Courtesy: Gateway International Raceway

MADISON, Ill. – Last weekend in Atlanta, Ashley Force, who entered the event as the first-ever female to lead the NHRA POWERade Series Funny Car standings, made history when she won her first-ever funny car final. The win, the first by a woman in that class, took on added significance as it came against her father, legendary 14-time Funny Car champion John Force.

But that was last week. Now, it’s time to get back to work.

Ashley Force and the rest of the NHRA POWERade Series are at Gateway International Raceway this weekend for the O’Reilly Midwest Nationals Presented by Castrol. The 25-year-old sophomore driver is prepared for this weekend’s race, despite all the hoopla surrounding last week’s final and its outcome.

"We left Atlanta with a win, but we want to go into St. Louis and, first things first, we want to get qualified," she said. "That’s all that’s important to us. From there, we want to go rounds and, hopefully, win again. But you can’t get that win until you do all the stuff before that. We’re trying to keep calm and focused and not let one win take us from our focus, which is our car and doing well."

Force, the 2007 Funny Car rookie of the year, went to one final last year and struggled at times with consistency. That hasn’t been a problem for her this season, especially now as her team is on a streak of three-consecutive finals appearances.

"The car has been very consistent and that’s the key in drag racing," she said. "If you can have consistency, it’s going to pay off. We’re just trying to stay focused and not get caught up in everything. It’s so easy to want to look at the points after every round, seeing where you’re at, and it changes so quickly. We’re trying not to get into that."

Had John Force won last weekend instead of his daughter, the history books still would have been re-written as that finals win would have been the 125-time event winner his 1,000th-career round win, a plateau never achieved within the NHRA. He now has the opportunity to earn that milestone this Sunday, which also happens to be his 59th birthday.

Given the fact that her father is not only the owner of her team, but arguably one of the greatest racers in the sport’s history, it would be assumed that Ashley would be on the receiving end of a treasure chest of invaluable advice. While that may have been true once, the younger Force says that is no longer the case.

"He actually said, ‘You know, you don’t need any of my advice, just keep doing what you’re doing.’" She said. "He didn’t want to change our routine. We have our own way of doing things in our camp. He taught me when I started and now he’s letting me find my own way."

The O’Reilly Midwest Nationals Presented by Castrol kicks off Friday morning at 8 when the spectator gates open at Gateway International Raceway. For the full weekend schedule, check out GatewayRaceway.com.

Tickets for the NHRA POWERade Series’ return to the St. Louis area are still available. Fans are reminded their tickets not only get them into the grandstands, but into the pit area as well, granted them the kind of access to their favorite athletes that no other sport can guarantee. To get tickets, call 866-35-SPEED or visit GatewayRaceway.com, where fans can print their tickets at home for added convenience.