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For the third consecutive event, Team Castrol qualified all four John Force Racing Ford Mustangs for the 16-car starting lineup and, for the first time, three of the four advanced to the second round including rookie Ashley Force who recorded her first round win in eliminations.
"We have a great team with Castrol, Ford, and Auto Club," said Ms. Force. "My guys were so pumped up, we were doing all kinds of hand shakes and everything before the round. We just need to go out there and do the things we were trained to do and that is to make good laps down the track - and (in the first round) we did it."
The round win moved Ashley into the Countdown to Eight where she joined teammates Eric Medlen and NHRA points leader Robert Hight.
Unfortunately, the second round proved to be the team's undoing. Hight lost traction shortly after his Team Castrol/Auto Club Ford Mustang launched but, thanks to runner-up finishes in the season's first two races and his strong No. 1 qualifying performance, the third year pro did manage to hang onto the Funny Car points lead.
"We've got to fine tune (this race car)," Hight said. "We have an idea of what to do under those same situations. It is not like we are totally lost. The good thing is we are leaving with the points lead. That is how I look at it. Every race you leave with the points lead is one less race you have to go to and you still have the lead."
After Hight went up in smoke, both Ashley Force and Eric Medlen lost traction and made contact with the guardwall on back-to-back runs. Ashley was ahead and appeared to be heading to the semi-finals before her Castrol GTX Mustang got out of the groove.
Team leader Force took an early exit but was looking for the silver lining after Ashley and Eric's second round experiences.
"The number one (thing) is that nobody got hurt," Force said. "Eric and Ashley winning rounds moved them up the points with Robert. My hot rod is still struggling. (Both) cars will have to back to Metalcrafters to be worked on, but that's why we have back-ups. We'll be out here (Monday) to test and get ready for Houston (and the March 30-April 1 O'Reilly Spring Nationals). Thank God for the funding that I have with Castrol because a couple hundred thousand went down on just two runs right there. We haven't sized up the real cost, but that is what the game is all about."
Second Round Woes Knock Team Castrol Out of Gatornationals
For the third consecutive event, Team Castrol qualified all four John Force Racing Ford Mustangs for the 16-car starting lineup and, for the first time, three of the four advanced to the second round including rookie Ashley Force who recorded her first round win in eliminations.
"We have a great team with Castrol, Ford, and Auto Club," said Ms. Force. "My guys were so pumped up, we were doing all kinds of hand shakes and everything before the round. We just need to go out there and do the things we were trained to do and that is to make good laps down the track - and (in the first round) we did it."
The round win moved Ashley into the Countdown to Eight where she joined teammates Eric Medlen and NHRA points leader Robert Hight.
Unfortunately, the second round proved to be the team's undoing. Hight lost traction shortly after his Team Castrol/Auto Club Ford Mustang launched but, thanks to runner-up finishes in the season's first two races and his strong No. 1 qualifying performance, the third year pro did manage to hang onto the Funny Car points lead.
"We've got to fine tune (this race car)," Hight said. "We have an idea of what to do under those same situations. It is not like we are totally lost. The good thing is we are leaving with the points lead. That is how I look at it. Every race you leave with the points lead is one less race you have to go to and you still have the lead."
After Hight went up in smoke, both Ashley Force and Eric Medlen lost traction and made contact with the guardwall on back-to-back runs. Ashley was ahead and appeared to be heading to the semi-finals before her Castrol GTX Mustang got out of the groove.
Team leader Force took an early exit but was looking for the silver lining after Ashley and Eric's second round experiences.
"The number one (thing) is that nobody got hurt," Force said. "Eric and Ashley winning rounds moved them up the points with Robert. My hot rod is still struggling. (Both) cars will have to back to Metalcrafters to be worked on, but that's why we have back-ups. We'll be out here (Monday) to test and get ready for Houston (and the March 30-April 1 O'Reilly Spring Nationals). Thank God for the funding that I have with Castrol because a couple hundred thousand went down on just two runs right there. We haven't sized up the real cost, but that is what the game is all about."
