Brittany Force, Robert Hight Take Home NHRA Championships in Pomona
Force is the first female Top Fuel champ since 1982.
National Hot Rod Association Finals Sunday at Pomona saw a sequence of celebrations in the Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock classes. Robert Hight and Brittany Force took home overall season titles in their respective categories, the latter becoming the first female winner of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Top Fuel world championship since 1982. Bo Butner also clinched a race win on his way to the Pro Stock season title, rounding out the series' top class champs.
Hight trumped the Funny Car category after a continuous battle up top with drag racing veteran Robert Capps in 2017. This marks his second career championship in the category which he secured after the first elimination round at Sunday's event. An eventual 3.839-second pass at 332.51 mph in his Auto Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car awarded Hight the victory over Tim Wilkerson who struggled off the line in the final round.
“Everybody worked their tail off and was quiet and knew they had a job to do,” Hight said. “This is just huge for John Force Racing. For a couple of years, we have struggled but it is such a great group. We signed a long-term deal with Auto Club and they deserve better than what we were giving them. Jimmy Prock, Chris Cunningham (co-crew chief) they got us back in the game. It’s been a long time and you want it so bad.”
In Funny Car, Brittany Force claimed a monumental championship win that no other woman has achieved in 35 years. She is the daughter of John Force, 16-time NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series Top Fuel champion, who was there to watch as she beat out Steve Torrence for the total victory. Entering the event in second place, Force was assured the title after Torrence fell to 2016 world champion Antron Brown’s 3.691 pass at 323.81 mph.
“I can’t believe we are here, it seems like a dream,” Force said. “The reason we are here is because of that Monster team and all the support I have and all the sponsors. Everyone at JFR and that is the reason we are here. We struggled, we had our ups and downs, but we pulled it together when it mattered most. I give all of it up to my crew chiefs, Alan Johnson and Brian Husen, they are the ones that made this possible."
Results for all classes are as follows:
TOP FUEL:
1. Brittany Force; 2. Shawn Langdon; 3. Antron Brown; 4. Doug Kalitta; 5. Steve Torrence; 6. Clay Millican; 7. Leah Pritchett; 8. Richie Crampton; 9. Tony Schumacher; 10. Terry McMillen; 11. Wayne Newby; 12. Mike Salinas; 13. Troy Buff; 14. Scott Palmer; 15. Terry Haddock; 16. Shawn Reed.
FUNNY CAR:
1. Tommy Johnson Jr.; 2. Robert Hight; 3. Jack Beckman; 4. Courtney Force; 5. Matt Hagan; 6. John Force; 7. Alexis DeJoria; 8. Del Worsham; 9. Ron Capps; 10. J.R. Todd; 11. Tim Wilkerson; 12. Jeff Arend; 13. Jeff Diehl; 14. Bob Bode; 15. Jim Campbell; 16. Gary Densham.
PRO STOCK:
1. Bo Butner; 2. Tanner Gray; 3. Jason Line; 4. Greg Anderson; 5. Drew Skillman; 6. Jeg Coughlin; 7. Erica Enders; 8. Brian Self; 9. Chris McGaha; 10. Alex Laughlin; 11. Matt Hartford; 12. Alan Prusiensky; 13. Shane Gray; 14. Allen Johnson; 15. Deric Kramer; 16. Kenny Delco.
PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE:
1. Andrew Hines; 2. Eddie Krawiec; 3. Matt Smith; 4. LE Tonglet; 5. Scotty Pollacheck; 6. Chip Ellis; 7. Jerry Savoie; 8. Joey Gladstone; 9. Angie Smith; 10. Steve Johnson; 11. Katie Sullivan; 12. Ryan Oehler; 13. Lance Bonham; 14. Freddie Camarena; 15. Karen Stoffer; 16. Hector Arana Jr.
