BRITTANY FORCE
Finding Her Own Way

Brittany Force is not what you expect. She is her own person all the time. This is both a sense of pride and frustration for her 14-time Funny Car Champion John Force. She is simultaneously passionate about racing as well as keeping her options open for a career outside of racing.

At the season opening test season Brittany made the two quickest runs among cars competing in the Top Alcohol Dragster category on the first day of testing and then that evening she and her mother, Laurie, boarded a flight to New York City where she will study at Hunter College, the largest school in the City University of New York system, until May.

“It’s kind of like a study abroad program,” Brittany said of her Hunter College curriculum.  “I’ll be taking courses up there that will transfer back to (Cal State-Fullerton) toward my major.

The prospect of moving to New York City did not faze the youngster from Southern California but it had a big impact on her champion caliber father.

 “Everyone says, ‘are you scared?’  I say, ‘no, I’m not scared, but I’m scared for my dad.’  Every single day he begged me not to go.  It’s not like I’m going away forever.  I’m still going to be racing.  I’ll be back for Pomona (and the Kragen O’Reilly Winternationals).  I’m not going to be able to qualify on Thursday, but I’ll come in Thursday night and be at Auto Club Raceway for the rest of the weekend.”

The testing runs to open the season were exciting and nerve-wracking for the young driver.

 “I hadn’t been in the car since the Auto Club Finals (last November),” she said, “so I was a little nervous.  That’s always how it is after not being in the car for awhile.  After the first pass, though, it was fine.  It did shake a little, half track, but I was able to drive right through it and now I’m looking forward to Pomona.”

The 22-year-old daughter of the drag racing icon made the move to Top Alcohol Dragster last season along with her sister Courtney and continued to improve as the season progressed.

She qualified at four national events racing a very limited schedule due to commitments revolving around her college course work. She won her first round of TAD eliminations in Seattle.

One of the stars of the A&E Network series Driving Force, which ended a two-year run in 2007, Brittany split time with younger sister Courtney, 20, last season at the wheel of a 250 mph A-Fuel dragster prepared and maintained by veteran Jerry Darien.

Brittany completed all the necessary A-Fuel licensing runs in February of 2008 at Firebird Raceway. The process took a little longer than anticipated but the pay-off was a relief for everyone involved.

“It was just a normal run and it felt good. I was definitely nervous and sweating it out before I got in the car. 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.”
           
Identified by Force as his “problem child,” Brittany is a headstrong California blonde with a serious “need for speed,” a need that hasn’t always been addressed in the most positive manner.

Unlike her older sisters, Adria and Ashley, Brittany initially eschewed a job at John Force Racing, Inc., in Yorba Linda, Calif., to work instead at a pizza café.  An even more obvious manifestation of her rebellious nature was the “I Love N.Y.” T-shirt she wore on her father’s 56th birthday while every other woman in the team compound was wearing “I Love John Force” apparel.

Like her father and sisters, Brittany is intensely competitive once she gets to the track and climbs into the cockpit.  Nevertheless, a career in racing is no certainty.  She also loves the glamour of Hollywood and since she is studying to become a teacher, all her options remain open. 

“She’s tough when she’s in the car,” her father said, “but she’s got to learn to do everything else, like giving enough time to the sponsors and the media and the fans.  She’s always gone her own way, but if she wants to race, I’ll do all I can to give her a chance (to succeed).”

-www.johnforceracing.com-