Courtney Force’s participation in this year’s ESPN The Body Issue wasn’t her first request from ESPN to participate. It was, however, the first time she said okay. Her famous father, John Force, didn’t mind she made strategic poses in the buff.
After all, John had also participated in the buff as well.
Courtney Force’s participation in this year’s ESPN The Body Issue wasn’t her first request from ESPN to participate. It was, however, the first time she said okay. Her famous father, John Force, didn’t mind she made strategic poses in the buff.
After all, John had also participated in the buff as well.
“When this issue came up a few years ago, they didn’t want me because I was cute, but because I was broken up, they wanted to put me in to show how I recovered,” he explained. “It was kind of embarrassing to me. I was never pretty. I don’t have a body like [Tony] Schumacher and [Matt] Hagan and Antron [Brown]. I went and did it, because I felt it could give more exposure for my sponsors, Castrol, Ford, Auto Club, Mac Tools, and BrandSource. I did it, took my hits. But the reactions were pretty good. A lot of fans wanted autographs because of the ESPN issue.”
Last year the opportunity was initially presented to Courtney. Being a rookie, she respectfully declined the opportunity to participate, choosing instead to get more time behind the wheel of a 10,000 horsepower Funny Car and establish herself as a competition driver.
John lit a fitness fire under his daughter by simply suggesting driving a Funny Car required a physically fit driver who could adequately muscle the race car down the track.
“Courtney was saying, Dad, I struggle with this Funny Car, my muscles are hurting. I said, ‘Get in training.’ She got into it last year. I go into the gym all the time just to keep my body moving. My daughter got into it.”
When ESPN The Magazine inquired this year, father gave his blessings only after the suggestion had been run by Laurie Force. Additionally, each sponsor was contacted and approved.
“Courtney wanted to do it this time because she was really working out, hitting it hard,” John explained. “She’s a pretty girl, attractive, got a great physique. They really do it and do it right. It’s not Playboy or those types of magazines; it’s really about an athlete. Other athletes have done it. I was just told that she got the front cover nationally, and if they sell worldwide, she’s the one individual that’s going national, they picked her even over the quarterback of the 49ers, got his name somewhere, Colin Kaepernick from the 49ers, she had 78% of the votes, and she’s number one. He was behind her quite a ways. So she’s going to go nationally with it and you’ll see it everywhere nationwide. It’s working so far.”
The photos, which were leaked last week on the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Nationals ESPN2 broadcast, have created a stir in many drag racing forums with fans both for and against. There was a fair bit of ogling from show commentators Mike Dunn and Dave Rieff. Force admitted the photos being aired on television came as a surprise and even fielded a few negative calls from concerned parents. 
“Did we get a few hiccups? Yup,” John confirmed. “There were people that said, ‘My kids watch it, they love Ashley, now we don’t know.’ Eight-year-olds don’t come in and buy ESPN The Magazine off the rack. What they do is watch us on TV. I didn’t know it was going to be on TV Sunday. I was shocked when I was told it was on TV.
“Once again, it’s exposure. My daughter is very proud of what she’s done, the way she looks. I thought it was done – what’s the word – I don’t know what the word is, but they did it right. It’s my kid and I’m going to be proud of her as a father. As an owner, it has got us great exposure so far. I think it’s a positive note for NHRA and all the sponsors and I’m going to stick by her no matter what anybody says. We made that decision and we moved ahead with it.”
John admitted he was taken aback at first glance of the racy, yet artistic photography.
“At first, I didn’t understand,” he admitted. “I was like, ‘Wow’, when I saw my kid, because I had not seen the pictures before. I’m a dad so I don’t really want to look. I started getting the calls. Yeah, a few negatives on TV because of kids watching. But I have to look at the big picture. The world has changed. We have to market different. As long as they do it with good taste I was excited.”
Following Sunday’s revelation of the photos, John began to balance the demanding roles of boss and father. He is proud of Courtney.
“Well, it’s like I am with my children. You have to be a father and you have to be a boss,” he explained. “My kids do wrong in the race car, I get after them. They’re still my children and I love them. Just like [Don] Schumacher loves his kids, or Antron’s [Brown] dad loves him.”
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