In the world of drag racing, securing a sponsor can mean the difference between full throttle and a full stop. This reality hit home for Brittany Force, a two-time Top Fuel champion in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.
On Thursday, Brittany, alongside her father, Funny Car legend John Force, announced a pivotal four-race sponsorship deal with HendrickCars.com, owned by NASCAR titan Rick Hendrick. This partnership was not just a business transaction; it was a lifeline.
“Brittany, you’re back in business,” exclaimed John Force. This sponsorship ensures that Brittany can compete throughout the season, a fact that was in jeopardy due to funding shortfalls.
“My job is to keep the funding,” John continued, acknowledging the struggle to secure financial backing in the high-stakes world of professional racing. “Now, he [Hendrick] is taking care of Brittany. We’re just really lucky because this was hurting us.”
The sponsorship marks the first time HendrickCars.com’s logo will blaze across a Top Fuel dragster, traditionally decked in white, blue, and red. Brittany debuted these colors at the NHRA 4-Wide Nationals, igniting a new chapter in her career.
However, the start of the season has been challenging for Brittany. Despite her past success, a victory has eluded her thus far, with her best performance being a semifinal appearance at Firebird Motorsports Park in Chandler, Arizona.
The adjustment period has been complicated by changes within her team. Many crew members are new, and she is acclimating to a new co-crew chief, John Collins.
“As a driver, now I have a new guy out front backing me up. That sounds silly, but it changes everything,” Brittany explained, highlighting the impact of these changes on her performance. “It throws everything out of whack.”
The crew, led by David Grubnic, is diligently working to fine-tune their strategy, blending their championship-winning setup from 2022 with experimental approaches from this year. Despite the ups and downs, Brittany remains committed.
“[Reaction times] are something I’ve always struggled with, and I always will. I have moments when I’m great, and then, you know, I’ll fall off for a little while. It’s just [a matter of] figuring out how to turn that back around, stay motivated, and push through that,” she added.
HendrickCars.com, the online brand for NASCAR Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick’s automotive retail enterprise, will also be Brittany’s primary sponsor at Virginia Motorsports Park (June 21-23), Charlotte 2 (Sept. 20-22) and the Texas Motorplex (Oct. 10-13), the latter two being part of the NHRA’s “Countdown to the Championship.”
This story was originally published on April 30, 2024. 
