Ashley Force Sonoma wrap up

ASHLEY MOVES UP IN STANDINGS AFTER RUNNER-UP FINISH AT SONOMA

YORBA LINDA, Calif. – As a result of her runner-up performance in Sunday’s Lucas Sportsman Series points race in Sonoma, Calif., Ashley Force moved from ninth to eighth in the Top Alcohol Dragster driver standings and, more importantly, climbed to within 33 points of the Top 5.

Ms. Force, the 23-year-old daughter of 13-time NHRA Funny Car Champion John Force, was beaten in the final round at Infineon Raceway by moonlighting Top Fuel driver Morgan Lucas. Nevertheless, she was able to make up ground on the two drivers at the top of the standings: Sean O’Bannon and Duane Shields, both eliminated in the first round of the same event.

Ashley’s next appearance in the Castrol dragster will be in the Labor Day Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, Ind., a race she won as a rookie in 2004. Unfortunately, the second generation driver won’t be able to earn points in that race, having already exhausted her national event allotment.

If she is to move up in the standings, she’ll have to do so in regional events upcoming at Englishtown, N.Y., Atlanta, Ga., Reynolds, Ga., and Las Vegas, Nev.
Ashley is in her third season at the wheel of the car owned and prepared by Jerry Darien and Ken Meadows. She finished fourth in national points in 2004; seventh last year.

This year, she’s won national events at Gainesville, Fla., and Atlanta, Ga. Ironically, she is winless at the divisional level, having settled for two runner-up finishes in three races.

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Current NHRA Top Alcohol Dragster points: 1. Sean O’Bannon, 596; 2. Duane Shields, 521; 3. Spencer Massey, 520; 4. Arthur Gallant, 519; 5. Bill Reichert, 509; 6. Steve Federlin, 499; 7. Steve Torrence, 487; 8. Ashley Force, 478; 9. Chris Demke, 435; 10. Aaron Olivarez, 433.