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THE BIG FIVE
By Chris Martin. Photos by Jeff Burk and DRO files.
2. John Force
FAVORITE CAR
I've got two favorite Force cars. The first one is ... well .. kind
of a no-brainer. His 1993 Olds Cutlass, the one that won a record 11
events. I say this carefully, but looks-wise Force's basic (non-collector's
item paint schemed) green and white Castrol cars showed almost zilch
aesthetically. They were rolling billboards, extremely quick rolling
billboards though, but flying sign space nonetheless. No real creativity.
However, the 1993 car was absolutely awesome in the way it ran, copping
titles at the NHRA Winternationals, Slick 50 Nationals, Gatornationals,
Southern Nationals, Mid South Nationals, Mopar Parts Nationals, Western
Auto Nationals, the Jolly Rancher Candies Nationals, U.S. Nationals
(his first Indy title), the Keystone Nationals, and the Chief Auto Parts
Nationals at the Texas Motorplex. It was at the Motorplex race that
Force also ran his first four. He'd won two prior NHRA titles before
this, but this one was the crown that indicated that it was going to
be a cold day in hell before Force was removed from the driver's seat.
The other car I dug was one of Force's earliest cars, his '76 "Brute
Force" Monza. Do you realize how close we'd be to another race car identity
similar to the "Blue Max" or "the Chi-Town Hustler" had Force's successes
begun with his Monza. Force's logo looked bitchin'. A chain-mail glove
clutching a fistful of lightning bolts surrounded by a radical paint
job; the color varied. Unfortunately, I don't think any of Force's "Brute
Force" cars survived his then low, low budget and attendant hot, hot
flames.
BIGGEST WIN
I'll go with the 1987 Le Grandnational Molson. Sure, it's an easy opt
because it was John's first win, but that was truly a big deal back
then. Poor Force had been slapped around nine times in NHRA finals before
breaking through for the big first win. The first time I can recall
openly telling an NHRA racer I hoped he'd win and that I was rooting
for him was Force before the 1986 Big Bud Shootout final with Mark Oswald
in the Candies & Hughes Pontiac. Force, given past final-round slippages,
rated as a big underdog and I (not to mention half the press corps,
at least the ones from Southern California) was pulling for him. He
lost, but a year later the fates quit cuffing him around and he beat
Ed McCulloch to win the Molson race.
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