Brittany Force ended the 2017 season with a perfect sweep at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona — the No. 1 qualifier, the race winner and the world champion. Needless to say, she is more than eager to be back in her Monster Energy dragster competing at a track that has given her some of her most memorable moments.
“I am excited to get back to Pomona. We ended our season with a win and we brought home the championship with this Monster Energy team,” Force said. “Pomona is my home track and I have so many great memories there. I know when we get back there we will have that positive energy in our pits. I think that will push us all season long. We won the championship which is why everyone is out here and now we want to do it again.”
What makes the 2018 season and the season opening 58th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals even more special for Force is sporting the championship No. 1 on her dragster. She will be only the second woman to be able to do so and the first in 35 years. Force, who had four wins last year in six final round appearances and two No. 1 qualifiers, will be adding the coveted No. 1 to her vehicle Friday before the first round of qualifying is set to take place at 12:30 p.m.
“I want to put that No. 1 on my car in Pomona because that is where it all happened. That is where we clinched the championship,” Force explained. “We want to go back to where it all went down and put that No. 1 on together as a team.”
Despite the perfect finish at the legendary Pomona racetrack, Force is looking for her first win at the season opening Winternationals. At the 2017 event, Force picked up her first round-win but fell in the quarterfinals to leave the event fifth in the point standings.
After a successful test session at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park outside Phoenix, Force is comfortable in her new dragster, has her team behind her and is ready to make waves.
“Testing was not just about getting the car down the track and making those runs but I’ve been out of the seat, the whole team has been away from the race track, so it really was also pulling together and finding our routine again and getting us ready to jump right into Pomona,” Force said.
The NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Season begins with two qualifying sessions Friday, Feb. 8 at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Qualifying will continue Saturday at 12:45 p.m. and 4 p.m. and final eliminations are scheduled to begin Sunday at 11 a.m.
This story was originally published on February 6, 2018. 
