Chevrolet poised for big day at the 68th ‘Big Go’
• Top Fuel points leader Brittany Force resets track records in rocketing to No. 1 qualifier
• Greg Anderson racks up third consecutive Pro Stock top qualifier honor
• Funny Car points leader Robert Hight enters eliminations as No. 2 qualifier
BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Sept. 4, 2022) – The stage is set for Team Chevy drivers to celebrate at the most prestigious race on the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) calendar and secure top seeds for the Countdown to the Championship.
Chevrolet drivers in Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock earned favorable positions for eliminations in the 68th U.S. Nationals on Monday, Sept. 5, after five rounds of qualifications at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Brittany Force, the Top Fuel points leader, reset the track Top Fuel elapsed time and speed records in rocketing to the No. 1 spot with a run of 3.640 seconds at 337.75 mph in the Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac Chevrolet dragster. Force recorded her seventh top qualifier in 16 races this season and 39th of her career.
Reigning Pro Stock champion Greg Anderson, seeking to become the second driver in professional classes to win 100 career NHRA races, claimed his third consecutive top qualifier honor and 121st of his career with a run of 6.567 seconds in the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro SS.
Funny Car points leader Robert Hight, driving the Automobile Club of Southern California Chevrolet Camaro SS, qualified second with a run of 3.870 seconds. John Force qualified fourth in the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Camaro SS at 3.881 seconds. Both John Force Racing drivers fell in the semifinals of the $80,000-to-win Pep Boys Funny Car All-Star Callout.
Brittany Force set both ends of the track records in the fourth qualifying session under heavy cloud cover and an ambient temperature of 90 degrees. The speed tied the fifth-fastest in NHRA history, which she set at Sonoma Raceway and Gainesville Raceway earlier this season. Force holds the top eight fastest speeds on the all-time list, topped by the national record of 338.17 mph set in 2019 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
“It’s definitely a big one for our entire team,” said Force, runner-up in the Top Fuel version of the All-Star Callout and the 2021 U.S. Nationals runner-up. “This is the biggest race of the season. It’s the one race everybody comes to they want to win and you come in with this extra motivation, so to grab that No. 1 qualifier with a killer run after struggling every lap was outstanding. To have the track record, which is pretty cool to be able to do that, and then they announced that it’s the quickest field (in NHRA Top Fuel history), so (it’s great) to be a part of that is history right there.”
Anderson, a six-time winner of the U.S. Nationals, is seeking to join John Force (155) across the century mark in win in the pro classes. Anderson, who has reached the final in two of the past three races, could also surpass 900 career round wins – second only to Force’s 1,410 and counting in NHRA history – with a deep run.
“We picked the right time to really make a perfect run,” he said. “There’s not very often a driver said they made a perfect run, but I made a perfect run. Everything about it was right on the money. The car was perfect, and it seemed like I hit my shift points perfect, and the car stayed perfectly straight, and you just don’t do that that often.
“We’re definitely close,” said Anderson about getting the milestone win. “We’ve made two of the last three finals. So, we’re back to where we can win again. No, haven’t won yet, but we’re back to where we can. We’ve got a good chance each weekend.”
KB Racing teammate Dallas Glenn, driving the RAD Torque Systems Camaro SS, qualified second at 6.578 seconds. Pro Stock points leader Erica Enders qualified third in the Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Camaro SS as the four-time Pro Stock champion aims for her third U.S. Nationals victory in a row.
Reigning Constant Aviation Factory Stock Showdown champion Aaron Stanfield, driving the Janac Brothers Chevrolet COPO Camaro, was the top qualifier in the sixth of eight events this season.
FS1 will telecast eliminations live at noon ET, with FOX picking up the telecast at 2 p.m.
About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in nearly 80 countries with nearly 2.7 million cars and trucks sold in 2021. Chevrolet models include electric and 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.
