Brittany Force drove the Chevrolet Accessories Top Fuel dragster to the quickest time of the weekend Saturday, stopping the timers in 3.693 seconds at 333.08 miles per hour to strengthen her hold on the provisional No. 1 qualifying position for Monday’s 70th annual U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Force, the two-time World Champion, picked up five more qualifying bonus points Saturday to add to the four she earned on Friday. She can add even more in two final qualifying sessions Sunday that will set the field for the final event in the 14-race regular season.
After becoming the only driver to break the 3.70 barrier during the first two days, Force “slowed” to 3.790 at 330.39 mph on her second Saturday lap, but that still was fourth quickest of the round.
Runner-up at “The Big Go” two of the last three years, Brittany shared the Saturday stage with John Force Racing teammates Austin Prock and Jack Beckman who will start Sunday’s final sessions in the No. 1 and No. 3 qualifying positions, respectively.
“That just shows our strength as a whole,” Brittany said of qualifying. “Austin’s been performing killer all season long. My dad had a great season going and then Jack Beckman stepped in and he’s doing an awesome job in the PEAK Chevy. We’re all qualified in the top three, which is great.
“There’s always that up-and-down battle, but to see where we are right now, I think it just motivates all of us to see us all do well,” said the former NHRA Rookie-of-the-Year. “The Chevy Accessories team is currently number one. We’ve earned qualifying bonus points every time down the track. We just need to do it again tomorrow and then go rounds on Monday.”
Prock sent the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS to the top of the Funny Car ladder with a time of 3.855 seconds at 328.38 mph in Saturday’s first session. Beckman, filling in for the injured John Force in the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Camaro, was third in Saturday’s first session at 3.877, 329.10 mph but quickest in the second, 3.895 seconds to Prock’s 3.899.
“It’s been an outstanding weekend so far,” Prock said. “You know, everybody’s just been having fun in this Cornwell Tools pit and I feel like we’ve got a good attitude going into (Monday’s race) and going up into the playoffs. I’m over getting amped up; getting beat up. Just go out there and do the job and that’s my mindset for the rest of the year.”
As for Beckman, he continues to become more comfortable with each run.
“Q1, we were third best and I thought we looked good and got bonus points,” he said. “Q2, we went out there, third best, we looked good and got bonus points. Q3, we go out there and it was the first time I’ve been in the left lane since 2020 (when he won the race), and we went out there and got all the bonus points.
“We keep learning every run because I drive differently and I weigh a different amount than John,” said the 33-time Funny Car winner. “The PEAK team is learning and getting better every time we step on the throttle.”
Prock, who already has clinched the No. 1 starting position for the NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship, added another accomplishment to his resume Saturday when he was presented the overall 2024 championship trophy for the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge Series after winning seven times.
“To lock up that #2Fast2Tasty championship says a lot about this race team and how consistent this race car is with the job that they’re doing,” Prock said. “So, I’m very proud of that. Those 23 (bonus) points will be very valuable going into the Countdown.
Sunday, he’ll try to put the Cornwell Camaro on the drag racing equivalent of the “pole” for the 10th time since taking the reins this season from three-time World Champion Robert Hight, who has been sidelined with a medical issue.
This story was originally published on August 31, 2024.
The post Brittany Force Improves, Remains Provisional No. 1 After Saturday Qualifying at the 70th U.S. Nationals first appeared on Drag Illustrated.