Racing icon John Force is an 18-time champion car owner
Photo: © General Motors
Before 16-time NHRA champion John Force became a drag racing legend, he started out racing in a Chevrolet Corvette, and his newest ride pays tribute to the bowtie band’s current best-selling performance vehicle.
“I started my career in a Chevrolet and I couldn’t be more excited to put this new Camaro SS Funny Car on the track,” said Force. “With all the assistance from Chevrolet, it not only looks great, it’s designed to perform better than anything we’ve had before, with a shape that should help us get down the track quicker and with greater stability.”
John Force Racing, Inc and Chevrolet reached a multi-year sponsorship agreement in 2015. The combination also released a specially designed Funny Car back in September, which paid tribute to retiring Chevrolet racecar driver Jeff Gordon.
Force’s newest car is based on the sixth-generation Camaro SS, and the champion driver will be racing it at the upcoming NHRA Kansas Nationals on May 22nd in Topeka, Kansas. Other John Force Racing drivers, Courtney Force and Robert Hight, will be competing in similar Camaro SS Funny Cars later this year.
The body used with Force’s new Camaro SS Funny Car features the unique front and rear styling characteristics of the new Camaro SS. In addition, the body of this car weighs less than previous Camaro Funny Car bodies driven by Force. The team reportedly spent many hours performing wind tunnel testing on a scale model to learn how to provide the necessary levels of downforce needed by this 10,000-horsepower drag racing car, which doesn’t even need four seconds to rocket from 0 to 330 mph.
The Camaro SS Funny Car will be joining the 2016 COPO Camaro in the NHRA Sportsman classes.
“Racing improves the breed and that’s why Chevrolet races,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet US vice president of performance vehicles and motorsports. “The wins we record on the track help us design better cars customers will buy in the showroom.”
Video: John Force Introduces 2016 Chevy Camaro SS Funny Car
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