The Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals got things started at Pacific Raceways with one qualifying session on Friday afternoon. John Force and the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS led his four-car team as the Funny Car provisional No. 2 qualifier while Robert Hight and the Cornwell Tools / AAA Chevy Camaro SS were No. 8. In Top Fuel, Austin Prock and the Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team will start Saturday from the No. 5 spot while Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team will work to climb up from the No. 10 spot.
John Force and the PEAK Chevy, who are looking for their 10th victory and seventh No. 1 qualifier at Pacific Raceways, opened qualifying with a solid 3.983-second pass at 322.42 mph to earn two bonus points for the provisional No. 2 qualifying position.
“I’m excited about this race, the Flav-R-Pac Northwest Nationals. We promoted it really hard with the FanFest at the mall in Auburn and Brittany, she was all over Seattle and hung out with the WNBA Basketball team, the Storm, and then they came out here today. That’s awesome,” Force said. “I’d like to win this race. Win for PEAK and all our sponsors but especially for Frank Tiegs. It’s his race and he’s on all our cars and really done a lot for this team. So I want us to get it done.”
Defending event champions Robert Hight and the Cornwell Tools Camaro made a full pass in their first session but were down on speed for a 4.028-second pass at 321.42 mph to end up in the No. 8 spot.
Austin Prock and the Montana Brand team had a solid pass to kick off their qualifying efforts at the location of Prock’s first career victory. Prock would record a 3.808-second pass at 312.86 mph with a cylinder out to end the night in the No. 5 spot.
Brittany Force and the Flav-R-Pac dragster ran into tire smoke at mid-track during their first attempt down Pacific Raceways. They coasted to a 6.406-second pass at 92.71 mph in a 13-car field to end up No. 10 with two runs left to move their way up on Saturday.
The Flav-R-Pac NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways continues with qualifying Saturday at 2:15 and 4:45 p.m. Eliminations are slated to begin Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Television coverage of the event begins with qualifying shows Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Eliminations will be aired Sunday at 4:00 p.m. ET on FOX Broadcasting Network.
This story was originally published on July 22, 2023.