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Castrol Highlight: Castrol GTX driver Ashley Force became the first female in the history of the NHRA Funny Car class to reach the final round of competition and, for the first time since last March, John Force Racing qualified all four Team Castrol Ford Mustangs.
Ashley Force drove her Castrol GTX Ford Mustang into the record books by becoming the first female Funny Car driver to reach a final round, all but cementing her status as the 2007 winner of the Auto Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award that identifies the NHRA Rookie–of–the–Year. Force reached the milestone in just the 20th start of her career.
"I know a lot of people talk about me being a gal and reaching these milestones but I would not have made it to the final round without the eight guys on my crew and the hard work of (co–crew chiefs) Dean Antonelli and Ron Douglas. We want to win races for our sponsors and our teams. Today was tough because Robert (Hight, brother–in–law and Countdown to One contender), got knocked out early but we all pulled together behind our Castrol GTX Ford Mustang," said Force.
Ashley's performance was the lone bright spot in a tough day for John Force Racing's championship hopes as Team Castrol driver Hight joined Ron Capps and Gary Scelzi on the losing side of first round match–ups while points leader and former JFR team member Tony Pedregon cruised to an almost insurmountable points lead as the race winner.
"It's real tough. We got ourselves in this position. We are not ever going to give up until it is absolutely over," said and obviously disappointed Hight, "We'll go to Pomona and see what kind of conditions we have. We are going to test here tomorrow. We'll just do the best we can. We are off a little right now and that is what put us in this position."
At the end of the day, Castrol team owner John Force was philosophical yet full of optimism when he addressed his four teams. Hight is 99 points behind Pedregon and his first championship.
"We need a miracle but I love the Hail Mary," said Force, the former high school football stand–out who is on the sidelines because of injuries suffered in a Sept. 23rd crash at the Texas Motorplex outside Dallas, Texas.
Filling in for 14–time champion, Phil Burkart Jr. performed admirable in his first start in the Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford by taking out Capps in the first round. His day ended in a second round loss to Tony's brother, Cruz.
"We dropped a cylinder early, it shook and I started to pedal it (but) I just didn't catch it fast enough. I was trying to get it back under control. I went to grab for the brake and the car was moving around pretty good. I couldn't get the brake to help me," said Burkart.
"It was a career weekend no matter what," Burkart said. "It was instrumental in the first round, if nothing else, to take out Ron Capps. That part alone was huge. That is the type of round win I came here for. I'm just happy John (Force) put the faith in me and (co–crew chiefs) Austin (Coil) and Bernie (Fedderly) that I was that kind of driver who could come in and go rounds."
Team Castrol 2008 rookie–to–be Mike Neff qualified his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang well but fell to Jeff Arend in the first round in his first NHRA national event. Even though the first elimination round of his career included a spectacular engine explosion, Neff had a handle on how the round got away from him.
"It looks like I let it get to the inside and it started spinning just a little and then it went boom. The first problem was me letting it get a little inside out of the groove and it started spinning the tires," Neff, "I think we had a great weekend. John (Medlen) is doing a great job with the car. I was doing an OK job until today of getting it down the track. All in all I think we are way ahead of the game from where we would have ever expected coming into this."
"I felt pretty good. I wasn't nervous. It was exciting. (It was) definitely the most thrilling experience since I have been drag racing. This weekend has been so fun. I couldn't be any more excited," added Neff.
Funny Car Standings*
1 Tony Pedregon 3147
2 Gary Scelzi 3056
3 Robert Hight 3048
4 Ron Capps 3034
5 Jack Beckman 2301
6 Mike Ashley 2264
7 John Force 2191
8 Jim Head 2153
* Standings are unofficial
ASHLEY FORCE'S FINAL ROUND APPEARANCE SALVAGES TOUGH DAY
Castrol Highlight: Castrol GTX driver Ashley Force became the first female in the history of the NHRA Funny Car class to reach the final round of competition and, for the first time since last March, John Force Racing qualified all four Team Castrol Ford Mustangs.
Ashley Force drove her Castrol GTX Ford Mustang into the record books by becoming the first female Funny Car driver to reach a final round, all but cementing her status as the 2007 winner of the Auto Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award that identifies the NHRA Rookie–of–the–Year. Force reached the milestone in just the 20th start of her career.
"I know a lot of people talk about me being a gal and reaching these milestones but I would not have made it to the final round without the eight guys on my crew and the hard work of (co–crew chiefs) Dean Antonelli and Ron Douglas. We want to win races for our sponsors and our teams. Today was tough because Robert (Hight, brother–in–law and Countdown to One contender), got knocked out early but we all pulled together behind our Castrol GTX Ford Mustang," said Force.
Ashley's performance was the lone bright spot in a tough day for John Force Racing's championship hopes as Team Castrol driver Hight joined Ron Capps and Gary Scelzi on the losing side of first round match–ups while points leader and former JFR team member Tony Pedregon cruised to an almost insurmountable points lead as the race winner.
"It's real tough. We got ourselves in this position. We are not ever going to give up until it is absolutely over," said and obviously disappointed Hight, "We'll go to Pomona and see what kind of conditions we have. We are going to test here tomorrow. We'll just do the best we can. We are off a little right now and that is what put us in this position."
At the end of the day, Castrol team owner John Force was philosophical yet full of optimism when he addressed his four teams. Hight is 99 points behind Pedregon and his first championship.
"We need a miracle but I love the Hail Mary," said Force, the former high school football stand–out who is on the sidelines because of injuries suffered in a Sept. 23rd crash at the Texas Motorplex outside Dallas, Texas.
Filling in for 14–time champion, Phil Burkart Jr. performed admirable in his first start in the Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford by taking out Capps in the first round. His day ended in a second round loss to Tony's brother, Cruz.
"We dropped a cylinder early, it shook and I started to pedal it (but) I just didn't catch it fast enough. I was trying to get it back under control. I went to grab for the brake and the car was moving around pretty good. I couldn't get the brake to help me," said Burkart.
"It was a career weekend no matter what," Burkart said. "It was instrumental in the first round, if nothing else, to take out Ron Capps. That part alone was huge. That is the type of round win I came here for. I'm just happy John (Force) put the faith in me and (co–crew chiefs) Austin (Coil) and Bernie (Fedderly) that I was that kind of driver who could come in and go rounds."
Team Castrol 2008 rookie–to–be Mike Neff qualified his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang well but fell to Jeff Arend in the first round in his first NHRA national event. Even though the first elimination round of his career included a spectacular engine explosion, Neff had a handle on how the round got away from him.
"It looks like I let it get to the inside and it started spinning just a little and then it went boom. The first problem was me letting it get a little inside out of the groove and it started spinning the tires," Neff, "I think we had a great weekend. John (Medlen) is doing a great job with the car. I was doing an OK job until today of getting it down the track. All in all I think we are way ahead of the game from where we would have ever expected coming into this."
"I felt pretty good. I wasn't nervous. It was exciting. (It was) definitely the most thrilling experience since I have been drag racing. This weekend has been so fun. I couldn't be any more excited," added Neff.
Funny Car Standings*
1 Tony Pedregon 3147
2 Gary Scelzi 3056
3 Robert Hight 3048
4 Ron Capps 3034
5 Jack Beckman 2301
6 Mike Ashley 2264
7 John Force 2191
8 Jim Head 2153
* Standings are unofficial
