In what may be her final appearance at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Brittany Force made it one to remember. The two-time NHRA Top Fuel world champion rocketed to the fastest speed in track history Friday, going 3.697 seconds at 338.85 mph to take the provisional No. 1 spot at the 25th annual Dodge NHRA Nevada Nationals powered by Direct Connection.
The run not only put Force at the top of the charts but also earned her the $3,500 “Ted Wiens Trick or Traction Award.” If her performance holds through Saturday, it will mark her sixth No. 1 qualifier of the season — a fitting accomplishment as the 38-year-old closes out her full-time driving career.
“That was a killer run,” Force said. “We’ve been hitting our marks all day. The 3.69 was exactly what we were aiming for, and to get it here at one of my favorite tracks makes it even better. We’re proud of this team — David Grubnic, John Collins, and every single one of our Chevy Accessories crew. We wanted to start strong, and we did.”
Force, who plans to retire from full-time racing at the end of the season, admitted that the emotional weight of her farewell tour is beginning to set in. “It’s weird to think about,” she said. “I’m trying to just focus on Vegas this weekend, being in the moment with my team and enjoying it. Sometimes you get so caught up in the pressure that you forget to drive from the heart, like my dad always said. Once we get to Pomona, I’ll handle that there. Right now, it’s all about Vegas.”
The Las Vegas track has been one of Force’s most successful venues. She has multiple No. 1s and event wins there, including her 2023 victory when she and teammate Austin Prock doubled up in the winner’s circle alongside her father, 16-time champion John Force, who was making his return from a major crash.
“This has always felt like a home racetrack to me,” Force said. “I live in Orange County, so we’re only a few hours away. I’ve raced here in Super Comp, A-Fuel, and now Top Fuel. When we pull up here, it always feels like home — a home away from home. The mountains, the backdrop, the showgirls on race day — it’s pure Vegas. My first win here was special, but that double-up with my dad back after his wreck, that one really stands out.”
Force said Friday’s record-setting pass was part of a broader goal to finish her career on a high note, even as the championship remains just out of reach. Points leader Doug Kalitta followed with a 3.711 at 337.24 mph, while Shawn Langdon was third with a 3.715 at 336.57. But Force said her team is more focused on execution than standings.
“We’ve been working hard to make consistent runs in qualifying,” she said. “That’s something we struggled with earlier in the season. We’d get down the track two or three times instead of four. Lately, we’ve been turning that around. We’ve had four good ones the last few races, and we’re aiming for that again here.”
With only the Nevada Nationals and the Pomona Finals remaining, Force is savoring each pass as part of her farewell. “I want to finish strong,” she said. “Pomona is closing in fast, and that’ll be the emotional one. But this weekend, I’m just focused on putting down good runs and having fun.”
When asked what she hopes fans will remember about her career, Force said she hopes her journey serves as an inspiration. “I hope to inspire people by doing what I do,” she said. “If watching me drive this car helps someone chase their own dream — whether it’s in racing or something else — that’s a win for me. I want people to see that you can push past your comfort zone and do what you love.”
Force’s decade-long career in Top Fuel began in 2013 and has included two world championships, 16 national event wins, and multiple NHRA speed records — including the current all-time fastest run in NHRA history at 343.51 mph. She still shakes her head when she hears that number.
“Even when I say it, it sounds wrong,” she laughed. “We’ve run 340 mph a handful of times this season, and that’s something I’m really proud of. Fans always ask me if I’m going to go faster — 344 or something — and I tell them, ‘343 is good enough until somebody takes it from me. Then I’ll change my mind.’”
Still, Force admitted the thrill of running those speeds never gets old — or comfortable. “I’m hanging on for dear life just trying to get it down there,” she said. “You can definitely feel the difference. At Indy, when we went 343, I was on the radio asking, ‘What was it? What was the mile per hour?’ I could feel it. It was unreal.”
As for the possibility of breaking her own record again, Force said she wouldn’t rule it out. “If we go faster, that’d be outstanding,” she said. “But more than anything, I just want to finish strong — a season and a career I can be proud of. And I already am. I’m proud of my guys and what we’ve done together.”
