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Ashley Force column

Release date: 08 February 2007
Ashley Force watches on during a Florida race meet

After successful stints in Super Comp and A-Fuel dragsters Ashley Force makes the step up to Funny Cars for 2007. The move sets up the mouth-watering prospect of a father and daughter lining up against each other for the first time ever in NHRA…

I'm very excited. I'm starting my sixth year competing in NHRA drag racing. I did two years in Super Comp, three years in A-Fuel dragsters with Darien & Meadows, and now I'm finally getting to jump up to Funny Cars with my dad and our other two drivers.

I grew up watching the Funny Cars. That was my favourite category, I'm sure because my dad competed in it. But they've always been my favourite car to watch and root for. It probably didn't occur to me I could actually have a career in it until I was actually able to drive a normal car at 16 years old.

When I turned 16 and got licensed to drive on the roads, that's when I got to go to the racing school. That was the first time I actually thought, you know, I could do this, I could compete, and that could be my career. I could actually have a job in something I love doing on the side. And then naturally I thought - well, the category I would want to end up in would be Funny Car.

"It was dad who trained me and it's his fault now I'm coming after him."
I know it will be a learning curve, but thankfully I did all those other years in racing. I don't need to learn how to do a burnout or how to stage, how to do any of the basics. I did that in A-Fuel and Super Comp.

I can really focus on the differences moving from the A-Fuel dragster to the Funny Car, which are mainly how it steers and feels. It's really the sensation of running under the body of a car that will be the biggest difference for me.

More than anything though I'm looking forward to getting the season underway. I just hope that I can learn from any mistakes I make, go out there and be a good driver for my team, because they work so hard.
Ashley Force lights up her tyres in an A-Fuel dragster
We have a new group of young guys this year coming on the road with me. I think it will be a good year for us. If we can go around, get qualified, maybe beat up on dad one or two times that will be great, but first up we're going to make sure we go out there and have fun.

It was dad who trained me and it's his own fault I'm coming after him now ! I think it will be exciting to have the two of us competing with each other. It's not about beating him though or beating Eric or Robert. It's about any of us beating everyone else, getting one of the John Force Racing cars into the winner's circle.

The first time I line up in a lane next to my father will be exciting though and the fans will love it because there's never been a father-daughter competing against each other before in NHRA.

The big question we're all asking is which side my mom is going to stand on at the track!

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Column 1 - Ashley Force

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