John Force stands third in Funny Car points with PEAK Chevrolet after strong Winternationals run

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE John Force stands third in Funny Car points with PEAK Chevrolet after strong Winternationals run POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 12) – John Force landed two round victories in the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season-opener, the Circle K NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway, and sits third in the points standings after reaching the semifinals. Force, who qualified No. 2, won his first-round matchup against former JFR driver and teammate Phil Burkart, then a close battle against Tommy Johnson Jr. before falling to daughter Courtney Force in the semifinals. “I couldn’t get the job done,�?? Force said. “The car’s running really good. It went down the race track every run. Courtney just ran quicker. She’s my youngest daughter of four, and she lives it and loves it just like (her sister) Brittany and just like (her sister) Ashley did.�?? The first run against Burkart wasn’t close, as Force’s 3.897-second pass won going away. The matchup between Force and Johnson, however, was close, with Force winning by about a half-car length on a pass of 3.897 seconds at 329.67 mph, to Johnson’s 3.939 seconds at 324.36 mph. That set up an all-Force semifinal with Courtney Force. John Force had won eight consecutive rounds against Courtney, but that streak ended as Courtney whisked by at the end for the close victory. “We’ve got a lot of work cut out for us, but we showed this weekend that our cars will run,�?? Force said. “She showed at Phoenix that she could out-run them. They’ve had more time together as a team, and we’ve made a lot of changes in our strategy, in our engine program. We’ll see how this comes out. “Robert struggled, I struggled, and then, boom! I hit a lick. A lot of work left with that dragster. Thanks to Monster Energy, Advance Auto Parts, Auto Club and PEAK. We’ve got to sell some PEAK Motor Oil and Coolant!�?? JFR cars won six rounds in Pomona, with Courtney Force racing to the final. “I’ve got no complaints,�?? Force said. “(Courtney will) be second in the points, I’ll be third. We got there. That’s all you can do. You don’t get the money, you don’t get the Wally, but you get the exposure because you’re right there with them. That’s our job, to get impressions, and we did that job today for Advance and for all our sponsors, Mac Tools, Chevrolet, everybody. Not much more to say. They won; congratulate them. Now let’s go to Phoenix.�?? The NHRA Arizona Nationals is set for Feb. 24-26 at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park in Chandler, Ariz. John Force (left) fell to daughter Courtney Force in the Winternationals semifinals. (Photo credit: Gary Nastase Photography) About John Force Racing John Force Racing, Inc., based in Yorba Linda, Calif., and Brownsburg, Ind., is a professional sports dynasty, one that has earned 18 NHRA championships and claimed 250 professional victories in Funny Car (247) and Top Fuel (3). Led by team owner and driver John Force, a 16-time Funny Car Champion, 1996 Driver of the Year for all of American motor racing, 2011 International Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee, and driver of the PEAK Coolant and Motor Oil Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, JFR is additionally comprised of Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS driver Robert Hight, 2009 Funny Car champion and 2005 NHRA Rookie of the Year; Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS driver Courtney Force, 2012 NHRA Rookie of the Year; and Monster Energy Top Fuel Dragster driver Brittany Force, 2013 NHRA Rookie of the Year. For more information, please visit johnforceracing.com. Media Contact: Lee Montgomery    John Force Racing Public Relations (704) 258-0903   lmontgomery@johnforceracing.com Connect with us         John Force Racing | 498 Southpoint Circle, Brownsburg, IN 46112 Unsubscribe submit@theautochannel.com Update Profile | About our service provider Sent by lmontgomery@johnforceracing.com in collaboration with Try it free today