Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force notches No. 6 qualifying position in Dallas

Advance Auto Parts driver Courtney Force notches No. 6 qualifying position in Dallas ENNIS, Texas (Oct. 14) – Courtney Force knows the difference between two days of qualifying and Sunday’s AAA Texas FallNationals at Texas Motorplex will be about as different as day and night.   After two days of qualifying in ambient temperatures in excess of 90 degrees – with track conditions exceeding 119 degrees – race day conditions are expected to be considerably cooler, with first-round eliminations expected in the mid-60s.   That means there’s no clear favorite to win the 22nd Funny Car race of the 2017 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season and fourth of the annual Countdown to the Championship.   Which may be perfect for Force, driver of the Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car. She’s been strong in the heat and good in cooler conditions as well this season, and with her new pink livery, hopes to put the car into winner’s circle for the first time this season.   She’ll try to do it from the No. 6 qualifying position. Her best run came Friday afternoon, when she notched two bonus points with a pass of 3.928 seconds at 331.94 mph. After two subsequent runs in which she slowed once, then smoked the tires on another, Force was on a good final run before the pan pressure shut the car off before she coasting to the top end. Still, she managed the third-quickest run of the session – 3.957 seconds at 308.64 mph.   Force will face off against No. 11 Daniel Wilkerson, whose best run was 3.987 seconds at 311.13 mph.   “We’re excited going into race day,�?? said Force, the 2014 race winner. “We didn’t have the consistency we were looking for through qualifying, but the conditions are going to change tomorrow; it’s going to be a lot cooler than what we qualified. It’s going to be a whole new game plan, and we’re going to see where the Advance Auto Parts team is going to go.   “We’re in the middle of the Countdown to the Championship, so we’re going to have to give it all we got. We hope for a long race day. I’m also excited to see my teammate (Robert Hight) go to the No. 1 spot in the AAA Texas car,�?? added Force, referring to Hight’s late-pass that netted him the top position by one thousandth of a second.   Eliminations for the 32nd annual AAA Texas FallNationals begins at 11 a.m. Central. Three hours of live television coverage begins at 1 p.m. Central on Fox Sports 1.   4-Second Reads: Qualifying Round 1 (Right Lane): 3.928 seconds/331.94 mph; strong run right down the middle for second best of session (No. 2 of session and No. 2 overall; two bonus points in session) Qualifying Round 2 (Left Lane): 5.292 seconds/134.19 mph; slows just after the 300-foot mark (No. 13 of session and No. 5 overall; no bonus points in session and two bonus points overall) Qualifying Round 3 (Left Lane): 7.302 seconds/85.88 mph; goes into smoke around the 300-foot mark (No. 17 of session and No. 5 overall; no bonus points in session and two bonus points overall) Qualifying Round 4 (Left Lane): 3.957 seconds/308.64 mph; strong run but pan pressure shut the car off prematurely (No. 3 of session and No. 6 overall; one bonus point in session and three bonus points overall) This is the first time this season and 12th time in her career Force has qualified No. 6 for a race. The last time she qualified No. 6 was at Gateway Motorsports Park in 2016. This is the first time Force has qualified No. 6 at Dallas. Her best qualifying position is No. 1 – in 2012 and 2014. Force is looking for her first victory from the No. 6 position. She has two semifinals appearances as best performances. Force’s first-round matchup against Daniel Wilkerson marks the first time the two will compete against each other. 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 256 professional victories in Funny Car (251) and Top Fuel (5). 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: Michael Harker John Force Racing Public Relations (386) 547-3943 mharker@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 mharker@johnforceracing.com in collaboration with Try it free today