CHEVROLET IN NHRA
2023 PEP BOYS NHRA NATIONALS
MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY
MOHNTON, PENNSYLVANIA
SEPTEMBER 15-17, 2023
CHEVROLET SEEKS REPEAT SWEEP OF THE 2023 PEP BOYS NHRA NATIONALS TO KICK OFF THE NHRA COUNTDOWN AT MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY
DETROIT (September 14, 2023) – The six-race 2023 NHRA Countdown to the Championship kicks off this week for the Chevrolet drivers and teams heading to Maple Grove Raceway for the 38th annual Pep Boys NHRA Nationals in Mohnton, Pa. In competition, the Team Chevy Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown teams return to action after the prestigious U.S. Nationals.
Carrying strong momentum with him into the Countdown after earning his second win this season and the Pro Stock Wally at U.S. Nationals, Matt Hartford, driver of the Total Seal Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock car notes his confidence heading into the critical last-stretch of the season. “Everyone says that Dallas Glenn has had the best car this year, but that’s not true,” said Hartford after his Indy win. “He’s been the best driver, but I’ve got the best car. I just need to continue to focus and not make mistakes, and you’ll see that in the Countdown.”
Defending Maple Grove Raceway winner Erica Enders, driver of the Johnson’s Horsepower Garage/Melling Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock for Elite Motorsports, is just win away from surpassing Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle, Top Alcohol Dragster) from becoming the winningest female in NHRA history. Winning the event in 2022 after a tight drag racing over Troy Coughlin, Jr., her pass of 6.582 ET at 209.72 MPH was good enough to get the win light and Wally to Coughlin, Jr.’s 6.601 ET at 209.56 MPH.
On the nitro side, defending No. 1 qualifier Brittany Force, driver of the Flav-R-Pac/Monster Energy Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, set the 2022 event weekend off with a blazing pass of 3.698 ET at 337.66 MPH in Round 1 to nab both low ET and top speed of the event. Despite B. Force falling to competitor Antron Brown in Round 2, John Force Racing was still able to capture the Top Fuel win, with Austin Prock, driver of the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster racing to the Wally trophy over Justin Ashley.
“After a day of testing in Indy following the U.S. Nationals, our Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac team is ready to head to the first race of Countdown at Maple Grove Raceway,” said B. Force. “We figured out some of our issues and it was a very successful test session. Our goals haven’t changed heading into Reading and the Countdown; we want to make four solid runs to qualify in the top-five and go some rounds on race day. We’re ready to start chasing down that No. 1 points spot. Going in No. 5 wasn’t our plan but we’re up for the challenge.”
Adding to the Bowtie brand’s sweep of Maple Grove Raceway in 2022, Robert Hight, driver of the Cornwell Tools/AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, won the event over Tim Wilkerson with his lap of 3.937 ET at 328.38 MPH in the final round. With both John Force Racing Funny Cars racing to the semifinal on opposite sides of the ladder last year, Hight and John Force, driver of the PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, stand to start the six-race Countdown to the Championship with a victory.
“I’m ready to get this Countdown going,” said Hight. “This Cornwell Tools team is coming around at the right moment. We’ve found some consistency, the combination that Jimmy Prock is using, it’s responding to what he and Thomas Prock and Nathan Hildahl are doing. It’s slight adjustments and it’s running well, the progress is showing and it’s perfect timing. Everything has reset and we’re sitting in a good spot to really take a swing at this fourth championship. I’m excited to get started.”
In action this weekend, the Chevrolet COPO Camaro teams in FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown, look to Maple Grove Raceway to round out victory for the Bowtie brand. Most recently winning at U.S. Nationals, Jesse Alexandra, joins last year’s winner David Barton, on the hunt for the Wally trophy and to represent Team Chevy in the Winner’s Circle on Sunday.
The 2023 Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway in Pennsylvania air first with Friday’s qualifying session on Friday, Sept. 15 at 10:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Saturday’s qualifying airs Sunday, Sept. 17 at 12:30 p.m. ET also on FS1. Sunday’s eliminations air following at 2 p.m. ET or 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX. Check local listings for specific air times regionally. Coverage will also stream live throughout the weekend via through NHRA.tv, and is available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:
Austin Prock, driver of the Rocky Mountain Twist / Montana Brands Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster for John Force Racing:
“There’s no better feeling than coming into a race as the defending champ, especially when it’s the first race of the Countdown. I’m looking forward to Friday and getting off on a good foot at Maple Grove Raceway. We had another successful pre-Countdown test session in Indy and I believe it will show this weekend. We’re focused and ready to make another championship run with this Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team.”
John Force, driver of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS for John Force Racing:
“It’s Countdown time, it’s exciting, everything resets. It’s like a fresh start. I know we’ve got some work to do, but it’s coming around. These last six races, we could make it. Daniel Hood, Tim Fabrisi, all these PEAK guys, I’ve got faith in them. Maple Grove Raceway has history, and its new owners have really put their heart into the facility. I’m excited to get back there, excited to get this Countdown started. I’m going for 17, that’s why I’m out here.”
Camrie Caruso, driver of the Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro Pro Stock car for KB Titan Racing:
“We made a lot of positive strides this year. We got our first win and won the Pro Stock All Star Callout but we still have a big goal. We want to win the Pro Stock world championship. This Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro team is ready for the next six races. I am looking forward to getting back to Maple Grove Raceway for the second time and seeing if we can get another win this season. We are less than 100 points out of first place. Earlier this season we lost in the first round at Gainesville and then won in Arizona and we moved from 12th to 2nd in the points. If we can come out of the gate strong in Reading, we can get right in the mix for the Pro Stock championship. I have a great team around me, and our KB Titan Racing support is the best in the class. We were spent at the end of last season and really didn’t have our best showing in the Countdown. Our team never gave up, but we were just not at our best. This season, it is like night and day. We have a whole operation supporting us and I don’t feel like I have to do everything. I feel good and after Indy; we made some slight adjustments to get ready for this last six race push.”
TEAM CHEVY BY THE NUMBERS:
1,436: Round wins for John Force (1st all-time).
613: Round wins for Robert Hight; 13th all-time. Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), sits 12th, with 624.
376: Number of wins in Pro Stock since 1970; 257 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.
81: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for Robert Hight (6th all-time).
77: Number of Chevrolet Racing Funny Car wins with the Camaro body.
46: 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 925 elimination round wins. He could reach 950 round wins with a decent run in the 18-race schedule.
624: Robert Hight achieved 613 Funny Car elimination wins in Chicago to rank 13th on the all-time NHRA list; Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car) sits 12th with 624.
448: By qualifying for his next race, Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) will extend his NHRA record from 447 to 448 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 122 No. 1 qualifiers. He will tie Warren Johnson (Pro Stock, 138) for second to John Force (Funny Car, 166) on the list.
273: By qualifying for his next race, Robert Hight will extend his NHRA record to 273 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 282).
65: Robert Hight moved into the top-10 in 10th on the all-time NHRA victory list with his win in Phoenix with 63. Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock, retired) is next ninth on list with 65.
47: Erica Enders has 46 career NHRA victories (45 Pro Stock, one Super Gas; all with Chevrolet). Her first win in Pro Stock came at Chicago, 2012, and her last win at Topeka, 2023 in Pro Stock. Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle, Top Alcohol Dragster) and Enders are tied as 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, 46) 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. Enders currently holds five Pro Stock championships, the most of any female in NHRA.
3: Brittany Force (Top Fuel, two 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, five) is the leader.
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