CHEVROLET AT TOPEKA
What: Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor
When: Friday, Aug. 13-Sunday, Aug. 15
Where: Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, Kansas
TV: FOX will telecast eliminations live at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Aug. 15
Team Chevy heads to Topeka with confidence building
Drivers looking to collect points with three regular-season races left
DETROIT (Aug. 12, 2021) – Brittany Force and the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster have been consistently spectacular in National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Top Fuel qualifications, setting records and earning the No. 1 spot in half the events this season.
Climbing onto the victory platform is the only thing missing.
Force will look to claim her sixth top qualifier honor of the season and record her 11th career victory in the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor this weekend at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, Kansas.
The 2017 Top Fuel champion is third in the standings with three regular-season races remaining before the Countdown to the Championship.
“After a weekend of match racing with my Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac guys in Norwalk for Night Under Fire, we’re ready to get back to competition mode and go after a Topeka win,” said Force, who has been the No. 1 qualifier at the track in 2014 and ’16. “We’re going into this race third in points and with the Countdown around the corner, it’s time to step it up.”
The event was not contested in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Robert Hight, driver of the Automobile Club of Southern California Camaro SS, won the 2019 Funny Car race on the way to his third championship.
“We have a good car. Jimmy Prock and Chris Cunningham have this Chevy Funny Car figured out,” said Hight, who produced the lowest elapsed time (3.895 seconds) and speed (330.88 mph) of the 2019 Funny Car event. “I’m more than ready for Topeka. We’ve done well there in the past. I’m looking forward to getting back in the car.”
Teammate John Force, driving the PEAK/BlueDEF Platinum Camaro SS Funny Car, leads all drivers with nine wins at Heartland Motorsports Park. He sits third in the regular-season standings – 36 points out of the top and one point ahead of Hight. The event will mark Force’s 800th in Funny Car competition in his record-setting career.
Pro Stock racers will be competing at the facility for the first time since May 2018, when Deric Kramer won in his Camaro SS.
Greg Anderson continues his pursuit of tying Warren Johnson’s 97 career victories, which stands as the most in Pro Stock and second behind Force’s NHRA-record 153. Anderson, the No. 1 qualifier in eight of the nine Pro Stock races in his HendrickCars.com Camaro SS, has advanced to the final round in three of the past four races.
Competition will include the fifth round of the Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown. Chevrolet drivers have won three of the events in their COPO Camaros, most recently by Stephen Bell at Denver.
FOX will telecast eliminations live at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, Aug. 15.
CHEVROLET FROM THE COCKPIT
TOP FUEL:
BRITTANY FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, FLAV-R-PAC CHEVROLET DRAGSTER (five-time No. 1 qualifier; runner-up in Charlotte and Norwalk; third in points): “I’ve had some success over the years at Heartland Park Topeka with two No. 1 qualifiers. This Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team always plans to dominate. We want to pick up points wherever we can and are ready to get back in that winner’s circle.”
FUNNY CAR:
JOHN FORCE, JOHN FORCE RACING, PEAK/BLUEDEF PLATINUM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (two-time winner this season; No. 1 qualifier in Charlotte four-wide; third in points; nine-time winner at the track): “Topeka is an old school race. Been coming there for years. A lot of good memories, wins, final rounds. Great fans and a great racetrack. Where we are in points, we need to keep it going. The Countdown is almost here. The Heartland race could really shake things up with how close everyone is. It’s tough out there, but we’re hanging in there. I just have to get out there and not screw it up. And that’s what I’m trying to do. I’m ready for Topeka. We tested and went match racing, Night Under Fire, and it kept me on my toes.”
ROBERT HIGHT, JOHN FORCE RACING, AUTO CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (two-time winner and two-time runner-up; No. 1 qualifier in Las Vegas four-wide; three-time winner at track; fourth in points): “It was 25 seasons ago that I flew in and met John’s team and went to work doing the clutch. Then I got my Funny Car license here. There’s a lot of fond memories for me here at Heartland Motorsports Park. I’ve won the race a few times too so it’s a good stop for me on the Camping World schedule. It’s a great racetrack, the fans are great, it’s one of my favorites.”
PRO STOCK:
GREG ANDERSON, KB RACING, HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (two-time winner; No. 1 qualifier in eight of nine races; points leader): “We got a lesson out of Pomona what to expect this weekend with hot air and track temperatures. It will be the same for everybody. I think we have something to go off of and we’ve raced at Topeka before when it’s been really hot. My group of guys like that and think we have the car for it.”
KYLE KORETSKY, KB RACING, LUCAS OIL CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (first-year full-time driver; three-time semifinalist; first Pro Stock appearance at track): “We surround ourselves with what I think are the best in the business and letting the clutch out on Friday night (in the first round of qualifying) I have nothing but confidence that the race car is going to go down the racetrack as fast as it can. We’re looking to get that No. 1 spot; I have a good feeling about it. Our car performs very well on hot tracks, and I think the KB guys have the tune-up for the hot track. Coming off Pomona with the semifinal was great, but obviously we want to win. It was a confidence booster, and we want to stay consistent and gain those points every round. My goal is to get in the top five before the Countdown.”
DALLAS GLENN, KB RACING, RAD TORQUE SYSTEMS CAMARO SS (first-year full-time driver; earned first win at Charlotte four-wide): “The last leg of the Western Swing was a little tough on our RAD Torque/KB Racing Chevrolet Camaro team because we couldn’t fix the engine how we wanted since we were so far from home. We were a little down on power but did the best considering. We came back home last week and found the problem so I see no reason why we can’t have a successful weekend in Topeka.”
AARON STANFIELD, ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JANAC BROTHERS CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (three-time winner this season; second in points; first Pro Stock appearance at track): “I’m extremely hungry and I have a lot of great people around me. I want to do well and continue to do well. I’m just thankful for the people I’m around and for the people who have given me these great opportunities.”
TROY COUGHLIN JR., ELITE MOTORSPORTS, JEGS MAIL ORDER CHEVROLET CAMARO SS (runner-up in season opener; transferred to final quad at Charlotte; semifinalist at Sonoma; first Pro Stock appearance at track): “I love this time of the year because everything starts to get more intense. It brings out the best in people and I love to race when stakes are high. We’ve had a steady first half of the season and I know without question we have a car and team capable of big things. These yellow and black guys have been making gains across the board, both in the engine shop and on the car itself, so we couldn’t be in a better position.”
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