The special-edition Castrol GTX Ford Mustang in which Ashley Force this
week will try to become the first woman to win a Funny Car title at the
Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, the world's oldest, largest, and most
prestigious drag racing event, definitely is pretty in pink.
Nevertheless, rivals aren't likely to be fooled by the distinctive
paint that celebrates the 25-year-old's 2007 rookie-of-the-year season.
That's because they know that beneath the feminine facade beats the
mechanical heart of one of the world's most potent race cars, one in
which Force not only became the first woman in drag racing history to
win an NHRA Funny Car race, but also the first to reach a final round,
the first to lead the points, and the first to earn a starting berth in
NHRA's Countdown to 1.
The graduate of Cal State, Fullerton picked the color for the car. For
her, it recalls an era of empowerment for women in drag racing, an era
in which Shirley Muldowney's hot pink Top Fuel dragster shook the very
foundation of the sport.