Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com has confirmed that Mike Neff will test at Virginia Motorsports Park as he prepares for his Funny Car debut as a driver. He will also put the highly-anticipated Ford nitromethane engine through its initial paces during the test.

This news comes directly from John Force, who had originally planned to begin testing in Memphis. Delays pushed the initial test session back until this week. Force said he doesn’t handle the day to day human resources responsibilities but is certain that a crew is already in place for the Richmond test.

“My team does the hiring and firing,” Force said. “We have some people that we don’t get until next year. We’ll go into Richmond and test. I have no doubt that Mike Neff will fall right in place.

Force said he has equal anticipation of making runs with the new Ford nitromethane engine.

“We are going to run the Ford engine and unveil it at SEMA,” Force revealed. “We haven’t tested it yet but we know ahead of time that it is going to require testing. It is going to take some time to develop. We’re happy and so is Ford. The proof is in the pudding.”

“I don’t have a dragster yet, so we’re going to run it in the Funny Car.” Torco’s CompetitionPlus.com has confirmed that Mike Neff will test at Virginia Motorsports Park as he prepares for his Funny Car debut as a driver. He will also put the highly-anticipated Ford nitromethane engine through its initial paces during the test.

This news comes directly from John Force, who had originally planned to begin testing in Memphis. Delays pushed the initial test session back until this week. Force said he doesn’t handle the day to day human resources responsibilities but is certain that a crew is already in place for the Richmond test.

“My team does the hiring and firing,” Force said. “We have some people that we don’t get until next year. We’ll go into Richmond and test. I have no doubt that Mike Neff will fall right in place.

Force said he has equal anticipation of making runs with the new Ford nitromethane engine.

“We are going to run the Ford engine and unveil it at SEMA,” Force revealed. “We haven’t tested it yet but we know ahead of time that it is going to require testing. It is going to take some time to develop. We’re happy and so is Ford. The proof is in the pudding.”

“I don’t have a dragster yet, so we’re going to run it in the Funny Car.”

Force said the Ford engine will start off in the Funny Car in testing before evolving into the Top Fuel dragster teams planned for daughters Brittany and Courtney.

“I have to have something in the Funny Cars that represents Ford,” Force said.

This new engine is reportedly based on the TFX design prevalent in today’s nitro community. Current NHRA rules disallow the production of new block designs outside of those already manufactured by Brad Anderson and Alan Johnson’s TFX.

Force said he didn’t know what the differences were between the Ford engine once proposed by Pat Austin and the new Ford design.

“We know the Austin family and they are brilliant people,” Force said. “I don’t have any information on what their combination was. This is an NHRA spec motor and we have to follow within the rules. That’s what we are doing – abiding within the rules.”

Force said that he’s excited that Neff will make the initial runs with the new combination. He said the physical driving part in Richmond for Neff will be a formality.

“Mike has already driven this race car many times in his head,” Force said. “He already knows the swing of things. He works well with the sponsors; already signs autographs and knows the drill.”

“He stood on the starting line for many years and let me tell you something, you don’t realize just how much you learn doing that. You can feel the driver. Yeah, you have to be in the car but he’s been in one before. He’ll do well.”