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JOHN FORCE *Winningest driver in drag racing history with 127 tour victories. *Winner of a record 14 series championships (1990-91, 1993-2002, 2004, 2006). *Winner of 10 consecutive NHRA Funny Car championships (1993-2002). *Selected as DRIVER of the YEAR for all of American motor racing in 1996 by a national panel of motorsports journalists, the first drag racer ever so honored. *Won 13 races, appeared in 16 final rounds and won 65 elimination rounds en route to the 1996 championship. All are NHRA single season records. *Accepted the John Bolster Award for lifetime achievement at the 2005 AutoSport Awards in London, England. *Has appeared in an NHRA record 202 final rounds. *Has been named to the Auto Racing All-America Team selected by members of the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association 14 times and set a record with 10 consecutive appearances (1993-2002). *Has earned the Jerry Titus Memorial Award as the All-America driver receiving the most votes from the AARWBA membership a record four times, most recently in 2002. *Started a record 395 consecutive events before failing to qualifying for the 2007 SummitRacing.com Nationals at Las Vegas, Nev. *Only driver to have won 1,000 racing rounds. *Returned to racing in 2008 and finished seventh in points after being seriously injured in a Sept. 23, 2007 crash at Dallas, Texas. *Has won at least one NHRA tour event for 22 consecutive seasons. *Has finished in the Top 10 24 consecutive seasons. YEAR-BY-YEAR HIGHLIGHTS 2008 *Victory at Topeka, Kan., extended to 22 the number of consecutive seasons in which he had won at least one NHRA tour event. *Earned a berth in the U.S. Smokeless Showdown, the NHRA’s Funny Car bonus race, for a record 25th straight season (and 26th time overall). *Lost to daughter Ashley in the final round of the Summit Southern Nationals at Atlanta, Ga., in a race in which she became the first woman to win a race in the NHRA Funny Car division. *Appeared in his 500th NHRA event and won his 1,000 racing round, the latter in a first round victory over Ron Capps during the O’Reilly Midwest Nationals at Madison, Ill. (St. Louis). 2007 *After slow start, rallied to make the NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship playoffs with three victories in one five-race stretch. *Crashed into Kenny Bernstein after beating him in the second round of the O’Reilly Fall Nationals at Dallas, Texas, suffering a compound fracture of the left ankle, badly dislocated left wrist, mangled fingers and toes and tendon and ligament damage in his right knee. Spent 26 days at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. *Finished seventh in Funny Car points even though he missed four races, failed to qualify for a fifth and failed to qualify No. 1 at least once for the first time since 1985. *Saw record streak of 395 consecutive starts end with a DNQ at Las Vegas, Nev. 2006 *Won record 14th NHRA series championship, clinching with a season-ending victory in the Auto Club Finals at Pomona, Calif. *Named by the AARWBA to its Auto Racing All-America Team for the 14th time *Recorded season’s second quickest quarter mile time at 4.664 seconds in the season-opening Winternationals at Pomona, Calif. 2005 *Was presented the John Bolster Award for lifetime contributions to motor racing at the annual AutoSport Awards in London, England. *Won a category-best five races, two more than any other driver. *Was the No. 1 qualifier at the sport’s biggest event, the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, Ind., for the 10th time in the last 16 years. 2004 *Returned to the Auto Racing All-America Team after a one-year absence, his 12th overall appearance on the team selected by members of the AARWBA. *Won NHRA Funny Car Championship for the 13th time, reclaiming the title lost in 2003 to then teammate Tony Pedregon. *Became the first Funny Car driver to cover the quarter mile in fewer that 4.70 seconds (4.698 at Joliet, Ill.) en route to establishing new NHRA performance records for time (4.665 seconds) and speed (333.58 mph). *Won five times and was runner-up on seven other occasions in the Castrol GTX Start Up Ford Mustang. 2003 *Lowered NHRA world record for Funny Car time to 4.721 seconds. *Won races at Denver, Seattle and Dallas, thereby extending to 14 the number of consecutive seasons in which he had earned at least three tour victories. *Lost to teammate Tony Pedregon in an all-John Force Racing final round in the Budweiser Shootout Funny Car bonus race. 2002 *Held off teammate Tony Pedregon, beating him in the final round of the ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals and the semifinals of the season-ending Auto Club Finals to win his 10th consecutive championship and 12th overall by only 78 points. *Won the Jerry Titus Memorial Award for a record for time for receiving the most votes of any other driver named to the Auto Racing All-America Team. *Won Mac Tools U.S. Nationals for the fourth time. *Earned at least eight tour victories in a season for the sixth time in his career *Won at Brainerd, Minn., for the 10th time, a record for one event 2001 *Twice lowered the NHRA national Funny Car record, first to 4.763 seconds in Joliet, Ill., and later to 4.731 seconds at Reading, Pa. *Won the special 50th Anniversary NHRA Nationals to become the first driver history ever to win three DIFFERENT events at Pomona, Calif., Raceway. 2000 *Named to Auto Racing All-America Team by the membership of the AARWBA. *After trailing Jerry Toliver for half the season, rallied to win his 10th NHRA Funny Car title, beating Toliver and Ron Capps. *Broke Bob Glidden's career victory record when he won his 86th event at Joliet *Earned double digit victories (11) for the fifth time in his career *Won the Budweiser Shootout for a record fifth time 1999 *Named to Auto Racing All-America Team by the membership of the AARWBA. *Won six times in the first eight races en route to ninth NHRA Funny Car championship *Set NHRA World records for both time (4.788 seconds) and speed (324.05 mph) *Drove a special “Superman” version of the Castrol GTX Ford to the $200,000 top prize in the first Winston Showdown which pitted Funny Cars against Top Fuel dragsters at Bristol 1998 *Named to Auto Racing All-America Team by the membership of the AARWBA. *Won fewer races than both Ron Capps and Cruz Pedregon, but still managed to claim another championship, his sixth straight. *Won drag racing’s biggest event, the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, for the third time, in a special gold 7-time champion version of the Castrol GTX Ford. *Set an NHRA national speed record for Funny Cars that from May 17 until Nov. 1 not only was the Funny Car record, but the overall record. It was faster than the Top Fuel record for almost six months. 1997 *Named to Auto Racing All-America Team by the membership of the AARWBA. *For the second time in his career, led NHRA points the entire season and won the first Funny Car championship for Ford since 1974. *Set NHRA speed national record at three consecutive events from late September through mid-October: 313.15 mph at Sears Craftsman Nationals, 314.35 at Pennzoil Nationals presented by AutoZone, a career-best 314.46 at Revell Nationals. *Dominated Funny Car performance charts, leading with six victories, 10 final rounds, six No. 1 qualifying spots and seven low elapsed times. *Won non-points Winston Invitational for third consecutive year. 1996 *Voted national motorsports DRIVER OF THE YEAR in balloting by nationwide motorsports media. *Won 13 races, appeared in 16 final rounds and won 65 elimination rounds, all NHRA single-season records for a 19-event season. *Clinched sixth NHRA Winston championship Sept. 2, earlier than any other pro champion. *Set NHRA elapsed-time national record with run of 4.889 seconds by becoming the first to break the 4.90 second barrier at Sears Craftsman Nationals at Topeka, Kan. *Named to Auto Racing All-America Team by the membership of the AARWBA and earned the Jerry Titus Memorial Award as the top vote-getter. *Swept Big Bud Shootout bonus race and U.S. Nationals for the second time, earning $230,000. 1995 *Named to Auto Racing All-America Team by the membership of the AARWBA. *Won four of the season’s first eight races to open up a lead that carried him to his fifth championship in six years. *Appeared in 11 of the 19 final round races. *Won a career record five consecutive races en route to the championship. *Became first Funny Car driver ever to sweep the three events in the Western Swing (Denver, Seattle and Sonoma). *Lowered NHRA national record to 4.939 seconds at Topeka, Kan. 1993 *Named by the member of the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association to the Auto-Racing All-America Team for the second time in his career. *Won the season-opening Winternationals at Pomona, Calif., and never trailed in the point standings to reclaim title lost the previous season to Cruz Pedregon. *Earned the NHRA “Double-Up” bonus by winning the sport’s biggest event, the Labor Day U.S. Nationals just one day after winning the Big Bud Shootout bonus race. *Became first Funny Car driver to earn double digit victories (10) in a single season. *Although rival Chuck Etchells became the first Funny Car driver to break the 5.00 second barrier, John was the first to set the record at under-5.00 seconds (4.996 at Dallas, Texas). 1992 *Won four of the season’s first 11 races. *Finished second in final point standings to rookie Cruz Pedregon, who won five of the season’s last six races. 1991 *Effectively locked up his second straight championship by winning back-to-back-to-back at Sonoma, Seattle and Brainerd. 1990 *Claimed first career championship, beating Ed “The Ace” McCulloch (and then crew chief Bernie Fedderly) by today’s equivalent of 43 points. *Won the Big Bug Shootout bonus race. *Named for the first time to the Auto Racing All-America team by the members of the American Automobile Writers and Broadcasters Association. 1989 *Salvaged sixth place in points with a late season victory at Reading, Pa. *Runner-up to series champion Bruce Larson at the season-ending World Finals. 1988 *Won three times (Columbus, Ohio, Brainerd, Minn. and Pomona, Calif.) to finish a career best third in points. *No. 1 qualifier four times. 1987 *Earned first career victory at the Molson Grandnational at Montreal, Canada, beating Ed McCulloch in the final. *Won the Big Bud Shootout for the first time, topping Mark Oswald in the final *Fell from second to fourth in final standings after failing to qualify for the season-ending World Finals at Pomona, Calif. (the last qualifying failure of his career). 1986 *Started from the No. 1 qualifying position for the first time in his career (Cajun Nationals, Baton Rouge, La.) *Finalist in the Big Bud Shootout Funny Car bonus race, losing to Mark Oswald in the final. *Runner-up to Kenny Bernstein at Montreal, Canada, and Englishtown, N.J. *Fourth in Funny Car points. 1985 *Runner-up to John Collins at Phoenix. *Beat Kenny Bernstein and Don Prudhomme before losing to Al Segrin at the season-opening Winternationals. *Runner-up to Mark Oswald at Englishtown, N.J., and to John Lombardo at the World Finals at Pomona, Calif. *Finished a then career best fourth in points. 1982 1981 *Semifinalist at season-opening Winternationals in another abbreviated season. 1980 *Ran just five races in a short season. 1979 *Runner-up to Kenny Bernstein in his first final round appearance (Cajun Nationals at Baton Rouge, La.). In the same race, he won his first round by beating Tom McEwen. *Runner-up to World Champion Raymond Beadle at Englishtown, N.J. *Finished eighth in Funny Car driver points. 1978 *Qualified for his first NHRA national event (World Finals at Pomona, Calif.) before losing to Gordie Bonin in first round. ####
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