Ashley Force won her first Funny Car title at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals, in Atlanta (photo courtesy of NHRA)I must be cursed or something, first Danica and now Ashley. I missed out on watching Ashley Force win her first Funny Car race last weekend. She became the first woman to ever win a Funny Car title and she also beat her father, the legendary and always funny (whether he means to be or not) John Force in the process.

I actually tuned to the channel that had the NHRA racing on but they were in the middle of a rain delay and I started to channel surf, which is always deadly because I inevitably forget what I had told myself I would come back to later.

At any rate, I am so happy that she won, she totally deserved it and I’m sure there will be more titles to come and probably a championship. It was fun to watch the replay of John’s reaction to seeing his daughter win. That man never fails to disappoint in the emotions department. 🙂

And since I’m talking about drag racing stuff I should mention a tidbit of info I got this weekend. Next year NHRA’s top series will be known as the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series instead of its current sponsor, POWERade.

From the press release:

“It’s one of the great synergies of brand and sport,” said NHRA President Tom Compton, who orchestrated the original deal with Coca-Cola North America in 2001. “To have a title sponsor for what will be, at minimum, 12 years by the end of this current deal is a tribute to a great relationship between NHRA and Coca-Cola North America, Coca-Cola Enterprises, the POWERade brand and beginning in 2009, the Full Throttle brand.”

NHRA’s top professional series, the second most popular form of auto racing in America behind only NASCAR (source: ESPN Sports Poll), holds 24 races from February through November, all of which are broadcast by ESPN2 in HD.


Ashley Force's Funny Car at Atlanta (Photo Courtesy of NHRA)