Brittany Force makes history with 5th LVMS Top Fuel victory

03 Nov 2025 11:30
03 Nov 2025 11:37

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Brittany Force makes history with 5th LVMS Top Fuel victory

Photo: Las Vegas Review Journal

Brittany Force added another milestone to her record-setting NHRA career Sunday, claiming her fifth Top Fuel victory at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and becoming the winningest woman in Top Fuel history.

Force powered to the win at the NHRA Nevada Nationals with a 3.704-second, 337.33-mph run, defeating Shawn Langdon in the final and securing her 19th career Top Fuel title — breaking her tie with drag-racing icon Shirley Muldowney, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The victory comes in what Force has announced will be her final full-time season. With one race left — the season finale in Pomona from Nov. 14-16 — she said securing the historic win now brings welcome relief.

“We want to finish strong and our goal was to achieve that today,” Force said. “If it wasn’t our day, there would be a lot of pressure going into Pomona. We felt confident coming in, and our performance all day was strong.”

Force set the tone Friday by laying down a track-record 3.697-second pass at 338.85 mph, earning the No. 1 qualifier position. She then navigated a challenging Saturday setup before putting together a clean race day to defend her Las Vegas fall event title.

Last year’s LVMS win came under emotional circumstances, marking her father's first return to an NHRA event after his 2024 accident. This year’s sunset-framed victory, she said, may be even more meaningful.

“This race is now something that is more special than any other,” she said. “Being the winningest female in Top Fuel makes it even more special.”

Four-time Funny Car champion Matt Hagan also delivered under pressure, defeating points leader Austin Prock with a 3.877-second, 327.03-mph pass — the quickest Funny Car run of the weekend.

Hagan, now six wins deep at LVMS, entered the weekend trailing by 101 points and needed a victory to stay alive in the championship hunt.

“It was a have-to-win race,” Hagan said. “Nobody expected us to pull it off, but we made it interesting tonight.”