Sun, 29 Oct 2000, 01:30 PM Force Clinches 10th Series Championship

Courtesy of Dave Densmore Eighth in Succession

BAYTOWN, Texas - John Force became only the second driver in NHRA drag racing history to win 10 series championships Sunday when he clinched the first Funny Car title of the new millennium during competition in the fourth annual Matco Tools SuperNationals at Houston Raceway Park.

Force wins 10th championship.

Force locked up the $200,000 Winston Championship with two races still remaining (next week at Dallas, Texas, and the following week at Pomona, Calif.) when his only remaining rivals for the title, Ron Capps and Jerry Toliver, failed to gain enough ground to move within 276 points of the lead.

Toliver, who led the Funny Car points for the season's first seven events, was eliminated from even mathematical consideration when he lost to Bob Gilbertson in round one. Capps, who moved into second place three weeks ago with a victory in the AutoZone Nationals at Memphis, Tenn., survived only one round further before also losing to Gilbertson. Force himself survived the first round, driving his national record-holding Castrol GTX Ford Mustang past the Camaro of Cristen Powell.

The greatest number of points available in any one event is 138. To earn the maximum a driver would be required to qualify No. 1, win the event and set an NHRA national record. Force needed to leave the Houston event at least 277 points ahead. He came into the event leading Capps by 290 and Toliver by 306 and extended his advantage during qualifying.

On the basis of first round results, he would leave Houston no less than 316 points ahead of Capps and 331 ahead of Toliver.

In winning an unprecedented eighth straight title, Force tied another of Pro Stock legend Bob Glidden's career records. The 51-year-old veteran from Yorba Linda, Calif., has won 10 of the last 11 NHRA Funny Car titles, losing only in 1992 when he finished second behind Cruz Pedregon.

With the championship in hand, Force said that his team now will focus on testing parts and pieces for 2001 and his drive for a record-breaking 11th title.

"Number 10 was important," Force said, "but what we really have talked about is No. 11. This one was tough. Toliver gave us a run early and then Capps came on at the end of the season like we thought he would. Fortunately, we were able to beat some good teams out there but it looks like there'll be even more of them to fight for the championship next year.

"(Two-time Top Fuel Champion Gary) Scelzi's talking about a Funny Car with Alan Johnson , (Chuck) Etchells is going to have two cars with Tommy (Johnson) Jr. and (Jim) Epler and the group that's already racing's tough enough."

Although he had clinched championships in 1995, 1997 and 1999 at the Texas Motorplex outside Dallas, this is the first time Force has clinched a title at HRP, the track on which he set the current NHRA national record of 4.788 seconds.

With only this week's resumption of the O'Reilly Nationals at the Motorplex and next week's season-ending AAA of Southern California Finals at Pomona, Calif., remaining, the team's focus with shift from Force to teammate Tony Pedregon and his bid to move up in the point standings.

Pedregon came into the Matco SuperNationals in fourth place behind Toliver and Capps. The 35-year-old veteran has finished second to Force three times in the last four years (1996, 1997 and 1999).

Sunday's competition not only locked up a 10th series crown for Force, it nailed down an unprecedented 12th championship for Crew Chief Austin Coil who, before joining Force Racing in 1986, won two NHRA Winston titles (1982 and 1983) with driver Frank Hawley at the wheel of the Chi-Town Hustler entry.