CORCORD, N.C. -- Courtney Force topped Funny Car qualifying Saturday in the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway.
Force moved from the 16th spot to first with the quickest Funny Car run of the weekend at the controls of her 10,000-horsepower Chevy Camaro SS. She covered the distance in 4.011 seconds at 312.35 mph to take her second No. 1 of the season and ninth of her career.
Friday's racing was canceled because of rain and NHRA pro teams had only two runs to qualify for Sunday's eliminations. She will race Chad Head, Dale Creasy Jr. and Del Worsham in the first round.
"Going from zero to hero is great, but it's really my crew chief (Ron Douglas) and my team," Force said. "It's lucky that we went straight from 16 to 1, but we still have a lot to work on and I am looking forward to tomorrow."
J.R. Todd led the Top Fuel field, Chris McGaha was the fastest in Pro Stock, and Hector Arana Jr. topped the Pro Stock Motorcycle competition in the unique event that features racing a in a four-lane configuration.
In Top Fuel, Todd powered to his first No. 1 of the season and seventh of his career with a track-record time of 3.713 at 309.63 in his Kalitta Motorsports dragster. He will race Antron Brown, Dave Connolly and Shawn Langdon in a stacked first-round quad.
McGaha took his second consecutive top qualifying position in Pro Stock with a 6.474 at 213.70 in a Chevy Camaro. He will race Shane Gray, Buddy Perkinson and Erica Enders-Stevens in the opening round.
In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Arana set the pace with a track-record run of 6.794 at 196.22 on a Buell. It was his first No. 1 of the season and 17th of his career. He will race Jim Underdahl, Chaz Kennedy and Katie Sullivan in the first round.