Championship Drag Racing

O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals
Houston, Texas
(March 28-30)

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Driver Profile

Ashley Force Castrol GTX Ford Mustang

Houston, pre-race:  She may have earned the Auto Club's Road to the Future Award as the NHRA's 2007 Rookie of the Year, but Ashley Force still is a novice at Houston Raceway Park, the Texas track on which she will make a belated professional debut this week in the 21st annual O'Reilly Spring Nationals.

A full year later than anticipated, on a track on which her father has won seven times and on which her brother-in-law, Robert Hight, won his very first tour event, the 25-year-old graduate of Cal State-Fullerton will try to make history as the first woman to win an NHRA Funny Car title.

She' s come close before, losing in the final round to Tony Pedregon last fall at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and reaching the semifinals at this year's season-opening CARQUEST Winternationals at Pomona, Calif.

"I've run at Houston before, but it was in the (Top Alcohol Dragster class)," she said, "so I don't know a lot about how my Castrol GTX  Funny Car will act.

"The first thing I'll do when I get there is get with my crew chief, Dean Antonelli, and put together a mental game plan.  I know dad has run great (at Houston) and so has Robert, so it must be a pretty good Funny Car track.  We missed the race last year, so I'm excited about making my first (Funny Car) runs there."

After stumbling at Phoenix, where she failed to make the 16-car starting lineup, Ashley rallied two weeks ago at Gainesville, Fla., where hers was the only one of the four John Force Racing Ford Mustangs to advance beyond the first round of the ACDelco Gatornationals..

"I think we've gotten things pretty figured out from the runs that we've made (this year)," she said, "and I'm finally learning to pedal (feather the throttle) when the car loses traction.  At Pomona was the first time I ever won a round on my  pedaling.'

 “I had another chance at Gainesville against Tony and even though we didn't win, I think I'm getting the hang of it.  Like dad says, I just ran out of racetrack.  Hopefully, it will all pay off this week.”

Ashley not only is trying to become the first woman to win a tour event in the Funny Car division, she also is trying to become the first to start a race from the No. 1 qualifying position.  She was the No. 2 qualifier three times in 2007, twice losing the No. 1 spot to Hight.

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