Ashley Force knew winning her first national event was going to be a tough row to hoe. The second-generation drag racer and points leader from Yorba Linda, Ca., didn’t let the challenges get the best of her as she farmed her way to the finish line and knocked off a legend along the way.

The Funny Car final round at the NHRA Southern Nationals had all the makings if a made for television movie. Threatening rain, which eventually turned into a race delaying downpour, a veteran driver looking for 1,000th career round win and a sophomore driver looking for a career first national victory and the first by a woman, who just happened to be the daughter of the veteran in the other lane.

The forces of nature, emotion, experience and history joined in a battle between a father and daughter who just happen to be Force's by name. Ashley Force knew winning her first national event was going to be a tough row to hoe. The second-generation

drag racer and points leader from Yorba Linda, Ca., didn’t let the challenges get the best of her as she farmed her way to the finish line and knocked off a legend along the way.

The Funny Car final round at the NHRA Southern Nationals had all the makings if a made for television movie. Threatening rain, which eventually turned into a race delaying downpour, a veteran driver looking for 1,000th career round win and a sophomore driver looking for a career first national victory and the first by a woman, who just happened to be the daughter of the veteran in the other lane.

The forces of nature, emotion, experience and history joined in a battle between a father and daughter who just happen to be Force's by name.

At the finish line, youth overcame experience, a daughter beat a father and the NHRA had it's first female nitro Funny car winner ever. However, for Ashley Force winning had nothing to do with being female; she just wanted to win, period.

“I am just happy to win an event, that's the main thing,” Force said, following the historic run. “Being a female, that's exciting for the record books and everything. But, for my team we just wanted to get our first win. We went a whole year last year and got close a few times. To get it done, finally, here in Atlanta; we're just a little relieved but so excited.”

The feat took Ashley five final rounds to achieve; 21 years after her father scored his first national event victory. Ashley was a toddler at the time.

 

Shirley Muldowney led the way but not just for Ashley to win in Funny Car, but for so many other women who are trying to be in this sport. Melanie Troxel is fighting every day...Hillary Will and Angelle (Sampey)...everybody...(Shirley led the way) for women to have a place in this sport. - John Force

“And I just think now that (the NHRA POWERade Series) is just another place in history that can say, ‘Women are showing their stuff (here).’ And they beat this old man pretty good … even if it was my kid. I’m proud of her and I love her.

John realized shortly after getting beat by Ashley just how much the sport had changed since his momentous first day. He was barely able to congratulate his daughter on her victory, before the television and marketing crews whisked her away to speak to the masses.

He could only shake his head because when he won the 1987 Le Molson Grandnational, there wasn’t even a television crew on the property.

“I’m just proud of her as a woman to accomplish that,” he said of her victory. “Shirley Muldowney led the way but not just for Ashley to win in Funny Car, but for so many other women who are trying to be in this sport. Melanie Troxel is fighting every day...Hillary Will and Angelle (Sampey)...everybody...(Shirley led the way) for women to have a place in this sport.

“And I just think now that (the NHRA POWERade Series) is just another place in history that can say, ‘Women are showing their stuff (here).’ And they beat this old man pretty good … even if it was my kid. I’m proud of her and I love her.”

As much as Force might have wanted to give his daughter a victory, he made sure everyone knew he was beat fair and square, not just by a daughter, but by a fellow competitor. And, his mind was on who was in the other lane. Force's mind was on a record of his own.

 

Anytime you can one of these races it's just an unbelievable feeling. And, to be in the winner's circle with Ashely Force, that kind of tops it off. What a great kid. She's under a lot of pressure to do what she's done. It's everything. If we are every going to get closer to NASCAR she is the one that is going to get us closer. - Pro Stock winner Mike Edwards

“She did her job. She didn’t do anything stupid on the starting line, go deep, didn’t try to hole shot me, just did what she always does and that was most important, but really my focus was in my lane.”
 
“I would have liked to have had that (milestone), 500 (races) and then backed it up with (the 1000 round wins), but it’s also important in her career because wins, it took me a lot of years to win and it’s good for her that she gets that win and gets it out of the way.”

The win didn’t come easy for Ashley, but she got the breaks when she needed them. She reached the finals by stopping Ron Capps. In the final round, Ashley left on her dad and that was the last time she saw him.

“I never saw him and I never saw my win light which was weird because every other run it was down far enough where I could see it,” Ashley admitted. 

John clearly had a tough decision to make on the day. Which meant more to him on Sunday in Commerce? He was clearly in a no-lose situation. But for those who mumbled a dive, John clearly answered over the PA system that if Ashley was going to be the champion today, she was going to have to earn it.

Ashley was fine with the fact her dad was going to gun for her as if she were Gary Scelzi, Ron Capps or Whit Bazemore. On this day, Ashley revealed her dad was the type of driver who didn’t get amped one way or another about who was in the other lane.

“I think dad has done this enough years he has the same routine; he doesn't care who is next to him, if you're related or not, because he is proud of us and happy for our team,” Ashley said. “But, when he goes up to run he has trained himself it doesn't matter who is in the other lane. I am the one who needs to practice and not be thinking about that. He wants that 1000th win as well. Mom and I have it all figured out. He can get it next week on his birthday, that will be special and I could my first win here.”

Never in her wildest dreams could Ashley have envisioned the day would come at the expense of her dad.

“I never really thought about it that much,” Ashley added. “I thought about racing but I really thought about being a crew member on his car. That's kinda what I thought when I was younger. When I got a little older he said, 'Do you think I am going to let you go off and drive through the country with a bunch of guys?' So, then he gave me the opportunity to drive a Super Comp car and it went from there. Growing up around him, I was always on his team rooting for his team. So, it’s weird all these years later beating his team.”

DID YOU KNOW? – Every time Top Fuel winner Antron Brown has won in Top Fuel, Ashley has reached the Funny Car final.