JFR CAMAROS QUICKEST ON SATURDAY AT SONOMA

TEAM JFR QUALIFYING REPORT2016
NHRA Final Qualifying Summary15th
of 24 races in the NHRA Mello Yello Series 29th
annual Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals
Sonoma RacewaySonoma,
CAJuly
29-31, 2016Photos courtesy of AutoImagery/Richard
Shute for media use only *
* * *JFR
CAMAROS QUICKEST ON SATURDAY AT SONOMASONOMA, CA –
On Saturday the trio of John Force Racing Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Cars made the
quickest runs on the final day of qualifying and Brittany Force was third
quickest of the final session for Top Fuel. The conditions today should mirror
race day conditions for the 29th annual Toyota Sonoma NHRA Nationals. The current
quartet of JFR drivers will be looking for their  10th win at Sonoma Raceway
tomorrow. Most recent winner in the wine country Courtney
Force qualified her Traxxas Chevrolet Camaro SS in the No. 2 spot with a 3.871
second run at 322.50 mph on Friday night and continued her qualifying success
today at Sonoma Raceway. The 2014 Funny Car winner posted a 3.906 second at
323.97 mph pass in the heat of the day during the third qualifying session and
wrapped up Saturday’s festivities with an impressive 3.884 second lap at 323.19
mph. Force was quickest Funny Car in both sessions today, adding six additional
bonus points to her three from Friday.“It’s always
a lot of fun driving these cars because they’re so unpredictable. You never
know what they’re going to do, but man, this Chevy Camaro has been flying down
the race track. It’s been a lot of fun to drive for me,�?? said Force.Force will match
up with Gary Densham in the opening round on race day. She has raced Densham
only twice in previous events, once in Seattle in 2014 and once in Pomona in
2015. She is 1-1 to the veteran driver. This is their first meeting this
season. She has qualified in the No. 1, 2 or 3 positions in seven of the first
15 races this season and sits No. 2 in the Mello Yello Funny Car point
standings.“Being up on
the line and having The Snake (Hall of Fame Funny Car driver Don Prudhomme) come
under my hood of my Funny Car and give me a thumbs up, that is the coolest
feeling as a driver. I got thrown off a little bit, but it’s awesome and it
pumps me up even more to get a solid pass. To get those three points is huge
for us right now so we’re just hoping to keep creeping up that ladder,�?? said
Force.Force’s
teammate and JFR president Robert Hight was equally as dominant in the final
qualifying session on Saturday. The Automobile Club of Southern California
Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car made the second quickest run of the day in the
first session an ultra-quick 3.913 second run which earned the 2008 Toyota
Sonoma Nationals winner two qualifying bonus points.After the run
Hight was fired up with his team’s performance on a hot race track. Hight is
also looking for his second Toyota Sonoma Nationals win tomorrow. In 2008 Hight
defeated Gary Densham in the final.“That was a
nice perfect run for this Auto Club Camaro. I was able to launch straight and
that made a big difference. We have been making runs and not going straight but
that run there was perfect.  Great job by the guys.  I love always
coming to Sonoma and I have been to every single race here either as a fan, a
crew member or as a driver,�?? said Hight.John Force
made a switch on Saturday that brought the “magic�?? back to his PEAK Chevrolet
Camaro team. After qualifying concluded on Friday Force’s crew chief Jon
Schaffer met with the most recent Mile High Nationals winner and discussed the
possibility of switching back to the Realtree PEAK Camaro body for the rest of the
race and possibly the last race of the Western Swing. The team was spending a
disproportionate amount of time repairing the body after each run due to the stress
exerted hitting speeds over 300 mph in under four seconds.After receiving
permission from the PEAK marketing team the crew brought out the camo body and
proceeded to make their quickest run of the weekend in the final qualifying
session. It was a strong 3.89 second run in the heat that propelled Force to the
No. 6 qualifying position. The ten-time finalist and seven-time winner will
face Alexis DeJoria in the first round.“(Crew
chief) Jon Schaffer is doing a really good job and working with
everybody.  We put the Peak/Realtree body back on it because we crashed
the other Chevrolet Camaro body.   We came here with Auto Club to
Southern California and I am really excited about the fans in the stands. 
It’s unbelievable that you pack it in here for us because the race teams love
you.   Coca-Cola and Mello Yello, God bless you for what you do for
NHRA,�?? said Force from the top end.In the final
Top Fuel final session Brittany Force and the Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster
team jumped from the No. 10 spot to the No. 6 spot. Force crossed the finish
line 3.728 seconds at 325.85 mph after she hit the throttle in her 10,000 hp
Monster Energy dragster. The two-time 2016 winner was looking at starting from
the bottom half of the field for the third time in four seasons at Sonoma
Raceway but moved into the top half and will face T.J. Zizzo in the first
round.“It is
always good to end qualifying on a good note. Tomorrow’s conditions will be
very similar to this afternoon.  That was
an important run for us. It went right down the race track. We have T.J. Zizzo
in the first round and we have never raced him before,�?? said Force. “Our goal
will be to get that first round win and then go more rounds after that. Brian
Husen and Alan Johnson have given me a great race car and I am excited to get
to the race tomorrow with this Monster Energy Top Fuel dragster.�??Force has
never faced Chicagoan Zizzo in eliminations and the fourth year pro has also
never won at Sonoma Raceway.*
* * *NHRA ON TVSaturday,
July 30, FS1 will televise one hour of qualifying coverage at 10 p.m. (ET).Sunday,
July 31, FOX will televise three hours of live finals coverage at 4 p.m. (ET).*
* * *THE DRIVERSJOHN FORCE, 67, PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant
2016 Chevrolet Camaro SSFinal Qualifying: 6th at
3.890, 329.10 mph 
Bonus Qualifying Points: +2 (2nd quickest of Q4)First round
opponent (W-L): Alexis DeJoria (15-9)ROBERT HIGHT, 46, Auto Club 2016 Chevrolet
Camaro SSFinal Qualifying: 3rd at
3.874, 327.03 mph. 
Bonus Qualifying Points: +3 (3rd quickest of Q2 and 2nd quickest of
Q3)First round
opponent (W-L): Jeff Diehl (5-1)COURTNEY FORCE, 28, Traxxas 2016 Chevrolet
Camaro SSFinal Qualifying: 2nd at
3.871, 323.97 mph
Bonus Qualifying Points: +9 (3rd quickest of Q1, 2nd quickest of Q2, quickest
of Q3 and Q4)First round
opponent (W-L): Gary Densham (1-1)BRITTANY FORCE, 30, Monster Energy Top Fuel
DragsterFinal Qualifying: 6th at
3.728, 325.85 mph
Bonus Qualifying Points: +1 (3rd quickest of Q4) First round
opponent (W-L): T. J. Zizzo (0-0)*
* * *RACE SCHEDULE:Sunday, July
31Final
Eliminations                    11:00
AM ****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