Thread: another first

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I was really happy to see her finally get it. 3 finals in a row is impressive no matter who you are! She does need to improve her reaction times though. She is seldom under .100 and a lot of those guys are routinely .07 or .08. But that will come with time. I've heard the TAD cars leave awfully hard, maybe her timing is still stuck there?

This is going to be a great season with so many teams stepping up. No locks in any class!

Pat

Originally Posted by techinspector1

Wouldn't it be a hoot if Austin or Bernie set John's clutch up a little tight on purpose??????

Those were my thoughts exactly.... Oh well a WIN is a WIN, dont matter if you got help, or does it???? HMMMM! I guess thats what teams are for.
She needs to improve reaction times but first women to win in funny car??? Oh well makes for excellent tv and sponsorship . I still give her props for giving it her best.

Originally Posted by Stu Cool

I was really happy to see her finally get it. 3 finals in a row is impressive no matter who you are! She does need to improve her reaction times though. She is seldom under .100 and a lot of those guys are routinely .07 or .08. But that will come with time. I've heard the TAD cars leave awfully hard, maybe her timing is still stuck there?

This is going to be a great season with so many teams stepping up. No locks in any class!

Pat

Launching the two cars is completely different. Funny cars are sort of like launching off a delay box, top alchohol is more like dropping the clutch.... the better lights and consistent launches are probably still a season away...

Originally Posted by BigTruckDriver

Those were my thoughts exactly.... Oh well a WIN is a WIN, dont matter if you got help, or does it???? HMMMM! I guess thats what teams are for.
She needs to improve reaction times but first women to win in funny car??? Oh well makes for excellent tv and sponsorship . I still give her props for giving it her best.

Did John and Bernie let her win??? No way.... I suppose everyone let her advance to the final round for the 3rd time too.... Heard all the same stuff last year when everyone was wondering when someone would let her win a round..... She's got a good team, great sponsors, first class equipment, and grew up at the drag strip... She's gonna be a winner, no one has to let her win......

PS--John wasn't quite the first guy to smoke the tires in the left lane on Sunday......

Dern - I missed the last 20 minutes.
So the old man had the left lane????
Why didn't they fix that bump in an NHRA Nationals competition.

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Did John and Bernie let her win??? No way.... I suppose everyone let her advance to the final round for the 3rd time too.... Heard all the same stuff last year when everyone was wondering when someone would let her win a round..... She's got a good team, great sponsors, first class equipment, and grew up at the drag strip... She's gonna be a winner, no one has to let her win......

PS--John wasn't quite the first guy to smoke the tires in the left lane on Sunday......

If it was you in the same situation would you not let your cars push every one else out to let your daughter get in the record books???? I would! Not saying this is what happened here for all you Force fans, but its possible.

Should there be limits to what owners can do? I think so. BUT if I were in his shoes I'd be doing the same thing!

Did you listen to the interviews afterwards???? John was not a happy man. Would I let my daughter win??? No way.....

John smoked the tires at the hit of the throttle, usually a sign of something wrong in the clutch control system.....

No I didn't. cool

I am so happy. First Danica and now Ashley. Go Girls Go.

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Who was the dude last year who kept wanting to send her back to Top Alcohol?????

:

Now Dave, I know you're not referring to MUUUAA?????

WITHOUT going back through my past prophetic post (though im sure some will) I must say that I think you're mixed up somewhat. I think my point was that IF she was a hired driver on another team she would have gotten the hook for the trashed body parts and those abundant plus .125 average reaction times long before she got to her first win. My alcohol remarks were centered around the fact that I felt that picking an experienced alky racer would be much better that a total greenie like Neff. Something that you disagreed with, which I still dont understand. Truth is I knew she would win because dad would do all he could to make that happen, like he did sunday, wink, wink.

Question, did dad set his clutch on kill to get her first 'W' out of the way? I wouldnt even consider it if John hadnt asked if there was any way his car would spin before the race on his radio. Did anyone else hear that? Just seemed a little strange. As soon as he asked that while the track was getting blown I thought to myself, He's gonna blow the tires off his car and low and behold he did.

Im just saying.

Originally Posted by Mike in Motown

Now Dave, I know you're not referring to MUUUAA?????

WITHOUT going back through my past prophetic post (though im sure some will) I must say that I think you're mixed up somewhat. I think my point was that IF she was a hired driver on another team she would have gotten the hook for the trashed body parts and those abundant plus .125 average reaction times long before she got to her first win. My alcohol remarks were centered around the fact that I felt that picking an experienced alky racer would be much better that a total greenie like Neff. Something that you disagreed with, which I still dont understand. Truth is I knew she would win because dad would do all he could to make that happen, like he did sunday, wink, wink.

Question, did dad set his clutch on kill to get her first 'W' out of the way? I wouldnt even consider it if John hadnt asked if there was any way his car would spin before the race on his radio. Did anyone else hear that? Just seemed a little strange. As soon as he asked that while the track was getting blown I thought to myself, He's gonna blow the tires off his car and low and behold he did.

Im just saying.

Being a competent Top Alcohol driver, then moving into a Top Fuel car is good... You'd be used to the speed, the G's, and to some extent how the car moves when you drop cylinders, etc.... As far as being good at launching with a low RT in Top Alcohol meaning you will be good at launching a Top Fuel car---not true... The clutch systems in the cars aren't anything alike... if anything, lots of experience in an alky car will just make the learning curve in a fueler a bit tougher.....

Yeah, heard the radio chatter before the round.... But this means John blew the tires off on purpose???? Not a chance.... Ashley was leading the points regardless of final round results... As much as John loves winning championships I can't imagine he would EVER throw away 20 points..... Got to remember who you're talking about....

Next thing I've been wondering.... Think John is getting ready to hang it up and just be the team owner and not a driver???? Can't base it on anything specific he's said, just all his references to the younger drivers......

Say what you will about the final round with John. She still has gone to 3 finals in a row and has the current points lead. She did not get that by all of her opponents setting their clutch too tight. That team, including the driver, is doing something right and they deserve the win. Nuff said.

Pat

I thought it was "hinkey". They never listen in on John like that, then the first thing he says is "Do you think we'll smoke the tires?" When was the last time John went up in smoke at the starting line? I think he was trying to give her the win...and I can't say I would blame him. The team wins either way....same precious sponsors on both cars...but he "overacted" the role.

Ok, here's the gospel according to Phil Burgess in National Dragster.......

Quote: from Phil's column in digger-----

I had a whole other column written and planned for today, but after super Sunday in Atlanta, I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about the history that was made in what was probably one of the most exciting final rounds in NHRA history.


To be sure, there have been other amazing final rounds in NHRA history when more was on the line -- Joe Amato and Gary Ormsby for the Top Fuel title in 1990 and Tony Schumacher and “The Run” against Doug Kalitta for the Top Fuel title in 2006 spring to mind immediately – but to have Ashley Force, gunning for her first Funny Car win, racing her dad, who was going not only for his 1,000th career round-win at his 500th event (how’s that for symmetry?) but also his first win since a near-career-ending crash last September … wow.


I’ve actually been kind of stunned to read on message boards and a few emails this morning that people are suggesting that John “let” Ashley win the final. Sure, his .170 light and up-in-smoke effort were far from what he desired, but take it from someone who knows John Force pretty darned well, there isn’t a chance that he threw the race for her.


First, John is ultra competitive. Fourteen championships and 125 event wins prove that. Second, we all know he still feels like he has something to prove after his wreck. And third, and most important, there’s no way that John would want Ashley’s first win tainted in any was, shape, or means. And, hey, it isn’t like she wasn’t going to win one sometimes this year anyway. Three straight final rounds and the points lead without facing a single other John Force Racing teammate this season prove that her and Guido and the boys are getting it done on their own merit.


(It’s deliciously prescient that her pre-race press release included this quote: "Dad and I are 1-1 against each other … Maybe we'll break the tie this week. All I know is he wouldn’t want me to go up there with anything but winning on my mind – even if it meant keeping him from winning his thousandth round.”)


Those of us who have been around the sport long enough have watched Ashley grow up around Funny Cars. She’s been a constant sight in John’s arms in winner’s circles or holding his hands walking through the pits since she was a toddler, and to see her get her first win in the class in pretty special. Our little girl is now all grown up.

Unquote



Get used to it folks.... There are a whole bunch of young-uns just getting their first couple years of experience in the Pro ranks... Nobody--I repeat NOBODY is "letting them win" or giving them anything other then their best effort....

PS---John's light in the final round against Ashley was a .170.....

John doesn't let anybody win.....

I wouldnt go so far as to say that John tanked for his daughter, BUT his pre race radio chatter came off strange when I heard it. Team Force was a winner either way. It sure wouldnt hurt though to set his car on kill and he smokes the hides (like he did) and then its a bigger winner for the PR department. Doesnt matter anyway, her car control has improved a LOT though her RT's still need some work. For a while there she was the most consistent leaver allbeit .120-.130's. At least she's getting it down to .100 which isnt too terrible compared to the rest of the class.

Dave, I wouldnt be suprised if John was looking forward to retiring from the driving duties soon. After last year who could blame him.

I guess with his current driver hiring practices he will probably get a marketable youngster fresh out of the california DMV drivers test line, sorry couldnt help it.