Category: NHRA

CHEVROLET IN NHRA
2023 DENSO NHRA SONOMA NATIONALS
SONOMA RACEWAY
SONOMA, CALIFORNIA
TEAM CHEVY RACE REPORT
JULY 30, 2023

TEAM CHEVY AND JOHN FORCE RACING FACE TRICKY TRACK IN SONOMA

• Austin Prock and Brittany Force faced Round 2 elimination after moving from Round 1 on opposite ends of the ladder, with Prock falling to Justin Ashley and B. Force to Antron Brown.
• In Funny Car, Robert Hight faced an early elimination by Ron Capps after defeating team owner and teammate John Force in Round 1.
• Securing his second career Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier, Austin Prock secured the top position on the Sonoma Nationals ladder with his Friday run of 3.704 ET at 331.36 MPH.
• Prock (Top Fuel) went provisional No. 1 qualifier Friday night after two rounds of qualifying with his pass of 3.704 ET at 331.36 MPH.

SONOMA, California (July 30, 2023) – Battling a tricky track and fluctuating water grain conditions along with tough luck, it was an early day for the Chevrolet-supported nitro teams of John Force Racing at this year’s DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.

After securing his second career Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier and first for the 2023 NHRA season, Austin Prock, driver of the Montana Brands/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster, rocketed to the top spot on the ladder with his Friday pass of 3.704 ET at 331.36 MPH holding through the end of Saturday’s qualifying sessions. While going three-for-three on No. 1 qualifiers during the three stops on NHRA’s Western Swing, (Brittany Force, Top Fuel – Denver, John Force, Funny Car – Seattle, Austin Prock, Top Fuel – Sonoma), the Sonoma Nationals looked to be a promising turnaround for the team.

Prock noted after qualifying Saturday that he’s “really proud of this team, this goes out to my Montana Brand boys. These No. 1 qualifiers are hard to come by, only my second in three years. It’s all about the race team, your crew chiefs and crew outdid everyone else out here and that’s very special. This is the first No. 1 for Chris Cunningham as a Top Fuel crew chief and he and Joe Barlam are really working well together.”

Qualifying No. 9, and on the opposite side of the Sonoma Nationals ladder, Prock’s teammate Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, secured her race day position facing Clay Millican in Round 1 with her Friday pass of 3.771 ET at 323.58 MPH. With both Prock and B. Force defeating their competitors in Round 1, both Top Fuel pilots found their days were done early in Round 2 after both faced elimination.

“We closed out the final race of the Western Swing here in Sonoma,” said B. Force. “John Force Racing swept No. 1 qualifiers, which is impressive. I was No. 1 in Denver, my dad was No. 1 in Seattle, and Austin was No. 1 here in Sonoma. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the job done today, and we weren’t able to defend the win from last year. We got beat in the second round, but we moved up one in the points to third and we have a week off to get this car figured out before we go to the next one in Topeka, Kansas.”

Unfortunately for Robert Hight, driver of the Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car and teammate/team owner John Force, driver of the PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, who qualified No. 6 and No. 11 respectively, kicked off the Sunday race day competing against each other on either side of the Sonoma Raceway lanes. After Hight moved to Round 2, he faced off against defending Funny Car champion Ron Capps, but after smoking the tires at half-track, he also faced a premature ending to his Sonoma Nationals race day.

“There’s nothing I could have done (different racing against Ron Capps), Hight said. “The car smoked the tires. We’re still looking for consistency with this new clutch setup. This is the time of the year we always say we better have our act together because this crazy Countdown is coming up pretty quick. But, the good news is we head to Norwalk next weekend for the (Night Under Fire) match race and we’re going to do some testing during the day. We’re not giving up. This Cornwell car will be in the Winner’s Circle soon. The car is close, it’s very close.”

The Chevrolet Nitro and Pro Stock, teams next head to Topeka, Kan. for the 2023 Menards NHRA Nationals Presented by PetArmor at Heartland Motorsports Park Aug. 11-13, 2023. Broadcast of Sunday’s eliminations air live at 3 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1).

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:

Austin Prock, driver of the Montana Brands/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster for John Force Racing:

“Definitely not the Sunday this Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team thought we’d have. We were really confident heading into today and after a good run in the first round bye we felt good. It was another wrong place at the wrong time situation, ran into it in Seattle against Brittany in the first round and again today against Justin Ashley in the quarterfinals. Would have beat anyone else that round. That’s drag racing. It’s sucks but we’ll be back at it in a week and a half and I’ll be chomping at the bit to get back in this hot rod. I’m proud of this team and the work they’re putting in, we’re due for another one, it’s coming.”

Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pack Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster for John Force Racing:

“We closed out the final race of the Western Swing here in Sonoma. John Force Racing swept No. 1 qualifiers, which is impressive. I was No. 1 in Denver, my dad was No. 1 in Seattle, and Austin was No. 1 here in Sonoma. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the job done today, and we weren’t able to defend the win from last year. We got beat in the second round, but we moved up one in the points to third and we have a week off to get this car figured out before we go to the next one in Topeka, Kansas.”

On not notching a win just yet this season…

“It’s not a concern. We’re not lost. Our team knows what we’re doing, and it’s just been slow for us. We’ve made a lot of changes and we will be there for the final six.”

Robert Hight, driver of the Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing:

“It was a tough weekend. Didn’t qualify great but the track was difficult. Glad NHRA was able to get it evened out today but disappointed we weren’t able to take advantage of it. Jimmy Prock and this Cornwell Tools team are working hard. It’ll come. We just need to keep putting the work in and get that consistency. We’ve got several races before the Countdown and a lot can happen in those races. We’ll just have to see. It was a great crowd out here, this is my hometown track so it was nice to have family here, just sorry we couldn’t get the job done.”

John Force, driver of the PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing:

“Never ideal to be racing Robert (Hight) in the other lane unless it’s in the finals. It’s disappointing but at least it guaranteed one of us would be in the second round. Been a challenging couple of races but we’ll be okay. Just a couple of races left until the Countdown, so we’ll move on to the next one and hope for better.”

Round 1 Recap:

Top Fuel:

No. 1 Austin Prock races to a run of 3.742 ET at 330.72 MPH on a bye run.
No. 9 Brittany Force defeated No. 6 Clay Millican with her pass of 3.703 ET at 334.57 MPH to Millican’s 3.786 ET at 301.07 MPH.

Funny Car:

No. 8 Robert Hight defeated No. 11 John Force with his pass of 3.904 ET at 331.53 MPH to J. Force’s 4.845 ET at 163.77 MPH after getting out of the groove and losing traction.

Round 2 Recap:

Top Fuel:

B. Force is defeated by Antron Brown after smoking the tires on her run.
A. Prock is defeated by Justin Ashley after Ashley goes 3.740 ET at 327.03 MPH to Prock’s 3.761 ET at 329.10 MPH.

Funny Car:

Hight is defeated by Ron Capps after smoking the tires at half-track to Capps’ 4.018 ET at 316.90 MPH run.

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

SECOND STRAIGHT TOYOTA SWEEP IN CHALLENGE RACES
Steve Torrence, Alexis DeJoria lead Toyota in qualifying action at Sonoma

SONOMA, Calif. (July 29, 2023) – Toyota drivers swept the Mission 2Fast2Tasty Challenge for the second consecutive weekend at Sonoma Raceway. Steve Torrence won on a holeshot in Top Fuel and J.R. Todd picked up the victory in Funny Car action.

Torrence was the top-qualifier for Toyota in the Top Fuel class, followed by Antron Brown in third. In Funny Car qualifying, Alexis DeJoria qualified second and Ron Capps slotted in the third spot.

Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
Sonoma Raceway
Race 12 of 21

TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Qualifying Position	First Round Opponent
Austin Prock*	Montana Brand Top Fuel Dragster	1st (3.704)	BYE
Steve Torrence	Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	2nd (3.706)	Ron August Jr.
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	3rd (3.721)	Mike Salinas
Shawn Langdon	Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	5th (3.740)	Leah Pruett
Justin Ashley	Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	7th (3.770)	Doug Kalitta
Doug Kalitta	Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	8th (3.770)	Justin Ashley

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Qualifying Position	First Round Opponent
Bob Tasca III*	Motorcraft Ford Mustang Funny Car	1st (3.938)	BYE
Alexis DeJoria	Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	2nd (3.942)	Paul Lee
Ron Capps	NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	3rd (3.942)	Tim Gibbons
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	8th (3.966)	Blake Alexander

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA QUOTES

STEVE TORRENCE, Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Torrence Racing

TF Qualifying Result: 2nd

Mission Challenge Top Fuel Winner

Are things rolling along good for your team right now?

“Yeah, everything is going really well for us. The car has shown glimmers of hope throughout last year, mainly at the end of last year and this year. But the consistency is finally coming around. To win on a holeshot, that always makes you feel good as a driver. I apologized to Clay (Millican) down there at the end because I was a little bit long to getting in to stage. I’m not trying to play games and do stuff like that, so I apologized to him and said, ‘Hey, sorry I was not nearly as close as I thought I was, and it took me a while to bump in.’ But, with that being said that’s the best line that I’ve had all weekend. I’ve been pretty late on the tree, so I was just amped up. When you go up there, it’s not another round of qualifying, it’s a race win. We wanted to be eating some Tortilla chips tonight so that’s the best way to solidify that. It’s been a good season. Consistency has been on our side, now it’s just going rounds so that makes us feel good and this Capco Contractors Toyota dragster is coming around. Hopefully, we’re peaking at the right time. We’re not very far away from Indy and starting this points countdown again.”

ALEXIS DEJORIA, Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, DC Motorsports

FC Qualifying Result: 2nd

How important has the consistency of this team been this year?

“Consistent runs are always good. We were hoping to run a bit faster last night, but it just ate up the clutch. Our team is just excellent. Del (Worsham) and Nicky (Boninfante) have given me such a great car this season. We’ve had our best start to the season yet. We’re third in points and just racking them up and just missing a win. It just shows the perseverance in my team and Del Worsham and what he’s put into this car and everything we learned from last year. What to do, what not to do and lots of trials and tribulations. It’s really paid off.”

J.R. TODD, DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Kalitta Motorsports

FC Qualifying Result: 8th

Mission Challenge Funny Car Winner

How exciting is it to pick up this Mission Challenge win today?

“Any win is a good win. I feel like we’ve let the last two slip away from us in Denver and then the final round in Seattle. It’s been a while since we’ve won anything so this is good momentum heading into race day and hopefully, we can finish it off tomorrow.”

Does this give your team good momentum?

“I hope that’s a good trend for us. Going back, Norwalk – around that time we went to the semifinals and I feel like we’ve been building momentum since then with our DHL Toyota GR Supra. Definitely have been knocking on the door of a win, but it goes to show how hard it is to win in Funny Car right now. Just when you think you’ve got it where you need it and it’s going to be your day, somebody like Tim Wilkerson jumps up and snatches it from you. Hopefully, we can ride this wave of momentum into the final again here at one of my favorite tracks here at Sonoma and win again. It would be really special to win here again in Funny Car.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 24 electrified options.

CHEVROLET IN NHRA
2023 DENSO NHRA SONOMA NATIONALS
SONOMA RACEWAY
SONOMA, CALIFORNIA
JULY 28-30, 2023

CHEVROLET LOOKS TO GO BACK-TO-BACK IN VICTORY WITH JOHN FORCE RACING AT SONOMA

DETROIT (JULY 27, 2023) – For the 12th round of the 2023 NHRA season, the Chevrolet Top Fuel and Funny Car teams at John Force Racing round out the Western Swing in wine country at this weekend’s 2023 DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals. Nestled in the beautiful Sears Point, Calif.-area, Sonoma Raceway hosts this weekend’s event, with Brittany Force eyeing a back-to-back victory this year after capturing the Wally trophy in 2022.

Qualifying No. 5 in 2022 with a run of 3.705 ET at 335.15 MPH, B. Force knocked out John Force Racing teammate Austin Prock, driver of the Montana Brands/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, in the first round, then Steve Torrence in Round 2, then Shawn Langdon in Semifinals before racing to the 2022 Sonoma win over Mike Salinas with her run of 3.709 ET at 335.48 MPH.

“Heading into our final race of the Western Swing in Sonoma, California this season, B. Force said. “This Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team is excited to get there just because of how we dominated on Sunday last season. We set records and had four solid runs running in the 3.60s which was just unbelievable. We got to bring home a win and the specialty wine goblet. It was probably one of our best wins of the season last year. Our game plan going into Sonoma Raceway this season is we want to repeat, we want to do that again. We want back-to-back Sonoma Nationals victories. So we’re looking forward to getting the weekend started.”

Making a final round appearance at Sonoma Raceway in 2022, John Force, the 16-time champion, driver of the PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car and team owner at John Force Racing, finished runner-up and has his eyes focused on the Winner’s Circle.

“Coming to the end of the Western Swing up in Northern California. Looking forward to getting back in my PEAK Chevy. We’re doing good. We have some work to do but we’ve had some good runs, just need to get it together on race day,” J. Force said. “Another Bruton Smith track, they’ve done some work on the facility, maintaining it, keeping it beautiful. I love racing here, I guess who doesn’t? I’ve done well in the past so hopefully that’s a sign for this weekend. Looking for a win for PEAK, Chevy, Cornwell Tools, NK Seeds, and all our sponsors.”

Racing to the semifinals after defeating Jeff Diehl and Jim Campbell, Robert Hight, driver of the Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing, faced an early exit versus eventual event winner Bob Tasca III in 2022. Heading to Sonoma in 2023, however, Hight looks to cap off his Western Swing with a win for the Bowtie brand.

Currently idle, the Chevrolet Camaro Pro Stock teams will be back in action in Topeka, Aug. 11-13, 2023. Additionally, the FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown Chevrolet teams return for the biggest event of the season soon, the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Sept. 1-4, 2023.

The 2023 DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway in the beautiful Sears Point, California-area airs first with Friday’s qualifying on Saturday, July 29 at 12 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Saturday’s qualifying airs Sunday, July 30 at 2:30 p.m. ET, with Sunday’s Finals following on FOX at 4 p.m. ET. Coverage streaming live throughout the weekend can be found through NHRA.tv, available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:

Austin Prock, driver of the Rocky Mountain Twist / Montana Brands Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster for John Force Racing:

“I’m excited to get going at the final race of the Western Swing in Sonoma, California. This Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist car is running well, we see it. I believe we can leave Sonoma Raceway with a Wally. I’m looking forward to making sight solid runs and getting the job done.”

Robert Hight, driver of the Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing:

“I’m excited to be back in Northern California, this is my home track, I grew up coming here. I’ve never missed this national event,” Hight said. “I think this Cornwell Tools team is due for a win. We’ve struggled a bit, and had some bad luck, but I know this team, we know how to win. We keep putting in the work and it will pay off. Hopefully, it’s this weekend and we can break back into the top three in points. The Countdown is coming, and we want to be in a strong position to start the battle for another championship.”

TEAM CHEVY BY THE NUMBERS

1,434: Round wins for John Force (1st all-time).

605: Round wins for Robert Hight; 13th all-time. Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), sits 12th, with 621.

375: Number of wins in Pro Stock since 1970; 255 won in the Chevrolet Camaro body.

166: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for John Force (1st all-time).

157: Number of Chevrolet Racing Funny Car wins since 1967.

79: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for Robert Hight (6th all-time).

77: Number of Chevrolet Racing Funny Car wins with the Camaro body.

47: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for Brittany Force.

27: Number of NHRA championships Chevrolet holds as a manufacturer since entering the first in 1966. No other manufacturer has won it more than Chevrolet.

24: Wins by John Force in a Chevrolet-bodied Funny Car.

18: Number of Pro Stock championships.

20: Chevrolet career Top Fuel wins in NHRA.

16: Number of Chevrolet career wins by Brittany Force.

7: Number of Funny Car driver championships.

2: Number of Top Fuel driver championships.

UPCOMING NHRA MILESTONES

950: Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) is second all-time with 921 elimination round wins. He could reach 950 round wins with a decent run in the 18-race schedule.

621: Robert Hight achieved 605 Funny Car elimination wins in Chicago to rank 13th on the all-time NHRA list; Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car) sits 12th with 621.

445: By qualifying for his next race, Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) will extend his NHRA record to 445 consecutive race day appearances. His first appearance came in 2002 at Pomona 2, and he holds the longest career qualifying streak in NHRA.

138: Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) ranks third on the NHRA all-time list with 121 No. 1 qualifiers. He will tie Warren Johnson (Pro Stock, 138) for second to John Force (165) on the list.

270: By qualifying for his next race, Robert Hight will extend his NHRA record to 270 consecutive race day appearances. His first appearance came in 2010 at Pomona 2, and he currently sits seventh in career qualifying streaks in NHRA (Doug Kalitta is sixth at 276).

65: Robert Hight moved into the top 10 on the all-time NHRA victory list with his win in Pomona 1 with 63. Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock, retired) is next ninth on list with 65.

46: Erica Enders has 44 career Pro Stock victories (all with Chevrolet, first win coming at Chicago, 2012 and last win at Las Vegas 2, 2022). Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle) is the all-time NHRA female leader with 46.

18: Brittany Force (16 Top Fuel career wins) will move past Shirley Muldowney (18 wins) into third on the NHRA all-time victory list for females. Erica Enders (Pro Stock, 44) and Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle, 46) are ahead.

6: Erica Enders (Pro Stock) could tie Warren Johnson (6 Pro Stock championships) for second on the class list. The same holds for Greg Anderson. Bob Glidden is the leader with 10.

3: Brittany Force (Top Fuel, 2 championships) would tie Shirley Muldowney (Top Fuel) and Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle) for second on the NHRA all-time championship list by females with another title in 2023. Erica Enders (Pro Stock, 5) is the leader.

Team Chevy high-resolution racing photos are available for editorial use.

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

TORRENCE SCORES 200th WIN FOR TOYOTA WITH SEATTLE TOP FUEL VICTORY
Four-time NHRA champion takes over Top Fuel points lead

KENT, Wash. (July 23, 2023) – Steve Torrence won Sunday’s Top Fuel final at Pacific Raceways near Seattle to earn the 200th victory for Toyota in NHRA competition. Torrence topped Doug Kalitta in an all-Toyota Top Fuel final to earn the milestone victory.

In Funny Car, J.R. Todd advanced to the final round and came home runner-up by inches to race-winner Tim Wilkerson on Sunday. This continues Todd’s performance surge as the former champion has finished in the semi-finals or better four of the last five races.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
Pacific Raceways
Race 11 of 21

TOYOTA TOP FUEL FINISHING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
Steve Torrence	Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Winner	W. 3.736 v. 3.750(J. Hart) W. 3.752 v. 8.811(B. Force) W. 4.016 v. 4.074(S. Langdon) W. 3.940 v. 4.861 (D. Kalitta)
Doug Kalitta	Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Finalist	W. 3.753 v. 4.384(R. Smith) W. 4.975 v. No Run(Bye) W. 3.813 v. 3.947(C. Millican) L. 4.861 v. 3.940 (S. Torrence)
Shawn Langdon	Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Semi-Finals	W. 3.779 v. 4.755(A. Brown) W. 3.792 v. 4.772(M. Salinas) L. 4.074 v. 4.016(S. Torrence)
Justin Ashley	Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	Second Round	W. 3.740 v. 3.785(T. Schumacher) L. 3.807 v. 3.973(C. Millican)
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	First Round	L. 4.755 v. 3.779(S. Langdon)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR FINISHING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Final Result	Round-by-Round
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Finalist	W. 3.909 v. No Run(A. Laughlin) W. 3.964 v. 4.085(C. Pedregon) W. 3.988 v. 3.974(Holeshot Win –C. Green) L. 4.014 v. 4.007 (T. Wilkerson)
Ron Capps	NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	Second Round	W. 4.481 v. 12.260(J. Diehl) L. 4.958 v. 4.006(T. Wilkerson)
Alexis DeJoria	Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	First Round	L. 4.176 v. 3.963(C. Green)

TOYOTA QUOTES

STEVE TORRENCE, Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Torrence Racing

Final Result: Winner

How does it feel to head to Sonoma with all of this momentum after today’s win?

“It’s a great feeling. Just kind of a monkey off your back sense of accomplishment feeling. In the year’s past, we’ve had such a dominant race car and I think you can get a little complacent and winning is a norm and it’s really not and never should be. The performance today – I’ll tell you, two rounds were stellar, and two rounds were not stellar. You’ve got to be confident. It’s difficult when things are not going absolutely great to be as confident as you need to be to drive these things successfully. And, like I said, you just need to take a step back, reevaluate the situation and just see how thankful, grateful, fortunate and blessed we are to be able to do what we do with such great partners like what we have. This is a great place to win and at the right time to feel like we’re getting some momentum going. We’re getting that race car that we’ve had in year’s past back where you go out there and call your shots. I knew that as the day got hotter and the track was a little more susceptible to spinning the tires out there, we struggled but we did better than the guy or girl beside us. Right now, our confidence is back. I don’t think that it’s as good as it can be, but it’s definitely moving in the right direction. You’re only as good as your last shot so you need to continue moving forward. I think that we have a really good race car going into Sonoma. Conditions will probably be a much different situation there where you have to move a lot faster and it just won’t be as warm, maybe, but we’ll see how it goes. Hats off to the Capco Contractors boys at home that are taking care of us and keeping us out here. And Toyota that just makes sure we have all the right information for the track, excited to get the 200th win for Toyota here today. Also, thanks to Red Line Tools that supports us. We’re a family-owned and family-run team and we’re really close to the vest and careful with who we partner with so we’re proud of the people that support us.”

DOUG KALITTA, Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports

Final Result: Finalist

Are you happy after a good points day for the team?

“Obviously, getting beat in the final there’s not a lot of positive things to say, but it was a good weekend for us. Going to the final again. All of my guys have worked hard on this thing, and I couldn’t be more proud of what we’ve got going on. It was there for the taking in the finals, so it was one of those deals that we let one get away. I really appreciate everyone’s support.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 24 electrified options.

CHEVROLET IN NHRA
FLAV-R-PAC NHRA NORTHWEST NATIONALS
PACIFIC RACEWAYS
KENT, WASHINGTON
TEAM CHEVY RACE REPORT
JULY 23, 2023

JOHN FORCE RACING AND TEAM CHEVY FACE TOUGH NHRA NORTHWEST NATIONALS RACE DAY IN SEATTLE

• John Force raced to Round 2 after a bye in the first round, with his day ending early in the second when he was defeated by Chad Green.
• Falling in Round 1, Robert Hight’s day ended prematurely after facing a defeat by Cruz Pedregon.
• Teammates Austin Prock and Brittany faced each other in Round 1 after qualifying No. 5 and No. 10 respectively.
• J. Force captured his first No. 1 qualifier of the 2023 season and 166th of his legendary career Saturday at the Northwest Nationals.

KENT, Washington (July 23, 2023) – Heading into the 2023 Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals race day at Pacific Raceways, the Chevrolet nitro teams of John Force Racing faced a tough day and premature elimination.

In what had been a hopeful and winning weekend in the Pacific Northwest unfortunately saw Brittany Force, driver of the Flav-R-Pack/Monster Energy Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, as well as her father John Force, driver of the PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, eliminated in Round 2. Despite the early exit, B. Force did continue showing her team’s strength, setting the track speed record at Pacific Raceways during the weekend.

“That first-round win was an outstanding run for this Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team. We set the track speed record and ran low ET of the weekend. Our team worked really hard to turn things around after an uneventful two days of qualifying. Unfortunately, we went out the second round, but we know our error and we’ll improve it before we go to the next race,” Force said. “Overall, we were really excited to be out here representing Flav-R-Pac at their title race. It was awesome to see Flav-R-Pac splashed all over everywhere. I wish we could have done better but we’ll attempt to get the job done again next weekend in Sonoma.”

Hopeful to visit the Winner’s Circle at day’s end, J. Force looked strong at the conclusion of qualifying Saturday by capturing his 166th career No. 1 qualifier with a run of 3.915 ET at 327.35 MPH.

“Not the day we wanted. Couldn’t get the job done for Frank Tiegs at his Flav-R-Pac race. Really thought, after going No. 1 and after that first round in Top Fuel, we might have had it. Just not our day,” Force said. “This PEAK team, we’re doing good. We can hang with the rest of these teams, just need to find our consistency. We’ll pack up and head to the next one, try to get some rounds in Sonoma.”

Facing Round 1 elimination, Robert Hight, driver of the Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, fell to Cruz Pedregon after smoking the tires on his run. Austin Prock, driver of the Montana Brands/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, was knocked out by teammate B. Force after racing tightly to the finish line.

The Chevrolet Top Fuel and Funny Car teams at John Force Racing in NHRA wrap up the Western Swing with the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals at Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California July 28-30, 2023. Broadcast of Sunday’s eliminations will air live at 4 p.m. ET on FOX Sunday, July 30, 2023.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:

Austin Prock, driver of the Montana Brands/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster for John Force Racing:

“This Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team had a strong run today; we were just lined up against the wrong car. Drag racing is tough and humbling sometimes. We have a good hot rod right now, we just need some things to fall our way. On to Sonoma to give it another go.”

Robert Hight, driver of the Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing:

“Disappointing, but again, we get the opportunity to turn it around in just a couple days. I know this Cornwell Tools team was really hoping to get another Northwest Nationals Wally. Would have been nice to get it done for Frank Tiegs again at his title race after everything he’s done for John Force Racing. Hopefully we can turn it around and get into a groove starting in Sonoma next weekend.”

Round 1 Recap:

Top Fuel:

No. 10 Brittany Force defeated teammate No. 5 Austin Prock with her 3.707 ET pass at 334.73 MPH to Prock’s 3.738 ET at 325.92 MPH.
Funny Car:

No. 1 John Force moved to Round 2 after seeing a bye in the first round.
No. 4 Robert Hight fell to No. 11 Cruz Pedregon after he ran a 4.412 ET at 214.89 MPH to Pedregon’s 3.956 ET at 323.50 MPH.

Round 2 Recap:

Top Fuel:

B. Force fell to Steve Torrence with her run of 8.811 ET at 70.93 MPH to his 3.752 ET at 328.78 MPH.
Funny Car:

J. Force fell to Chad Green with his run of 4.229 ET at 255.43 MPH to Green’s 3.979 ET at 319.52 MPH.

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

KENT, Wash. (July 23, 2023) – With Steve Torrence’s victory at Pacific Raceways today, Toyota Gazoo Racing North America has achieved a milestone in NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series competition – 200 event wins.

Toyota has participated in NHRA, the largest auto racing organization in the world, since the 2002 with the first Toyota Celica Funny Car. Jerry Toliver delivered the first win for Toyota in March 2004 at the Winternationals at Pomona Dragway. Since then, Toyota has earned hundreds of victories across NHRA’s two nitro divisions – Top Fuel and Funny Car. Toyota has been an official partner with NHRA for nearly a decade – holding the Official Car of the NHRA title since 2014.

“We are honored to have achieved our 200th victory in NHRA competition,” said David Wilson, president, TRD. “Our NHRA teams constantly deliver for Toyota on and off the drag strip. Their hard work and tireless effort to succeed has allowed us to achieve this incredible milestone in our Toyota Racing history. We look forward to celebrating this achievement with them and continuing to work towards the season-long championship titles.”

Long-time Toyota driver Antron Brown holds the most Toyota victories with 56, while Larry Dixon (19), Shawn Langdon (17), Del Worsham (17), Cruz Pedregon (13), Morgan Lucas (12), Doug Kalitta (11), J.R. Todd (11) and Richie Crampton (10) all have scored 10 or more victories under the Toyota banner. Toyota drivers have earned 10 total championships, including Brown’s three Top Fuel titles (2012, 2015, 2016) and Top Fuel and Funny Car titles with Worsham. Toyota’s newest driver, Ron Capps, is the reigning Funny Car titlist.

Toyota’s current driver lineup – Justin Ashley, Brown, Capps, Alexis DeJoria, Kalitta, Langdon, Todd and Steve Torrence – have all scored victories with Toyota support.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 24 electrified options.

Event: Northwest Nationals, Pacific Raceways

Scrappers Racing Results:

· Top Fuel – Mike Salinas – No. 1 Qualifier – 3.743, 329.02 mph

· Pro Stock Motorcycle – Jianna Evaristo – No. 8 Qualifier – 6.848, 197.42 mph

KENT, Wash. (July 22, 2023) – Mike Salinas drove his Valley Services Top Fuel dragster to the number one qualifier position during the second round of qualifying on Saturday afternoon. Salinas posted a time of 3.743 seconds at 329.02 mph and the time held through the third and final session later in the afternoon.

For Salinas, the achievement marks his second number one qualifier of 2023 with his first coming at Route 66 Raceway near Chicago. It was also his 13th career number one qualifier. For Salinas and his Scrappers Racing team, there has been a lot of effort behind-the-scenes to learn about the car and make some adjustments before heading into the Countdown and with today’s results, the team believes those learnings are starting to pay dividends.

“Basically, what we did was exactly what Steve Torrence did last year, we just didn’t share it with anybody,” said Salinas, following his final qualifying round. “We just fell on our face and tried all kinds of different things. All the stuff we did learn, we’re just applying it now and the car seems to be responding exactly like we wanted it to. Our 60 foots were amazing for the heat and the track temperature. I think we’re in a good place.”

By earning the number one qualifier position, Salinas will have a bye run in the first round of eliminations on Sunday. With the track temperatures expected to be coolest for that first session, you can expect the Scrappers Racing team to still bring as much power as possible to the starting line.

“Guaranteed,” said Salinas. “We are going to throw down. We have to. Every run means something for the Countdown. It helps moral and it helps with three guys in there calling the shots. I told them yesterday, it’s time to open up a can and let’s go and see what we can do. I’ve let you do everything you want and now it’s time to run. There is no tomorrow because if we don’t start now and get our momentum going, we’re not going to do too well.”

The first round of eliminations from Pacific Raceways begins at 10:30 AM PT/1:30 PM ET. Coverage of the finals will air on FOX at 4:00 PM ET.

ADDITIONAL QUOTES – MIKE SALINAS:

You were able to make your quickest run in Q2, but how important was it to back it up in Q3 with another strong pass?

“We were actually trying to run a little bit better and be a little better, but I think it mowed through the clutch a little bit. We were actually trying to make the same run with it being just a little bit hotter because that’s what it’s going to be tomorrow. First round everyone is going to go hard so it should be pretty impressive.”

Are you having fun with the motorcycle ride?

“Oh yeah, I haven’t talked to the business in three weeks and it’s been pretty amazing. They keep calling, but I’m not answering. Us guys that work everyday and we come in and race on the weekends, it’s harder to drive these cars and focus because if we like it or not, we have business on our mind and how many things we have going on and when you can just get a little break and learn how to turn it off, it helps a lot.”

What has it been like spending so much time with the family on the ride?

“I think we’ve done 2700 miles on the bikes and my wife and I said five words to each other on the ride so it was kind of awesome and she probably appreciated it (laughing). And how often do we get to turn everything off and see America, the true America. We’ve met some really great people along the way and it’s been pretty nice. Really enjoyable.”

What has been your favorite part of the ride to date?

“Actually we went through Montana and there was about a 10-mile stretch that I haven’t smelled air that fresh and it was noticeable. We were on the bikes and riding and it was like a wall. It was just amazing. Whatever that area was, I want to buy right there. It was just amazing. But it’s been fun because the family is together and we’ve had a great time. We’re actually going to ride along the coast on the way home and I’ve got an extra bike for Steve Torrence if he wants to come with us.”

What would it mean to pull off the win tomorrow?

“It would be great to pull it off, but look, there are some great cars here and a lot of people have been testing and everybody is ready for this stuff. When you have guys that have won four championships and you watch what they do and you go study all the runs that they’ve done and you watch all these guys from Steve Torrence to Allen Johnson and how they won races, strategically we’re in a good place and everyone is going to try for the same thing. It’s probably the best racing we’re going to see and I say that every year, but you need to be good at this to run with these guys so it’s impressive.”

TOYOTA SWEEP CHALLENGE VICTORIES
Doug Kalitta, Ron Capps lead Toyota in qualifying heading into race day in Seattle

KENT, Wash. (July 22, 2023) – Team Toyota’s excellence in the Mission 2Fast2Tasty Challenges continued at Pacific Raceways, just outside of Seattle, on Saturday with Toyota drivers Steve Torrence and Ron Capps picking up the challenge wins. It was an all-Toyota final round in both Top Fuel and Funny Car as Torrence was able to get past Shawn Langdon and Capps defeated J.R. Todd in a close duel.

In qualifying action, Doug Kalitta continued his strong performance in Denver with a second place starting position, followed by Justin Ashley in third and Torrence in fourth. In Funny Car, both Capps and Todd had their best runs of the weekend in their Challenge final. Capps is seeded in third, with Todd in close pursuit in fifth. Alexis DeJoria had a couple of strong runs and is seeded eighth overall in her Toyota GR Supra Funny Car.

Toyota Post-Qualifying Recap
NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series
Pacific Raceways
Race 11 of 21

TOYOTA TOP FUEL QUALIFYING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Qualifying Position	First Round Opponent
Mike Salinas*	Valley Services Top Fuel Dragster	1st (3.743)	BYE
Doug Kalitta	Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	2nd (3.753)	R. Smith
Justin Ashley	Phillips Connect Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	3rd (3.760)	T. Schumacher
Steve Torrence	Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	4th (3.764)	J. Hart
Antron Brown	Matco Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	7th (3.781)	S. Langdon
Shawn Langdon	Kalitta Air Careers Toyota Top Fuel Dragster	8th (3.786)	A. Brown

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA FUNNY CAR QUALIFYING POSITIONS

Name	Car	Qualifying Position	First Round Opponent
John Force*	Peak Chevy Camaro Funny Car	1st (3.915)	BYE
Ron Capps	NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	3rd (3.951)	J. Diehl
J.R. Todd	DHL Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	5th (3.967)	A. Laughlin
Alexis DeJoria	Bandero Tequila Toyota GR Supra Funny Car	8th (3.997)	C. Green

(*non-Toyota driver)

TOYOTA QUOTES

DOUG KALITTA, Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Kalitta Motorsports

TF Qualifying Result: 2nd

How do you feel about race day tomorrow after a solid qualifying effort?

“I’m super excited. It’s been a fun day. We smoked the tires in the last one there, but I think we’ll be in good shape for tomorrow. Seattle is a cool place to run with all of the trees. I got to run the Toyota Supra today in the Supra Showdown which is always fun. I’m definitely looking forward to having a good race day on Sunday.”

STEVE TORRENCE, Capco Contractors Toyota Top Fuel Dragster, Torrence Racing

TF Qualifying Result: 4th

Mission Challenge Top Fuel Winner

What does it mean to get a victory in the Mission 2Fast2Tasty Challenges for tomorrow’s race?

“We had a really good race car in Denver. That thing actually shut off about 100 to 150 feet early against Doug (Kalitta) – we should’ve won that round. It definitely gives me a boost of confidence in my race car and in myself just driving my car. I went there with a completely different mindset to start the Western Swing – to go out and get that Steve Torrence swagger back. You can overthink the situation, you can overanalyze it, you can do a lot of different things and back yourself into a corner and you either fight your way out or you don’t. And, I’m a fighter. I re-evaluated my situation, I trusted my guys and my guys and my car. We didn’t win four world championships by me doing something stupid and not trusting in them. That was the mindset I went to Denver with. Left there with a lot of confidence in the car and came here. You may be able to go up there and run a little bit quicker, but you still want to win that shootout. We did what we needed to do. Like I was saying, it’s hot. It’s hot for here, but you’re sitting in the car and it’s high stress and you’re ready to race, you’re wanting to win, the sun is dead behind the tree and you’re blinking. I knew I missed the tree. Not many times do you get away with that against Shawn Langdon, but we had a good car. My guys were consistent, and we went out and did what it was supposed to do. To sum that up, a lot of confidence going into race day tomorrow. First win we’ve had in a while. We openly and admittedly kicked ourselves last year in trying to re-create the wheel and I think that it’s finally coming around the way that we wanted to. It’s more mentally taxing than anything because when you have that momentum and that confidence and that swagger and just that consistency that we had for four years and then to have a season like we had last year, you kind of have to dig deep to get back where you’re at. I’m not one of the guys that looks back at what we’ve accomplished, I’m look back and think you’re only as good as your last past and it hadn’t been that good. We’re thankful for all of the partners that have stood behind us and that Capco Contractors Toyota Dragster with MAC Tools and Red Line in it. It’s the baddest thing here. I’ve got the best thing. I’ll put my team toe to toe with any team in the history of this sport. We’ve done more and accomplished more in a shorter timeframe than anybody and you’ve got to remember that and stand with the guys. You’ve got to stand with the girl you brought to the dance and that’s what we’re doing.”

RON CAPPS, NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra Funny Car, Ron Capps Motorsports

FC Qualifying Result: 3rd

Mission Challenge Funny Car Winner

How exciting is it to pick up another specialty win today?

“Once again, I want to just say it over and over, thank you to Mission Foods for putting this up. They really created something cool. We all ran it. We all saw the points is the thing that stood out for most. It’s great money, we appreciate that, too. As you know we won the world championship last year by less than a handful of points. I completely understand. I’ve lost championships in year’s past by less than a handful of points several times. I understand that, but what they did to be able to do this and to be able to get your confidence back – it does help. They created a whole new Saturday. It was cool to have two Toyotas up there. Obviously, Alexis (DeJoria) or J.R. (Todd) they were both so key in inviting me to the Toyota family this year and I’ve bragged and bragged about that. So, anytime I race them in a final or something like that it’s fun to go and throw down because we knew a Toyota was going to win. We’ll take the points, we’re very excited about that. I’m happy for Guido (Dean Antonelli, crew chief), he’s got some good data for tomorrow. We lost the number one spot to (John) Force and the number two spot to (Bob) Tasca and I think Guido was trying to run a little quicker but he didn’t have time to make a big change at the end.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 24 electrified options.

CHEVROLET IN NHRA
2023 FLAV-R-PAC NHRA NORTHWEST NATIONALS
PACIFIC RACEWAYS
KENT, WASHINGTON
JULY 21-23, 2023

CHEVROLET EYES REPEAT CAPTURE OF THE FLAV-R-PAC NHRA NORTHWEST NATIONALS WALLY IN SEATTLE

DETROIT (JULY 20, 2023) – Hosting the second stop of NHRA’s Western Swing, the Chevrolet-backed drivers and teams of John Force Racing head next to Pacific Raceways this weekend for the 2023 Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals near Seattle, Wash. While the Pro Stock teams sit idle until the upcoming Menards NHRA Nationals Presented by PetArmor at Heartland Motorsports Park near Topeka, Brittany Force, Austin Prock, John Force, and Robert Hight all have their sights set on the Top Fuel or Funny Car Winner’s Circle, respectively.

The defending winner of 2022’s event in Seattle for Funny Car, Robert Hight, driver of the Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS machine, looks to the weekend with anticipation after exiting Denver’s race day early at the NHRA Mile-High Nationals. Hoping to go back-to-back in the Pacific Northwest, Hight said, “I’m looking forward to racing in Seattle. The Cornwell Tools team didn’t have the best showing in Denver so it’s nice that we get to turn right around and get back at it just a couple of days later. We have some work to do but we’ll just have to take it one run at a time.”

Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, aims to not only repeat her No. 1 qualifier from 2022, but also to see herself and her team in the Winner’s Circle at the end of Sunday. She noted, “Most importantly this weekend, we need to turn out luck around. We struggled a little bit in Denver on race day. We went out early in the first round. So we’ll be looking for some good qualifying runs and going rounds on race day.”

Despite not competing this weekend, Chevrolet stood strong in 2022, capturing two achievements at Pacific Raceways in Pro Stock, with Greg Anderson setting the ladder as No. 1 qualifier and Troy Coughlin, Jr. racing his Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock to the Winner’s Circle last year. The Chevy drivers and teams of Pro Stock will be back in action in Topeka, Aug. 11-13, 2023.

Additionally sitting idle, the FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown Chevrolet teams return for the biggest event of the season soon, the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Sept. 1-4, 2023.

The 2023 Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals from Pacific Raceway near Seattle, Washington airs first with Friday’s qualifying on Saturday, July 22 at 2 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Saturday’s qualifying airs Sunday, July 23 at 1:30 p.m. ET, with Sunday’s Finals following on FOX at 4 p.m. ET. Coverage streaming live throughout the weekend can be found through NHRA.tv, available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:

Austin Prock, driver of the Rocky Mountain Twist / Montana Brands Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster for John Force Racing:

“Excited to be back at sea level this week in Seattle. I foresee a great weekend for this Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team. We have had success there in the past, Pacific Raceways is where I got my first win so I know we can get the job done and the weather conditions look like they will suit us well. It would be amazing to get a win at Frank Tiegs’ race.”

Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster for John Force Racing:

“Seattle is next on the list for the Western Swing and this Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team is excited to get there with Flav-R-Pac being the title sponsor of the event. Our boss Frank Tiegs is going to be there along with a bunch of Flav-R-Pac employees and family are going to be there so we’re looking forward to it. I’m getting to go in a little early on Thursday and do some media around Seattle and really get to talk up this race to hopefully get as many fans out to the track as possible. I’m also really looking forward to getting to meet some of the Seattle Storm WNBA players. I’ll be going to their game on Thursday, and they’ll be out at the track on Friday.”

John Force, driver of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing:

“Flav-R-Pac Northwest Nationals, I’m ready for them. Looking forward to taking care of Frank Tiegs and all his Flav-R-Pac employees. Seattle has always been good to me. Pacific Raceways, tucked into the trees. Love the fans, we’ll be doing a show in Auburn, a FanFest, to say hi and kick off the event. We had a decent performance in Denver but it didn’t go our way on race day. Ready to turn that around and see what happens.”

Robert Hight, driver of the Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing:

“I’m looking forward to racing in Seattle. The Cornwell Tools team didn’t have the best showing in Denver so it’s nice that we get to turn right around and get back at it just a couple of days later. We have some work to do but we’ll just have to take it one run at a time. We’re looking forward to putting on a good show for the fans in Washington and hopefully get Frank Tiegs (of Flav-R-Pac) another Winner’s Circle celebration at his title race. He’s been a great partner to John Force Racing so it would mean a lot to get the job done for him and his companies.”

TEAM CHEVY BY THE NUMBERS:

1,433: Round wins for John Force (1st all-time).

605: Round wins for Robert Hight; 13th all-time. Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), sits 12th, with 620.

375: Number of wins in Pro Stock since 1970; 255 won in the Chevrolet Camaro body.

165: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for John Force (1st all-time).

157: Number of Chevrolet Racing Funny Car wins since 1967.

79: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for Robert Hight (6th all-time).

77: Number of Chevrolet Racing Funny Car wins with the Camaro body.

47: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for Brittany Force.

27: Number of NHRA championships Chevrolet holds as a manufacturer since entering the first in 1966. No other manufacturer has won it more than Chevrolet.

24: Wins by John Force in a Chevrolet-bodied Funny Car.

18: Number of Pro Stock championships.

20: Chevrolet career Top Fuel wins in NHRA.

16: Number of Chevrolet career wins by Brittany Force.

7: Number of Funny Car driver championships.

2: Number of Top Fuel driver championships.

UPCOMING NHRA MILESTONES:

950: Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) is second all-time with 921 elimination round wins. He could reach 950 round wins with a decent run in the 18-race schedule.

605: Robert Hight achieved 605 Funny Car elimination wins in Chicago to rank 13th on the all-time NHRA list; Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car) sits 12th with 620.

445: By qualifying for his next race, Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) will extend his NHRA record to 445 consecutive race day appearances. His first appearance came in 2002 at Pomona 2, and he holds the longest career qualifying streak in NHRA.

138: Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) ranks third on the NHRA all-time list with 121 No. 1 qualifiers. He will tie Warren Johnson (Pro Stock, 138) for second to John Force (165) on the list.

269: By qualifying for his next race, Robert Hight will extend his NHRA record to 269 consecutive race day appearances. His first appearance came in 2010 at Pomona 2, and he currently sits seventh in career qualifying streaks in NHRA (Doug Kalitta is sixth at 275).

65: Robert Hight moved into the top 10 on the all-time NHRA victory list with his win in Pomona 1 with 63. Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock, retired) is next ninth on list with 65.

46: Erica Enders has 44 career Pro Stock victories (all with Chevrolet, first win coming at Chicago, 2012 and last win at Las Vegas 2, 2022). Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle) is the all-time NHRA female leader with 46.

18: Brittany Force (16 Top Fuel career wins) will move past Shirley Muldowney (18 wins) into third on the NHRA all-time victory list for females. Erica Enders (Pro Stock, 44) and Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle, 46) are ahead.

6: Erica Enders (Pro Stock) could tie Warren Johnson (6 Pro Stock championships) for second on the class list. The same holds for Greg Anderson. Bob Glidden is the leader with 10.

3: Brittany Force (Top Fuel, 2 championships) would tie Shirley Muldowney (Top Fuel) and Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle) for second on the NHRA all-time championship list by females with another title in 2023. Erica Enders (Pro Stock, 5) is the leader.

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

CHEVROLET IN NHRA
DODGE POWER BROKERS NHRA MILE-HIGH NATIONALS
BANDIMERE SPEEDWAY
MORRISON, COLORADO
TEAM CHEVY RACE REPORT
JULY 16, 2023

TROY COUGHLIN JR. NOTCHES CHEVY’S 375TH PRO STOCK WIN IN FINAL MILE-HIGH NATIONALS AT BANDIMERE SPEEDWAY

• Troy Coughlin Jr. scored his second win of 2023 and fourth career NHRA Pro Stock win in Sunday’s Mile-High Nationals.
• Robert Hight made his 400th career start in Sunday’s Mile-High Nationals. He made his 300th start also at Denver.
• Brittany Force qualified No. 1 for Sunday’s Mile-High Nationals, resetting her track record she set in 2021 with her pass of 3.724 ET at 337.33 MPH. This is her third consecutive No. 1 at Bandimere Speedway, her fourth of the 2023 NHRA season, and 46th of her career.
• John Force qualified No. 2 in Funny Car with his pass of 3.920 ET at 323.74 MPH, while Pro Stock saw Erica Enders in Pro Stock qualifying No. 1 with her run of 6.919 ET at 195.70 MPH.

MORRISON, Colorado (July 16, 2023) – Troy Coughlin Jr., driver of the JEGS/White Castle Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock car, earned his fourth career NHRA Pro Stock victory while capturing Team Chevy’s 375th Pro Stock victory since 1970. In his third final round appearance of the year, Troy faced off against Dallas Glenn, driver of the RAD Torque Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock car for KB Titan Racing, who has five final round appearances in 10 events and three wins so far this year. This was Troy’s second win of 2023.

“We have a long way to go to November, but at Elite Motorsports, we are not going to give up for darn certain,” said Coughlin at the top end. “Mark Ingersoll, all the boys in the lounge, and everybody that works on this JEGS.com/White Castle machine had this thing flying. Our people make this possible and we love everybody.”

“What a great facility with a great family and what an exciting day to come out here and get a W. You just take it one round at a time, and we have the best people in the industry at Elite Motorsports. Everybody there just does a fantastic job, and they work together. All-for-one, one-for-all. We have excellent power, so you just take it one round at a time and stay focused.”

In Top Fuel, Team Chevy fell in the first round, with Austin Prock, driver of the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, and Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, both being eliminated by their opponents. Brittany was the No. 1 qualifier after breaking her own track record that was set in 2021.

Funny Car Round 2 brought an end to John Force, driver of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, and his teammate Robert Hight, driver of the Cornwall Quality Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car who was the defending winner of the race. Force faced off against J.R. Todd in Round 2 and Hight faced off against Ron Capps, with Force losing a close one and Hight losing traction mid-race.

The Chevrolet Top Fuel and Funny Car teams at John Force Racing in NHRA next head to the Pacific Northwest for the second stop on the Western Swing, with Pacific Raceways hosting the 2023 Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals July 21-23, 2023. Broadcast of Sunday’s eliminations will air live at 4 p.m. ET on FOX Sunday, July 23, 2023.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster for John Force Racing: “It’s heartbreaking that Bandimere Speedway is closing down and that this was the final national event. Our Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team came in strong, set the track record speed, and went to that No. 1 spot. We felt confident coming into race day but it just wasn’t our day. We got taken out early but we did get to enjoy the fans and watch some drag racing together as a team. It’s the beginning of our Western Swing, we go to three right in a row so there’s two more in it, which we love. So luckily for us, we get right back to it in just a couple of days.”

Austin Prock, driver of the Montana Brands/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster for John Force Racing: “Definitely not the way this Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team wanted or thought this morning was going to go,” Prock said. “We’re disappointed, adds to the sting that it’s the last one here on the Mountain. Going to miss Bandimere Speedway but for now, our team has to put this weekend behind us and move on to Seattle and hopefully get the job done for Frank Tiegs at his Flav-R-Pac race.”

Robert Hight, driver of the Cornwell Quality Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing: Not the way this Cornwell team wanted to say goodbye to Bandimere Speedway, but fans made it special. Selling this place out, packing the grandstands, that was something to see. It’s a testament to what the Bandimere family built here,” Hight said. “Wish we could have had a better last memory here, but we’ve had some good ones. Now it’s time to put our heads down and get focused for Seattle.”

John Force, driver of the PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing: “I’ve said it’s not over until Bandimere says it’s over. But if this really is the last race at Bandimere Speedway, the fans really showed them how much this place means. The Bandimere family built a wonderful facility here on God’s Mountain. All the racers love this place. The next place where I hope we end up, I can’t wait and I just want to wish the best of luck. I’m disappointed we couldn’t get his PEAK Chevy in the winner’s circle, that we didn’t do better but I know we’ve got to get ready for the rest of the Western Swing, Seattle is next, the Flav-R-Pac Northwest Nationals, looking forward to it.”

Round 1 Recap:

Top Fuel:

No. 1 Brittany Force fell to No. 16 Rob Passey in the first round with a disappointing run of 5.080 ET at 141.62 MPH to Passey’s 4.128 ET at 280.19 MPH.
No. 13 Austin Prock fell to No. 4 Mike Salinas in the first round. Salinas ran a 3.850 ET at 320.13 MPH while Prock ran a 3.912 ET at 313.51 MPH.
Funny Car:

No. 4 Robert Hight defeated No. 11 Alex Laughlin in the first round with a run of 4.086 ET at 305.91 MPH to Laughlin’s 4.596 ET at 212.19 MPH
No. 2 John Force defeated No. 13 Steven Densham with a run of 4.026 ET at 320.20 MPH to Densham’s 4.731 ET at 180.62 MPH.

Pro Stock:

No. 1 Erica Enders defeated No. 16 Fernando Cuadra Jr. with her run of 6.915 ET at 196.93 MPH to Cuadra’s 7.004 ET at 195.39 MPH.
No. 8 Jerry Tucker defeated No. 9 Deric Kramer with his run of 7.038 ET at 195.76 MPH to Deric Kramer’s 7.040 ET at 195.48 MPH
No. 4 Troy Coughlin Jr. defeated No. 13 Aaron Stanfield with his run of 6.931 ET at 196.76 MPH to Stanfield’s 6.949 ET at 196.93 MPH.
No. 5 Greg Anderson defeated No. 12 Mason McGaha with his run of 6.922 ET at 195.14 MPH to McGaha’s 7.249 ET at 195.53 MPH.
No. 2 Matt Hartford defeated No. 15 Fernando Cuadra on his run of 6.950 ET at 196.04 MPH to Cuadra’s 7.036 ET at 195.11 MPH.
No. 7 Camrie Caruso defeated No. 10 Bo Butner, III with her run of 6.969 ET at 196.24 MPH to Butner’s 6.998 ET at 196.33.
No. 3 Dallas Glenn defeated No. 14 Chris McGaha with his run of 6.925 ET at 195.62 MPH to McGaha’s 6.955 at 196.73 MPH.
No. 6 Kyle Koretsky defeated No. 11 Christian Cuadra with his run of 6.931 at 196.62 MPH to Cuadra’s 7.005 ET at 195.08 MPH.

Round 2 Recap:

Pro Stock:

Enders defeated Tucker with her run of 6.946 ET at 196.53 MPH to Tucker’s 6.948 ET at 196.70 MPH.
Coughlin Jr. defeated Anderson with his run of 6.937 ET at 197.28 MPH to Anderson’s 10.315 ET at 88.22 MPH. Anderson aborted the run out of the gate.
Caruso defeated Hartford with her run of 6.962 ET at 196.02 to Hartford’s 6.989 ET at 195.68 MPH.
Glenn defeated Koretsky with his run of 6.941 ET at 195.56 MPH to Koretsky’s 6.941 ET at 196.70 MPH.

Semifinals Recap:

Pro Stock:

Coughlin Jr defeated Enders with his run of 6.944 ET at 197.05 MPH to Ender’s 6.972 ET at 195.96.
Glenn defeated Caruso with his run of 6.930 ET lap at 195.59 MPH to Caruso’s 6.958 ET and 195.96 MPH.

Finals:

Pro Stock

Coughlin Jr. defeated Glenn with his run of 6.933 ET at 196.64 MPH to Glenn’s 6.949 ET at 195.62 MPH.

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