Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

USA

Force recruits McCulloch for title fight

The NHRA Countdown to the Championship has seen John Force bolstering his engineering lineup as he aims for his 17th Funny Car championship, bringing in Jason McCulloch to help on tune-ups.

John Force

John Force

General Motors

Jason McCulloch, Jon Schaffer and Nick Casertano
Funny Car winner John Force
Jason McCulloch, Jon Schaffer and Nick Casertano
Courtney Force
Robert Hight
Traxxas Nitro Shootout winner Courtney Force
Brittany Force
Robert Hight

Force, who has also won two more Funny Car titles as a team owner – with Robert Hight in 2009 and Tony Pedregon in ’03 – has scored two wins this season but heads into the Countdown points reset with a 90pt deficit to Don Schumacher Racing’s Ron Capps, having finished the ‘regular’ season in eighth.

As a result, this weekend’s NHRA Nationals at zMax Dragway in Charlotte, N.C., will see Force’s PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS Funny Car team gaining Jason McCulloch in sharing the tune-up duties with crew chief Jon Schaffer, while Nick Casertano will continue his day-to-day duties of crew management.

The move brings McCulloch back to his Funny Car roots after over a decade winning championships in Top Fuel. McCulloch used to work on his father’s Funny Car before switching to Top Fuel.

Said Force: “Growing up in California I always felt like my heroes – Don ‘Snake’ Prudhomme, Tom ‘Mongoose’ McEwen and Ed ‘The Ace’ McCulloch – were the boys of Southern California. I used to see Jason sitting on truck tailgates learning from all these legends, just like me.

“The McCullochs are Funny Car people just like the Forces. It just seemed like a natural fit to bring Jason over with me and team him up with Jon Schaffer.

“I have always worked to build the next generation of drivers and crew chiefs. This move is part of that plan and one that I think will make all my teams stronger.”

McCulloch himself added: “I am looking forward to working on the PEAK Camaro with Jon and Nick as well as the rest of the guys on that crew.  That team has a lot of talent and I am ready to do my part to win John Force another Funny Car championship.”

Teammate lineups remain the same

Force saw his Funny Car teammates – daughter Courtney Force and son-in-law Robert Hight – finish the regular season fourth and sixth in the championship standings, and their crew rosters will remain the same. Mike Neff will continue crew chief for Hight’s Auto Club Camaro which won the Gatornationals, while Courtney Force’s Houston-winning Traxxas Camaro will be led by Danny Hood and Ronnie Thompson.

Force’s Monster Energy Top Fuel team has the experience of not just world championship tuner Brian Husen but also the additional input legendary Top Fuel crew chief Alan Johnson.

With three wins, Force’s youngest daughter Brittany has enjoyed a breakout season and is gunning for JFR’s first Top Fuel championship. After finishing fifth in Top Fuel championship table pre-Countdown, she begins her title quest 60 points behind Don Schumacher’s points leader and defending champion Antron Brown.

 

Be part of Motorsport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Hines gunning for sixth Pro Stock Motorcycle title
Next article Johnson Jr., Kalitta, Line and Savoie lead qualifying at the Carolina Nationals

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

USA