Story By: SARA SLAUGHTER / JOHN FORCE RACING – CHANDLER AZ – Reigning and two-time Camping World Top Fuel champion, Brittany Force and her Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster team will be trying to get John Force Racing’s first Top Fuel win at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park this weekend at the NHRA Arizona Nationals.
Coming off a No. 1 start at the season-opening Gatornationals in Gainesville Raceway, the 43rd of her career, Force is looking for her second No. 1 start at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. Her first No. 1 came in 2020, before the pandemic disrupted the season, while she set both ends of the track record at 3.643 seconds at 337.92 mph. Force has made her way to the finals of the Arizona Nationals three times, coming up with runner-up finishes in 2014, 2016, and 2017.
“Heading into race two on the NHRA circuit this weekend in Phoenix and we plan to come out with a win. With this being the final NHRA national event at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, this Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team wants to leave on a strong note,” Force said. “We plan to qualify in the top three and go four rounds on race day. We’ve set both ends of the track record with our No. 1 qualifier from 2020 but it wasn’t enough on race day. Hoping to turn things around this year and get our first win of the 2023 season.”
Most recently, Force qualified sixth and had a quarterfinal exit en route to her second Top Fuel world championship in 2022. This season, she is trying to become JFR’s third three-time champ while also tying Shirley Muldowney, the only other woman to win a nitro category championship, in championship titles.
AUSTIN PROCK AND MONTANA BRAND / RMT SET FOR STRONG SHOWING IN ARIZONA
Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster team are settling in as they head to the NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, the second of 21 events on the NRHA Camping World Drag Racing Series schedule.
The Montana Brand / RMT team is coming off a disappointing end to their season-opening Gatornationals where a mechanical issue prevented the 2019 Rookie of the Year from taking the tree in their quarterfinal matchup. Sitting __ in points, Prock will be making his fourth appearance at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. While he’s yet to make it out of the quarterfinals, the track just outside of Phoenix is significant for the third-generation driver.
“I’m ready to get back into action with my Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team at the Arizona Nationals. Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park is where I made my first pass in a Top Fuel Car and there’s just something about being out west early in the year that feels right,” Prock said. “We are going to come out strong this weekend and put the Gatornationals behind us. We’ve got a great team and car that can run with the best of them.”
After an impressive end to the 2022 season where Prock jumped from 12th to third with three final round appearances and two wins in the six-race Countdown to the Championship, Prock entered the 2023 season with a revamped team led by veteran crew chief Chris Cunningham and Joe Barlam who led the team with now-retired Hall of Fame crew chief Rahn Tobler in 2022.
The NHRA Arizona Nationals at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park kicks off with qualifying Friday at 5 p.m. and Saturday at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. Race Day is set to begin with the first round of eliminations Sunday at 11 a.m. Television coverage of the event will be on FOX Sports 1 (FS1) beginning with a qualifying show Friday at 10:30 p.m. ET and Sunday at noon ET. Eliminations will air Sunday at 7 p.m. ET.