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Brittany runs quickest run of her career and
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Bernatein's 3.785, 324.44
21:18
John Force: "Nothing could prepare me for
having daughters."
1:42
Bio
Snippets
News
Results
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Bio
After earning their undergraduate degrees, some
aspiring schoolteachers spend several years
traveling in Europe, Asia and elsewhere pursuing
graduate studies.
Of course, few do so at speeds exceeding 330
miles per hour, which is what sets 26-year-old
Brittany Force apart from her peers.
A graduate of Cal State-Fullerton who also
studied at New Yorks Hunter College, Brittany
earned her teaching credentials before deciding to
pursue a masters degree in a less traditional
field of endeavor: automotive high performance.
That decision this year has landed the second
youngest of John Forces four daughters in the
cockpit of the 8,000 horsepower Castrol EDGE Top
Fuel dragster for what promises to be an historic
2013 NHRA Mello Yello drag racing season.
She is the third pro driver to compete in a
Castrol-backed Top Fuel dragster but the first to
do so since Pat Austin in 1995. The late Gary
Ormsby won the NHRA Top Fuel title for Castrol GTX
in 1989,
At the controls of a race car capable of
zero-to-100 mile per hour acceleration in less than
one second, Brittany will be subjected to
gravitational forces five times those she would
encounter in a typical classroom environment.
And while she wont collect a degree, per
se, the California native knows that once she
trades her high speed wheels for ones more suited
to the school parking lot, shell have a
wealth of non-traditional stories and anecdotes
with which to illustrate her lesson plans.
It really is a big honor to be the first
to drive a John Force Racing Top Fuel
dragster, she said. I think this is
something were all excited about because
its new and different. Being able to drive
the first JFR Top Fuel dragster is still very
surreal to me but, with my dads support,
Im going to do the best job I can. I
cant wait to get started.
Always inclined to follow the road less
traveled, Brittany is not what you expect. She is
her own person, no matter the circumstances, and
that makes her both a source of pride and one of
frustration for her proud father.
She is simultaneously passionate about racing
and conscious of the need to keep her options
open.
One of the stars of the A&E Network series
Driving Force, which documented sister
Ashleys development as a Funny Car driver
during a two-year run ending in 2007, the talented
blonde already has covered the standard course in
3.85 seconds at a finish line speed of more than
320 miles per hour.
Like her father and sisters, Brittany is
intensely competitive once she gets to the track
and climbs into the cockpit. Nevertheless, she also
loves teaching and, right now, shes content
to keep all her options open while enhancing her
reputation as a student of speed.
My plan from the very beginning was to go
to college and earn a Bachelors Degree before
really pursuing racing, Brittany said.
I earned my B.A. in English and then did an
extra year to earn my teaching credential. I never
had intentions to go right into teaching, I just
wanted to get school finished because I knew that
if I took a break from it, I would never go
back.
I will always have teaching to fall back
on if things change down the road, she said,
but right now I am very happy with where I am
and where things are heading.
Although she is just beginning her professional
racing career, Brittany has more dragster
experience than most of her crewmembers including
crew chief Dean Guido Antonelli and
assistant crew chief Eric Lane, both of whom, to
this point, have worked exclusively on Funny
Cars.
By contrast, Brittany never has driven anything
but dragsters.
After earning her Super Comp dragster license
under the watchful eye of reigning NHRA Funny Car
Champion Jack Beckman, who was her teacher at Frank
Hawleys Drag Racing School, she raced in the
entry-level class, along with sister Courtney, for
three years before moving up to the Top Alcohol
Dragster class.
Driving for Jerry Darien and BrandSource, she
was the No. 1 qualifier at the 2009 SuperNationals
at Englishtown, N.J., and at the 2010 OReilly
Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona,
Calif., her home track.
She spent all of 2012 testing in a Top Fuel
dragster, logging almost 80 runs on many of the
same tracks on which she will be competing this
season.
The three-rail dragster she is driving this year
is powered by the Ford BOSS 500 engine developed at
JFR in collaboration with Ford Racing and, in race
trim, it will be outfitted with one of the cockpit
canopies popularized by six-time series champion
Tony Schumacher.
Im so excited to be working with
(crew chiefs) Guido and Eric, she
said. It seems like Guido has
always been part of the winning at JFR. I remember
him working on my dads car when I was little
and hes the one who taught Ashley how to
drive a Funny Car before he was crew chief on
dads car (2011 and 2012).
A lot of the time I spent testing last
year was with Eric Lane and Jimmy Prock from Robert
Hights Auto Club team. I get along with Eric
very well because he has always been so patient
with me. We always talk about the runs, before and
after, which helps prepare me for next
one.
Although she is eligible to compete for the Auto
Clubs Road to the Future Award that goes to
the NHRA Rookie of the Year, Brittany will focus
this year on team development. She will consider
anything else a bonus.
One of my goals this year is to really get
to know my guys so that we can move forward as a
team, she said. Thats one thing
my dad always has stressed and that is that it
takes a team to succeed. Whatever we do, I want us
to do it together.
Source: www.brittanyforce.com/
Snippets
Feb. 14, 2013, became first ever to drive a John
Force Racing Top Fuel dragster when she debuted the
Castrol EDGE dragster.
* * *
Brittany lost to her sister Courtney in the
semi-final on July 19, 2009 in Top Alcohol
Dragster. One of the sister's was set to win.
Ashley went to the finals leading the Funny Car
standings but lost and is now second in that
class.
News
B. Force drives Castrol Edge
TF into show on Friday
Rookie Brittany Force put her Thursday struggles in
the past and drove her Castrol EDGE Top Fuel
dragster to the provisional No. 12 spot on Friday
at the 53rd annual OReilly NHRA
Winternationals. Yesterday a miscue with the brakes
kept Force from making her first run when her 8,000
hp BOSS 500 motor pushed her dragster through the
starting line beams before the Christmas Tree
starting system was activated.
Today there were no jitters from Force as she
smoothly completed her burnout and staged beside
Shawn Langdon and his Al-Anabi dragster. The
Castrol EDGE Top Fueler launched hard and Force
kept it in the middle of the groove posting a
respectable 3.845 second, 293.22 mph run. The
relief at the end of the day was obvious for the
Automobile Club Road to the Future contender.
My relief level is definitely a 10 on a
1-10 scale. I feel a lot better than I did
yesterday when I left the track. You always want to
get that first run out of the way. We struggled
yesterday and didnt get down the track. I
feel a lot better that we got down there today. We
ended up No. 12 so I am excited for tomorrow.
Well go to work on this Castrol EDGE Top Fuel
dragster and hopefully improve tomorrow, said
Force.
With everything that happened yesterday I
just wanted to get down to the finish line. I put
everything out of my mind. I just drove it like I
was testing in January in Florida.
On the Funny Car side of the pits Courtney Force
was the strongest JFR Mustang posting a 4.07 second
run on Thursday which was No. 2 at the end of the
day. Today she was the last car to go down the
track as Gary Densham opted to sit out the Friday
session. With nothing to lose and a cooling track
crew chief Ron Douglas loaded up a strong tune-up
into the Traxxas Mustang.
Having a 4.07 behind us put us in a good
spot. This Traxxas Ford Mustang team decided to
push this car even harder to see what it could
take. It stumbled a little right at the end. It
started to spin the tires. From the looks of it and
reading the computer and the time slip, it was
definitely on a killer run in the low
0s, said Courtney Force.
It doesnt bring me down at all it
just makes me more excited for tomorrow. Im
ready to get our third and fourth qualifying
session out here on Saturday. Hopefully we can move
up a little more. I think we ended up third today,
but we learned something and we want to go for the
No. 1 spot tomorrow.
The 2012 Rookie of the Year only slipped to the
provisional No. 3 spot after two days of
qualifying.
Before the youngest Force made her second Funny
Car run three-time Winternational winner Robert
Hight continued to look for the right combination.
His Auto Club Ford Mustang smoked the tires for the
second day in a row but the team did see
improvement on the computer data. His run of 6.658
was the 15th quickest run of the day.
The winningest Funny Car winner at Auto Club
Raceway at Pomona John Force also battled to post a
top twelve ET. For the 15-time champion there will
be two more shots to race into the show. Today his
Castrol GTX Mustang posted a time of 4.300 which
was the 14th quickest of the 18 car Funny Car
field.
Source: www.brittanyforce.com
Brittany Force to make
debut in Castrol Edge Top Fuel Bragster payday
loans online
Drag racing icon John Force introduced his daughter
Brittany as the newest addition to the John Force
Racing, Inc., driver lineup Thursday during a press
conference at JFR corporate headquarters.
Brittany Force will make an historic
professional debut, not as driver of a JFR Ford
Funny Car but, instead, as driver of a new
JFR-built Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster prepared
and maintained by crew chief Dean Guido
Antonelli and assistant crew chief Eric Lane and
powered by the Ford BOSS 500 nitro motor.
It really is a big honor to be the first
to drive a Top Fuel dragster at John Force
Racing, said the 26-year-old who will be the
third Force daughter to turn pro. This team
has done so much over the years to evolve and
adding a Top Fuel car into the mix I believe will
help us continue to grow as a team.
Being able to drive the first JFR Top Fuel
dragster with my dads support and with
Castrol EDGE as my sponsor is still very surreal to
me but I think its something were all
excited about and Im going to do the best job
that I can.
A graduate of Cal State-Fullerton, the second
youngest of Forces four daughters, has put a
potential teaching career on hold while she learns
the family business from the seat of a 330 mile an
hour rolling office.
Although she earned her teaching credential and
completed her student teaching assignment, the
second youngest of Forces four daughters
never planned to immediately seek a job in
education.
My plan from the very beginning was to go
to college and earn a Bachelors Degree before
really persuing racing, Brittany said.
I earned my B.A. in English and then did an
extra year to earn my teaching credential. I never
had intentions to go right into teaching, I just
wanted to get school finished because I knew that
if I took a break from it, I would never go back to
finish.
The new season, which begins Feb. 14-17 with the
53rd running of the OReilly Winternationals
at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, will be the first
in which EVERY JFR race car is driven by a member
of the drag racing icons immediate
family.
While Brittany vies for rookie honors in Top
Fuel, her father, brother-in-law (Robert Hight) and
younger sister (Courtney Force) will compete for
the first Mello Yello Funny Car championship in
hybrid Mustangs sponsored by Castrol GTX, the Auto
Club of Southern California and Traxxas,
respectively.
I will always have teaching to fall back
on if things change down the road, said the
former star of the A&E real life series Driving
Force, but I am very happy with where I am
and where things are heading.
I have many goals for next year and
cant wait to get started in Pomona. One of my
goals is to really get to know my guys so that we
can become a strong team together. My other goal is
to get my first win in my Top Fuel car as a rookie
driver.
Ironically, Brittany has more dragster
experience than anyone else assigned to the Castrol
EDGE Team. While it is the first dragster
assignment for both crew chief Dean
Guido Antonelli and assistant crew
chief Eric Lane, Brittany has never driven anything
else.
After earning her Super Comp license under the
tutelage of current NHRA Funny Car champion Jack
Beckman, Brittany drove A/Fuel dragsters for Jerry
Darien and spent all last year testing in a Top
Fuel dragster.
When the season begins Feb. 14-17 with the 53rd
renewal of the OReilly Winternationals at
Pomona, Calif., Brittany will become the 15th
different professional drag racer to compete for
Team Castrol, the third to do so in the Top Fuel
category in which the late Gary Ormsby won the
championship for Castrol GTX in 1989.
Im so happy to be working with Dean
Antonelli and Eric Lane, Brittany enthused.
Guido was the crew chief for my
dad the last two years and before that he taught
Ashley to drive a Funny Car. They were so
successful together and Im really excited to
have him on board with me.
I spent the majority of my testing season
working with Eric and Jimmy Prock from Robert
Hights team. I get along with Eric very well.
He has always been so patient with me. We always
talk about the runs before and after, which helps
prepare me for future passes. I think we are a good
match and we will teach each other so much next
year. I think we are all going to make a very
strong team.
Source: http://www.brittanyforce.com
Brittany charting new ground
for JFR
Rookie Drives Castrol EDGE Top Fuel Dragster in
53rd OReilly Winternationals
She was a college English major trained as a
schoolteacher, but as the rookie driver of one of
the worlds fastest race cars, one capable of
reaching competitive speeds of 330 miles per hour,
Brittany Force understands that shes still
just a student.
I thought I was through with school when I
got my bachelors degree, admitted the
26-year-old graduate of Cal State-Fullerton,
but there really was a lot to learn to get
ready for my first season in the Castrol EDGE Top
Fuel dragster.
Although shes driven nothing but dragsters
since she began racing in Super Comp almost seven
years ago, Brittany is the first driver ever to
compete in a John Force Racing-prepared Top Fuel
dragster and shes revved up about the
opportunity.
Im excited to be out there,
she said after completing two months of vigorous
pre-season testing. Im going to be
(racing) against all these guys I grew up watching.
A lot (of them came) over during testing, giving me
tips and advice, asking me if I had any questions.
Theyve all been really great.
That situation may change this weekend when the
53rd annual OReilly Auto Parts
Winternationals signals the start of the
NHRAs 2013 Mello Yello Series. Thats
because Brittany already has demonstrated that she
plans to be much more than just window dressing for
the Top Fuel class.
Im anxious to get out there in the
other lane next to them, she said. I
think we have a really strong team with Dean
Antonelli and Eric Lane (making the tune-up
decisions).
In fact, the most rebellious of John
Forces four daughters applied an exclamation
point when she was clocked at 3.796 seconds on her
final test run last month at West Palm Beach,
Fla.
When Ashley (older sister Ashley Force
Hood, the former driver of the Castrol GTX Funny
Car) came out, she had her own set of goals,
Brittany said. Same with (younger sister)
Courtney. Same with me. Im going down my own
path.
For me, its not about comparisons to
Ashley or Courtney. Its about setting my own
goals and achieving them myself in my
time.
That isnt to say she isnt
ambitious.
I would love to qualify for every national
event. Thats a goal, she said,
and I would really like to get my first win.
I came close in Super Comp and A/Fuel (Top Alcohol
Dragster) but never got it.
Although her dad was not quite sure of her
dedication to a racing career, Brittany now says
she never doubted that she would wind up working in
the sport although she never imagined it would be
at the wheel of the fastest accelerating vehicle on
the planet.
I love the sport of drag racing,
Brittany said, (and) I always thought
Id be involved in it in some way.
Nevertheless, when funding for the Top Alcohol
team evaporated, the second youngest of the Force
girls was unsure of her future, especially since
she had decided that dragsters, not Funny Cars,
were what she wanted to drive.
My dad threw out the idea of testing in a
Top Fuel car with the Ford BOSS 500 motor,
she said. It was just a big trick because I
think he knew once I got in that car, I
wouldnt want to get out of it. The moment I
ran 3.96 on my first full pass in Las Vegas, I
realized I was hooked. That was the ride I wanted
and we just continued from there.
There was one final hurdle to clear before this
weeks race, however.
Im a little claustrophobic,
she admitted, and the full cockpit canopy
took a little getting used to. When they told me
(they were installing the canopy), I was like,
oh, no. But now I feel very
comfortable.
Source: www.brittanyforce.com/
Rebel With a Cause
Brittany Force's driving career rapidly is picking
up speed.
In fact, the 21yearold daughter of
drag racing icon John Force will cross the finish
line this year at quarter mile speeds almost 100
miles an hour faster than those she attained in her
first three seasons in the sport.
One of the stars of the A&E Network series
Driving Force which ended a twoyear run in
2007, Brittany will split time with younger sister
Courtney, 19, at the wheel of a
BrandSourcebacked AFuel dragster
prepared and maintained by veterans Jerry Darien
and Ken Meadows.
Identified by Force as his "problem child,"
Brittany is a headstrong California blonde with a
serious "need for speed," a need that hasn't always
been addressed in the most positive manner.
A senior at Santiago Canyon College, she has
learned to channel that need into driving
competitively in sanctioned NHRA Lucas Oil Series
events.
Unlike her older sisters, Adria and Ashley,
Brittany initially eschewed a job at John Force
Racing, Inc., in Yorba Linda, Ca., to work instead
at a pizza café. An even more obvious
manifestation of her rebellious nature was the "I
Love N.Y." Tshirt she wore on her father's
56th birthday while every other woman in the team
compound was wearing "I Love John Force"
apparel.
Like her father and sisters, Brittany is
intensely competitive once she gets to the track
and climbs into the cockpit. Nevertheless, a career
in racing is no certainty. She also loves the
glamour of Hollywood and since she is studying to
become a teacher, all her options remain open.
"She's tough when she's in the car," her father
said, "but she's got to learn to do everything
else, like giving enough time to the sponsors and
the media and the fans. She's always gone her own
way, but if she wants to race, I'll do all I can to
give her a chance (to succeed)."
Source: www.castrol.com/castrol/genericarticle.do?categoryId=82915625&contentId=7016719
Finding Her Own Way
Brittany Force is not what you expect. She is her
own person all the time. This is both a sense of
pride and frustration for her 14-time Funny Car
Champion John Force. She is simultaneously
passionate about racing as well as keeping her
options open for a career outside of racing.
At the season opening test season Brittany made
the two quickest runs among cars competing in the
Top Alcohol Dragster category on the first day of
testing and then that evening she and her mother,
Laurie, boarded a flight to New York City where she
will study at Hunter College, the largest school in
the City University of New York system, until
May.
Its kind of like a study abroad
program, Brittany said of her Hunter College
curriculum. Ill be taking courses up
there that will transfer back to (Cal
State-Fullerton) toward my major.
The prospect of moving to New York City did not
faze the youngster from Southern California but it
had a big impact on her champion caliber
father.
Everyone says, are you scared?
I say, no, Im not scared, but Im
scared for my dad. Every single day he begged
me not to go. Its not like Im going
away forever. Im still going to be racing.
Ill be back for Pomona (and the Kragen
OReilly Winternationals). Im not going
to be able to qualify on Thursday, but Ill
come in Thursday night and be at Auto Club Raceway
for the rest of the weekend.
The testing runs to open the season were
exciting and nerve-wracking for the young
driver.
I hadnt been in the car since the
Auto Club Finals (last November), she said,
so I was a little nervous. Thats always
how it is after not being in the car for awhile.
After the first pass, though, it was fine. It did
shake a little, half track, but I was able to drive
right through it and now Im looking forward
to Pomona.
The 22-year-old daughter of the drag racing icon
made the move to Top Alcohol Dragster last season
along with her sister Courtney and continued to
improve as the season progressed.
She qualified at four national events racing a
very limited schedule due to commitments revolving
around her college course work. She won her first
round of TAD eliminations in Seattle.
One of the stars of the A&E Network series
Driving Force, which ended a two-year run in 2007,
Brittany split time with younger sister Courtney,
20, last season at the wheel of a 250 mph A-Fuel
dragster prepared and maintained by veteran Jerry
Darien.
Brittany completed all the necessary A-Fuel
licensing runs in February of 2008 at Firebird
Raceway. The process took a little longer than
anticipated but the pay-off was a relief for
everyone involved.
It was just a normal run and it felt good.
I was definitely nervous and sweating it out before
I got in the car. My dad is excited now to have us
all licensed. I am excited to have my A-Fuel
license since now we can continue to move
forward.
Identified by Force as his problem
child, Brittany is a headstrong California
blonde with a serious need for speed, a
need that hasnt always been addressed in the
most positive manner.
Unlike her older sisters, Adria and Ashley,
Brittany initially eschewed a job at John Force
Racing, Inc., in Yorba Linda, Calif., to work
instead at a pizza café. An even more
obvious manifestation of her rebellious nature was
the I Love N.Y. T-shirt she wore on her
fathers 56th birthday while every other woman
in the team compound was wearing I Love John
Force apparel.
Like her father and sisters, Brittany is
intensely competitive once she gets to the track
and climbs into the cockpit. Nevertheless, a career
in racing is no certainty. She also loves the
glamour of Hollywood and since she is studying to
become a teacher, all her options remain open.
Shes tough when shes in the
car, her father said, but shes
got to learn to do everything else, like giving
enough time to the sponsors and the media and the
fans. Shes always gone her own way, but if
she wants to race, Ill do all I can to give
her a chance (to succeed).
Source: www.brittanyforce.com
Saturday June 4, 2005 - Raceday 1
In the 64 car Super Comp field that showed up at
California Dragway, Megan McKernan was able to
claim the No. 1 Qualifying spot. After several
rounds of racing Megan made it to the 5th round out
of 6 rounds. This was quite an accomplishment after
her first competitive day of racing.
Brittany took her Super Comp dragster
into the 2nd round before losing with a malfunction
in the car. Courtney is racing the dragster that
her older sister Ashley got her racing start with.
A new Victory Race Cars dragster is being built for
Brittany and Courtney will take over driving
this car in about a month.
With day one behind them, both Brittany
and Megan prepared themselves for day two race on
Sunday.
John Force was very impressed with how well
California Dragway - track manager, Dave Danish and
his crew prepared the racetrack and ran the races
both days. Force commented, these guys do a
great job and the really make it fun to race at
this local hometown track. It gives a lot of racers
a great place to race and pit at a first-class
facility.
Sunday June 5, 2005 - Raceday # 2
Sundays race was a big Force family reunion,
as Ashley and her mom Laurie flew in from Memphis
where Ashley had been racing her Castrol/Hot Wheels
dragster to see the Next Generation
girls go a few rounds; along with their other
sister Adria and the newest Hight/Force newborn
Autumn.
Everyone took the day in stride as Megan lost in
the first round and Brittany was able to take her
car into the 3rd round before being eliminated. The
high point of the day was Brittanys
perfect reaction time in the 2nd round of .000.
John Force commented, thats why
were training these girls early so
theyll be perfect on the tree when they take
on the funny car boys someday in the
future!!!
Not only were the girls racing that weekend,
they were also the main attraction of a new
reality TV show featuring the Force
Family that is being pitched to several networks at
the present time. Brent Travers was on hand with a
small film crew to capture the day of racing with
the two youngest Force daughters.
June 8, 2005 - Super Comp Update
The John Force Racings Next
Generation racing program continues to take
shape with the youngest Force daughters
Brittany & Courtney, and Megan the
daughter of Auto Club of Southern California
president - Tom McKernan. These three young,
talented and beautiful girls were testing and
racing their Super Comp dragsters last week at the
California Dragway in Fontana, CA.
John Force rented the dragstrip on Thursday to
give all the girls plenty of seat time and practice
before the weekends Lucas Oil Super Comp
Association points race. Brittany,
Megan and Courtney all logged in about 12 runs each
that day and showed great promise. They were able
to get individual runs, as well as plenty of
side-by-side runs to prepare Megan and
Brittany for the Saturday and Sunday
races.
Roger Conley is the head crew chief and tuner
for all three cars with Jack Beckman as assistant
crew chief. Jack is not only racing himself in the
NHRA events this year, but hes also a Frank
Hawley Drag Racing School instructor that taught
all three girls to drive their Super Comp racecars.
Also part of the race crew was the Force
girls uncle Robert Hight along with
Shane Whaling and Eric Boutchyard from the CNC
Machine Shop at the Force Racing facility in Yorba
Linda. John Force watched on with fellow
proud father Tom McKernan as each of
the girls took instructions, and listened intently
before and after each pass down the quarter mile.
All three had great reaction times, and ran very
close to the 8.90 second index for this class.
Results
Highlights
2013
Debuted new Castrol EDGE Top Fuel dragster
2010
Qualified BrandSource Top Alcohol dragster No. 1
at OReilly Winternationals, Pomona,
Calif.
2009
No. 1 qualifier and semifinalist in Top Alcohol
dragster at NHRA Summer Nationals, Englishtown,
N.J.
2007
Reached round four of Super Comp eliminations at
Arizona Nationals, Phoenix.
* * *
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