Ashley Force Hood heads into Sunday’s final eliminations as the No. 1 seed in the Funny Car division. Her Friday night provisional No. 1 qualifying pass of 4.102 seconds stood throughout a warmer second day of qualifying at the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minn.

Force Hood, who won last season’s final event of the regular season in Indianapolis, was looking at an even brighter side of her good fortunes headed into Sunday.

“We don’t have to run any of our teammates in the first round,” said Force Hood, who claimed eight of the nine available bonus qualifying points. “That is a different way to start the race. It seems like almost every race this season we have raced either my dad (John Force), Robert (Hight) or (Tim) Wilkerson in the first round. I don’t know who I have but I don’t have a teammate and that is all that matters. We are just going to go up there and try to go some rounds.”

Ashley Force Hood heads into Sunday’s final eliminations as the No. 1 seed in the Funny Car division. Her Friday night provisional No. 1 qualifying pass of 4.102 seconds stood throughout a warmer second day of qualifying at the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minn.

Force Hood, who won last season’s final event of the regular season in Indianapolis, was looking at an even brighter side of her good fortunes headed into Sunday.

“We don’t have to run any of our teammates in the first round,” said Force Hood, who claimed eight of the nine available bonus qualifying points. “That is a different way to start the race. It seems like almost every race this season we have raced either my dad (John Force), Robert (Hight) or (Tim) Wilkerson in the first round. I don’t know who I have but I don’t have a teammate and that is all that matters. We are just going to go up there and try to go some rounds.”

Force Hood is winless at Brainerd International Raceway, a track which has been traditionally good to her family. Winning on Sunday would go far towards moving her into a good position for the Countdown to 1 phase of the season.

Considering her season has been good but not spectacular, a win would be tremendous for team morale.

“Dad has done really well here for a lot of years. I wasn’t always able to come to this race because it fell when school started some times,” Force Hood explained. “There were a handful of times I was here including when Eric (Medlen) won for the first time. It is a special race for us. That was a special day. The video clip of him sliding across the hood we love to watch and we use it just about any chance we get. His birthday weekend is this weekend, as well. It puts things in perspective. Racing is important but if the day doesn’t go as we hope it doesn’t mean the world is over.

“This weekend kind of helped us to turn a few things around. Maybe we have a better way of thinking going into the race and giving us maybe a better chance of having a good day tomorrow.”

Force Hood races No. 16 qualifier Paul Lee in the first round of Sunday’s eliminations.