The announcement came on social media first, fittingly. Courtney Force has retired from her job of racing nitro funny cars for John Force Racing. Courtney steps away form the seat (but not from the sport of drag racing completely) as the winningest female funny car driver in NHRA history. While no specific reason was given for her retirement, there’s no indication that the decision came because of negative circumstances or anything other than just wanting to move on with life and pursue interests that living on the road 300 days a year don’t really allow to happen.
It was fitting that we’d see the announcement of Courtney’s retirement first on social media because perhaps more than any other driver of her era, Courtney influenced her peers, and even the sanctioning body twosome degree to get involved with social. She was involved with corporate campaigns with the likes of Ford and vitally every sponsor she had both in her days as a sportsman racer and during her career in nitro funny car.
Over seven seasons, Courtney was a top 10 finisher six times. 2018 was looking like a potential championship season with Brian Corradi and Dan Hood tuning the car masterfully and to a very strong series of events through the regular season but the NHRA’s Countdown proved to be the team’s stumbling block.
Courtney Force made 167 starts in nitro funny car, won 12 times, and appeared in 29 final rounds. Her father John and her sister Brittany will carry the Force name on in the world of NHRA drag racing. Robert Hight will also continue on in his car.
As for her car and team? Our understanding at this moment is that John Force Racing will field two nitro funny cars and one top fuel dragster in 2019. The top fuel dragster will carry primary sponsorship from Advance Auto Parts according to our sources close to the team.
Press play below to see this video retrospective on the career of Courtney Force
Seems a little weird to wait until 2 weeks before the new season starts to announce this.
It’s only “weird” because the little + sign on the pregnancy test just came back positive.
There is NO way JFR would let her “retire” so close to the start of the season with the resulting sponsor related issues unless she was already pregnant and thus medically incapable of driving.
Thought the same thing. Only got out because Rahal wanted to start a family just like Ashley did years ago.
Next year when Brittany decides the same thing and John finally retires(shouldda quit 2 years ago!) they’ll be down to just Height’s car. Hmmm.
If her sponsor moved to Brittany’s dragster, what happened to Monster?
She is either knocked up or they don’t have the sponsorship.
Even if she got knocked up unexpectedly what happened to Monster?
Or she just wants to move on.
To announce this 2 weeks before Pomona is weird either way. Crew members kind of screwed. Unless they were informed and it was kept quiet.
Monster dropped out of the NHRA, again!
The best reason for this, is for Court and Grahman to start a family…hard for a Sponsor to commit to a full time sponsorship program, if the Driver might not be there, all season
Bring back Ashley Force-Hood
I wish Courtney good luck with the next part of her life, and hope to see her at the racetracks again.
I’ve thought that after JFR’s initial season in T/F they should add another car. Maybe this is the opportunity. Time to test on Mondays beyond the Gators, then bring it out at Bristol. No chance for a championship, but just the JFR name and the hoopla of debuting a new car/driver mid-season will get any new or existing sponsor plenty of exposure over all forms of media. Courtney’s always been just ok with me from a fan perspective, but it’s bad to lose a contending car in any class. I dig nitro drag racing and have since 1964, I hope it can hold it’s own for many more years.
so
I think all 3 girls (4th daughter is not in racing) have daddy issues and only raced because he made them.