While Force earned his 150th career win, John Force Racing teammate and Top Fuel rookie Austin Prock picked up his first career win on what was a historic day for JFR. Matt Hartford also won in Pro Stock at the 16th of 24 races during the 2019 NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series season — the third and final race on the famed NHRA Western Swing.
Force, the 16-time Funny Car world champion and the NHRA’s winningest driver, beat Ron Capps in the final round with a run of 3.971-seconds at 320.58 mph in his PEAK Chevrolet Camaro. Capps ran 4.018 at 309.91 in the final round. It marked Force’s first victory in 25 races dating back to last season and his ninth career win at Pacific Raceways.
“I give credit to a lot of crew chiefs over the years,” Force said. “I got the monkey off my back and it drove me nuts. But it taught me to focus on my car if I want to do (well). I had to get to know my car and sometimes you need a slap in the face. That was the monkey that made me focus. I’ve been living it here the last 4-5 races and we found something real critical. I may not be as young as these kids, but I’m excited. I can calm down now and not live with that, thinking that I’ll never get it.”
“Give me a good race car and I can race,” Force said. “I know Capps wanted to beat me and he was giving it all he had. He’s the real deal — he’s a real great racer — but today luck was just with me and I got the win. Ron was the first one over to congratulate me and that’s the kind of guy he is.
“There are certain tracks I’m really happy at and I’ve always loved Seattle. I’m in the hunt and that’s all I ever wanted to be was in the hunt.”
“This is just unbelievable,” Prock said. “I have to thank John Force for giving me this opportunity. I’m still speechless. This is a dream come true. I’ve wanted this ever since I was knee high. Ever since I could think, I wanted to drive a Top Fuel car. We said when John gets 150, I’m going to get my first one, and it all came together perfectly. We put all the pieces of the puzzle together today. I wanted to race (Torrence) in the final round. I wanted to be the guy that stopped him.”
In Pro Stock, Hartford denied Greg Anderson the chance to sweep the Western Swing, going 6.606 at 209.33 in the final round in his Total Seal Camaro to beat Anderson on a holeshot. Anderson went 6.596 at 210.31, but Hartford was quicker off the starting line to pick up the win for the first time this season and second time in his career.
Anderson had a chance to become the first driver in NHRA history sweep the Western Swing twice, but Hartford delivered an impressive final-round showing in a rematch of the Swing’s opening race. Hartford also picked up his first career head-to-head win against the four-time world champ.
“We had a win light against Bo, which really set the momentum for the day,” Hartford said. “Greg Anderson is obviously one of the best that’s ever raced in the class, and he’s closing in some monumental records. But he had beaten me 10 out of 10 times and, once again, we went up there knowing we had to go ‘A to B’ and whoever leaves first should win the race. We figured we had a good chance; the driver just had to be on his game.”
The Mello Yello Drag Racing Series continues Aug. 16-18 with the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minn.
Source: Racer Images NHRA
