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John Force Racing Announces 2023 Driver Line Up & Crew Chief Changes

John Force Racing will once again feature four full-time hot rods in the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. Driven by their returning roster of 2022 drivers, Brittany Force, Robert Hight, Austin Prock and John Force, the legendary team will be chasing the organization’s 23rd and 24th NHRA world championships.

“The 2022 season was good to us. We all got wins, did the work for our sponsors,” said the founder and CEO of John Force Racing, John Force. “Brittany with the championship and Robert battled all the way to the end. Austin kind of surprised us all with the late surge and I held my own too. We’ll build on that success this year. We’ve promoted from within, made some changes and it makes me, all of us, excited for this season.”

With the retirement of hall of fame crew chief Rahn Tobler off of Austin Prock’s Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster, Chris Cunningham will move over from Robert Hight’s Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car. Cunningham will be lead crew chief with Joe Barlam remaining as co-crew chief on Prock’s hot rod after leading the team to a third-place finish in 2023.

Filling Cunningham’s spot on the three-time championship Funny Car team of Robert Hight will be Thomas Prock, son of lead crew chief Jimmy Prock, and Nathan Hildahl, promoted from car chief, as co-assistant crew chiefs.

“We’ve worked hard to create an environment here at John Force Racing where our employees are able to learn and grow. It’s all part of our Next Generation Program, it’s not just for drivers,” Force said. “So, when it came time to fill roles, it only made sense to have our own move into the open positions. We have all the confidence that these moves will set our teams up to continue the high level of racing and competitiveness that everyone expects from John Force Racing.”

David Grubnic will continue to make the tuning decisions on two-time and reigning world champion Brittany Force’s Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster. Grubnic will be joined by Brandon Hazelton as car chief coming from John Force’s Funny Car team.

Force’s PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant / BlueDEF PLATINUM Chevrolet Camaro SS will continue to be led by crew chiefs Danny Hood and Tim Fabrisi with Mac Savage coming from Brittany Force’s Top Fuel team to assist.

John Force Racing is currently conducting pre-season testing at Gainesville Raceway in Gainesville, Florida where they will return next month for the season-opening Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals Match 10-12.

This story was originally published on February 9, 2023. Drag Illustrated

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