NHRA Funny Car driver John Force heads down the track during a qualifying run at day one of the Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway on July 22, 2016.
MORRISON — Ageless drag-racing legend John Force, the 16-time NHRA funny car champion with a flair for the dramatic, was again a showstopper Friday at Bandimere Speedway. Eighteen years after becoming the first human to reach 300 mph in Colorado, Force produced the first 3-second funny car pass in state history.
The 67-year-old Force, who is sponsored by RealTree camouflage, was his humorous self while being interviewed at the finish line.
“Did the fans even see the car? Not because it was so fast, because it was camouflage,” he said before thanking RealTree and his other financial partners.
Force covered the 1,000 feet in 3.959 seconds, with a top speed of 317.79 mph. It came shortly before a rainstorm put the first qualifying session of the 37th Mopar Mile-High Nationals to a halt. A long delayed ensued into the evening.
Force broke his own track record in funny car elapsed-time. He made a record 4.015-second pass a year ago and he still owns the top speed record of 318.39 mph, set in the 2014 race.
Andy Cross, The Denver Post
NHRA Funny Car driver John Force deploys his chutes after a record run during the Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway July 23, 2016.
Michael Reaves, The Denver Post
NHRA Funny Car driver John Force heads down the track during a qualifying run at day one of the Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway on July 22, 2016.
Michael Reaves, The Denver Post
Driver John Force signs autographs for fans during a rain delay at day one of the Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway on July 22, 2016.
Michael Reaves, The Denver Post
A crew member walks through the staging area with a rainbow overlooking the track during a rain delay at day one of the Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway on July 22, 2016.
Michael Reaves, The Denver Post
A fan fights off the rain during a delay at day one of the Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway on July 22, 2016.
Michael Reaves, The Denver Post
A crew member for Courtney Force covers the car during a rain delay at day one of the Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway on July 22, 2016.
Michael Reaves,The Denver Post
Fans run to avoid the rain during a delay at day one of the Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway on July 22, 2016.
Michael Reaves, The Denver Post
Pro Stock motorcycles take off for qualifying during day one of the Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway on July 22, 2016.
Michael Reaves, The Denver Post
Antron Brown qualifies during day one of the Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway on July 22, 2016.
Michael Reaves, The Denver Post
Courtney Force takes off for qualifying during day one of the Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway on July 22, 2016.
Michael Reaves/The Denver Post
Driver Kariann Bombard focuses in the car prior to qualifying during day one of the Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway on July 22, 2016.
Andy Cross, The Denver Post
A jet-dryer heads down track during a rain delay at the NHRA Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway July 23, 2016.
Andy Cross, The Denver Post
NHRA Funny Car driver John Force, left, and Alexis DeJoria race down track at Bandimere Speedway during the Mopar Parts Mile-High Nationals July 22, 2016. Force set a new track record.
Michael Reaves, The Denver Post
MORRISON, CO - JULY 22: Steve Torrence does a burnout prior to breaking the Top Fuel track record with a time of 3.787 seconds during day one of the Mo-Par Mile High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway on July 22, 2016. (Photo by Michael Reaves/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
Andy Cross, The Denver Post
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NHRA Funny Car driver John Force deploys his chutes after a record run during the Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway July 23, 2016.
Force’s early success Friday has him hoping his team has turned the corner. Since introducing a new Chevrolet Camaro and setup combination May 20 in Topeka, Kan., he has advanced past the first round just three times in six races. He hit the wall in qualifying at Topeka and ran over a center-lane cone in the previous event July 7-10 outside Chicago.
“I finally read the manual. I know how to drive it,” Force said from the finish line. “If I quit crashing this thing, we’re going to be OK.”
Later in his plush motor home, Force said his team had great success with the car at a test session last week in Indianapolis. Force is winless in 13 races and just 13-13 in eliminations.
“We hit the balance on the car,” he said of the test at Indy. “We’ve really struggled hard. I know how to motivate but it beats the morale of these young kids, who all feel like they’re letting me down … But now, I think we’re going to be OK.”
In 1998 Friday qualifying at Bandimere, Force’s pass with a top speed of 301.70 mph was historic on several levels, including being the last NHRA national-event track to feature a 300 mph pass. Friday, Force reiterated that the best part of that record run was that he “beat the dragsters” to it.
So how long will Force remained on the NHRA circuit? “I just re-signed. I’m going to push this thing out five years,” he said. “Time will tell me when it’s over, when I can’t see. But my vision is good, my reflexes are good. I train continually. And I really still love it.”
