All season, Courtney Force has had outstanding qualifying performances.

The first three races – the Winternationals, Phoenix and the Gatornationals – Force qualified third, second and fourth, respectively.

After Friday, she was No. 1 on the qualifying ladder at the Denso Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals with a track record 3.867-second elapsed time at 327.66 mph at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“I feel like a lot people saw our Advance Auto Parts team in the offseason and we had a phenomenal race car and I feel like we have stumbled over our own feet in the last two races in the first round,” said Force, who pilots the Advance Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro for her father’s team, John Force Racing. “Starting out the weekend on the right note with a 3.86(7) and set the track record definitely feels good. I’m proud of my guys and just this entire team.”

Courtney Force broke the track record of 3.871 seconds set by Jack Beckman last fall. Force’s record held on through Friday – barely besting Matt Hagan’s 3.868-second pass in the second session.

“I honestly didn’t think my time would hold (Friday night), because the conditions were so cool, but it was almost too cold out here,” Courtney said. “I’m really proud of my team and this was a great way to kick off the weekend and hopefully we can hold on to it (the No. 1 spot) Saturday.”

As good as Courtney has qualified that success hasn’t translated to Sundays for the most part. Force was a runner-up to Hagan at the season-opening Winternationals and then lost to Jim Campbell in the first round at Phoenix and Gainesville, Fla.

“I think going to the final round in Pomona was a great start for our team,” Force said. “We qualified in really great position in Phoenix and Gainesville and to come out in first round and have bad tire shake and be out early was pretty unfortunate for us because we know we have a better car than that. It was a bummer to be out that early the last two races, so coming out here we have a mindset to get this car down there and the first run out of the box to perform so well definitely puts in a more comfortable position, but then again it doesn’t really matter where you're qualified on race day because we have been in the top half and it hasn’t done so well for us the last two races. Hopefully we can turn things around this weekend because this has always been a great track for John Force Racing.”

Courtney had some nervous moments in Q2 as her Camaro almost hit the wall at the 300-foot mark before slowing to a 7.188-second pass.

“We had an exciting one on that second pass and we pushed the car really hard,” she said. “It started vibrating really hard and I was hoping it would get through it and soon I realized it was getting into some bad shake I pulled out of the throttle and that thing whipped around on me. We kept it off the wall and I told my sponsor I just wanted to give them a really good view of the Advance Auto Parts from the starting line. That’s not how we wanted to end the second session, but to end the day in the No. 1 spot feels great.”