It is safe to say that 2016 has been a memorable year for Brittany Force.

Three finals, her first and second career wins, a run atop the Top Fuel point standings, all in the first seven races of a 24-event battle for the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series championship. But while Force has proven to be fast on Sunday, she hasn’t always been fastest of the weekend.

But that all may change this weekend.

Force blasted to the top of the Top Fuel charts in her Monster Energy dragster on day one of qualifying at the NHRA Kansas Nationals, taking the provisional top spot and setting a new national elapsed time record in the process.

“That was just an incredible run for the entire Monster Energy team. It definitely felt good,” an elated Force said in her post-qualifying interview. “I ran a 3.70 last year, that was my best, and a 3.69 in testing, but to be able to put a 3.67 on the board is just incredible.

“When I got out of the car and they told me that I was just blown away.”

Force ran a 3.676-second elapsed time at 325.45 mph in Friday’s second session at Heartland Park Topeka, bettering the previous record of 3.680 set last year by Antron Brown, to take the provisional pole by a solid margin over Doug Kalitta. Kalitta ran a 3.701 at 330.88 mph to qualify second, setting a new track speed record during the run.

Steve Torrence is currently third after two of four sessions with a 3.709 at 329.91, followed by Richie Crampton (3.710) and Tony Schumacher (3.724).

“This track has always been good to me. I love coming here,” Force said. “I have had some luck here in the past. Courtney (Force) and I were number one qualifiers a year or two ago and we have always seemed to run well. We haven’t gone all the way, but we have done well enough that we are hoping to take it just a little bit further this weekend and end up in the winner’s circle.”

Force sat fifth after session one with a 3.768, but after watching a historic Funny Car session immediately prior to her run, Force admits that her confidence level skyrocketed with Alan Johnson and crew chief Brian Husen behind the scenes and a fast track in front of them.

“I knew that Alan and my crew chief Brian, with the conditions and the way the Funny Cars were getting down that racetrack, I knew they were going to throw down. And they did just that,” Force said.

Now Brittany will try to keep that momentum - and a new national record - as she tries for her first top qualifier award of the season and fifth of her career on Saturday.

“I am definitely excited. It really pumps us up and gets us ready for tomorrow. And then hopefully, we can keep it going on Sunday,” Force said.