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Source: www.allfordmustangs.com Feature Articles
Ashley Force became the first woman to win the Funny Car competition this April. Force won this distinction at the 9th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Funny Car class was instituted 39 years ago. While this win is a record breaker, what is even more interesting about Ashley’s win is that the ability to race is in her genes. Her father, John Force, was the Funny Car champion 14 times. By the way, Ashley nearly won the overall championship. Last year, she was the NHRA Rookie of the Year. John Force himself was the team leader. His car for the competition was a Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang. His qualifying pass was 4.97 seconds so he did not make it into the top dozen fastest. Ashley Force drove a Castrol GTX Mustang. In the first round, she outrode Tommy Johnson. Gary Densham failed to keep up with her in the second round and she defeated Bob Bode in the third round. However Tim Wilkerson won in the next round. The four professional drag racing classes are Funny Car, Top Fuel, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle, Other classes are Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Comp, Super Stock, Stock, Super, Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street. The Funny Cars typically are Dodge Chargers or Chevy Impalas with forward-mounted engines and carbon fiber bodies. The designation “funny” comes from the look of the cars which is a little different from the standard look due to the rear wheels being located somewhat forward. The funny refers to the odd look rather than “funny ha ha”. NHRA rules are clear about the requirements for each class. For the Funny Car class, the NHRA states, “Funny Cars must weigh at least 2,400 pounds, driver included, and have a wheelbase of 124 to 125 inches. From the front of the car to a point 12 inches behind the centerline of the front axle, the minimum ground clearance is three inches. The rest of the car must have a two-inch clearance with the exception of the oil pan and exhaust headers. The front overhang may not exceed 40 inches, measured from the centerline of the front axle. The underside of the body, including the roof area, must have a flame-retardant covering or coating.” |