The winningest driver in NHRA history, John Force, made more history at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He defeated former teammate and two-time world champion Tony Pedregon in the final round for his first Summitracing.com NHRA Nationals title and 129th national event win of his career. En route to the win Force defeated son-in-law Robert Hight, Houston winner Matt Hagan, and daughter Ashley Force Hood to reach the final.

Force faced a formidable foe in Pedregon in the final round. Even though Pedregon nearly burned his car in the semi-finals, the former Force Racing driver was at the line champing at the bit an hour later.

The winningest driver in NHRA history, John Force, made more history at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He defeated former teammate and two-time world champion Tony Pedregon in the final round for his first Summitracing.com NHRA Nationals title and 129th national event win of his career. En route to the win Force defeated son-in-law Robert Hight, Houston winner Matt Hagan, and daughter Ashley Force Hood to reach the final.

Force faced a formidable foe in Pedregon in the final round. Even though Pedregon nearly burned his car in the semi-finals, the former Force Racing driver was at the line champing at the bit an hour later.

The two had squared off 77 times before the final round match-up with Force holding a 53-24 record. Improving his head-to-head record versus Pedregon to 54-24 also meant that his career record shifted to 1053-403.

His final round career record now stands at 129-77. Force has now won 23.5 per cent of all the races he has run since 1978 and 24.3 per cent of all the races he has started.

It's all part of why he is a 14-time champion.

Force had nothing but praise for Pedregon in the press room, who he also beat in  the 2002 Las Vegas Nationals, in his only other win in Las Vegas.

“We all want a championship in the end but what I work for right now is to be able to compete and show my kids that I can still do it. I want to show them how much I love it and what it really means to me. I want to stop here first and say something about a young kid Tony Pedregon struggling with no budget. He is struggling to race and I saw him burning up the run before. He put it back together and doing whatever it takes. He was very emotional at the other end when I got in the car with him and he said to me ‘Force you know how I race. I may not have money and I may not have parts but I’ll give you a race.’ I said, ‘That is why I love you Tony.’ He was very emotional. I know he is struggling. He will get right. He’ll get it together or someone will take that kid because he is way too good. That group put that car back together and put on a show for the fans. They didn’t get the win but they were still right there. God bless that kid,” said Force.

A day earlier Force talked about just about how driven he is to show himself, his family and the world he can still get the job done.

“The eagle has left the nest,” said Force. “I've watched over Ashley and Robert for the past two years. They've left the nest and now its time for me to leave the nest and worry about how I am running. The eagle might return to the nest someday but right now, I'm soaring.”

It has been an amazing start to Force’s 33rd season. After a winless 2009 Force has roared out of the starting gate in 2010. He has reached four finals, collected three wins and been No.1 qualifier twice in six races. The boss is back and he is powered by the BOSS 500. While Force’s times were not world beaters he was consistent in the heat thanks to a masterful job of tuning by Mike Neff, Austin, Coil and Bernie Fedderly. Force dedicated the win to Mike Neff and presented him with the Wally in the Summitracing.com NHRA Nationals winners circle.

“I have been saying it all day. My Mustang knows how to run at night. It knows how to hunt in the evening. That old dog does not like the heat. We started in Pomona with (crew chief Mike) Neff and everywhere it ran good. In Houston the sun came out and we were history. We came right in here with the attitude start slow and make it go A to B. You noticed we were stumbling to get in the show,” said Force. “We got here in but we really learned a lot. I dedicated the trophy from this race to Mike Neff. I wanted to give him that trophy because as Coil said a little puppy has gotten the two old dogs off the couch. Coil said this not me. Coil said Neff gave us a fresh start of energy and of fight. Coil and Bernie are the best. They needed a little something to give them some change. Change is what I have been working with. I have shaken up everything.”

He is shaking up the competition, that's for sure.