Brittany Force gets A-Fuel license

BRITTANY FORCE COMPLETES LICENSING REQUIREMENTS

PHOENIX (February 28, 2008) --- On a partly cloudy day at Firebird Raceway outside of Phoenix, Brittany Force, the 21-year old daughter of 14-time Funny Car champion John Force, completed a job that started over six months ago; making the necessary passes for her A-Fuel license.

The process had its ups and downs for the Santiago Canyon College senior including a brush with the Las Vegas Speedway guardwall as she was learning the ropes. Her final licensing pass was a solid 5.59 seconds at 262 mph.

"Today was my first really good clean run. It was just a normal run and it felt good. I was definitely nervous and sweating it out before I got in the car," said the California blond and recognized "problem child" of the Force racing clan. "My dad is excited now to have us all licensed. I am excited to have my A-Fuel license since now we can continue to move forward."

One of the stars of the A&E Network series Driving Force, which ended a two-year run in 2007, Brittany will split time with younger sister Courtney, 19, at the wheel of the John Force Racing A-Fuel dragster prepared and maintained by veterans Jerry Darien.

"The original plan was for Courtney and me to share the car. I am not sure how we are going to work that out with school and everything. Courtney has already raced at a national event (season opening CARQUEST Auto Parts Nationals). I still feel a little nervous in the A-Fuel dragster. It was the same with the Super Comp dragster, too. I just need to have a few more runs. The more runs I made in the Super Comp dragster the more comfortable I felt. I am sure that will be the same with the A-Fuel dragster."

Like her father and sisters, Brittany is intensely competitive once she gets to the track and climbs into the cockpit. Nevertheless, she is still taking it slow as she moves up from the ultra-competitive and considerable slower Super Comp class she and her sister Courtney competed in the past two seasons.

"I think Courtney is more fearless than me. I want to do some more testing before I get into an event with someone beside me," said the pragmatic Force. "I think that might be too much pressure for me right now."

-credit: jrf