For His Master's Veneration: NHRA Father - Daughter - Daughter

Brute Force

It would not truly be about the NHRA without mention of the sports greatest character and champion John Force. To talk about John, you must talk about his family and his daughter, Courtney. They are "The First Family of Drag Racing".

Courtney, Brittany, and John

John is just a typical guy born May 4, 1949. The youngest of five kids of a truck driving dad and a fry cook mom. However he started to show what he was made of early in life, overcoming childhood polio. He started professional race car driving in 1974.

He was known as a “disaster on four wheels” and looked down on as a guy that blows up his engine and throws parts all over the track. For nine years, he did not win a single NHRA tour event. Then in 1985 everything changed! John Force has won more rounds, more races and more championships (16) than anyone. He’s sold more souvenirs, given more motivational speeches and delivered more memorable one-liners.
He has been a Top 10 finisher for 29 consecutive seasons, an NHRA record, and has won a tour event in 25 of the last 26 years.

It has not been easy. After a beloved team mate Eric Medlin died in an accident, John pulled his entire team and put them to work on safety devices which are now used throughout the sport, saving countless lives every year.

Well past what some consider retirement age for a driver, John was in a horrific accident himself in 2007. It was a long hard recovery but he did it. That Force fighting spirit that keeps John strapping himself into the seat of a Nitro Funny Car every year. He doesn’t run to win a race, he runs to win a championship!

Now his daughters are also race car drivers, and proving themselves. It will take years, but they are well on their way.

Courtney Force, earned her NHRA Funny Car license in 2011. In 2012, Force won her first race, by defeating Matt Hagan in the final round of The Northwest Nationals. She became the third woman to win in a top fuel/funny car event. Her older sister Ashley was the first, and Melanie Troxel second. In 2013, Courtney qualified in the number 1 position for the Winternationals, becoming the first woman to do so. She would also go on to be the first female Funny Car driver to win that event.
At Kansas last year, she achieved the 100th win by a female driver in NHRA history.
Keeping racing in the family, Courtney is engaged to IndyCar racer Graham Rahal, who is the son of 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal, who himself comes from a racing family that stretches back into the 1950's.
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John Force Oven-Baked Cheeseburger Sliders

Easy to fix and great taste too!

Ingredients:

2 pounds, 93% lean ground sirloin

1 ½ cups chopped onions (divided)

½ teaspoon salt

2 tbs. smooth peanut butter (?)

1 package (12-count) slider buns

6 slices cheddar or American cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray a 9-by-13 inch baking pan and spread 1 cup of chopped onion on the bottom. Lay out the slider buns so you have a reference and make this a bit bigger in each direction.

In a bowl, combine beef, peanut butter, ½ cup of onion, and salt.

On a sheet of waxed paper shape the hamburger mixture into the size and shape for the buns only larger. The meat will shrink as it cooks.

Pat this together well and flip it onto the bed of onions. With the handle end of a wooden spoon poke random holes into the meat so steam can escape.

Bake for 30 minutes. When fully cooked, remove the pan from oven (keep oven turned on) and carefully drain off the liquid. You can blot the edges with paper towels.

Top the meat with an even layer of sliced cheese; return pan to oven for only about 2 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for a few minutes. Cut into 2-inch squares (or the size of the buns used), making 12 mini-hamburgers. This will be easy using just a table knife.

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Courtney Force Ham & Swiss sliders

You can double or triple the recipe and make a lot at one time of cut it in half. They reheat great in the microwave, too. You can even make breakfast ones by adding an egg and using ham, sausage or bacon and they are great with coffee.

Ingredients:

12 “slider” rolls

12 pieces of cooked ham (You can make these with cooked turkey or chicken and you can add bacon, too.

12 pieces of Swiss cheese

Mayonnaise

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1 stick butter

1 teaspoon onion flakes

1 teaspoon of garlic

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

About 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions:

Make your sandwiches by splitting the rolls, spreading with mayo, adding a piece of cheese and ham. Place in a 9 x 13 baking dish that has been lined with an oversized piece of foil.

Let the butter warm up to soften on the counter. Add the garlic powder, onions, Worcestershire sauce and mush it together to form a paste. Brush the tops of the rolls using all the mixture.