![\"(John](\"https:\/\/nitrofccanada.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/GV-NFFC-Force.jpg\")
<\/a>(John Force collected his 148th event win and 2500 career round win – at NHRA Gainesville’s Gatornationals)<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve lived on music in my old Chevy,\u201d Force said. \u201cI can remember when I was 15 years old driving around without a driver\u2019s license and the music carried me. Every day, the Beach Boys, Merle Haggard. I lived that life and you find yourself.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t go to a race without believing I can win,\u201d continued Force, the day after recording his 155th No. 1 qualifying spot. \u201cThe day I don\u2019t believe I can win, then it\u2019s time for me to quit. It\u2019s like a rollercoaster ride and I\u2019m still a kid driving that \u201954 Chevy listening to the Beach Boys, and I found the music. They are going to be sorry I found the music, trust me.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 67-year-old hadn\u2019t won at the Gatornationals since 2001, breaking a 16-year drought, which set yet another NHRA record. But there are better ones he set as well including —\u00a0Most Funny Car victories in the Gatornationals (eight), thirty seasons with at least one Funny Car victory,\u00a0Forty seasons in which he beat a new competitor to the finish line and oldest driver ever to win in a Funny Car<\/p>\n
<\/a>(JFR racing’s Robert Hight set both low ET and top speed with his AAA Auto Club Chevy Camaro)<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got a lot of experience that, believe it or not, things that I bring to a racetrack,\u201d Force said when asked if he\u2019d have an advantage lined up against a 40-year-old version of himself. \u201cI read things, I listen, I study the other drivers, I\u2019m nothing special. I\u2019m just a guy that\u2019s devoted my life to it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Force started the day with a convincing 3.881-second pass at 331.45 mph against Del Worsham in the opening round. Then, he squared off against Jack Beckman in the quarterfinals, whom he had only an 11-28 record against. That didn\u2019t matter, as Force made another solid pass of 3.916 at 328.14 mph, while Beckman stuttered.<\/p>\n
It was onto the semifinals and Tommy Johnson Jr., who slipped into round three despite problems with his car the previous round. Force drove straight down the track in 3.955 seconds at 324.05 seconds \u2013 while Johnson struggled again \u2013 and into the finals against Lindberg.<\/p>\n
<\/a>(Sweden’s Jonnie Lindberg – a 2X NHRA TAFC champion – had a remarkable debut in fuel FC taking the Head Racing Toyota to the final round)<\/p><\/div>\n
Force bested Lindberg\u2019s reaction time \u2013 0.071 seconds to 0.115 \u2013 and led the entire way, beating Lindberg\u2019s time with a pass of 3.928 seconds at 328.14 mph to 3.971 at 314.83 mph. All that in a new car, and less than two weeks after switching crews with teammate Robert Hight\u2019s team.<\/p>\n
The victory over Lindberg also gave John Force Racing another milestone \u2013 2,500 Funny Car victories. JFR has won more than 20 percent of all Funny Car rounds \u2013 more than 12,100 \u2013 ever contested.<\/p>\n
Event Essentials: \u00a0 NHRA Amalie Oil Gatornationals (March 17-19th, 2017)\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n
\n <\/td>\n NAME<\/strong><\/td>\n ET<\/strong><\/td>\n MPH<\/strong><\/td>\n CAREER WIN<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Winner:<\/strong><\/td>\n John Force<\/td>\n \u00a03.928<\/td>\n 328.14<\/td>\n \u00a0148th<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n R\/UP:<\/strong><\/td>\n Jonnie Lindberg<\/td>\n \u00a03.971<\/td>\n 314.83<\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Low ET:<\/strong><\/td>\n Robert Hight<\/td>\n \u00a03.828<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Top Speed:<\/strong><\/td>\n Robert Hight<\/td>\n <\/td>\n 334.82<\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Bump Spot:<\/strong><\/td>\n <\/td>\n \u00a04.544<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Event Entries:<\/strong><\/td>\n \u00a016 Cars<\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n