CHEVROLET IN NHRA
2023 TEXAS NHRA FALLNATIONALS STAMPEDE OF SPEED
TEXAS MOTORPLEX
ENNIS, TEXAS
TEAM CHEVY RACE ADVANCE
OCTOBER 13-15, 2023
THREE RACES REMAIN FOR CHEVROLET NHRA TEAMS IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT
DETROIT (October 11, 2023) – With three races remaining in the 2023 NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, the Chevrolet drivers and teams competing in the Countdown to the Championship have their sights set on the Texas NHRA FallNationals Stampede of Speed this weekend at Texas Motorplex to gain critical wins and points at a crucial time.
As the Bowtie brand approaches locking in a 28th Manufacturers Cup since 1966, John Force Racing’s Robert Hight, driver of the AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car, heads into the FallNationals six key points behind Bob Tasca, III in second. Hight knows the time is now, and not only seeks victory this weekend to gain that competitive advantage for him, his team, and Chevrolet, in addition to his three wins this year, but to also surpass Tasca, III in the standings.
“This Funny Car field is so competitive. These top cars, all of them are championship caliber. It’s really going to take the right combination of driver, crew chiefs, crews and a little luck to get the job done,” Hight said. “This AAA Chevy has been coming around and at just the right time. I’m really proud of what Jimmy and Thomas Prock and Nate Hildahl have been able to do, the whole team has been working really hard, and we all had confidence that we’d be right in the championship hunt. This weekend in Texas will be important. It’s a great event with the Stampede of Speed all week long. But it’s all about getting those cowboy hats at the end of it all on Sunday.”
In Pro Stock, the battle for first is heating up between KB Titan Racing’s Greg Anderson and Elite Motorsports’ Erica Enders, with only 25 points separating the two Chevrolet drivers. Anderson, the most recent winner in St. Louis and going back-to-back the race prior in Charlotte, gaining needed ground with key timing during the Countdown to the Championship.
“It means the world to peak at the right time, and this is the right time”, said Anderson of his recent wins coming during the Countdown. “The year has been a little less than stellar, but we’ve been working towards this goal and did a lot of experimenting through this season, and come playoff time, we were able to ratchet it up a notch. It’s all about the playoffs and being hot at the right time, and our team came together and peaked at the right time. We’ve shown we are still here. That’s a good sign, and with three more to go, we’re going to continue to ride this wave.”
Enders, who leads Anderson, not only seeks to continue to hold the top spot in the points standings, but also is looking to her next win to surpass Angelle Sampey (Pro Stock Motorcycle, Top Alcohol Dragster) as the winningest woman in NHRA history. Currently at 45 Pro Stock wins and one in Super Gas, Enders’ 47th win, her next, will further solidify the five-time champion in the record books. All of Enders’ wins have come while in the cockpit of a Chevrolet car.
For John Force Racing’s Top Fuel teams of Austin Prock, driver of the Montana Brand/Rocky Mountain Twist Chevrolet dragster, and Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster, they look to shift momentum and round out the season on a high note. Prock, who captured the pairs only win of the year so far at zMAX Dragway in the spring at the annual four-wide event, looks to return to the winner’s circle this weekend. For Force, 2023 has been a departure of a season compared to the previous and enters the Lone Star State looking for her first victory of the year.
This Montana Brand / Rocky Mountain Twist team had a successful event in Dallas last year and we are hoping for that again. This is a big one, everyone wants to leave with a truck full of cowboy hats,” said Prock. “We tested last week to get dialed in to go for a strong last three-race stretch. We made three nice passes, progressively getting quicker. I feel very confident heading to Dallas. The conditions should be similar to the test session so I’m hoping to drop the door strong. We may be out of the championship hunt but we’re not out of the Wally hunt.”
In action this weekend, the FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown could see Aaron Stanfield, driver of the Stanfield Racing Engines Chevrolet COPO Camaro, extend his points lead further on his march towards a third category championship. Currently leading with 112 points over the competition, Stanfield has two events remaining to make it happen.
“I am not thinking about the championship right now,” said Stanfield. “We want to come to the Texas Motorplex and make good runs. The weather will be really good and the competition will be tough. I know a lot of people will be testing before the race. We just have to take it one round at a time and see where we wind up at the end of the day.”
The 2023 NHRA Texas FallNationals at Texas Motorplex kicks off Friday, Oct. 13 in Ennis, Texas, with qualifying airing at 1 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 (FS1), Sunday, Oct. 15. Eliminations will follow, also airing on FS1, at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday. Coverage streams live throughout the weekend on NHRA.tv, and is available via AppleTV, Android TV, and Roku devices.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:
Brittany Force, driver of the Monster Energy / Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster for John Force Racing:
“We head to the Stampede of Speed next in Ennis, Texas and this entire Flav-R-Pac / Monster Energy team is excited to get there. It’s a fun event; it’s filled from the start of the week to the end of the weekend with a fanfest, fifteen thousand dollars is on the line for being low of Friday and then race day on Sunday. We are looking forward to getting this team back out there, making some good runs, chasing down some money, making up some ground to move up in the standings and having some fun while we’re doing it.”
John Force, driver of the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car for John Force Racing:
“Everything is bigger in Texas, so they say. Makes sense they have this Stampeded of Speed. I know fans have been out enjoying all the activities, gearing up for the race this weekend. Hopefully we can put on a good show for them. I know we need to. This PEAK team has been struggling, but we’re still competitive, still getting down the track, we can still win rounds and qualify well. It will come together. Three races left, still a lot of racing and a lot can happen.”
Greg Anderson, driver of the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock for KB Titan Racing:
How do you feel racing with three to go?
“It’s great, the way I look at it is, this a brand-new start. It’s like the season is going to start right now, and you have three races to run to win a championship. The score is about damn-near even between the top six cars; you can throw them all in there and not pick out a favorite. There are also four or five long shots that could still go on a roll, but the good news is, we’re one of those six favorites, and if we can continue the pace we’ve set the last couple of races, we have a great shot at it. It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be great; it’s like going into overtime with three races left. You just have to make the most of it.”
On the FallNationals this weekend in Dallas:
“This race has been very good to us in the past, and it’s one I’m proud to have won six times. There is a lot on the line, and everyone at Texas Motorplex, from Billy and Christy Meyer on down, makes this a really special event. This is a big one, so to do well here would mean a lot. It would set you up for those last two races, and that’s what we’ve been striving for and working so hard for. Our whole goal is to finish the year on top for KB Titan Racing and HendrickCars.com. We have a chance to do that.”
Camrie Caruso, driver of the Tequila Comisario Chevrolet Camaro SS Pro Stock for KB Titan Racing:
“The Pro Stock class is stacked with talent and we just need to get on a roll and see what we can do over these last three Countdown races. Last year was our first Countdown experience and we are already having more success. These cars are all about seat time and getting laps under your belt. I am so thankful we have won as many rounds as we have this season. My Tequila Comisario team has been awesome and I am really looking forward to the Stampede of Speed and Texas Fall Nationals. Getting the win in the first Pro Stock Allstar Callout gave our team a lot of confidence for the rest of the season. Every race you are racing drivers and teams that have more experience than our Tequila Comisario team. We never give up and we don’t back down. I am so happy to be part of KB Titan Racing and seeing the success we have had this season is very encouraging for the rest of this season and the future.”
“We have a race car that can compete with anyone and I have been working on my driving. In Reading we were on our way to a win that would have put us into the semifinals, but the car started drifting to the center line and I had to lift. It was the smart move but a tough way to lose. We have had some good luck in Texas in the past so I want to get to the Texas Motorplex and see if I can turn on four win lights on Sunday.”
Aaron Stanfield, driver of the Stanfield Racing Engines Chevrolet COPO Camaro in FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown:
“Last year getting the win at the Texas Fall Nationals was big for us to head into the offseason,” said Stanfield. “We didn’t have the season we were hoping for but when you win the last race of the year you have a good feeling going into the winter.”
Stephen Bell, driver of the Stanfield Racing Chevrolet COPO Camaro in FlexJet Factory Stock Showdown:
“The fun part is Aaron (Stanfield) and I are best friends. I gauge every season on a couple things, if I get a win and if we are competitive at most races. We’ve had a good year this season. I have finished up in the points for a couple years and we are chasing that first championship. I am appreciative of Greg and Aaron Stanfield for giving a customer like me a car that can compete for the championship. This weekend – if it is in the cards – we can try and close the gap on Aaron (Stanfield).
“We will need some good fortune. Aaron (Stanfield) is the class of the field and we have an outside chance, but regardless of the outcome we have had a great season. I love the mental challenge of leaving my normal world and competing in these Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown races.”
TEAM CHEVY BY THE NUMBERS:
1,438: Round wins for John Force (1st all-time).
621: Round wins for Robert Hight; 13th all-time. Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car), sits 12th, with 624.
379: Number of wins in Pro Stock since 1970; 260 won in the Chevrolet Camaro body.
166: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for John Force (1st all-time).
158: Number of Chevrolet Racing Funny Car wins since 1967.
82: Number of career No. 1 qualifiers for Robert Hight (6th all-time). Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel) is fifth with 88.
78: 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 933 elimination round wins. He could reach 950 round wins with a decent run in the 18-race schedule.
624: Robert Hight achieved 621 Funny Car elimination wins in Chicago to rank 13th on the all-time NHRA list; Cruz Pedregon (Funny Car) sits 12th with 624.
451: By qualifying for his next race, Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) will extend his NHRA record from 450 to 451 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.
277: By qualifying for his next race, Robert Hight will extend his NHRA record to 277 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 285).
65: Robert Hight moved into the top-10 in 10th on the all-time NHRA victory list with his win in Reading with 64. 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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