In what is shaping up to be one of the most competitive Funny Car
seasons in NHRA history, John Force and his daughter Ashley have teamed
up to provide plenty of early season buzz with some memorable milestone
performances.
First, at Las Vegas in early April, 25-year-old Ashley became the first
female to lead the Funny Car point standings with a runner-up finish in
her Castrol GTX Ford Mustang. John then arrived at Atlanta Dragway in
late April and became only the second driver in NHRA history to attend
500 NHRA events, joining Pro Stock legend Warren Johnson on that short
list.
Then, in an attempt to win his 1,000th eliminations round at the same
race, John lost to his daughter in the final round. That emotional
gender-barrier breaking victory – which John called “the greatest win
of his life” – elevated Ashley to the distinction of first female to
win a Funny Car race in the 57-year history of NHRA.
At the following event in St. Louis, John managed to score his
incredible 1,000th round win, defeating longtime rival Ron Capps in the
opening round.