LAS VEGAS — Brittany Force is looking ahead to the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, beginning April 1, for her next opportunity to claim a win at one of the most unique races in motorsports.
While she’s a fan of the thrill, the Top Fuel star also recognizes the challenges that come along with four-wide drag racing and the intense focus needed to succeed in the format.
Force has enjoyed success in Las Vegas before, but never in the four-wide format — something she’s eager to change with her 11,000-horsepower Monster Energy/Flav-R-Pac dragster. Along with the incredible rush of four nitro-burning machines powering down the Las Vegas dragstrip simultaneously, Force knows the tremendous importance of being locked in throughout the weekend.
“It’s a great experience for the fans, it’s fun to watch and be a part of, but it’s definitely a challenge keeping your focus where it needs to be. It’s tough, but we definitely want to win it again,” said Force, a former Top Fuel world champ. “One of the biggest challenges is knowing what your lane in. I’ve done it since they started this thing and you have to be focused on a lot of different things and it is a challenge. It’s tough and there’s a lot going on, but it’s definitely worth it when you win it.”
She won the four-wide event in Charlotte, N.C., and will now try to replicate that victory in Las Vegas.
Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Bob Tasca III (Funny Car) and Erica Enders (Pro Stock) all picked up wins at last year’s four-wide race in Las Vegas. This year’s event will be the fourth of this season’s 22 races.
For Force, it’s a chance to get her season going in a big way in an absolutely loaded Top Fuel class.
In the first three races of the season, there’s already been three different winners, with Mike Salinas currently leading the pack and Justin Ashley right behind. Other marquee challengers include the four-time defending world champ Torrence, Tony Schumacher, Josh Hart, Leah Pruett and Force’s teammate, Austin Prock.
Currently fourth in points, Force is still right in the mix. She will head to Las Vegas Motor Speedway with plenty of hope and confidence, largely due to her previous success at the track. She holds both ends of the track record in Vegas, including the fastest run in Top Fuel history (338.17 mph).
“I love racing in Las Vegas. It’s one of my favorite tracks on the circuit,” Force said. “It’s a place where we’ve had some success and we’re looking for our first win of the season, and we would love to do it there. I think this is going to be one of the toughest years in Top Fuel, but I’m excited to be a part of it and see what our team can do.”
In Funny Car, Tasca would love to put a jolt in his season in his 11,000-horsepower BG Products/Ford Motorcraft Mustang at a place that brought him a major victory a year ago. He’s struggled in his 2022 season, winning just two rounds in three races, but he brings with him the remembrance of his impressive four-wide victory last year in Las Vegas when he outperformed the likes of Matt Hagan, Tim Wilkerson and reigning world champ Ron Capps.
Another victory is the goal this time around, against a loaded Funny Car field. Along with last year’s runner-up Hagan, who won the most recent event in Gainesville and gave Tony Stewart Racing its first win, Tasca will also try to hold off points leader Robert Hight, John Force, J.R. Todd and Cruz Pedregon.
Ready to go with a new sponsor, Tasca is feeling good about his chance to repeat.
“We have everything we need to go back to Vegas and defend our win from last year and that’s exactly what we intend to do,” said Tasca, who finished a career-best third in points a year ago. “I’m thrilled to have BG on board as a primary sponsor. They have been a huge supporter of our race program and I have always wanted to run an all BG Mustang.”
Enders has been impressive in Pro Stock at Las Vegas over the years, with her eight wins tying reigning world champion Greg Anderson for the most in the class’s history. As a four-time world champ, Enders has posted a Vegas victory every year for the past three years, with the 2021 victory marking her first four-wide win at the track.
She already has a win this season and will look to keep rolling against a loaded field that includes her teammate and points leader Aaron Stanfield, Kyle Koretsky and Dallas Glenn.
The event also will feature competition in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, which features some of the sport’s top drivers. After nitro qualifying on both days, fans can watch a jet car display featuring the “Muy Caliente” jets, as well as the “Volcano” jet dragster.
The winner’s circle celebration will take place on Sunday after racing concludes, where fans are invited to congratulate the new NHRA Four-Wide Nationals winners.