NHRA AT PHOENIX: Team Chevy Advance

2023 NHRA Arizona Nationals
Chandler, Arizona
March 24-26, 2023

ONE LAST SHOOTOUT AT WILD HORSE PASS

For the final time, the horsepower-filled field of the NHRA will take to the track at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park near Phoenix, Arizona. As the sun sets on the Southwest staple, Team Chevy drivers and teams look to rebound after NHRA’s Gatornationals in Gainesville while also capitalizing on 2022’s victories in Pro Stock (Elite Motorsports’ Aaron Stanfield) and Stock Eliminator (Leo Glasbrenner).

Featuring Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock categories in competition this weekend, Troy Coughlin, Jr. looks to extend his streak of victory after capturing the 2023 season-opening Wally in Pro Stock in his JEGS.com/Elite Performance Chevrolet Camaro SS. Coughlin, Jr.’s Elite Motorsports teammate Aaron Stanfield heads into the race defending his 2022 NHRA Arizona Nationals Pro Stock win. Facing redemption from a Round 1 elimination in Gainesville, five-time Pro Stock champion Erica Enders enters the event weekend with a clear vision of her potential 44th career victory.

With KB Titan Racing’s Greg Anderson and Dallas Glenn racing to the semifinals in Gainesville, they hunt for their first Wally of the year alongside teammates Camrie Caruso, Kyle Koretsky, Deric Kramer, and Matt Hartford. With 115 Pro Stock victories – 101 career for Anderson, four Pro Stock wins notched by Glenn, four career wins by Kramer, five credited to Hartford, and one Pro Stock win to Koretsky, the team continues to seek the NHRA Winner’s Circle as Anderson looks to continue his drive for a sixth championship.

Prepared to battle for more championships and adding to their legendary winning history, the quartet at John Force Racing looks to reverse Gainesville’s results and sets sights on building momentum at Phoenix and beyond. Looking to match Shirley Muldowney (Top Fuel) and Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle) for second on the NHRA all-time championship list by females with another title in 2023, Brittany Force, in her Monster Energy Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, also seeks her 44th No. 1 qualifier at Phoenix as well as her 17th career victory. Austin Prock, in his Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, seeks his fourth career NHRA Top Fuel victory, building on his 52 round wins and one No. 1 qualifier in his 50-race career. On the Funny Car side of the nitro ladders, John Force, in his PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, enters his 834th NHRA race seeking to build on his 1,423 round wins, 155 victories, and 16 championships. Robert Hight, in his Auto Club Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, also looks to build on 398 events with 61 victories, 77 No. 1 qualifiers, and 593 round wins.

NHRA Arizona Nationals action from Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park airs first with Friday qualifying on Friday, March 24 at 10:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Saturday qualifying from Phoenix airs Sunday, March 25 at 12 p.m. ET on FS1. Sunday’s Finals also air on FS1, starting at 7 p.m. ET. Coverage streaming live throughout the weekend can be found through NHRA.tv, available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pack Chevrolet Top Fuel Dragster for John Force Racing:

“Heading into race two on the NHRA circuit this weekend in Phoenix and we plan to come out with a win. With this being the final NHRA national event at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, this Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team wants to leave on a strong note,” Force said. “We plan to qualify in the top three and go four rounds on race day. We’ve set both ends of the track record with our No. 1 qualifier from 2020 but it wasn’t enough on race day. Hoping to turn things around this year and get our first win of the 2023 season.”

Austin Prock, driver of the Montana Brand/Rock Mountain Chevrolet Top Fuel Dragster for John Force Racing:

“I’m ready to get back into action with my Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team at the Arizona Nationals. Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park is where I made my first pass in a Top Fuel Car and there’s just something about being out west early in the year that feels right,” Prock said. “We are going to come out strong this weekend and put the Gatornationals behind us. We’ve got a great team and car that can run with the best of them.”

TEAM CHEVY BY THE NUMBERS

1,423: Round wins for John Force (1st all-time)

593: Round wins for Robert Hight (14th all-time)

367: Number of wins in Pro Stock since 1970; 247 won in the Chevrolet Camaro body

264: Final Round wins by John Force (the last coming in Topeka, runner-up)

165: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for John Force (1st all-time)

155: Number of Chevrolet Racing Funny Car wins since 1967

77: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for Robert Hight (6th all-time)

75: Number of Chevrolet Racing Funny Car wins with the Camaro body

43: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for Brittany Force

27: Number of NHRA championships Chevrolet holds as a manufacturer since entering the first in 1966. No other manufacturer has won it more than Chevrolet.

24: Wins by John Force in a Chevrolet-bodied Funny Car

18: Number of Pro Stock championships

16: Chevrolet career Top Fuel wins in NHRA

16: Number of Chevrolet career wins by Brittany Force

7: Number of Funny Car driver championships

2: Number of Top Fuel driver championships

MOST RECENT WIN IN NHRA BY CHEVROLET

Gainesville, 2023: Troy Coughlin, Jr., Pro Stock

MOST RECENT DRIVER CHAMPIONSHIPS IN NHRA BY CHEVROLET

2022: Brittany Force, Top Fuel

2022: Erica Enders, Pro Stock

2022: David Barton, Factory Stock Showdown

2019: Robert Hight, Funny Car

UPCOMING NHRA MILESTONES

950: Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) is second all-time with 914 elimination round wins. He could reach 950 round wins with a decent run in the 18-race schedule.

600: Robert Hight has 593 Funny Car elimination round victories to rank 14th on the all-time NHRA list. Reaching 600 round wins would put him 13th all time.

437: By qualifying for his next race, Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) will extend his NHRA record to 437 consecutive race day appearances.

138: Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) ranks third on the NHRA all-time list with 121 No. 1 qualifiers. He will tie Warren Johnson (Pro Stock, 138) for second to John Force (165) on the list.

62: Robert Hight will move into the top 10 on the all-time NHRA victory list with his next win, tying the retired Larry Dixon (Top Fuel) with 62 wins. Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock, retired) is ninth on list with 65.

46: Erica Enders has 43 career Pro Stock victories (all with Chevrolet). Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle) is the all-time NHRA female leader with 46.

18: Brittany Force (16 Top Fuel career wins) will move past Shirley Muldowney (18 wins) into third on the NHRA all-time victory list for females. Erica Enders (Pro Stock, 43) and Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle, 46) are ahead.

6: Erica Enders (Pro Stock) could tie Warren Johnson (6 Pro Stock championships) for second on the class list. The same holds for Greg Anderson. Bob Glidden is the leader with 10.

3: Brittany Force (Top Fuel, 2 championships) would tie Shirley Muldowney (Top Fuel) and Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle) for second on the NHRA all-time championship list by females with another title in 2023. Erica Enders (Pro Stock, 5) is the leader.

About Chevrolet

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 100 countries and selling more than 4.0 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

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