chevrolet Camaro SS
Final Qualifying: 4th at 3.889, 326.63 mph
Bonus Qualifying Points: 0First
round opponent (W-L): John Hale (0-1)BRITTANY
FORCE, 29, Monster Energy Top Fuel Dragster
Final Qualifying: 3rd at 3.735, 324.28 mph
Bonus Qualifying Points: +1 (3rd quickest of Q2)First
round opponent (W-L): Chris Karamesines (1-1)*
* * *RACE SCHEDULE:Sunday, June
26Final
Eliminations                    11
a.m. ****FOLLOW
JOHN FORCE RACING AT www.twitter.com/jfr_racing****Contacts:Elon
Werner                                        
Sarah
Adams               
                              John Force Racing,
Inc.                        John
Force Racing Inc.214-244-1184                           
            812-249-9823               
Elon@johnforceracing.com                  
Sarah@johnforceracing.com  www.johnforceracing.com