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NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION MEDIA CONFERENCEApril 13, 2016Brittany ForceGlendora, California SCOTT SPEED: Next up we are joined by Brittany Force. Brittany, thank you for joining us today. BRITTANY FORCE: Thank you for having me. SCOTT SPEED: Brittany recorded her first career Top Fuel win at the historic Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals earlier this year when she defeated Terry McMillen in the finals, and she's also raced to another final round appearance this season. She became the first member of John Force Racing to win outside of the Funny Car ranks in the pro category and is currently the Top Fuel points leader. Brittany, obviously social media is really busy right now and we've watched you since that win. We've had another event, but have things kind of settled down for you a little bit since recording that first career victory? BRITTANY FORCE: A little bit, but there's still so much excitement just around all of it. There was a lot to take in that day. Our first win with Monster Energy, point leaders, getting into the Traxxas Shootout, first Top Fuel win for John Force Racing. There was so much around it, and it was huge. It was a huge moment for everyone at John Force Racing. I'm still over the moon about it. I'm still so beyond excited and proud about that, and I definitely want more. SCOTT SPEED: Right before you joined us we were talking about Alan Johnson, and you were the sixth driver to claim the first career victory with Alan, the others being Blaine Johnson, his brother, Gary Scelzi, Bruce Sarver, Shawn Langdon and Khalid alBalooshi, and somebody asked where your win kind of ranked in there, and he said obviously his brother's first win in 1995 was huge, but he said second behind that would probably be your win because of how much you put yourself into not only his program but the sport in general. Does that kind of give you pause, going up against names that I read off in Alan's career, that he thinks that that win was so special to him and not only to you? BRITTANY FORCE: That's really huge. For him to say that on his side, that makes me feel great as a driver, makes me feel proud to work with him. I mean, obviously it was something I've been chasing for so long, and it felt good to finally accomplish that. Obviously we wouldn't have made it there without him and Brian Husen and the entire team. It really is touching to hear him say something like that. Q. What's something that you learned that day when you got your first win that you think you'll remember for the rest of your career? BRITTANY FORCE: Oh, just that it is possible. There were so many times when I came so close, but if you don't take it all home that day, you're not the winner, you're not the champ that day. Just no matter how many negative things come up, how many times you end up in a final, how many first rounds you drive, you just have to keep pushing, and one thing I've always been pretty good about is staying positive. We've had great days, we've had bad days, but to keep positive and to keep that momentum moving forward, and keep pushing for it because it'll happen. Q. I was standing out at the far end after you won, and your dad was one of the first people that you talked to down there. Do you remember what that conversation was like between the two of you? BRITTANY FORCE: Actually I don't know if there was much of a conversation. He was speechless for -- I mean, my dad is a talker, and it's like one of the first times I think I've ever seen him speechless. He didn't know what to say. But you could just tell by looking at him, he was just so excited. There was so much emotion, and you could tell he was very proud, and it was awesome to have my entire family out there. Courtney came down with them, Robert was there in the winner's circle with us, my mom, Ashley and the kids were there, so it was very special to be able to have my whole family there. Q. As you look now towards the four wide and the challenges that it brings within all of the challenges that the rest of the season still holds, how are those different for you now with Alan Johnson on your side versus before? BRITTANY FORCE: You know, there's still going to be challenges. That's not going to change. Really my focus is the same thing it always is: Doing my job as a driver, making sure I'm listening to the advice that Alan gives me, that Brian gives me, focusing on what we need to do together as a whole to get the car down the racetrack and turn those win lights on on Sunday. You know, I've learned so much over the years from so many different teachers, so many different crew chiefs I've been involved with, so many other drivers, and I kind of just keep all of that. That's stuff I'll never forget, and I believe it got me -- it's definitely gotten me where I am today. But every round, every run you make down the racetrack, you learn something new. Q. Brittany, at the end of February when Leah won her race, there was all this buzz about you and her and a female winner in Top Fuel, and now yesterday Bob Vandergriff closes his shop. What is that impact going to be on your class on Leah being out there now as a free agent and Dave Connolly, too? BRITTANY FORCE: That's definitely tough for the entire sport. I don't know if I really feel like I'm in a place to comment on it, but we need those cars out there. We need -- they're great for the sport, and we want to keep growing the sport. I hope everything works out for both drivers, teams, everybody involved. I hope they all get something worked out because we need all of them out here. Q. Is there one specific thing that Alan has brought to your team that you really never thought about before that's helped you get your first win, et cetera? BRITTANY FORCE: I think the biggest thing is consistency, and you definitely -- we've all seen that in our team since coming out to Pomona. Even testing in Phoenix at the beginning of the year, I think we made about 12 passes, and the race car went down there every single run, just right down the racetrack. I think we had one run where it went halfway down the track, and I think that's been the biggest key, and especially helping us to go around, make it to the final, make it to the winner's circle is just all those qualifying passes, four qualifying passes, four great runs, and signing us up for race day on Sunday. Q. Brittany, was it you or your car owner who made the decision to try to bring Alan Johnson in? That's number one. And number two, what was your first meeting like with Alan Johnson? BRITTANY FORCE: That was all John Force Racing. It had been in the works for a while. We'd been talking about it. The first time I actually really spoke to him, I never really spoke to him before out at the races or anything like that, was through email. He sent me an email talking about -- introducing himself to me, and he wanted to get to know me better as a driver, wanted to know my routines, how I work, how -- just everything involved that I do at home and what I bring to the racetrack. He sent me a list of questions and asked, when you have the chance, when you have a chance, can you answer these. I just want to get to know you better as a driver since we won't be meeting until Phoenix when we test. I went through all the questions and probably gave him more than he needed to know, so our first actual -- the first time we actually talked was through email, going back and forth a few times, and then obviously we started out in Phoenix, and that's where we began testing. Q. Did he scare you at all the very first time you met him face to face? BRITTANY FORCE: Definitely. I was definitely intimidated when it was all in the works. We were talking about -- nothing was settled. Nothing was confirmed yet that we were going into the season with him. But it was definitely in the works. We were talking about it. I was definitely very intimidated just because I never really spoke to him at the racetrack. I didn't really know much about him. I know what he's done for the sport. I know what a big name he is in the sport and how much he's accomplished, and it was definitely a little intimidating, but after a few emails and working with him in Phoenix and then in Pomona, he's an awesome guy, and I feel very lucky to be teamed up with him, working with him, and I'm really glad with where we're at. Q. Whenever a driver picks up their first win at a top level like that, they get inundated with people who suddenly want to talk to them, meet them, thank them, congratulate them, the whole nine yards. Who is the most unbelievable person that reached out to you to tell you great job? BRITTANY FORCE: You know, at the Gatornationals, at the end of the day, once I finally went home, I looked at my phone, and I mean, it was just blown up with text messages and calls, and it felt really good to see that, that people went out of their way just to text me congrats; we were watching at home; good job; cheering you on the whole way. And it felt really good to see that, especially because this is such a huge moment for me, something I've worked so hard for, and it's something I'm very proud of. I think some of the coolest people that reached out to me were people that I actually worked with over the last few years, old crew chiefs, old crew guys that I worked with, and I really believe I've learned so much from all my teachers over the past, and like I said earlier, without them and my years with them, my experience with them, I don't think I'd be here today. Q. After it settled in that you had won your first race, did you even think about not just that you won your first race but what race you actually won in the history of the people that have won the Gatornationals? BRITTANY FORCE: That was huge. It was just another thing that made that weekend that much more special. There were so many things involved in that weekend, and to be able to bring home the first win out at the Gatornationals, it's one of the biggest races on our circuit. I remember going to Gatornationals watching my dad as a kid, and we have friends and family that come out to that race, and it's such a huge race. It's such an exciting one. I mean, the fans pack into that racetrack like I've never seen before, and just to be able to bring home our first win there, it makes it really memorable. Q. And to top it off, how big a deal was it for your mother to get the Pat Garlits Memorial Award on top of it all? BRITTANY FORCE: I know, that was special, too, just to be able to share something with her that weekend. We were all proud of her, went to the banquet before the weekend started, and it was really cool that the whole family brought everything home that weekend. SCOTT SPEED: Brittany, heading into Charlotte, the Four-Wide is such a different event, and it's one that I think drag racing fans put on their bucket list to see, but as a driver, do you have a different mindset going into that event, or do you plan a little differently, or do you just pretty much still have to race your lane? BRITTANY FORCE: You know, absolutely. I go into it with a whole different mindset, just because it is different. I enjoy the race because it is a challenge, and the nice thing about it is it's not just a challenge for me but it's a challenge for all the drivers because we haven't been doing it that long. For me, I can't speak for all drivers out there, but pulling up to that starting line looking at that tree with all those bulbs and knowing that you have that many people in the lane next to you, it's a little overwhelming, and for me, I have to go up there, I've done it the last few years, you'll see me up there on the starting line before we run, and I'll just be practicing. If I know I'm going up in lane 2, I'll be standing up in lane 2 before I go out there and just mentally practicing with the car in front of me because for me, I need to do that. I don't want to get lost up there. I don't want to screw up, and I want to know where I'm at on the racetrack and make sure I'm doing my job right. So for me, it's just -- yeah, my routine will change a little bit, and you'll see me up there. SCOTT SPEED: Thank you very much for taking time out of your day to join us. Again, congratulations on your win in Gainesville, and we will see you at the aforementioned Four-Wide Nationals next weekend. BRITTANY FORCE: All right, thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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