Show of Force: Courtney trumps father John in inaugural New England NHRA race - MotorSportsTalk

One week after Father’s Day, Courtney Force proved that father doesn’t always know best.

In the first final round matchup with her father and legendary 15-time Funny Car champion John Force, Courtney celebrated her 25th birthday by winning the inaugural Auto-Plus NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway in Epping, N.H.

Courtney’s Ford Mustang bested her father’s Mustang, 4.301 seconds at 261.67 mph to 4.367 seconds at 262.28 mph.

It was Courtney Force’s second win of 2013 and the third of her career. She defeated Alexis DeJoria, Tim Wilkerson and defending Funny Car champ Jack Beckman earlier Sunday en route to meeting her father for the deciding matchup.

In addition, she’s now 4-2 in all-time round wins against dear old dad, but Sunday was the first time they had ever met in the final round of an NHRA national event. It also allowed Courtney to avenge a first round loss to John last week at Bristol Dragway.

“I definitely told him I was going to get some revenge and we were able to do it. It was a lot of fun,” Courtney Force told NHRA.com. “We got down there, and our car got in a little bit of trouble, but I had my foot on the throttle hoping he wouldn’t catch up. After the win, he came over and hugged me and congratulated me. We were both really excited, and it was great for our team.”

Courtney Force moved up to fourth in the series standings, while John Force is right behind in fifth place.

As for the other three pro classes in the 11th of 24 races in this season’s NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Spencer Massey won in Top Fuel, Allen Johnson in Pro Stock and John Hall in Pro Stock Motorcyle.

The NHRA now moves on to its third race in a grueling four-week period with the O’Reilly Auto Parts Nationals at Route 66 Raceway in suburban Chicago, June 27-30.

The IndyCar Series has re-signed NTT as its title sponsor in a multiyear agreement starting in 2024.

NTT, a global information technology and communications company based in Japan, became the series’ title sponsor before the 2019 season after starting as a sponsor of the No. 10 Dallara-Honda for Chip Ganassi Racing.

NTT Data (a subsidiary of parent company Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp.) will remain the official technology partner of IndyCar, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indy 500 and the NASCAR Brickyard weekend.

With the extension, an IndyCar spokesman said NTT would become the second-longest title sponsor in series history. The longest title sponsor was PPG from 1980-97 (under the CART sanction of the Champ Car Series).

NTT replaced Verizon, which was IndyCar’s title sponsor from 2014-18 after IZOD from 2010-13.

“NTT is an excellent partner across our enterprise with strong expertise and a deep commitment to our sport,” Penske Corp. chairman and IndyCar owner Roger Penske said in a release. “From Smart Venue technology at the Racing Capital of the World to the reimagined Series mobile application, NTT is transforming the fan experience in new and innovative ways. We look forward to a bright future together.”

NTT has used artificial intelligence-enabled optical detection technology at IMS to provide information to the track’s operations and security teams, helping improve fan traffic flow and safety, the track said.

“IndyCar is a great partner for NTT Data because of our shared commitment to driving innovation, increasing sustainability and delivering amazing experiences,” NTT Data CEO Kaz Nishihata said in a release. “We also appreciate how IndyCar is so diverse, with drivers from 15 different countries, and races that range from short ovals and superspeedways to road and street courses. It’s both an incredible sport and a wonderful example for our world.”

NTT also has been instrumental in helping redesign the IndyCar app and providing more race and driver data for use in NBC Sports’ broadcasts by utilizing 140 data points from every car in the field.

“NTT is fully invested in the development and growth of our sport and has already established a terrific track record in our industry with problem-solving capabilities and access to top talent and tools,” Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles said.

Said NTT Data Services CEO Bob Pryor: “We’re thrilled to continue our collaborations that enhance and expand the fan experience for motorsports and serve as proof points for data analytics, AI, and other innovative digital technologies. For more than a century, this racing series has pioneered innovations making driving safer for everyone, and by continuing this relationship, we will accelerate the pace of innovations and new technologies, particularly related to sustainability that ultimately can benefit organizations, communities and individuals around the world.”

Starting as a Japanese telephone company, NTT grew into a $100 billion-plus tech services giant with U.S. operations based in Plano, Texas.