CHEVROLET IN NHRA
2023 MENARDS NHRA NATIONALS PRESENTED BY PETARMOR
HEARTLAND MOTORSPORTS PARK
TOPEKA, KANSAS
AUGUST 11-13, 2023
TEAM CHEVY LOOKS TO TACKLE THE MENARDS NHRA NATIONALS AT TOPEKA
DETROIT (August 10, 2023) – The heartland hosts the 13th round of the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing season, with Team Chevy heading to Heartland Motorsports Park for the Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor this weekend near Topeka, Kan.
Facing a Round 1 elimination redemption from 2022, the Top Fuel teams of Austin Prock and Brittany Force at John Force Racing, enter this weekend eyeing Topeka for a momentum shift. “We’ve had a great car the last few weekends and are looking to prove that to everyone this weekend,” Prock said. “John Force Racing has had a history of wins in Topeka, and I would like to add our Montana Brand team to that list for the last stand at Heartland Motorsports Park.”
In Funny Car, 16-time Funny Car champion and drag racing legend John Force, of John Force Racing, looks to finish one position better this year after racing to the final round and earning runner-up versus Bob Tasca, III. After facing elimination from Force in the 2022 semifinals, Robert Hight also looks to advance to the NHRA Winner’s Circle at Heartland Motorsports Park this weekend for what would be his 64th career victory.
Returning to action this weekend, the Chevrolet Pro Stock teams look to go back-to-back for the Bowtie brand in the heartland, with Troy Coughlin, Jr. defending his 2022 victory at Heartland Motorsports Park, in addition to being the most recent Pro Stock winner at Bandimere Speedway near Denver in July.
Currently idle, the FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown Chevrolet teams return for the biggest event of the season soon, the Dodge Power Brokers NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Sept. 1-4, 2023.
The 2023 Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, Kan. airs first with Friday’s qualifying session on Saturday, Aug. 11 at 7 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Saturday’s qualifying airs Sunday, Aug. 13 at 1 p.m. ET on FS1. Finals on Sunday follow at 3 p.m. ET on FS1.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:
Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Top Fuel Dragster:
“Headed to the final national event at Heartland Motorsports Park. I’m really sad to see it go away. That’s a racetrack I raced A-Fuel in the sportsman divisions and I had my first ever double up with my dad in 2021 there. It’s a very special track with a lot of memories. Our game plan going in with this Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team is to go out on a strong note. We want to qualify top five and go some rounds on race day.”
Austin Prock, driver of the Rocky Mountain Twist / Montana Brands Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster for John Force Racing:
“I’m excited to get back in the seat of my Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist dragster. We’ve had a great car the last few weekends and are looking to prove that to everyone this weekend,” Prock said. “John Force Racing has had a history of wins in Topeka and I would like to add our Montana Brand team to that list for the last stand at Heartland Motorsports Park. My team and crew chiefs are confident and so am I. Excited to see how the cards fall.”
Robert Hight, driver of the Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing:
“Winding down on the regular season as we head to Topeka. It’s a great race track, there should be a lot of quick runs, fast runs, hopefully the weather cooperates. We’re not in a bad spot. This Cornwell Tools team, we’re in the top half but we know we need to give ourselves the best chance to be in the best position possible when the Countdown comes around. We’ve got some work to do these next couple of races, but I have no doubt we’ll be ready to get the job done. I have faith in Jimmy Prock and all of these guys.”
John Force, driver of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing:
“This has been a great racetrack for a lot of years. I know it’s not easy keeping a track going so I’m sad to see this one go. I have a lot of memories here, a lot of wins, but 2021 was special, to share the winner’s circle with my daughter, Brittany (Force), that was something else, that was a dream. Maybe we can do it at Heartland Motorsports Park one more time. I have a fast race car, this PEAK Chevy, now it’s just about getting the job done.”
Camrie Caruso, driver of the Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro Pro Stock car for KB Titan Racing:
“Last year was a blur to be honest. This was the part of the season when we really started to battle to finish the season as a rookie team. We had a solid rookie season, but I feel like this year we have taken a major step forward on so many levels from being a part of KB Titan Racing to my driving getting better. Everyone said it would take time and they were right. I can’t wait to get back into my Tequila Comisario Camaro this weekend. I hated the layoff.
“This weekend is the start of a very important three race stretch for our Tequila Comisario Chevrolet team. We raced to the semifinals in Denver and we want to keep that momentum going this weekend and beyond. This is the time to get hot and start winning rounds. I know we have a team that can win races and I just want to get back into my car and starting hitting the tree.”
TEAM CHEVY BY THE NUMBERS:
1,434: Round wins for John Force (1st all-time).
606: Round wins for Robert Hight; 13th all-time. Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), sits 12th, with 621.
375: Number of wins in Pro Stock since 1970; 255 won in the Chevrolet Camaro body.
166: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for John Force (1st all-time).
157: Number of Chevrolet Racing Funny Car wins since 1967.
79: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for Robert Hight (6th all-time).
77: Number of Chevrolet Racing Funny Car wins with the Camaro body.
47: 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.
20: 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.
UPCOMING NHRA MILESTONES
950: Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) is second all-time with 921 elimination round wins. He could reach 950 round wins with a decent run in the 18-race schedule.
621: Robert Hight achieved 606 Funny Car elimination wins in Chicago to rank 13th on the all-time NHRA list; Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car) sits 12th with 621.
445: By qualifying for his next race, Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) will extend his NHRA record to 445 consecutive race day appearances. His first appearance came in 2002 at Pomona 2, and he holds the longest career qualifying streak in NHRA.
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.
270: By qualifying for his next race, Robert Hight will extend his NHRA record to 270 consecutive race day appearances. His first appearance came in 2010 at Pomona 2, and he currently sits seventh in career qualifying streaks in NHRA (Doug Kalitta is sixth at 279).
65: Robert Hight moved into the top 10 on the all-time NHRA victory list with his win in Pomona 1 with 63. Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock, retired) is next ninth on list with 65.
46: Erica Enders has 44 career Pro Stock victories (all with Chevrolet, first win coming at Chicago, 2012 and last win at Las Vegas 2, 2022). 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, 44) 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
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