Now that your rookie year is behind you, what are you focusing on this year?
BF: Right now, pretty much the same goals I had last year. Qualify at every national event, go after my first win, and just keep improving. To be able to come out here and we ran career best ET, 3.77, that’s really exciting. My guys are pumped, they were excited when that number came on the board so that’s just pushing us. Really to just go after our first win would be my number one goal right now.
What are you guys doing to help prepare for next year?
BF: We’ve had a good time running with Castrol, my dad’s been with Castrol for 28 years. I was excited when they took me on board, it’s just a bummer that it has to end. Castrol’s been awesome, they’ve always been so supportive. To run my rookie season with Castrol Edge on my car was just awesome. I’m gonna fight it out for them this year, and try to bring home a win for them. Unfortunately, we wont be with them in 2015, so right now we’re just shopping around trying to find sponsors. We’re talking to a few people but we don't have anything lined up, so hopefully we’ll get something in the works pretty soon.
Just a few years ago, you were a school teacher. What crystalized your love for drag racing?
BF: I’ve always loved drag racing. To be out here it’s my second home, my second family, everyone out here, I love being out here. Nothing will ever change that. Whether I went into teaching or some other kind of profession, I’d still be out here on the weekends supporting my family just because I've always had a passion and love for the sport of NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing, I love to be out here. My plan was, I graduated school, ended up getting my teaching credential, worked with 6th, 7th, and 8th graders for an entire year, and I loved every second of it. I wanted to get back in my A/Fuel car and really start competing. Then after a few years of that I thought I’ll go back to teaching, was my original plan. I wanted to get back in the seat of my car and really compete, I wasn't able to be as competitive as I was when I was running A/Fuel because I was still going to shcool at the time so I didn't go to every single event. I really wanted to get back in that car and really start competing out there. Then the oppertunity came along to jump in a Top Fuel car. If you would've asked me two years ago if I'd be competeing in Top Fuel car I would've said no. Those things are way too fast, those things are crazy, there's no way. I'm one, I will always try something once. That opportunity came along and I jumped right in. The problem was once I got in, I wasn't coming out, I was hooked. So my whole career path changed and that's crazy because two years ago I would've said no way I would be driving a Top Fuel car.
What can you tell as about your new reality TV show?
BF: You know that’s still in the works, my dad keeps bringing that up. It's definitely a challenge. I didn't love it the first time around, but if it's going to be a way to bring new sponsors to fund our team for 2015, I'm onboard for it.
What can NHRA do to attract a female audience?
BF: I really think the girls coming into the industry has helped draw in a younger crowd. If I stand at the back of my pits, I have little kids that come up, little tiny ones, and younger girls, all tell me that for some of them it's their first race, some of them say that they want to be racecar drivers so that's really exciting. I really think that the younger generations are all into Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook and I think that pulls in the younger crowd. Courtney went and did the ESPN Body Issue, and that pulled in a whole new crowd of fans that we never had before. They suddenly saw her on the cover and thought 'What is this girl doing? Why is she on the front cover?' and maybe it pulled some of them to our races, so any way we can get exposer. For me, I'm new to Twitter and Instagram. I got it last year, I'm not as good as I should be on it, but I enjoy it, it's fun. It's a way to connect with the fans. Most of the fans on my Instagram and Twitter, they're a younger crowd so I definitely think that’ll pull in people.
Do you have any raceday rituals or superstitions?
BF: No, I really try not to have too many rituals. When I get suited up, I put my right glove on first then my left, I always have the same routine. When I get in my car and everything's suited up, I like to sit in there and people will think I'm going crazy in there because they’ll see me moving around and the whole car’s shaking because I'm moving in there. Really, I'm just checking that my belts are all locked in and my steering wheel's on. Eric Medlen actually went down the track one time and his steering wheel came off, so it's happened before, and that terrifies me. Every run I make no matter what, when I'm in that car you’ll see me in there moving around checking everything, that's something I can't go down the track unless I do.
What could we find you doing outside of the racetrack?
BF: I’m a big movie fan, I see every movie that comes out, I'm just like my dad. I'll go to the movies a few times a week just to catch up on my favorite movies. I love going to the beach with my sister, but just the normal SoCal girl things, but movies are my favorite thing to do. I love to travel, as much as I'm on the road I still love to travel. Courtney and I, last year on our offseason went to Thailand which was awesome. We tried to plan a trip this year, it just didn't happen.
Where would you like to go next?
BF: There are so many places I want to go to. I’d like to go to Egypt, I want to go to Morocco. I want to go to Germany, there's so much to do. I love traveling, seeing new cultures, trying different food, and the whole experience of it all. We went to Thailand and like I said, it's amazing, so that's something that I love to do, is travel.
What's your favorite movie?
BF: Favorite movie? I also like to read. Right now I'm reading 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo'. Favorite book ever would be 'The Hunger Game' series, and I love the movie. Twilight! I'm such a nerd, I watched all of those. Courtney and I are obsessed with those movies. I love the movie, The Social Network. Honestly, it's hard to pick one movie, because there's so many good ones. Comedy, I guess 'What's Your Number?'. That's one of my favorite ones with Anna Faris, it's one of my favorite all time movies.
What's one makeup product you can't go with out?
BF: I guess I'd have to go with two, it'd be chapstick and mascara.
Follow Brittany Force on Instagram & Twitter: @BrittanyForce
-Dallas Hollins
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