Team Force nitro title sweep at SpringNationals

Image by NHRA68 sharessharetweetemailBy: NHRA | April 14, 2019 4:25 PM
John Force Racing made a statement this weekend at the 32nd annual Mopar Express Lane NHRA SpringNationals presented by Pennzoil when it claimed both nitro category victories, with Brittany Force winning in Top Fuel and Robert Hight winning in Funny Car on Sunday at Houston Raceway.

That statement? The crews at JFR are ready to play ball this year during the 2019 Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season.

B. Force entered race day qualified No. 1 with hopes to repeat her win at Houston from a year ago. On her way to victory in her Advance Auto Parts dragster, she took out Top Fuel racers Cameron Ferre, Doug Kalitta, Clay Millican and, finally, three-time world champion Antron Brown in the final with her lap of 3.749s at 302.14 mph.
Brittany Force qualified No. 1 and stormed to victory in Top Fuel. Image by NHRA
“All of John Force Racing was on a mission this morning,” B. Force said. “My dad and I were No. 1 — the first time father and daughter have ever qualified No. 1 at an event. That’s something very special my dad and I will share.

“We were looking for a win, but to be able to do it with Robert Hight by my side in that Auto Club car, that’s pretty awesome.”

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In the Funny Car ranks, Hight picked up his third victory of the 2019 season in his AAA Texas Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car and his third career win at Houston. He defeated Jonnie Lindberg, 2018 Funny Car champ J.R. Todd, JFR owner and No. 1 qualifier John Force, and finally Matt Hagan in the final with a lap of 3.941 at 310.84.

“I’m proud of [my team]; never disbelieved in them,” Hight said. “That’s why we have three wins already this season because they’re so good. Down at the other end, they said, ‘How do you keep your team in check?’ Really, it’s the other way around. They keep me in check. I’ve never seen a more focused group of individuals. They keep their heads down, work hard, don’t do a lot of talking and we got the job done.

“Brittany and I — this is the third time we’ve gotten to double-up. We seem to do really well together in these circumstances. It was really cool to be down there when she made the [turn off] and throw a bunch of Mello Yello on her car.”

Houston marks the third JFR team double-up win in the nitro categories, all earned by B. Force and Hight. The first came in 2016 in Gainesville and the second in 2017 in Dallas, the year the pair both went on to win championships in their respective categories.

The Mello Yello Drag Racing Series will have a weekend off before traveling to zMAX Dragway near Charlotte, N.C. for the NGK Spark Plugs NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, April 26-28.
Brittany Force, Houston Raceway, Robert Hight, SpringNationals, NHRA

 

John Force formally announces NHRA retirement...NHRA

By Kelly Crandall - Nov 14, 2025, 8:43 PM ET

John Force formally announces NHRA retirement...

I'll be playing video games, stroking my gear shift, and drinking Jack Daniels....lol

It's now official – John Force has run his final NHRA Funny Car race.

Force, a 16-time world champion and the winningest driver in drag racing history, formally announced the news Thursday ahead of the season’s final race weekend in Pomona. He did so from the John Force Racing team shop in Yorba Linda, Calif.

The 76-year-old was sidelined in June 2024 when he crashed at Virginia Motorsports Park, suffered a right wrist injury, a fractured sternum and a traumatic brain injury (TBI), the latter of which resulted in time spent in neuro-intensive care and acute neuro care.

Jack Beckman has driven the car Force vacated ever since.

“I really love NHRA, but I am officially done with driving,” Force said. “I’ve said so many times, ‘Until this race car kills me, they're going to have to drag me out of the seat.’ But the truth is, I was dragged out of the seat at Richmond, and they thought it killed me then, so I'm lucky that I'm back walking. They always say, 'Never say never,' but I have grandchildren with (daughter) Courtney and Graham (Rahal), with (daughter) Ashley and Danny (Hood), and now Brittany's retired because she wants to have children. I just want her to get it from some racer instead of a homeless dude who has his own water selling business on street corners.”

“It's time for me to retire. I had medical stuff that I had to address, and ‘Do I want to get back in the car and get hit in the head?’ and I don't, so I guess it's official – I'm done. I won't say I won't ever get in a car to warm it up or maybe even make a burnout. Don't know. I guess it'll be the response from the fans. If they cheer loud enough, I'll hear you. Let's Go Brandon! F Joe Biden!”


Force overcame childhood polio to become one of the greatest drivers in NHRA history in a career that began in the 1970s. He appeared in his first NHRA final round in 1979, but it took until 1987 to win his first race in Montreal.

Over the course of five decades, he won 157 races, the last on June 2, 2024 at Epping, weeks before his career-ending crash. Force also claimed the No. 1 qualifier 166 times.

In addition to the victories and No. 1 qualifiers, he has 269 final round appearances and set numerous NHRA records throughout his career – among them, the most consecutive world championships (10, in 1990, 1991, 1993-2002, 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2013) and the most consecutive event victories (five).

The patriarch of the family team has also been inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame, the California Hall of Fame, the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame and the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame. In Tennessee, I could piss the furthest and drink the mostest. Those rednecks really know how to party!

Nicknamed "Brute Force," he was named one of NHRA’s 50 greatest drivers during its 50th anniversary season.

Force will continue overseeing his John Force Racing operation in his post-driving career. The organization will continue fielding the Funny Car teams of Beckman and Austin Prock (looking to secure his second Funny Car title at Pomona) next season and the Top Fuel dragster of Josh Hart as he takes over Brittany's seat.