Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Ashley Force slated to make her debut in Las Vegas

Thursday, March 21, 2002 | 11:34 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

Kenny Bernstein and his son, Brandon, made NHRA history last spring in Las Vegas when they became the first father-son duo to win at an NHRA national event on the same weekend.

When the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series returns to The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in two weeks, John Force and his daughter, 18-year-old Ashley, could be poised to make a little history of their own.

Ashley Force tentatively is scheduled to make her NHRA national-event debut in a Super Comp dragster during the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals April 4-7 at LVMS.

Force, a junior at Cal State Fullerton, competed in a divisional event at Firebird Raceway in Chandler, Ariz., earlier this month and would earn the points required to race in the national event in Las Vegas if she competes, as is expected, in the divisional event in Tucson March 29-31.

The elder Force, of course, will come to Las Vegas with a chance to make history in his own right. After losing in the first round of eliminations Sunday in Gainesville, Fla., Force still is looking for his 100th career Funny Car victory.

"It was a real simple thing," Force said of his early exit Sunday. "We dropped a cylinder halfway down the track. (Crew chief) Austin Coil said he knew how important getting the 100th win was, but I told him that it is more important for us to keep our focus. It creates a lot of hype and I really want to get that 100th win, but I am going to try to be laid back about it.

"It's destiny, and maybe it will happen in Las Vegas."

Force, who would become the first NHRA competitor to reach the century mark in victories, has yet to win at The Strip in three attempts. He won his 99th race at the season-opening Winternationals in Pomona, Calif., and lost in the finals at Firebird Raceway two weeks later.

"Al told us on Saturday that he would finish off the weekend," Dunn told NHRA.com. "We're disappointed that he has changed his mind. The car was ready to go."

Dunn, who did not elaborate on the reasons for Hoffman's departure, said that he would have a replacement driver in time for the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals in Las Vegas.

Russell, who upset Kenny Bernstein in the Top Fuel final in Las Vegas last October for his second career win, has been eliminated in the first round at each of the first three events this season.

"A lot of people are asking if I'm frustrated; I'm not," Russell said after bowing out in the first round Sunday in Gainesville. "We're certainly not happy with our start but there is way too much talent (on this team) to fall apart. (Team owner) Joe Amato has assembled a great team and he sure didn't win more Top Fuel races then anyone else in history by making bad choices.

"We'll be up to speed soon -- I'm convinced of that. We have an extensive test session scheduled before the next race in Las Vegas and I'm optimistic that we'll find and fix our problems before then. We won at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway late last year so we have to keep our lucky streak alive there."

Russell, who finished sixth in Top Fuel points last season, is 13th after three races.