Force, Traxxas Take Confidence and Consistency to Phoenix

(Photo by John Force Racing PR)

Courtney Force gave the Funny Car field at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona a run for their money last weekend when she began her pro career in her Traxxas Ford Mustang. Courtney qualified in the no. 12 spot and took out Bob Tasca III in the opening round of eliminations on Sunday before falling victim to teammate Mike Neff who won 40 rounds throughout the 2011 season, more than any other driver.

The 2012 O’Reilly Winternationals event was a big step forward for Force, John Force Racing as a whole and new sponsor Traxxas, who came on board as primary sponsor for the rookie driver at the beginning of this season.

“I think our first race out for the season went a little better than expected. We were going in with very modest attitudes because all parts of our Traxxas team were new- driver, crew members, car, parts, etc. Our main goal in Pomona was to get qualified. We got in the field and were able to get past first round so it definitely was a good weekend for the Traxxas Ford Mustang team,” said Force

Force is only the second of eight Funny Car drivers at John Force Racing to snag a first round win during a debut event. The first was Gary Densham, who drove from 2001 through 2006. Densham made it to the semifinal round at the 2001 NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston, Texas. The other six JFR drivers exited their first events for the team in the first round of eliminations.

“It’s an honor to be one of the few drivers at John Force Racing to do well at my first event. It was definitely a team effort. I try to take everything I learn from the previous season and everything that my teammates have taught me, including my sister Ashley, and use that to move forward. I think that making it that far was good for us and the guys. They worked hard for it. With all of them being new and having to work together I think we all handled it well,” said Force.

New to the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing series is the Traxxas Nitro Shootout. In addition to Traxxas being announced as the Official Radio Controlled Performance Products of the NHRA, the new sponsor is giving Top Fuel and Funny Car teams a chance at a $100,000 prize.

The first seven event winners from both Top Fuel and Funny Car classes qualify for a spot in the shootout and are joined by an eighth driver voted in by fans. The Traxxas Nitro Shootout will be held during the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, with Top Fuel showcased on Saturday, Sept. 1, and Funny Car featured on Sunday, Sept. 2.

“I’m definitely excited about the Traxxas Nitro Shootout. I think it’s something amazing to bring back into the sport. I grew up watching the Big Bud Shootout and the Skoal Showdown so it’s exciting. Giving the fans those different events all at one race is pretty awesome especially mixing it up this year with Traxxas and making it so the fans have a say in who that eighth entry is. I think it will make for an interesting race,” said Force.

This coming weekend, Force will continue to build experience as she competes in the 28th annual NHRA Arizona Nationals at Firebird International Raceway, Feb. 17-19.

“I’m looking forward to going to Phoenix because I think we have a pretty consistent car, great crew chiefs and a great group of guys behind us. We definitely want to go out there and try to get qualified again, make it in the field and just try to stay as consistent as we were at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona for the Winternationals. We want our car to continue to do well, we want to learn from it and push it a little harder and make it go a little quicker because it’s going to be tough to beat some of these guys that are our competitors.”

“Conditions are going to be different out in Phoenix, but I think as long as we keep doing what we have been and keep the car going down the racetrack maybe we can go one more round further,” added Force.

For more information on the Traxxas Nitro Shootout click here

John Force, Spencer Massey First Two Drivers Entered Into NHRA Traxxas Nitro Shootout

(John Force celebrates his 2012 Winternationals win with his grandchildren. Photo by NHRA)

15-time NHRA Full Throttle World Series Funny Car Champion John Force and Top Fuel pilot Spencer Massey, became the first two drivers entered into the NHRA Traxxas Nitro Shootout to be held at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis during the Mac Tools U. S. Nationals. Both drivers earned their spot in the coveted eight car field with their respective wins at the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries held at the Auto Club Raceway at Pomona on Sunday.

The NHRA Traxxas Nitro Shootout is a special 'race-within-a-race' that will feature eight racers in both the Funny Car and Top Fuel ranks to be held during the Mac Tools U. S. Nationals. The Top Fuel event will be on Saturday, Sept. 1, and the Funny Car event will take place on Sept. 2. The winner in each class will receive $100,000 to win with runners-up receiving $15,000 and the semifinal losers earning $7,500 each.

Massey was able to defeat Don Schumacher Racing teammate Antron Brown in the finals to earn his spot in the field and Force bested his teammate Mike Neff to get the event win and the entry into the field.

“(NHRA president Tom) Compton said if we won this race we would make the Traxxas Nitro Shootout. That is a big deal. I can’t wait to get to Indy,” said Force following the race. “I want to thank Traxxas for giving the Funny Car and Top Fuel teams this extra money.”

There will be three ways for Top Fuel and Funny Car teams to qualify for the NHRA Traxxas Nitro Shootouts.

First, the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series points leaders in Top Fuel and Funny Car after the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd Int'l Raceway, Aug. 16-19, will automatically qualify as top seeds for the NHRA Traxxas Nitro Shootouts, even if the respective points leaders have yet to win a national event.

Second, the first seven winners in both categories of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season will qualify, beginning at the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals presented by Super Start Batteries, Feb. 9-12 at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona in Southern California, and concluding at the Brainerd event. If the points leaders do not win one of the first 16 events of the season in each category, their provisional spots will bump the seventh event winner in each category. If there are fewer than seven different winners in each category prior to the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, rankings in NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series points standings after the Brainerd event will fill any open positions up to No. 7. Seeding for the top seven positions will be based on the season-long points standings in both categories after the Brainerd event.

Third, once the first seven positions in the fields are set, the eighth and final spot in each category will be determined by a fan vote and a lottery-style drawing. The fan-vote selections in each category will be eligible to become the eighth seeds in the NHRA Traxxas Nitro Shootouts.

The fan vote for the eighth seeds will be conducted on NHRA’s Facebook page and through a lottery-style drawing at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals. All remaining unqualified drivers in Top Fuel and Funny Car who have competed in all 16 NHRA Full Throttle events this season leading up to the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals will be included in the NHRA Facebook fan-voting process. Based on the percentage of fan votes received, drivers will receive an equivalent percentage of chances in the lottery. For example, if a driver earns 15 percent of the fan vote, he or she will have 15 chances out of 100 in the lottery-style drawing. All eligible drivers will have at least one chance in the drawing.

Tickets for the 58th annual Mac Tools U. S. Nationals will go on sale to the general public on Feb. 14. The Mac Tools U. S. Nationals is the worlds largest drag race and a win at the event is the pinnacle to any drag racer during their career. Defending winners are Antron Brown in Top Fuel, Mike Neff in Funny Car, Greg Anderson in Pro Stock and Hector Arana Jr. in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

Traxxas Joins List of Official NHRA Sponsors

(In addition to being named "The Official Radio-Controlled Performance Products of the NHRA," Traxxas will also sponsor new specialty Top Fuel and Funny Car specialty "race-within-a-race" programs. Photo by Brandon W. Mudd)

NHRA announced today that it has signed a multi-year agreement with Traxxas, the leading manufacturer and seller of high performance radio controlled vehicles. The agreement designates Traxxas as the “Official Radio Controlled Performance Products of the NHRA” and will fully integrate the Traxxas brand into all aspects of NHRA, including extensive multi-media rights, broadcast elements and a strong on-site presence, including interactive displays, signage, and entertainment features.

The sponsorship includes new Top Fuel and Funny Car specialty “race-within-a-race” programs, both sponsored by Traxxas. The specifics of the specialty programs, including locations for each event, will be announced at a later date. Traxxas will provide $260,000 to fund the two programs, with the Top Fuel and Funny Car specialty race winners receiving $100,000 each.

“Traxxas comes to NHRA not only as marketing partners, but as long-time fans of the sport,” said Mike Jenkins, owner and president, Traxxas. “The extreme horsepower, speed, and excitement of NHRA Drag Racing is a great match for the performance we build into our radio controlled products.”

Fans attending 2012 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events will easily see the Traxxas presence throughout each race track.  An interactive display within Nitro Alley will allow fans the opportunity to test drive one of the many premium radio control vehicles the company has to offer. In addition, Traxxas will conduct trackside entertainment during the event to showcase the excitement, durability, speed and maneuverability of its radio control vehicles.  Also, Traxxas signage will be seen on the on-site video screen.

“The program with Traxxas is one of the most comprehensive and extensive official sponsorships in NHRA Drag Racing,” said Tom Compton, president, NHRA.  “As part of this sponsorship, we are very pleased to introduce two new specialty programs for Top Fuel and Funny Car. These two programs, which pair the best-of-the-best in the two top classes, will be extremely popular with the fans and bring added excitement to the race weekend.”

As part of the agreement, Traxxas will have a major role during NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series telecasts on ESPN, including advertising both in the qualifying and eliminations shows, with broadcast enhancements including an in-show sponsor feature and race ticker. Traxxas will maintain a significant presence on NHRA.com and plans to provide outreach to NHRA members with special members-only offers.

Earlier this month, Traxxas announced it will become the primary sponsor for Courtney Force, who will make her debut in the Funny Car class in 2012 in a Traxxas Ford Mustang. The much-anticipated arrival of John Force’s youngest daughter to the Funny Car category will result in one of the most exciting Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award battles in NHRA history. 

Powers Proud to Represent TORC Series, U.S. Armed Forces

 (Photo by Brandon W. Mudd)

Rob Powers has an agenda.

As one of the voices of the Traxxas TORC Series Presented by AMSOIL and a pit reporter for the live streaming of the races courtesy of 3 Wide Life, GoPro cameras and eBay Motors, Powers is an entertaining figure that interacts with the drivers and fans on event weekends. He has been a professional emcee for 23 years and AMSOIL’s voice of racing for more than eight of them.

But there is much more to Powers, a Colorado native and former U.S. Olympic strength coach, than that. A veteran of both the Army and the Air Force, he retains that military bearing wherever he goes. During the National Anthem, he snaps a salute so crisp he could be just days out of boot camp. When talking about his several tours to the Middle East to entertain America’s servicemembers, the passion and pride he feels for his fellow soldiers is palpable.

Powers’ agenda is to entertain. Whether it’s in front of a crowd of die-hard off-road racing fans watching some of the most intense motorsports action in the country or it’s in Iraq or Afghanistan with some of the biggest sports celebrities in the world to provide a moment away from the warzone for our nation’s heroes, Rob Powers is there to put on a show.

After seeing two of his non-commissioned officers killed in action, Powers formed The Warrior’s Tour Foundation (www.TheWarriorTours.com).

The purpose of the organization is to bring professional athletes and sports celebrities to areas of hardship deployment to entertain the troops there. It’s a foundation several of the TORC Series’ drivers will be familiar with very soon as Powers plans to include them on upcoming tours of duty.

“When I went to the Pentagon recently,” Powers said, “I brought along some of these Traxxas radio-controlled trucks and you would think these hardened military veterans, including a full bird colonel, were little kids! They did not want to give these things back! I knew then that our men and women fighting for us overseas would love to not only have an opportunity to test drive some of these Traxxas RC trucks, but they would also get a thrill out of meeting the people who drive the full-sized trucks at some of the most challenging racetracks in the country.”

Most important to Powers is the integrity of the product. In an era where everyone has a price, fans and viewers know 100 percent that when Rob Powers promotes something, it is a quality brand. That includes the Traxxas TORC Series Presented by AMSOIL. “I've been a huge fan of the TORC Series for years,” he said. “USAC providing not only thrilling competition, but a playing field brings out the best in everyone from the drivers and teams to the fans.

“USAC has been the leader in producing world class racing and I like world class whether it's in supporting our troops or watching trucks fly through the air.”

For more information on the Traxxas TORC Series Presented by AMSOIL, visit them on the Web at TORCSeries.com. For information on the United States Auto Club, visit USACRacing.com. Both sites will also feature live free streaming of all the events on the TORC Series schedule courtesy of GoPro cameras and eBay Motors.

Race fans can follow all the action throughout the TORC Series season on its official Twitter sites at Twitter.com/TORCMedia and its official page on Facebook.