Nevertheless, that streak will end this Friday when the 14-time champion rolls to the starting line to begin qualifying for the 25th annual Toyo Tires Nationals in a Castrol GTXR High MileageT Ford prepared by Jimmy Prock.

In a bid to provide a struggling Robert Hight with the best opportunity to make the NHRA's Countdown to One playoffs, Force decided to place the former NHRA Rookie-of-the-Year with the most experienced of the four crews that support the John Force Racing, Inc., Funny Car effort - his own.

As a result, Hight will drive for Coil and Bernie Fedderly this week at Maple Grove Raceway while Force will rely on Prock to lock up a playoff spot of his own.

"We're just trying to shake things up a little and give Robert and Auto Club their best chance to make the Countdown," Force said. "Going to the semifinals last week got me close enough so now we can focus on Robert."

It's the latest in a series of steps taken by the sport's biggest winner in an effort to light a fire under a team that, as a whole, has struggled this season.

"It's one of the things we talked about when I met with the crew chiefs after Norwalk (and the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals)," Force said of the crew swap, "but we couldn't do anything because I wasn't up in the points."

The last time anyone but Coil made the tuning decisions on Force's Funny Car at an NHRA national event was Oct. 21, 1984 when Larry Frazier was crew chief and the 14-time Auto Racing All-America selection was beaten in the first round of the Auto Club Finals at Pomona, Calif.

Nevertheless, Force is excited about being paired with Prock, considered one of the most talented young crew chiefs in the sport.

"I remember Jimmy sitting on the tailgate of the truck back when his dad (Tom Prock) used to give me used clutch parts," Force recalled.

"He's been a little lost, but he's close. All he needs is to get his confidence back."

Although he turned 60 this year and even though he is less than two years removed from the devastating crash that left him hospitalized for almost a month with broken bones in his arms, legs, hands and feet, Force has given few indications that his skills have diminished.

In fact, he was credited with a .033 reaction time last week in a semifinal showdown with Ron Capps that gave him a substantial starting line advantage before his car lost traction in the heat. If anything, Force believes he is in better physical condition today than he was when he crashed on Sept. 23, 2007.

That said, the 14-time series champion is in the midst of the longest streak of his career in which he hasn't reached the finals. Not since June 1, 2008 has the 126-time tour winner raced for a tour victory. That's 31 events. The longest he had gone previously without a final round appearance was 22 consecutive events from 1979 through June of 1983.

At Maple Grove Raceway:
- Only in the Summit Southern Nationals at Atlanta, Ga., where he's reached the finals 14 times, has John appeared in more final rounds than he has at Maple Grove Raceway (13).
- The last time John Force went this deep into the season without a win or a final round appearance (1989), he avoided the shutout by beating series champion-to-be Bruce Larson in the final round of the precursor to the Toyo Tires Nationals. That was his only victory of the season.
- John is among six drivers and officials who will be welcomed into Maple Grove Raceway's Walk of Fame at this year's Toyo Tires Nationals. He will be joined, among others, by Kenny Bernstein, Frank Manzo and NHRA announcer Bob Frey

Did You Know?
- John is trying to extend to a record-setting 23 the number of consecutive seasons in which he has won at least one NHRA tour event and to 25 the number of successive years in which he has reached at least one final round.
- John hasn't qualified No. 1 since Sept. 1, 2006 at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, Ind. That's a span of 65 races, the longest he has gone without a No. 1 start in his entire pro career.
- Last year, John was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in Novi, Mich. He was joined this year by Kenny Bernstein.
- If John makes the Countdown, it would insure his record 25th straight Top 10 finish. The last time he failed to make the Top 10 was1984 when he was 13th. That's also the last season he had a losing record (5-8). This year he is one round win shy of .500 at 15-16.

http://www.johnforceracing.com For more information about Castrol-branded products and services, please visit us at Castrol.com/US

http://www.johnforceracing.com For more information about Castrol-branded products and services, please visit us at Castrol.com/US

Courtesy of Dave Densmore