Weather permittingBrittany Force wants to enjoy every moment of her final event of the year with her team. At the NHRA Finals in Pomona beginning Thursday, the winning driver in the National Hot Rod Assn.’s Top Fuel division. Her path to closing this stage of her career began in the winner’s circle.
In September, the 39-year-old announced she would take a break from the tracks at the end of the season in order to start a family with husband Bobby Lyons. The announcement came just days after Force clocked 343.51 mph at the NHRA US Nationals, the fastest race in NHRA history.
“It was a really difficult decision, and the best way to describe it would be bittersweet,” Force said in an interview with The Times this week. “I wish I could do both, but there’s no space to be able to drive and try to start a family in this sport.”
At her previous event, the NHRA Nevada Nationals last week in Las Vegas, Force took the win after defeating Shawn Langdon in the final round. Her 19th career win gives her the most by a female driver, a mark she holds with Shirley Muldowney. In addition to her father John Force’s 16 World Funny Car Championship titles, her victory added another title to the family’s dominant run. As she looks forward to Pomona, she hopes for a perfect ending to this chapter.
“This is what we were going for. Pomona is my main course,” she said. “It’s one of my favorite tracks on our track. It has that feeling of nostalgia. I remember sitting in the stands watching my dad race, and watching my sister race.”
Brittany Force has had an illustrious career. Throughout her 12-year career, she became the first female fuel driver in history to top 340 mph, owned nine of the 10 fastest times in NHRA history, won two world championships and became the first woman in 35 years (second overall) to hold a fuel racing world title. She never imagined she would accomplish so much but Force would rather leave a legacy behind to pursue.
“I hope that by doing what I love to do, I can inspire people to do the same. That’s what I hope people remember me for,” Force added.
The force doesn’t call it retirement. In fact, she never used the “r” word. She has not ruled out switching to drag racing in the future.
“This is a decision that will have to be made in the future,” she said. A
She still plans to attend next year’s races with her father and support her John Force Racing teammates. But its exit marks the first time since the NHRA Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in 2020 that a member of the Force family will not appear on next year’s driver roster.
“It will definitely be different, but John Force Racing will still be there,” Brittany Force said.
Her legendary father’s name will remain a part of the NHRA through his team, but John is proud of everything his daughter has accomplished.
“She has other plans, this is her job, but what really interests me is how much I love her for being her [and her sisters] “It kept me alive,” John Force said Thursday.
Ashley Force Hood, 42, said there was a sense of relief overwhelming the family. The family business carries the possibility of catastrophic accidents down the road. Her sister had one in 2018, and her father had his fair share of hits to the head.
“It’s one thing to be like your father, well, he’s your father, but when she’s your younger sister, you’ll always protect her,” Hood said. “I’m glad she’s had the success she’s had, she’s safe and I want her to be safe this weekend, but you want to keep her safe.”
Differences will go beyond the path. For Force, her life will go from 350 to 0, from living out of a suitcase to staying home for more than 10 days.
“I mean, once I get home and get settled and be home for a whole month, I’m definitely going to miss being on the road. I know that because that’s my lifestyle,” she said.
No matter the change in lifestyle, Force will carry with her the hard lessons she learned from staring down the 1,000-foot track. The year after winning the championship in 2017, she returned to the track, where she won in the first event of the new season. This time her car was destroyed. Instead of putting herself down, she bounced back and made her way to the victory column.
“I went from the highest point of my career to the lowest point, and I was able to fight to get back in that seat mentally and physically and then get back into the winning circle,” Force said.
Hood has been part of the Force’s ups and downs throughout her career. She has seen her younger sister rise through the ranks and learn different styles of leadership, depending on the classes. It is the calmness and demeanor she has shown throughout her career that made her realize that she would succeed behind the wheel.
“I think it’s important to show that this is a business, and it’s not just about putting the car on the track,” Hood said. “She is a good wholesome person who will make your children look up to her. She has done a really good job and I am very proud of her.”