Race fans hair blows as they are Baptized by Nitro while they stand and watch the third round of nitro qualifying between a pair of 11,000hp Top Fuel dragsters at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Funny Car drivers Matt Hagan (left) and Jack Beckman head down track during the final round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) each captured the top qualifying position in their respective categories. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
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Pro Stock driver Jeg Coughlin (near lane) head down track against Erica Enders during the third round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Top Fuel driver Justin Ashley explodes his engine during the final round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) each captured the top qualifying position in their respective categories. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Top Fuel driver Justin Ashley explodes his engine during the final round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) each captured the top qualifying position in their respective categories. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Top Fuel driver Justin Ashley explodes his engine during the final round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) each captured the top qualifying position in their respective categories. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Top Fuel driver Justin Ashley explodes his engine during the final round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) each captured the top qualifying position in their respective categories. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Top Fuel driver Justin Ashley explodes his engine during the final round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) each captured the top qualifying position in their respective categories. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Pro Stock driver Jeg Coughlin steers his hot rod toward the scales prior to the third round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Top Fuel driver Shawn Langdon shows his disappointment after his dragster broke on the starting line during the third round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Backup girl Alice Bode runs towards the starting line while wearing a Kobe Bryant jersey as she helps guide her husband, Funny Car driver Bob Bode, following his burnout during the third round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
The team of Top Fuel driver Shawn Langdon surround his dragster after breaking on the starting line during the third round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Top Fuel driver Shawn Langdon shows his disappointment after his dragster broke on the starting line during the third round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Top Fuel driver Doug Kalitta does his burnout during the third round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
A Top Fuel Harley rider heads down track during qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Funny Car driver Matt Hagan heads through the shutdown area after taking the top qualifying position during the final round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) each captured the top qualifying position in their respective categories. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Top Fuel driver Leah Pruett sits in her dragster during the third round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Funny Car drivers Ron Capps (near lane) and J.R. Todd head down track during the third round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Funny Car drivers Tim Wilkerson (left) and Alexis DeJoria head down track during the final round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) each captured the top qualifying position in their respective categories. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Funny Car driver John Force heads through the shutdown area during the final round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) each captured the top qualifying position in their respective categories. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Top Fuel driver Brittany Force takes the top qualifying during the final round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) each captured the top qualifying position in their respective categories. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Pro Stock driver Jeg Coughlin (near lane) head down track against Erica Enders during the third round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Top Fuel driver Leah Pruett helps push her dragster off the scales following the final round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) each captured the top qualifying position in their respective categories. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Funny Car driver Matt Hagan does his burnout during the third round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Race fans watch the third round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Top Fuel driver Brittany Force (right) races to the top qualifying as she races against Leah Pruett during the final round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) each captured the top qualifying position in their respective categories. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Top Fuel driver Brittany Force (right) races to the top qualifying as she races against Leah Pruett during the final round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) each captured the top qualifying position in their respective categories. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Funny Car drivers Tim Wilkerson (left) and Alexis DeJoria head down track during the final round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) each captured the top qualifying position in their respective categories. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Race fans hair blows as they are Baptized by Nitro while they stand and watch the third round of nitro qualifying between a pair of 11,000hp Top Fuel dragsters at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Backup girl Alice Bode waves to fans wearing a Kobe Bryant jersey prior to backing up her husbands Funny Car during the third round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Pro Stock driver Jeg Coughlin heads through the shutdown area during the final round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) each captured the top qualifying position in their respective categories. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Race fans hair blows as they are Baptized by Nitro while they stand and watch the third round of nitro qualifying between a pair of 11,000hp Top Fuel dragsters at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Funny Car drivers John Force (near lane) and Matt Hagan head down track during the third round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Eliminations are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Funny Car driver John Force heads through the shutdown area during the final round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) each captured the top qualifying position in their respective categories. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Funny Car drivers Robert Hight (left) and Tommy Johnson Jr. head down track during the final round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) each captured the top qualifying position in their respective categories. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Top Fuel driver Brittany Force (right) races to the top qualifying as she races against Leah Pruett during the final round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) each captured the top qualifying position in their respective categories. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Funny Car drivers Matt Hagan (left) and Jack Beckman head down track during the final round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) each captured the top qualifying position in their respective categories. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Top Fuel driver Brittany Force (right) races to the top qualifying as she races against Leah Pruett during the final round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) each captured the top qualifying position in their respective categories. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
Funny Car drivers Matt Hagan (left) and Jack Beckman head down track during the final round of pro qualifying at the 60th NHRA Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona Saturday Feb. 8, 2020. Brittany Force (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) each captured the top qualifying position in their respective categories. Eliminations for Sunday have been moved up to 10 a.m. Sunday due to weather. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
POMONA >> Of John Force’s four daughters, three followed him into the sport but now only one continues to compete. That is 32-year-old Brittany Force, who along with most of the rest of the Force clan calls Yorba Linda home.
And Brittany likely, for the foreseeable future, will continue making the Force name one of the biggest in drag racing, only with a little different spin.
John Force, who turns 71 on May 4, has done it all in the Funny Car class. Brittany is doing it in Top Fuel.
Brittany heads into today’s eliminator finals at the 60th Winternationals at the Auto Club Raceway in Pomona as the top seed in Top Fuel, after turning in the fastest time during Saturday’s second day of pro qualifying — 3.667 seconds with a top speed of 334.32 mph.
She earned a first-round bye since there are only 13 dragsters in the Top Fuel field, rather than the usual 16.
Seeded second in Top Fuel is John Force Racing teammate Austin Prock, followed by Leah Pruett, a native of Redlands, and Mira Loma’s Shawn Langdon, who was the top seed after the first two rounds of qualifying on Friday.
The pro finals today will begin at 10 a.m., an hour earlier than originally scheduled as NHRA officials hope to get out in front of the predicted rain.
In Funny Car, Matt Hagan earned the top seed in Saturday’s last pro qualifier, clocking 3.841 seconds with a speed of 328.86 seconds as the sun settled in the west. He nipped No. 2 seed “Fast Jack” Beckman of Norco, whose time was 3.856.
Robert Hight of the John Force Racing team, the defending Winternationals champion as well as the defending national champion, ended up in the No. 3 spot, while John Force moved up from the No. 11 spot after Friday to No 5. Alexis DeJoria went from No. 9 to No. 11.
In Pro Stock, five-time national champion Jeg Coughlin kicked off the day by announcing this season was his last on the NHRA circuit — then he went out and claimed the division’s No. 1 qualifying position.
Brittany Force isn’t any Jane Come Lately in drag racing. This is her eighth year on the pro circuit. She was the Top Fuel national champion in 2017, clinching that title while also winning the 2017 NHRA Finals at Pomona.
She started the 2019 season with a new crew, headed by David Grubic and Mac Savage, and finished third in the standings while setting NHRA national records for both time (3.623 seconds at Reading, Pa.), and speed (338.99 mph in Las Vegas).
And it already appears 2020 could continue to elevate her stature while also letting drag racing fans know “the Force will be with you always!”
Brittany chuckled when asked about that cliche Saturday.
“I’ve been reading and hearing that for years,” she said. “Funny thing is, I didn’t see ‘Star Wars’ until two years ago, so I never knew what people were talking about.”
About continuing the family tradition, she said, “No one will ever do what my father has done. I mean, 16 national championships, more than 150 wins. That’s impossible.”
John Force ended a 17-year drought last year by winning at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. That gave him career win No. 151.
As for Hagan, he’s been racing for 13 years. And, he says, he is still learning.
Of the run that elevated him into the No. 1 qualifying spot, he said, “I was a little mad at myself on that run. I was probably steering a bit much. You’ve got to let the car float. I could have put the car into the concrete.”
But that didn’t happen.
And now there is a possibility that Hagan could square off against John Force in the third of the four eliminator rounds. What if Force gets past Hagan and wins the Funny Car title and daughter Brittany follows form and wins in Top Fuel?
Now there would be a father-daughter story that would be hard to top.
