After One False Start,
Force Gives New Body a Reprieve

by Dave Densmore

Forty-eight hours after being sent to the sidelines because of perceived imperfections, John Force's new "fat-bodied" Castrol GTX® Ford Mustang was put back in the lineup for the fourth annual Sears Craftsman Nationals at Gateway International Raceway.

Although a Monday test session at National Trail Raceway in Kirkersville, Ohio, yielded less than spectacular numbers, it proved to Force's satisfaction that steering problems which plagued him during qualifying for the Pontiac Excitement Nationals had been corrected.

Chassis components added to accommodate the new Tim Gibson-designed carbon fiber body apparently compromised the steering, causing Force to cross the center line on one qualifying attempt and to almost hit the wall on another.

"(Crew Chief Austin) Coil asked me, 'did you forget how to drive?' But I was turning the wheel as hard as I could and nothing was happening," said the defending Sears Craftsman Funny Car Champion. "I almost hit the wall twice."

Amazingly, even with the lack of steering control, Force managed to put the car in the field in the No. 15 spot, his worst qualifying effort in 130 races. Unfortunately, that paired him with two-time 2000 winner Jerry Toliver in the first round.

Unsure of the source of the handling problems, the team opted to temporarily abandon the new body and chassis setup in favor of an already proven one. Results were mixed. While steering control returned, lack of horsepower remained an issue in a first round loss that ultimately cost the eight-time Auto Racing All-America selection his points lead.

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