Drag Illustrated Issue 118, February 2017 | Page 103
TheHOTTEST2017
ADVANCING
FORWARD
Courtney Force
I
t doesn’t seem possible
that Courtney Force already
has 121 races under her belt
and is entering her sixth sea-
son in Funny Car. But what’s
not hard to believe is the
continued impact Force has
on younger fans. Pick any race on the
NHRA tour and Force’s pit area will be
packed with an adoring crowd. But check
the demographic and you’re likely to find
it skews younger and more gender-bal-
anced. It’s not something lost on Force,
who is Funny Car’s all-time winningest
female and had the unique distinction of
earning the 100 th win by a female driver
in NHRA competition.
She takes the responsibility of female
ambassador-slash-role model serious-
ly, determined to make an impact with
young female fans in any way she can,
even if it stretches outside of racing.
“As a female in a male-dominated
sport, it feels good to show other females
that you’re capable of anything,” Force
said. “I’ve picked up eight wins so far in
my career, and it’s made me a stronger
person and more motivated to go out
there and do well, especially against all
these guys. But, really, it’s about showing
all these young girls they can do any-
thing.
“I’ve had some come up to me at the
ropes, and it’s very encouraging knowing
that there are young girls who look up
to me and have told me they want to grow up to
be a race car driver like me. And they told me
they didn’t know it was possible that girls could
drive these cars until they saw me drive it. That’s
definitely encouraging. I have the same type of
story of when I grew up, watching females race.
It’s not just me; it’s all the females in our sport
setting a good example for the young ones who
are interested in doing what we do.”
Force, though, continues to prove she has plen-
ty of substance to back up the inspiring messages.
Sure, she has the celebrity, has been featured on
the cover of ESPN’s Body Issue, and even
the famous husband – IndyCar standout
Graham Rahal – but Force is still driven
by on-track success. That’s why a world
championship, which has eluded her
during the first five years of her Funny
Car career, remains a major motivation.
“For myself as a driver, I’ll keep push-
ing myself harder to get better at driving,
to get better at reaction times,” Force
promised. “Every pass we make out there,
you learn something new. I still don’t
consider myself a veteran, but I definite-
ly have fun and love what I do. I think
we have a championship-winning team.
To be in the seat in that car, knowing
the consistency we’ve built makes me
feel good. My focus is definitely for that
championship, and I feel confident in
saying that because of the team, the crew
chiefs and the car we currently have.”
Courtney, the youngest of Funny
Car legend John Force’s daughters,
impressed in 2017 preseason testing,
running a 3.804-second elapsed time
at 333.33 mph, unofficially the quickest
run in Funny Car history. Her new-look
Advance Auto Parts Camaro continued
the strong performances once the season
started, advancing to the final round
in Pomona and laying down an official
career-best 3.838 at 332.67 mph in
Phoenix at the second race. Combined,
it’s a clear indication that the best may
be yet to come for Force.
“You can’t win every time, but knowing we have
a quick race car makes you feel more confident,”
Force pointed out. “I know we’ve got a good car
through two races; we just didn’t show it in the
first round in Phoenix. But I definitely think we’ve
got a good setup.” - JOSH HACHAT
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Dr ag Illustr ated