Two years ago Ashley Force Hood was on the outside looking in on race day. Today at Bristol Dragway she will enter the 9th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals eliminations from the No. 1 qualifying spot and loaded with confidence. Two years ago Ashley Force Hood was on the outside looking in on race day. Today at Bristol Dragway she will enter the 9th annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals eliminations from the No. 1 qualifying spot and loaded with confidence.

“It is satisfying (getting No. 1 spot). It just shows you how things can turn around. One day can be the worst day and the next day could be the greatest. As much as some people feel there are certain tracks you will struggle at and others you will be good at sometimes I see a pattern and sometimes not so much,” said Force Hood. “We seem to do better at Atlanta and there are other tracks like Bristol where we have struggled. This year we have been able to overcome that and do better. There is always hope that you will do better. You have just as good a chance as anyone else.”

This is Ashley's fifth No. 1 and second in three races.  She has never won from No. 1 but has gone to the finals the last two times she has started on the pole (Memphis, 2008, and Atlanta, 2009).  She will race Andy Kelley in the first round. They have never raced against each other. This is the 207th Funny Car No. 1 for John Force Racing, Inc.

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