Championship Drag Racing

O`Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals
Topeka, KS
(May 25-28)

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Driver Profile
John Force
Castrol GTX Ford Mustang

Force scores runner-up finish

Topeka, Sunday: John Force, drag racing’s all-time leader in tour victories and series championships, made a strong bid to repeat as champion at the O’Reilly Summer Nationals but a loss of traction in the final round at Heartland Park-Topeka allowed Ron Capps to drive around him for the win.

Force defeated two former NHRA world champions to reach the final – two-time former Top Fuel champ Scott Kalitta in the second round and 2003 Funny Car champ and former protégé Tony Pedregon in the semifinals. 

In the final, Force grabbed a starting line advantage with a .050 of a second reaction time (to Capps’ .080) but his national record-holding Mustang lost traction near half track and then broke a supercharger drive belt to give Capps the opening he needed to win the race and extend his points led.

“At 300 or 400 feet I had to pedal it a little and that made us throw a belt.,” he said. “I think the heat was working against us this weekend. We are still No. 2 in points and we are running great. We just need to win some races. I feel good about where all three of the cars are. I feel like I’m getting back into the zone (as a driver). I think the team has a great attitude and we are working towards winning the championship. We are going to be okay.”


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