53nd annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals
Auto Club Raceway at Pomona
Pomona, Calif.
Feb. 14-17, 2013
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Final round results from Sunday’s 53rd annual O’Reilly
Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, first race in the 2013 NHRA Mello
Yello Drag Racing Series:
FUNNY CAR – Courtney Force, Yorba Linda, Calif., Traxxas
Ford Mustang, 4.025, 317.12 mph def. Ron Capps, Carlsbad, Calif., NAPA
Auto Parts Dodge Charger, 6.090, 116.32 mph.
TOP FUEL – Shawn Langdon, Brownsburg, Ind., Al-Anabi dragster, 3.721,
322.27 mph def. Tony Schumacher, Long Grove, Ill., US Army dragster, 3.747, 324.12
mph.
PRO STOCK – Vincent Nobile, Dix Hills, NY, Mountain View Tires Dodge
Avenger, 6.584, 210.05 mph def. Jeg Coughlin Jr., Delaware, Ohio, JEGS.com Dodge
Avenger, red-light DQ
* * * *
COURTNEY
FORCE WINS WINTERNATIONALS
POMONA,
CA ---- After grabbing her third No. 1 qualifier of her career, Courtney Force
wrapped up the weekend today with her second career win and first at the
season-opening 53nd annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals at Auto
Club Raceway. She defeated Ron Capps in the final round of eliminations and ran
the quickest pass of the weekend a 4.025 second run.
“It
was definitely pretty unbelievable. My team, Ron Douglas and Dan Hood, thanks
to them. They’ve given me a great race car all weekend long; a consistent one,
running 4.0s. I just try to keep it straight down the center. They really made
my job easy. I really owe it to those guys,” said the 24-year-old from Yorba
Linda, Calif.
Force
is the fourth person to qualify No. 1 and win the Winternationals in the last
25 years. She took on the No. 16 qualifier at the start of race day and never
looked back. Today was the first time Force and Phil Burkart Jr. have faced
each other in eliminations and the daughter of 15-time world champion John
Force came out on top with a 4.066 ET at over 316 mph.
“It
is always tough racing someone in the other lane no matter who they are,
whether they are the No. 16 qualifier or the No. 2 qualifier.
Force
went on to race No. 9 qualifier Matt Hagan in the second round and claimed
victory when Hagan slowed and Force posted a 4.070 ET. She is now 4-2 to the
2011 Funny Car World Champion.
The
2012 Rookie of the Year and Nationals spokesperson for Ford Motor Company’s
Driving Skills for Life also ousted fellow Ford racer Bob Tasca III in the
semifinals after he fouled out and sent Force on to the final round of
eliminations against Ron Capps.
“I
saw the red light. I knew I was good but it was definitely pure luck. I got on
the radio and I said, ‘guys, we just won that by pure luck. God wanted us to
win that round.’ But you know what, Bob Tasca III, we both get fired up against
each other. He’s always good on the lights so he’s always a tough competitor,
but the main thing is we both bleed Ford blue and we knew one of the Fords were
going to the final so we were excited about that. You know, things happen. We
both just wanted to get that win and we got lucky,” said Force.
The
Traxxas Ford Mustang driver next pulled off the win in an exciting matchup
against Capps in the final round. Force had lost the luxury of lane choice, but
posted the quickest time of the weekend, a 4.025 ET and cruised into the
winner’s circle.
“Going
against Capps I was honestly terrified. I knew the last time I ran him it was
out here in the finals and I knew he wanted revenge. He was running well all
weekend. He got lane choice over me and it definitely made me nervous. He’s a
tough competitor.”
“Going
down there my car was flying. It got over to the centerline and I just held
onto it because I didn’t know, I thought maybe he was right out my window. I
wasn’t looking over in his lane, I was just paying attention to my own, trying
to keep it straight and get past the finish line to get that win and was able
to get the job done. I’m excited it was definitely a tough round not knowing
where he was on the track, but we were able to do it,” said Force.
By
winning the first event of the season, Force also now occupies a spot on the
board reserved for the first driver entered into the Traxxas Nitro Shootout
that will be held in Indy at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. Last year, Force won
the fan vote and was entered into the bonus race.
“Making
it into the Traxxas Shootout, I think that’s the coolest thing here at my home
track, being the first one on that list, you know my dad won the
Winternationals last year and it’s pretty cool. It was kind of a bittersweet
finish here in the final not getting that win and coming back and picking up
where we left off and finishing our job. We got the win, got in the winner’s
circle and I’m Just proud of my team.”
“That
right lane for some reason has been tough for me this weekend. We spun the
tires down there. We found a little bump in the road. But getting it down there
and running a 4.02 in what was considered the bad lane, for me that was
unbelievable. Ron Douglas just knows how to tune this car and I think we have a
pretty bad hot rod going into Phoenix. I’m excited to see what we’re capable of
doing.”
“It’s
pretty surreal and crazy that we went to the top spot and I’m leaving here in
the points lead. That just crazy to me and it’s exciting to be out here at my
home track. My friends are all out here so I get to celebrate in the winner’s
circle with them. I was starting to think the only race I could win was Seattle
so it was kinda cool to come out here and prove myself wrong. We had a good hot
rod and we had a good day,” said Force.
John
Force picked a tough opponent to have one of his better runs of the weekend
against. There were three winners in front of Force that advanced to the second
round with runs slower than five seconds. Cruz Pedregon (5.165 sec), Todd
Lesenko (5.013 sec) and Gary Densham (5.023 sec) all took out their respective
opponents while Force was sent back to his Castrol GTX trailer after running
4.119 seconds at 313.07 mph.
Unfortunately
for Force his opponent Ron Capps ran 4.108 seconds and took out the six-time
Winternationals champion. Force was relegated to cheerleader for daughter
Courtney the rest of the day. Force was able to see her get revenge on Capps
with the final round win.
“I
know the emotions she is going to have. I won the season opener here last year.
A young kid like that doesn’t understand how it all works yet but she drover
against a great champion in Ron Capps. They gave the fans a show,” said John
Force.
“They
were both going for it. He was trying to run one of those low 4.0s and she did
it. I am really proud of her. For Traxxas and Mike Jenkins the president to
have him here is key. He wasn’t in Seattle for the first win. We had a great
weekend for John Force Racing. Robert Hight and I we both struggled but at the
end of the day I had a neck and neck with Capps. My daughter took him out so it
is all balanced to me.”
“Our
dragster, I am still amazed with the job Brittany did putting that thing in the
quickest Top Fuel field. Brandon Bernstein is the best. I lost to his dad in my
first final and to see the next generation out here. To see the crowd at Auto
Club Raceway was big. For all our sponsors from Mac Tools to BrandSource to
Freightliner plus all our new sponsors like System 51, Champion, Gates Belts
and Stingray Systems. To give them a win right out of the box at the first race
of the season is amazing. I have had a lot of wins in my career and this one is
big. We are a big family. I want to thank the media for giving my girl a chance
when she made mistakes. It is a job but she loves her job.”
Robert
Hight and the Auto Club Ford Mustang lost a pedalfest with Cruz Pedregon in the
opening session. Both Funny Cars launched hard and Pedregon lost traction and
then Hight’s Auto Club Mustang Goodyear’s came loose. Both drivers battled to
get their 8,000 hp Funny Cars under control and it was Pedregon who crossed the
finish line just in front of Hight.
It
was a disappointing finish for Hight at his home track but he was philosophical
about the outcome after just one race in the 2013 Mello Yello Drag Racing
Series.
“You
always want to win the first race of the season but they don’t hand you the
championship trophy until the end of the season. Jimmy has been looking at a
number of different issues on the Auto Club Mustang and we are getting some
answers with every pass. I am glad we are going to Phoenix in four days,” said
Hight. “My team and I will keep working and we will figure this Mustang out. We
are creating a lot of power and honestly we are trying to get it harnessed so
we can run like some of these guys that are running 4.0s all the time. We will
get there and when we do you’ll see a big smile on my face.”
Brittany
Force’s first day of eliminations may have been shorter than she would have
liked but that did not dampen her enthusiasm for the overall experience. In the
first round she lost a close race to veteran Brandon Bernstein as her Castrol
EDGE Top Fueler stepped up with a weekend best 3.822 second run against
Bernstein’s 3.785 second run.
“Even
though we went out in the first round I am still excited and so glad to be out
here racing. We got the Castrol EDGE dragster qualified. We came out in the
first run going against Brandon and we actually improved. I am really happy
about that. We also ran our fastest speed. It is still a good day,” said
Brittany Force.
For
a rookie driver it is all about the process and learning from every experience.
Force took a number of positives away from her four days at Auto Club Raceway
at Pomona.
“I
have always been that type of person. I always try and find the positive spin
on things. Even though we went out first round we did get qualified. I am so
happy to be qualified and that we got a chance to race. I got to run against
Brandon Bernstein. I grew up watching him and his dad. That was pretty awesome
to have him in the lane next to me,” said Force, the quickest rookie in Top
Fuel.
“I
thought I was going to be really nervous about it but I surprised myself about
it. I came out here and every one told me to think about it like testing in
West Palm and that is pretty much what I did. I was a lot more relaxed than I
thought I would be. I put everything out of my mind and I went up there and did
my thing. We had a good car and we made a good run.”
For those who’ve never been to California, let me be the first to tell you – it’s a huge
state. As gorgeous and scenic as it is, it’s very possible to get lost
in the twisty, turny roads of the desert, mountain, and valley roads. It
can happen to anyone that’s not familiar with the area, even if you
have a decent GPS system.
Shaken
but apparently not seriously injured, reigning Top Fuel champion Antron
Brown rode out a violent second-round accident during Sunday's
eliminations of the O'Reilly Auto Parts Winternationals at Auto Club
Raceway at Pomona, Calif.
It is unknown whether Grubnic or his car sustained any injury or damage.
Courtney
Force raced to her first No. 1 qualifying position of the season
Saturday at the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by
Super Start Batteries.
