FORCE HOOD UNDERSTANDS POINT COUNTING PART OF THE GAME
Fri, 2009-10-09 13:42
Roaring down the dragstrip at 300-plus mph isn’t the time to be calculating points standings.
Ashley Force Hood will obviously not being doing that this weekend when she’s behind the wheel of her Castrol GTX/Auto Club Ford Mustang Funny Car at the NHRA Virginia Nationals in Richmond Friday through Sunday.
Yet, it’s a given that every time he climbs out of the cockpit, she will be informed of where she is in the points chase. That’s because she comes to Virginia Motorsports Park atop the Funny Car standings, three points in front of her John Force Racing teammate Robert Hight. Tony Pedregon is 26 points back of Force Hood, while Jack Beckman is 73 behind.
Ashley Force Hood will obviously not being doing that this weekend when she’s behind the wheel of her Castrol GTX/Auto Club Ford Mustang Funny Car at the NHRA Virginia Nationals in Richmond Friday through Sunday.
Yet, it’s a given that every time Force Hood climbs out of the cockpit, she will be informed of where she's positioned in the points chase. That’s because she comes to Virginia Motorsports Park atop the Funny Car standings, three points in front of her John Force Racing teammate Robert Hight. Tony Pedregon is 26 points back of Force Hood, while Jack Beckman is 73 behind.
“It seems like the points leader has been switching back and forth lately,” said the 26-year-old Force Hood. “The points are so close now that I just need to go out there and do my best.”
There are three races remaining in the Countdown to the Championship for Funny Car, Top Fuel dragster and Pro Stock drivers. The NHRA Virginia Nationals , the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals (Oct. 29-Nov. 1) and the Auto Club NHRA Finals (Nov. 12-15) at Pomona, Calif., conclude the season.
Having Hight, her teammate and brother-in-law as her closest competitor, would seem to make things more stressful for Force Hood. Hight and John Force were at the center of controversy at the US Nationals last month when Tony Pedregon claimed that Force purposely lost his semifinal round with Hight, so Hight could finish in the top 10 in the points standings and qualify for the Countdown.
“We know that we need to gobble up as many points as possible this weekend,” said Ron Capps, the driver of the NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger for Don Schumacher Racing. “You also hope that one of the teams in front of you (in the points) doesn’t bring in a part-time driver or have a teammate who will help them get by a round and get points.”
Capps, who is fifth in the points chase 88 back of Force Hood, knocked Hight out of the points lead by defeating him in the second round in Memphis last weekend.
Force Hood, meanwhile, is just keeping everything in perspective when it comes to the JFR team.
“When I won second round at Memphis, I was talking to the TV crews, they immediately told me that I was now in first place (in the points),” Force Hood said. “I felt bad for Robert because he lost in second round and his team had been running so well lately. When I got back to the pits after doing interviews, some of Robert’s crew members were already working on my car to get it ready for the next round. That made me feel real ly good. I don’t care who wins the championship, whether it’s me, Robert, my dad or Mike Neff. When we get dressed up for the end of the season NHRA banquet, I just want one of us to be the champion. I would hate to see it go to somebody else.”
Force also realizes, winning the world title isn’t going to be easy for her or any of her teammates.
“Everything is so tight right now, and I know there are going to be more drivers than just Robert and I battling for the championship,” Force Hood said. “The championship will probably be decided in the final round at Pomona.”
The pressure to reach the championship pinnacle is even greater now, since the NHRA is awarding bonus points in each qualifying session, with the top qualifier getting three points, second two and third one.
The new format was announced by the NHRA at the US Nationals and implemented at the six Countdown races, beginning at the NHRA Carolinas Nationals. The possibility that drivers could gain as much 72 points during the Countdown qualify sessions isn’t lost on Force Hood.
“I think everybody was kind of surprised when the NHRA made this change in the middle of the season, but when everybody got over the shock (of the change), they realized that’s something we just have to deal with,” Force Hood said. “It definitely makes things more nerve-wracking and more exciting. Before, race day was pretty much the main day, and now drivers are getting rewarded for running well the entire weekend.”
Ashley Force Hood will obviously not being doing that this weekend when she’s behind the wheel of her Castrol GTX/Auto Club Ford Mustang Funny Car at the NHRA Virginia Nationals in Richmond Friday through Sunday.
Yet, it’s a given that every time he climbs out of the cockpit, she will be informed of where she is in the points chase. That’s because she comes to Virginia Motorsports Park atop the Funny Car standings, three points in front of her John Force Racing teammate Robert Hight. Tony Pedregon is 26 points back of Force Hood, while Jack Beckman is 73 behind.
Roaring down the dragstrip at 300-plus mph isn’t the time to be calculating points standings.
Roger Richards
Ashley Force Hood will obviously not being doing that this weekend when she’s behind the wheel of her Castrol GTX/Auto Club Ford Mustang Funny Car at the NHRA Virginia Nationals in Richmond Friday through Sunday.
Yet, it’s a given that every time Force Hood climbs out of the cockpit, she will be informed of where she's positioned in the points chase. That’s because she comes to Virginia Motorsports Park atop the Funny Car standings, three points in front of her John Force Racing teammate Robert Hight. Tony Pedregon is 26 points back of Force Hood, while Jack Beckman is 73 behind.
“It seems like the points leader has been switching back and forth lately,” said the 26-year-old Force Hood. “The points are so close now that I just need to go out there and do my best.”
There are three races remaining in the Countdown to the Championship for Funny Car, Top Fuel dragster and Pro Stock drivers. The NHRA Virginia Nationals , the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals (Oct. 29-Nov. 1) and the Auto Club NHRA Finals (Nov. 12-15) at Pomona, Calif., conclude the season.
Having Hight, her teammate and brother-in-law as her closest competitor, would seem to make things more stressful for Force Hood. Hight and John Force were at the center of controversy at the US Nationals last month when Tony Pedregon claimed that Force purposely lost his semifinal round with Hight, so Hight could finish in the top 10 in the points standings and qualify for the Countdown.
“We know that we need to gobble up as many points as possible this weekend,” said Ron Capps, the driver of the NAPA Auto Parts Dodge Charger for Don Schumacher Racing. “You also hope that one of the teams in front of you (in the points) doesn’t bring in a part-time driver or have a teammate who will help them get by a round and get points.”
Capps, who is fifth in the points chase 88 back of Force Hood, knocked Hight out of the points lead by defeating him in the second round in Memphis last weekend.
Dave Deangelis
Force Hood, meanwhile, is just keeping everything in perspective when it comes to the JFR team.
“When I won second round at Memphis, I was talking to the TV crews, they immediately told me that I was now in first place (in the points),” Force Hood said. “I felt bad for Robert because he lost in second round and his team had been running so well lately. When I got back to the pits after doing interviews, some of Robert’s crew members were already working on my car to get it ready for the next round. That made me feel real ly good. I don’t care who wins the championship, whether it’s me, Robert, my dad or Mike Neff. When we get dressed up for the end of the season NHRA banquet, I just want one of us to be the champion. I would hate to see it go to somebody else.”
Force also realizes, winning the world title isn’t going to be easy for her or any of her teammates.
“Everything is so tight right now, and I know there are going to be more drivers than just Robert and I battling for the championship,” Force Hood said. “The championship will probably be decided in the final round at Pomona.”
The pressure to reach the championship pinnacle is even greater now, since the NHRA is awarding bonus points in each qualifying session, with the top qualifier getting three points, second two and third one.
The new format was announced by the NHRA at the US Nationals and implemented at the six Countdown races, beginning at the NHRA Carolinas Nationals. The possibility that drivers could gain as much 72 points during the Countdown qualify sessions isn’t lost on Force Hood.
“I think everybody was kind of surprised when the NHRA made this change in the middle of the season, but when everybody got over the shock (of the change), they realized that’s something we just have to deal with,” Force Hood said. “It definitely makes things more nerve-wracking and more exciting. Before, race day was pretty much the main day, and now drivers are getting rewarded for running well the entire weekend.”
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