Although she’s lost as many rounds as she’s won this year in her national record-holding Monster Energy dragster, two-time Top Fuel world champion Brittany Force has every reason to be optimistic this week as the Mission Foods Drag Racing series moves to In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip for the 65th annual Lucas Oil Winternationals.
After all, it’s the 38-year-old’s home track, the one on which she made her pro debut in 2013, the one on which she clinched her first championship in 2017, the one on which she raced to an NHRA national record 338.94 miles per hour in 2022 and the one on which she watched her dad, Hall of Famer John Force, win a record 17 times.
“I love this racetrack because it always has such a nostalgic feel to me,” she said. “My sisters and I grew up at the Pomona dragstrip, riding in my dad’s tow car with his crew guys and watching race day from the stands.
“After a solid weekend in Phoenix, I feel like this team is closing in on our first win of the season,” said the only woman other than Shirley Muldowney to have won a nitro world championship. “With only 15 cars entered, we will have a chance to get more aggressive and see what we can get away with during qualifying. Looking forward to kicking this weekend off and going for a win.”
Certainly, her David Grubnic-and-John Collins-tuned Monster has begun to show the signs of dominance it displayed three years ago when it propelled the 2013 Rookie-of-the-Year to her second title.
The No. 2 qualifier last week at Phoenix, she lost her shot at a potential 18th tour victory in the semifinals when an oil leak detected on the burnout forced her to abort her run against eventual race winner Shawn Langdon.
Although she hasn’t yet won the Winternationals, the Cal State-Fullerton graduate has had her opportunities. The No. 1 qualifier in four of her last five Winternationals starts, she’s lost in the semifinals the last three years, twice to JFR teammate Austin Prock who now is driving the Cornwell Tools Funny Car.
One of only a handful of Top Fuel drivers to have started from No. 1 more than 50 times, she is seeking the 53rd No. 1 start of her career and the 43rd since Grubnic came on board in 2019 after tuning Clay Millican to 3.628 seconds at the 2018 Winternationals, a mark that earned him the No. 1 qualifying spot and still stands as the track record.
Before she launches her latest bid for a first Winternationals victory, Brittany will try again to win her first Top Fuel bonus race when she opposes Justin Ashley in the opening round of the Right Trailers All-Star Callout contested in conjunction with Friday qualifying.
The Call-out was moved from Gainesville, Fla., because of weather. Brittany was runner-up last year as she was in the inaugural Callout in 2022.
This story was originally published on March 27, 2025. 
