Photography: John Force Racing / Gary Nastase / Auto Imagery
BROWNSBURG, Ind (Sept. 17, 2025) – Brittany Force and her HendrickCars.com Top Fuel team will be focused on making up some lost ground each time they pull up to the starting line in the Sept. 19-21 NHRA 4-Wide Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway in Concord, N.C., Round 2 of the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship.
The two-time NHRA Top Fuel Champion (2017, 2022) exited after the second round in last weekend’s first round of the Countdown at Maple Grove Raceway. But Force comes to zMax Dragway seventh in the point standings, just five points behind Clay Millican and Shawn Reed who are tied for fifth. Fourth-place Justin Ashely is 22 points up and third-place Shawn Langdon is 39 points up. Point leader Doug Kalitta is 72 points ahead and second-place Tony Stewart is 54 points up.
Notes
Quotes
What are your thoughts on racing 4-wide in general and doing so in the playoffs specifically?
“Having the 4-Wide in the Countdown definitely changes things up. I’m very routine and am not thrilled about running 4-Wide this late in the season, but I know our HendrickCars.com dragster will adapt to it like we need to. People come from all over to watch 4wide so I’m excited to put on a great show!”
What are your thoughts on running the first half of the Countdown races in just three consecutive weekends? Does it change your preparation?
“I love that we are running three races in a row to kick off this Countdown. We just came out of Reading, head straight into Charlotte and then end with St Louis. No time off keeps your head in the game. It keeps the team’s momentum building. Coming off a difficult weekend at Maple Grove, we’re all ready to put that event behind us and jump right into the next one!”
Despite the move to 7th in the standings, you’re only five points out of 5th (Millican/Reed tied), 22 to Ashley in 4th and 39 to Langdon in 3rd. Does your team’s approach/strategy stay the same or adjust with just one of the six Countdown races completed?
“Our approach remains the same, one weekend at a time. We are chasing at this point, and we will focus on one run at a time. We need to step up our qualifying and are aiming for a top 5 position going into Sunday. Bonus points add up so we will be working on consistent runs down the racetrack. With success here in the past, this HendrickCars.com team needs a winner circle finish this weekend.”
zMax Dragway Fall Race Statistics
Quickest time: 3.662 seconds, Sept. 17, 2021
Fastest speed: 336.91 mph, Sept. 24, 2022
Number starts: 11
No. 1 qualifier: 3
Final rounds: 2
Victories: 0
Won-Lost Record: 14-11
Track & TV Schedules (all times Eastern)
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series will feature two qualifying rounds at 4 and 6:15 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 19, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 12:30 and 3:00 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 21.
Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 10 a.m. ET and then live coverage eliminations at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday.
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BROWNSBURG, Ind (Sept. 17, 2025) – Brittany Force and her HendrickCars.com Top Fuel team will be focused on making up some lost ground each time they pull up to the starting line in the Sept. 19-21 NHRA 4-Wide Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway in Concord, N.C., Round 2 of the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship.
The two-time NHRA Top Fuel Champion (2017, 2022) exited after the second round in last weekend’s first round of the Countdown at Maple Grove Raceway. But Force comes to zMax Dragway seventh in the point standings, just five points behind Clay Millican and Shawn Reed who are tied for fifth. Fourth-place Justin Ashely is 22 points up and third-place Shawn Langdon is 39 points up. Point leader Doug Kalitta is 72 points ahead and second-place Tony Stewart is 54 points up.
Notes
- The 4-Wide Carolina Nationals will be the third time Force’s Top Fuel Dragster will carry the HendrickCars.com paint scheme in 2025. On April 27 at zMax Dragway, Force, who qualified third, finished third in the second round against Shawn Langdon (winner), Justin Ashley (runner-up) and Josh Hart (fourth).
- Then, in HendrickCars.com colors at the July 18-20 Northwest Nationals near Seattle, Force and her Dale Grubnic/John Collins-led team made three 340-mph+ runs: 340.47 mph in the first round of qualifying; 340.82 mph in the first round of eliminations; and established what was then the nationals speed record of 341.85 mph in the semifinals. She finished runner-up to Shawn Langdon.
- Brittany is one of 10 drivers to have won at both four-wide venues, Charlotte in 2016 and Las Vegas in 2022.
- In 22 NHRA races contested in the four-wide format, JFR drivers have won 11 times, three times in Top Fuel and eight times in Funny Car. Of those wins, nine have come at ZMax Dragway.
Quotes
What are your thoughts on racing 4-wide in general and doing so in the playoffs specifically?
“Having the 4-Wide in the Countdown definitely changes things up. I’m very routine and am not thrilled about running 4-Wide this late in the season, but I know our HendrickCars.com dragster will adapt to it like we need to. People come from all over to watch 4wide so I’m excited to put on a great show!”
What are your thoughts on running the first half of the Countdown races in just three consecutive weekends? Does it change your preparation?
“I love that we are running three races in a row to kick off this Countdown. We just came out of Reading, head straight into Charlotte and then end with St Louis. No time off keeps your head in the game. It keeps the team’s momentum building. Coming off a difficult weekend at Maple Grove, we’re all ready to put that event behind us and jump right into the next one!”
Despite the move to 7th in the standings, you’re only five points out of 5th (Millican/Reed tied), 22 to Ashley in 4th and 39 to Langdon in 3rd. Does your team’s approach/strategy stay the same or adjust with just one of the six Countdown races completed?
“Our approach remains the same, one weekend at a time. We are chasing at this point, and we will focus on one run at a time. We need to step up our qualifying and are aiming for a top 5 position going into Sunday. Bonus points add up so we will be working on consistent runs down the racetrack. With success here in the past, this HendrickCars.com team needs a winner circle finish this weekend.”
zMax Dragway Fall Race Statistics
| Brittany Force | Race Result | Qualified | Event Round Record |
| 2013 | 1st round | 10th | 0-1 |
| 2014 | 1st round | 7th | 0-2 |
| 2015 | 1st round | 12th | 0-3 |
| 2016 | 2nd round | 2nd | 1-4 |
| 2017 | Semi-finals | 6th | 3-5 |
| 2018 | Runner-up | 1st | 6-6 |
| 2019 | Semi-finals | 3rd | 8-7 |
| 2020 | DNC | DNC | DNC |
| 2021 | Runner-up | 1st | 11-8 |
| 2022 | 2nd round | 2nd | 12-9 |
| 2023 | 2nd round | 4th | 13-10 |
| 2024 | 2nd round | 1st | 14-11 |
Quickest time: 3.662 seconds, Sept. 17, 2021
Fastest speed: 336.91 mph, Sept. 24, 2022
Number starts: 11
No. 1 qualifier: 3
Final rounds: 2
Victories: 0
Won-Lost Record: 14-11
Track & TV Schedules (all times Eastern)
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series will feature two qualifying rounds at 4 and 6:15 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 19, and the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 12:30 and 3:00 p.m. Final eliminations are scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 21.
Television coverage includes qualifying action on FS1 at 10 a.m. ET and then live coverage eliminations at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday.
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