It Was a Historic Winners Circle as John and Brittney Force Both Get a Win!

  • Motorsports
  • PEAK, BlueDEF
  • August 16, 2021

It was a historic winners circle at Heartland Motorsports Park for the Menards NHRA Nationals. For the first time in their careers Brittany Force, in her Top Fuel dragster, and her father, John Force, in his PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, won in their respective categories. Along with the wins, Robert Hight had a quarterfinal finish after facing John Force in the second round.

Starting race day from the number one spot for the sixth time this season, Brittany Force laid down a 3.774-second run to end Scott Palmer’s day. Her first-round win put her in position for a bye in the quarterfinals where she managed a 3.747 pass to earn lane choice in the semifinals. Force would make a 3.769-second pass to take out points leader and three-time champion Steve Torrence en route to her third final round of the season and 26th of her career. 

 

In the final, Brittany would have lane choice over Clay Millican. She left the starting line first and never trailed to claim her first victory of the season and 11th of her career.

John Force kept up his consistency from qualifying with a first round win over Paul Lee. In the second round, Force defeated teammate Robert Hight to advance to the semifinals. Force was then matched with long-time rival Cruz Pedregon where he powered to a 4.005-second run to defeat Pedregon’s 4.063.

 

The win gave Force lane choice over the 2018 Funny Car World Champion J.R. Todd. Force’s 4.019-second pass would better Todd’s 4.453 after he smoked the tires mid-track.  The win was Force’s 10th at Heartland Park Topeka, 154th of his career and third this season. The victory gives Force the points lead for the first time since October 5, 2014, 135 races ago.

 

The NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series continues August 18-22nd with the NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minnesota.