John Force wins NHRA Northwest Nationals

KENT — John Force raced to his third Funny Car victory of the season and record 141st overall win Sunday in the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways.

The 65-year-old Force beat former teammate Gary Densham in the final with a run of 4.173 seconds at 302.48 mph in a Ford Mustang. Densham’s Chevrolet Impala lost traction early and finished in 5.808 at 120.44.

Force has raced in four consecutive finals, winning twice.

“I want to win,” Force said. “That is what it is all about. But we were having so much fun down there in the staging lanes. I know you are supposed to be serious because it is race day but you are racing a friend.

“He comes up here on a budget. Look how good he does. Steps up and races with these guys after only being out a few times all year and gets in the finals. I always say, ‘If I lose to my teammates I didn’t lose.’ If I had lost to Gary Densham I would not have lost.”

Doug Kalitta won in Top Fuel, and Jason Line topped the Pro Stock division.

Kalitta raced to his second victory of the season, beating Antron Brown with a 3.844 at 318.84. Kalitta has 35 career victories to tie Don Garlits for fifth place on the Top Fuel list.

Line edged teammate Greg Anderson in the final with a 6.611 at 210.67 in a Chevy Camaro.

RESULTS

Final Finish Order

TOP FUEL

1, Doug Kalitta. 2, Antron Brown. 3, Tony Schumacher. 4, Shawn Langdon. 5, Steve Torrence. 6, Troy Buff. 7, Khalid alBalooshi. 8, Richie Crampton. 9, Brittany Force. 10, Clay Millican. 11, Spencer Massey. 12, Terry McMillen. 13, Mike Salinas. 14, J.R. Todd. 15, Bob Vandergriff. 16, Jenna Haddock.

FUNNY CAR

1, John Force. 2, Gary Densham. 3, Alexis DeJoria. 4, Matt Hagan. 5, Cruz Pedregon. 6, Tim Wilkerson. 7, Robert Hight. 8, Jack Beckman. 9, Tommy Johnson Jr.. 10, Ron Capps. 11, Jeff Diehl. 12, Del Worsham. 13, Terry Haddock. 14, Tony Pedregon. 15, Bob Tasca III. 16, Courtney Force.

PRO STOCK

1, Jason Line. 2, Greg Anderson. 3, Shane Gray. 4, Allen Johnson. 5, Dave Connolly. 6, Jonathan Gray. 7, V. Gaines. 8, Jeg Coughlin. 9, Chris McGaha. 10, Deric Kramer. 11, Matt Hartford. 12, Larry Morgan. 13, Vincent Nobile. 14, Mark Wolfe. 15, Travis Mazza.

Final Results

Top Fuel — Doug Kalitta, 3.844 seconds, 318.84 mph def. Antron Brown, 3.887 seconds, 311.70 mph.

Funny Car — John Force, Ford Mustang, 4.173, 302.48 def. Gary Densham, Chevy Impala, 5.808, 120.44.

Pro Stock — Jason Line, Chevy Camaro, 6.611, 210.67 def. Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.608, 210.54.

Top Alcohol Dragster — Joey Severance, 5.238, 273.11 def. Chris Demke, 5.251, 273.00.

Top Alcohol Funny Car — Doug Gordon, Ford Mustang, 5.609, 256.55 def. Sean Bellemeur, Chevy Camaro, 5.650, 254.38.

Competition Eliminator — Brandon Huhtala, Pontiac GXP, 7.600, 146.89 def. Ryan Warter, Chevy Camaro, foul.

Super Stock — Terry Anderson, Chevy Nova, 10.076, 131.28 def. Alan Falcone, Chevy Cavalier, 9.380, 134.97.

Stock Eliminator — Tim Fletcher, Chevy Camaro, 11.148, 110.09 def. Mick Alley, Camaro, 10.488, 126.27.

Super Comp — Marc Heritage, Dragster, 8.899, 174.17 def. Rodger Comstock, Dragster, 8.884, 176.51.

Super Gas — Mike Shannon, Chevy Corvette, 9.920, 145.66 def. Tanner Hiatt, Corvette, 9.914, 159.51.

Super Street — Kyle Colletti, Chevy, 10.899, 147.52 def. John Ermish, Chevelle, broke.

Final round-by-round results

TOP FUEL

ROUND ONE — Khalid alBalooshi, 3.809, 319.22 def. Brittany Force, 3.841, 314.31; Richie Crampton, 3.843, 317.27 def. Terry McMillen, 3.898, 316.75; Shawn Langdon, 3.787, 317.12 def. Clay Millican, 3.870, 309.77; Tony Schumacher, 3.828, 319.37 def. Jenna Haddock, 13.039, 76.94; Doug Kalitta, 3.794, 320.36 def. Mike Salinas, 4.114, 293.41; Antron Brown, 3.828, 317.79 def. Bob Vandergriff, foul; Troy Buff, 3.816, 312.78 def. Spencer Massey, 3.880, 292.39; Steve Torrence, 3.932, 310.55 def. J.R. Todd, 4.140, 211.36.

QUARTERFINALS — Brown, 3.866, 309.77 def. Crampton, 10.822, 70.61; Schumacher, 3.840, 313.88 def. Torrence, 3.909, 310.70; Kalitta, 3.864, 314.09 def. Buff, 3.996, 294.69; Langdon, 3.983, 240.89 def. alBalooshi, 3.997, 299.86.

SEMIFINALS — Kalitta, 4.032, 268.17 def. Langdon, 4.112, 262.39; Brown, 3.883, 312.13 def. Schumacher, 3.944, 295.66.

FINAL — Kalitta, 3.844, 318.84 def. Brown, 3.887, 311.70.

FUNNY CAR

ROUND ONE — John Force, Ford Mustang, 4.102, 307.58 def. Jeff Diehl, Toyota Solara, 4.354, 282.36; Gary Densham, Chevy Impala, 4.314, 286.86 def. Courtney Force, Mustang, 6.564, 98.66; Matt Hagan, Dodge Charger, 4.109, 306.26 def. Terry Haddock, Impala, 4.583, 209.88; Alexis DeJoria, Toyota Camry, 4.140, 300.40 def. Tony Pedregon, Camry, 4.663, 171.23; Jack Beckman, Charger, 4.176, 295.59 def. Tommy Johnson Jr., Charger, 4.164, 302.75; Robert Hight, Mustang, 4.112, 305.98 def. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.918, 161.23; Tim Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.134, 302.75 def. Del Worsham, Camry, 4.457, 219.44; Cruz Pedregon, Camry, 4.109, 304.05 def. Ron Capps, Charger, 4.171, 297.02.

QUARTERFINALS — DeJoria, 4.202, 293.22 def. Beckman, 4.385, 230.45; J. Force, 4.161, 302.48 def. C. Pedregon, 4.184, 296.37; Hagan, 4.241, 278.98 def. Hight, 4.287, 263.20; Densham, 4.184, 278.46 def. Wilkerson, 4.228, 294.69.

SEMIFINALS — Densham, 4.236, 288.89 def. Hagan, 4.285, 283.67; J. Force, 4.301, 258.42 def. DeJoria, 4.252, 277.72;

FINAL — J. Force, 4.173, 302.48 def. Densham, 5.808, 120.44.

PRO STOCK

ROUND ONE — Dave Connolly, Chevy Camaro, 6.560, 210.73 def. Vincent Nobile, Camaro, 6.666, 209.26; Jonathan Gray, Camaro, 6.578, 210.83 def. Chris McGaha, Camaro, 6.605, 210.08; V. Gaines, Dodge Dart, 6.581, 210.93 def. Matt Hartford, Dodge Avenger, 6.622, 209.65; Greg Anderson, Camaro, 6.556, 211.63 def. Deric Kramer, Avenger, foul; Jason Line, Camaro, 6.555, 211.16 def. Mark Wolfe, Ford Mustang, 6.810, 205.94; Allen Johnson, Dart, 6.546, 211.30 was unopposed; Shane Gray, Camaro, 6.544, 211.43 def. Travis Mazza, Mustang, 7.543, 133.88; Jeg Coughlin, Dart, 6.565, 210.67 def. Larry Morgan, Mustang, 6.646, 208.17.

QUARTERFINALS — Anderson, 6.571, 211.30 def. Coughlin, 12.185, 54.52; Line, 6.579, 210.73 def. Gaines, 6.593, 210.77; Johnson, 6.569, 210.87 def. Connolly, 6.589, 210.28; S. Gray, 6.574, 210.87 def. J. Gray, 6.591, 210.24.

SEMIFINALS — Line, 6.606, 210.24 def. S. Gray, 6.625, 210.05; Anderson, 6.586, 210.90 def. Johnson, 16.159, 51.08;

FINAL — Line, 6.611, 210.67 def. Anderson, 6.608, 210.54.