Brittany Force – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Force, Tasca, Hartford, Herrera qualify on top in Charlotte 4-Wide Nationals

Brittany Force made the quickest run in zMAX Dragway history on Saturday, as the defending Top Fuel world champion rocketed to the No. 1 spot at the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway. Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro …

Brittany Force made the quickest run in zMAX Dragway history on Saturday, as the defending Top Fuel world champion rocketed to the No. 1 spot at the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway.

Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also qualified No. 1 at the fifth of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Force went 3.651s at 336.32mph in her 11,000-horsepower Flav-R-Pac dragster, breaking her own track record at Charlotte in the process. It gives the reigning champ her third No. 1 spot this year and the 45th in her career as she looks to pick up her first victory of the 2023 season. After struggling in the opening qualifying session, Force and her team responded with three strong runs, giving her plenty of momentum going into Sunday, where she’ll opening eliminations in a quad also featuring Doug Foley, Las Vegas four-wide winner Antron Brown and Clay Millican.

“That was an incredible run, it was more than our team expected,” Force said. “Three of the four runs were solid, and hopefully, that will carry over and we’ll go some rounds tomorrow. We’ve had success here in the past, and I’ve always loved this track – but four-wide is tricky. That’s what makes it rewarding.

“We were doing some testing and finished that up yesterday, and that was part of our game plan coming in. We kind of expected that it might not go down there that first run, but it got down there on the second run and today was a whole new set-up. Like Grubnic said, it flew. (Crew chief) David Grubnic always wants more. He expects the best and he pushes hard, and he wants to win them all. I think that motivates all of us, and we all want to win together.”

Justin Ashley qualified second with a 3.662s at 332.84mph and Leah Pruett jumped to third with a 3.678s at 334.65mph during the final qualifying session. In all, six drivers dipped into the 3.60s during qualifying.

In Funny Car, Tasca showcased a strong performance on Saturday, vaulting to No. 1 in his 11,000-horsepower BG Products Ford Mustang with a run of 3.852s at 324.59mph. It’s the second No. 1 spot for Tasca already this season and the 11th in his career. After a tough loss in the opening quad in Las Vegas, Tasca is looking for redemption and his first victory of the 2023 campaign. His car has performed at a high level for most of the season, as Tasca also just missed out on a career-best pass and the track E.T. record. Still, he feels confident about his chances on Sunday, which starts with a quad that includes Dave Richards, Tim Wilkerson and defending world champ Ron Capps.

“I said leaving Gainesville, the first five races of the season (will be) really critical to show performance,” Tasca said. “We’ve had two No. 1 qualifiers in the first five races, and we haven’t won a race yet, but we’ve been working on getting this car to run really hard and compete. Come championship time, if you’re not running mid- to low-3.80s, you’re not running for a championship. That’s just the hard reality out here.

“That was the run we’ve been looking for since we put this together. We’re five races in with a completely new team and complete new package, and we’re racing against guys with thousands of runs and a plethora of data. We don’t have that yet as a team, and yet we’ve still competed at a very high level. That gives a lot of confidence. To have this under our belt, I’m way ahead of where I was the last three years. I’m very pleased at this point, but I really want to get a win. My goal was to get a win in the first five races.”

Cruz Pedregon jumped to No. 2 in the final session by going 3.859s at 330.23mph, just missing out on his third straight No. 1 qualifier, and Robert Hight is third with a 3.865s at 330.23mph.

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After car struggles before the second session on Friday, Hartford made a big move on Saturday, driving to the top spot in his Total Seal/CIP1/GETTRX Chevrolet Camaro with a run of 6.538s at 208.52mph. Not only was it a huge jump for Hartford, it also gave the veteran his second straight No. 1 qualifier and another huge opportunity to grab his first victory of the season. His opening round quad will feature David Cuadra, who is making his first Pro Stock start, Deric Kramer and Troy Coughlin Jr., with Hartford sweeping the No. 1 spot at both four-wide races this season.

“Let me tell you, getting out of here late last night – none of us were in a good mood,” Hartford said. “We went to bed really disappointed, knowing that we had a car that could go to the pole. But luck was on our side last night, because if we had that failure past the finish-line we wouldn’t be here for this.

“But we regrouped. Coming out here, we were the first car out, which means we had to pull back some, but we made a good run. We came in this morning with the idea that we could go into the top five, and that if we made the right run, we could go No. 1. That’s what we did. It’s a rocket ship right now. This is the best car and the best team I’ve ever had, and we just have to capitalize on it.”

Points leader Dallas Glenn, who has back-to-back wins this season, qualified second with a 6.553s at 209.07mph and Kyle Koretsky is third with a 6.557s at 208.52mph.

Herrera’s dominant start to the 2023 season in Pro Stock Motorcycle took yet another impressive step, making two more great runs on Saturday, including a 6.735s at 201.52mph on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Suzuki to secure his second straight No. 1 qualifier to open the year. His opening round quad includes Marcus Hylton, Ryan Oehler and Kelly Clontz, as Herrera looks to make it two straight wins to start 2023. The young standout has praised the performance of his team and a bike that has delivered incredible results thus far this season.

“Just being part of this, I can’t ask for anything better,” Herrera said. “You’re always trying to improve, always trying to out-do yourself each round, and for us to make that big improvement – Andrew (Hines), our crew chief, has both bikes on rails, and it’s showing. It makes me feel good, but it puts more pressure on my shoulders. It’s exciting to know I have a top tier bike, and it’s a lot of pressure on me. There is more pressure on me than there is on the bike. The whole team, they have a lot of confidence in their machine. At the end of the day, it’s all on me.”

Herrera’s Vance & Hines teammate, Eddie Krawiec, qualified second with a 6.765s at 197.77mph and Steve Johnson, who has won the Charlotte four-wide race in back-to-back years, is third with his 6.804s at 196.27mph.

Eliminations for the Circle K NHRA Four-Wide Nationals begin at 12 p.m. ET on Sunday at zMAX Dragway.

Force, Pedregon, Hartford qualify No. 1 at NHRA Vegas Four-Wide Nationals

Cruz Pedregon raced to his second straight No. 1 qualifier, hanging on to the top spot at Saturday’s NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Brittany Force (Top Fuel) and Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) also qualified No. 1 …

Cruz Pedregon raced to his second straight No. 1 qualifier, hanging on to the top spot at Saturday’s NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Brittany Force (Top Fuel) and Matt Hartford (Pro Stock) also qualified No. 1 qualifiers at the fourth of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Pedregon’s run of 3.910s at 326.71mph in his 11,000-horsepower Snap-On Tools Dodger Charger Hellcat SRT from Friday held up, giving the two-time world champion his second No. 1 spot this season and the 64th in his career. Pedregon will race for his first win of the season on Sunday, with his opening-round quad also featuring Steven Densham, Tim Wilkerson and Bobby Bode.

“We stayed No. 1 and I’m grateful for that,” Pedregon said. “The team made the right calls today and we made down the track three of our four runs. Now, we just need to keep doing the same thing, be consistent and race the track (tomorrow). You have to be smart. The guys that are disciplined and don’t press are the ones that have success. We’ll see what the day brings (on Sunday), but it’s anybody’s race out there.”

Alexis DeJoria stayed second with her run of 3.933s at 329.18mph and points leader Matt Hagan took third with a 3.936s at 327.82mph.

In Top Fuel, Brittany Force’s run 3.697s at 335.73mph in her 11,000-horsepower Monster Energy dragster from Friday easily gave her the top spot, giving the defending world champ her second No. 1 qualifier on the season and the 44th in her career. Force is after her third straight victory at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after sweeping both races last season en route to her world title, and she made one strong run on Saturday.

In the opening round, Force will have to face off with Tony Schumacher and Antron Brown, with the trio combining for 13 world titles. All three were in the final quad last year, but only two will advance past the first round on Sunday.

“Our team is very happy. We had three good runs down the track and we stayed in the top spot,” Force said. “Now we’re looking for a win. We were successful here last year and we’d love to do it again. Coming into season, we knew there was a chance for a slow start and I still feel like we’ve already outdone ourselves. We’ve made a lot of changes and done a lot of testing, but I think we’re figuring this out far quicker than we imagined.”

Steve Torrence qualified second after his 3.712s at 330.23mph from Friday and Mike Salinas moved to third in the final session after going 3.729s at 331.77mph.

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A strong weekend got even better for Pro Stock’s Matt Hartford, as the veteran claimed his first career No. 1 qualifier with a run of 6.599s at 206.45mph in his Total Seal Chevrolet Camaro. Hartford, who is making his 161st career start this season, put down a pair of strong passes on Saturday, vaulting him into the top position for the first time and adding another impressive moment in what has been a strong start to his 2023 season.

The only thing missing is a victory on Sunday, something Hartford will aim to change this weekend and possibly move into the points lead for the first time in his career. His opening-round quad includes Jerry Lee Tucker, Camrie Caruso and Erica Enders, who swept both Las Vegas races last year.

“This is awesome for our entire team. We’ve been working on this since 2006 and it’s been a long time coming,” Hartford said. “Some of these people come out here and within first few races get a number one and we always just watch and go well someday we’ll get it. But it’s hats off to having a great team around me and a great racecar. We just keep our heads down and keep focused on one run at a time.

“There was a time we were 16th and just overjoyed. It’s just a different mindset as you progress through the sport. We’ve come from the bottom and we’ve worked our way up. We have a fast car right now. Our whole goal is to turn this yellow (No. 1 qualifier) hat into a blue (winner’s) hat and then turn that into a white (world champion) hat.”

Current points leader Dallas Glenn, who was the provisional No. 1 qualifier on Friday, took the second spot with a 6.610s at 205.65mph and Aaron Stanfield took third in qualifying on the strength of his 6.614s at 206.95mph.

Eliminations for the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip begin at 12 p.m. PT on Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Force, Pedregon, Glenn rocket to No. 1 at NHRA Vegas Four-Wide Nationals

Defending Top Fuel world champion Brittany Force continued to roll at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, powering to the provisional No. 1 qualifier position on Friday at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car) and Dallas Glenn …

Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car) and Dallas Glenn (Pro Stock) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the fourth of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Force went 3.697s at 335.73mph in her 11,000-horsepower Monster Energy dragster as she looks to pick up her second top spot this season and 44th in her career. A year ago, Force won in dominant fashion at both races at Las Vegas, qualifying No. 1 at the fall race and second at the four-wide race in the spring. It’s been a track where Force has made record runs as well, and now she looks to win for the fourth time in Vegas.

“When I crossed the finish line, it felt like a killer run and it’s very exciting to do that,” Force said. “Our performance (last season) here was great. We’ve been very successful here and made some killer runs at this track. That’s been huge for us and coming into this event, you feel like you already have that behind you to carry into the weekend.

“It feels good to get back on track and the great thing is we get two more runs tomorrow before going into race day on Sunday. It’s chaotic up there in a four-wide race, so you’ve got to clear your mind and just stay focused.”

Steve Torrence, who was the quickest in the opening session, is second after his 3.712s at 330.23mph and Leah Pruett’s 3.747s at 322.50mph has her third heading into Saturday.

Pedregon is in line for his second straight No. 1 qualifier in his 11,000-horsepower Snap-On Tools Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat after his run of 3.910s at 326.71mph. It would also be the 64th career No. 1 spot for the two-time world champion if it holds. Next on the list for the veteran is turning strong qualifying performances into race wins.

Pedregon has just one round win through the first three races, but he feels good about what his team can accomplish this weekend.

“The track was really good and for us, it’s been trying to back the car down,” Pedregon said. “It’s really just a matter of backing it down a little bit and trying to go down the track and race smart. We’re looking for that consistency and I’m just trying to drive it straighter. We’re starting to see flashes like we had in Pomona and we’re grateful for performances like this. If we can wrangle some more low 3.90s tomorrow and keep our car hooked up, we’ll feel good about Sunday.”

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Alexis DeJoria continued her strong start to the year, making a pair of 3.933 runs with a speed of 329.18. Points leader Matt Hagan jumped to third in Friday’s second qualifier, going 3.936s at 327.82mph.

Following his victory in Pomona and taking the points lead for the first time in his young career, Pro Stock’s Dallas Glenn continued to impress on Friday in Las Vegas, making the quickest run in each qualifying session, including a class-best 6.629s at 206.07mph in his RAD Torque Systems Chevrolet Camaro.

If that holds, Glenn would pick up his first No. 1 qualifier this season and the third in his career and the former NHRA Rookie of the Year appears to be on a great path. He’s enjoyed previous success in Las Vegas, winning the fall race in 2021, and advanced to the final quad at the four-wide race a year ago.

“Matt (Hartford) and I had the best two cars in Pomona, and I think it just carried right on over,” Glenn said. “This track just kind of agrees with me, from the starting line to my driving style, and the way the car is set up. I didn’t expect to see that good of a run in Q2, because we made a really nice run in Q1, and the air was worse. Hopefully, that means there’s even a little more left in it because I think tomorrow morning is going to be the good run.

“I know I change my style a little bit for four-wide. I almost rush myself a little bit in staging because I do kind of take a long time to stage. For four-wide, I try to make sure I don’t dilly-dally around. Four-wide racing is a great time; it changes it up a little bit.”

Hartford is currently second with his 6.635s at 205.66mph, while Gainesville winner Troy Coughlin Jr. is right behind after he went 6.636s at 207.11mph.

Qualifying continues at 11:30 a.m. PT on Saturday at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Force, Pedregon, Caruso top early NHRA qualifying at Pomona

Reigning Top Fuel world champion Brittany Force powered to the provisional No. 1 spot on Friday, making the quickest run of the day to kick off the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car) and …

Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car) and Camrie Caruso (Pro Stock) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the third of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Force went 3.712s at 328.86mph in her 11,00-horsepower Flav-R-Pac dragster to vault to the top at her home track, putting the two-time champion in line for her second No. 1 qualifier this season and 44th in her career. Force, who made the fastest run in Top Fuel history at Pomona last year (338.94mph), is also after her first win of the season.

“Honestly, it didn’t feel like a great run to me,” Force said. “It was exciting to go No. 1, but we know we have a little more in it. That’s a good, solid run. Our team made some big, big changes this off-season, but I think in the long run it’s going to be good for us. We’re ready for that first win of the season and I hope it comes sooner than later. We’re aware it might take a couple races, but I feel like we’re getting our footing and I’m confident we’ll have this car figured out soon.”

Justin Ashley, last week’s winner in Phoenix, drove to second thanks to his 3.729s at 329.99mph, while Antron Brown went to 3.730s at 329.34mph to put him third. Ashley will also take on Steve Torrence in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge, while the other matchup features Leah Pruett racing Shawn Langdon.

The last time Cruz Pedregon was at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, the two-time Funny Car champ made a series of career-best runs and drove to the win. Months later, Pedregon is once again performing at a high level in Pomona, going 3.865s at 302.28mph in his 11,000-horsepower Snap-On Tools Dodge Charger Hellcat SRT to take the provisional No. 1 spot. It would be the veteran’s 63rd career No. 1 qualifier if it holds up as Pedregon looks to keep on rolling in Pomona and possibly pick up his second straight win at the legendary facility.

“I’ve been trying really hard to keep the car in the groove,” Pedregon said. “That was my focus and it was a great run. It wasn’t the start we wanted in Gainesville or Phoenix, but I just think we’re notoriously slow starters. I think we’ll have a really great car for this year and I think we’ll be good the rest of the year. I think we got all the bugs worked out and some of the things we learned at the first two races we were able to apply here. It was just a team effort and it showed with our performance today.”

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Robert Hight, who won last weekend in Phoenix, went to the second spot with his 3.892s at 329.99mph, and Alexis DeJoria is third after going 3.883s at 333.49mph. In the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday, Hight will take on Chad Green, while DeJoria, who won the first challenge of the year, will face off with Phoenix event runner-up Ron Capps.

Coming off her first career Pro Stock victory, Caruso continued to roll on Friday in Pomona, racing to the provisional No. 1 spot in her Powerbuilt Tools Camaro with a run of 6.518s at 211.79mph. If it holds, the 2022 NHRA Rookie of the Year would pick up her second career No. 1 qualifier and the first of the season. It was another impressive performance from Caruso, who has enjoyed a quick start with the new KB Titan Racing team and is looking to keep the momentum going this weekend at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

“That was just awesome,” Caruso said. “Pomona has always been good to us, but to go No. 1 right after we won in Phoenix was super special. We weren’t part of the first Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge in Phoenix, but now we are and it’s a special incentive for us. It’s just really cool and I’m thankful they’ve put together something like this. It’s been really awesome starting off the season like this, especially coming into a team that’s been so successful. I didn’t want to hold them back, so it was a relief getting that first win.”

Matt Hartford, who takes on Caruso in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge on Saturday, is currently second with a run of 6.524s at 211.13mph and Dallas Glenn’s 6.528s at 211.33mph puts him third. The other Mission #2Fast2Tasty NHRA Challenge matchup includes Kyle Koretsky and Phoenix runner-up Bo Butner.

Qualifying continues at 12 p.m. PT on Saturday at Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at the In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

NHRA podcast: Brittany Force on team changes for 2023

Brittany Force’s second NHRA Top Fuel title came in dramatic fashion, and even she didn’t expect it to end how and when it did in Pomona. Force joins The Racing Writer’s Podcast to discuss her second championship, and why none of the crew members on her team are in the same position they were last year. Force also shares whether she wants to hit 340 mph in her Top Fuel dragster as well as thoughts on the 2023 season and her competition.

Force, Capps, Coughlin, Herrera No. 1 qualifiers for NHRA Gatornationals

Top Fuel’s Josh Hart picked up the victory in the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout on Saturday at this weekend’s 54th Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, beating Mike Salinas in the final round to win the bonus event in front of a sellout …

Brittany Force (Top Fuel) Ron Capps (Funny Car), Troy Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) and Gaige Herrera (Pro Stock Motorcycle) all qualified No. 1 at the first of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season.

Hart, a local Ocala native, put together a run of 3.748s at 331.53mph in his 11,000-horsepower R&L Carriers dragster, knocking off Salinas who went up in smoke on the starting line in the specialty race. Hart beat Austin Prock and defending world champ Force to reach the final round. Two years ago, Hart won in Gainesville in his Top Fuel debut, following it up with Saturday’s impressive showing.

“First of all, I guess I’ll just say that nice guys don’t finish last,” Hart said. “The team gets all the credit. That consistency to get it done every time makes me so very, very proud of the team. It’s a huge, huge accomplishment for our team. To go out and win a specialty race right off the trailer is pretty awesome. But I’m just the jockey that gets to hit the gas.

“I don’t think I knew I was supposed to be nervous or knew that I was supposed to have butterflies two years ago but when you taste it, and then it gets taken away from you and your sophomore season you want to get back to that place. I think we found a little bit of magic and Gainesville has always been good to us. We’ll do our best to get this thing in the winner’s circle more often.”

Force’s 3.699s at 336.99mph from Friday in her 11,000-horsepower Monster Energy dragster handed the defending world champion her 43rd top spot. She’ll open eliminations against Keith Murt, while Steve Torrence jumped to second with a 3.723s at 331.36mph. Doug Kalitta is third with a 3.723s at 327.82mph.

“It was a bummer to lose out on the All-Star Callout, but we got the No. 1 qualifier,” Force said. “We felt good going into (the Callout) and got to the semifinals, but we got beat, so our bigger focus now is race day tomorrow. We’ll put today behind us, and got in that last qualifying session, which was good, solid run for us.

“It’s outstanding, to be in different conditions run in and still be able to run that. We missed it the one time in the Callout, but we all feel pretty good.”

In Funny Car, Capps opened his title defense with an outstanding run to close out qualifying, going 3.874s at 333.25mph in his 11,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Parts Toyota GR Supra. It gives Capps 36 No. 1 qualifiers in his standout career, and he’ll open race day against Terry Haddock. Capps lost in the final round of the season-opener last year and ended with his second straight world title, which has him hoping for a big showing this weekend in Gainesville.

“We all talked about how tough it was going to and you saw it in the last session,” Capps said. “Last year I end up winning Indy for the first time in my career, then we win the Callout in the same weekend and then we go on to win the championship and it’s just a dream year. So, it’s almost like how do you top that? But we show up here and we come from behind and we lay down low E.T. My gosh, what a way to start the year.”

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John Force is qualified second with a 3.878s at 332.59mph and Robert Hight was a spot behind after his 3.879s at 333.99mph.

Coughlin made a big move on Saturday in Pro Stock, jumping to the top spot and moving past his teammate, Erica Enders, with a run of 6.515s at 212.29mph in his JEGS.com/White Castle/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. After a breakout season a year ago, which included his first two professional wins, Coughlin is off to a quick start in 2023, taking his third career No. 1 qualifier. He’ll open eliminations against Larry Morgan.

“I’m very proud of what we’ve done so far. Kudos to Elite Motorsports and everyone on our team,” Coughlin said. “They all work hard and we are a complete family. The guys in the engine shop never stop working. I wish everyone could come to our shop and experience it firsthand. It’s just such an honor to be a part of.”

Enders, the reigning world champ, qualified second after going 6.515s at 211.73mph, just missing out on the top qualifier position. Mason McGaha took third thanks to his run of 6.519s at 211.59mph.

Making his debut for Vance and Hines, rising Pro Stock Motorcycle star Gaige Herrera enjoyed a tremendous day on his Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Suzuki, delivering a 6.685s at 203.49mph, breaking the track speed record. Herrera made his PSM debut last year and joined the Vance and Hines team in the off-season. He’s made a strong impression already and will go for his first win on Sunday, opening eliminations against Ron Tornow.

“I honestly don’t have words for this,” Herrera said. “Just being here with the best team in Pro Stock Motorcycle is a dream and then to run 6.68s on back-to-back runs and then go 203mph. It’s been an awesome journey so far. It’s still not real to me. When I got that phone call from (Vance & Hines crew chief) Andrew Hines in November it took a while to sink in. Then I got my new leathers and realized I’d be riding the best bike in the class.”

Steve Johnson’s 6.746s at 198.90mph kept him second and rookie Chase Van Sant took third in his first PSM race with a 6.747s at 200.80mph.

Eliminations for the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals begin at 10 a.m. ET on Sunday at Gainesville Raceway.

Force, Tasca, Enders, Johnson provisional No. 1s at NHRA Gatornationals

Reigning world champ Brittany Force opened the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season in impressive fashion, racing to the provisional No. 1 qualifier on Friday at the 54th Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. Bob …

Bob Tasca III (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Steve Johnson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the first of 21 races during the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series season. The second qualifying session in Top Fuel and Funny Car on Friday was cancelled due to inclement weather.

Force, who posted 10 No. 1 qualifiers in her championship season a year ago, went 3.699s at 336.99mph to kick off the season in her 11,000-horsepower Monster Energy dragster. Force’s first career victory in Top Fuel came in Gainesville in 2016 and she’s eager to repeat that to start her championship defense.

“It felt really good to come out at the first race and the first run of the season and go to the top,” Force said. “It was incredible. We spent a lot of hours and a lot of days testing this off-season, and we kind of picked up where we left off last year. It’s the same group of guys and it’s a great start to the season.

“We always want to improve and that’s our motivation. We had five wins last season and we want more, and ultimately we want a back-to-back championship. I look at that championship as motivation because we want to do it again.”

Selections were also made for the Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout, which takes place on Saturday in Gainesville. Force picked Clay Millican with her first selection, while Steve Torrence, the defending Callout winner, chose Doug Kalitta and Justin Ashley picked Mike Salinas, making Josh Hart and Austin Prock the final matchup. The opening round takes place at 1:20 p.m. ET on Saturday.

In Funny Car, Tasca went 3.888s at 330.72mph in his 11,000-horsepower PPG Ford Mustang to jump to the top spot. If it holds, it would be his 10th career No. 1 qualifier. With new crew chiefs Aaron Brooks and Todd Okuhara in place for the 2023 season, it was an impressive showing for Tasca, who posted solid results in testing and has big hopes for the upcoming year.

“We lost all but two people on our team and we brought in Todd Okuhara and Aaron Brooks, and it’s exactly what my program needed,” Tasca said. “We didn’t do enough at the beginning and end of the season, and we need to make sure our car runs better at the beginning and the end of the season. I think you’re going to see a different Tasca Racing program going forward. I love the attitude of this team and their work ethic. I haven’t been this excited for a season in a long time.”

John Force is currently second after his run of 3.898s at 335.07mph and J.R. Todd took the third spot thanks to a 3.900s at 329.99mph.

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Enders, the reigning world champ, rolled to the No. 1 position in Pro Stock on Friday after her pass of 6.538s at 208.84mph in her Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage/Melling Performance/Scag Chevrolet Camaro. It was a dream season a year ago for Enders, who claimed her fifth world championship on the strength of 10 victories, but a victory in Gainesville remains atop her list. She lost in excruciating fashion a year ago at the Gatornationals, losing on a holeshot while making the quickest run in Pro Stock history and she’s determined to have a different result in Gainesville to open 2023.

“As far as my to-do list, we can start off with winning the Gatornationals,” Enders said. “I’m thrilled to be the provisional No. 1 qualifier tonight. We had one extra month in the off season so we’re ready to go to battle and to defend our title.”

Camrie Caruso was the quickest in the opening session and is now second after going 6.551s at 209.98mph. Bo Butner is right behind thanks to her run of 6.552 at 209.52mph.

Johnson delivered a 6.746s at 198.90mph on his Steve Johnson Racing Suzuki to take the provisional No. 1 spot in Pro Stock Motorcycle. It was a welcome sign for Johnson, who started strong last year before struggling down the stretch. The veteran still has championship aspirations in a class filled with talent and remained focused on improvement.

“Our sport is so diverse and exciting,” Johnson said. “I would love to come out here and win a championship. I’ve seen the mistakes I’ve made, and the teams out here work so hard, so it’s not easy. We’ve got a lot of great new riders and it’s hard to ride these motorcycles perfectly. I rode pretty well today and, for me, it’s all about fundamentals and when you can concentrate on that, the motorcycle is going to have a really cool response.”

Rookie Chase Van Zant enjoyed a strong debut on Friday, going 6.747s at 200.80mph. Gaige Herrera, who joined the Vance & Hines team in the off-season, is a spot behind with his 6.749s at 200.59mph.

Qualifying continues at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday at the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway.