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Sometimes it’s hard to tell that Ashley Force is the daughter of legendary drag racer John Force—except at 300 mph on the drag strip.
Ashley, a second-year funny car driver who made history by winning her first race in April—by beating her father, no less—is reserved and still learning to handle her own popularity while mastering her 7,000-horsepower dragster.
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“I’m a shy person,” she said.
“Dad, he loves getting out in front of people, he feels so comfortable,” said Ashley, 25. “I get more sick to my stomach going out in front of a big group of people than climbing into my race car.”
Ashley made history by becoming the first woman to win an NHRA funny car race when she captured the Southern Nationals in Atlanta. She did so in dramatic fashion by beating her father at the same time John Force was going for his 1,000th round victory in his 500th career event.
“I can’t say enough about what she’s done,” even though “there’s a different personality there than me,” John Force said. “She’s matured, she’s held her own.”
“We have really good fans,” she said. “For me it’s only a personal thing, it’s just a challenge for me that I’m very uncomfortable in front of people.”
“I’m not like Dad,” she added. “I wish I was.”
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