Ashley Force Hood still in NHRA Full Throttle Funny Car title race
Each season Ashley Force Hood has improved in the point standings and this year she is in contention for her first title in only her third year driving a Fuel Funny Car.
Courtesy: NHRA Media Relations
Las Vegas, Nev.-Ashley Force Hood entered the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals in second place in the point standings and she is leaving in second place. Unfortunately she knows that her championship aspirations are now a little more of a long shot. Each season she has improved in the point standings and this year she is in contention for her first title in only her third year driving a Fuel Funny Car.
“My goal going into this year was to finish fourth or better I would be pumped with that. To be fighting for first or second this year has gone better than I ever expected it to. When you are right in the middle of it you get greedy and you want everything. Really if you take a step back I never expected to be running for first. Now after this year we will be gunning for first,” said Force Hood. “That is not to take away from my team we are only three years in. It is not something I expected to happen. The sky is the limit for us next year. If we can have a team like we did this year next year sometimes luck plays a part in it. We will just do the best we can. Either way if we can be celebrating in
After the race team leader John Force was happy for the success Hight is experiencing especially since he has seen him miss a number of championship opportunities.
“We still haven’t wrapped it up but (Robert) has a heck of a lead. Ashley still has a shot. At the end of the day for Auto Club it is great. They have been real loyal. They have stood by us. Even when we struggled they supported us. For Ford motor company in this economy it is a great time to deliver a win. This only makes sense if we can pull it off. One more race and we will know. I have two cars trying to run for the championship. We will be rooting for them and pulling hard for it,” said Force.
“If you look back a few years ago Robert should have won the year Eric (Medlen) was killed. We had to go into missing races and we didn’t make it. That hurt us. Now the new Countdown actually gave him a chance to get back in at Indy. The car has been magic ever since.”
