John Force to teach Graham Rahal how to drive Funny Car? - MotorSportsTalk

NHRA Funny Car driver Courtney Force and IndyCar driver Graham Rahal are mulling over the idea of switching rides for a day, according to Curt Cavin of the Indianapolis Star.

Force is still trying to decide if she’ll go through with it, but Rahal is gung-ho to hop into a nitromethane-burning Funny Car.

But there’s one caveat: Rahal will have to go through the John Force School of Drag Racing – Force, of course, being the 16-time NHRA Funny Car world champ and also Courtney’s father.

“I told (Rahal) he’s going to go through what we call ‘Funny Car 101,’ ” Force told Cavin. “I’m going to tow him around the parking lot like I did with (my) girls. ‘Here’s a chassis, get in it.’ No firesuit, no helmet.”

Basically, Force wants Rahal to learn how a Funny Car feels, handles and steers – even though it’s designed to do one thing best: go straight.

“These things are an animal, and they’ll eat you alive in second,” Force said of Funny Cars. “You don’t have time to think; you have to feel it.”

Right now, the plan is to have Rahal get behind the wheel of Force’s car after the season-ending NHRA Finals in Pomona, California, which will also be after the season ends for the Verizon IndyCar Series, as well.

In addition to letting Courtney drive his open-wheel IndyCar, Rahal also wants to put her dad behind the wheel.

Forget it, says John Force.

“I went to Buck Baker’s (road racing driving school), and I was in the Long Beach Grand Prix celebrity race (in 1993); I’ve done all that,” Force told Cavin. “I stay in drag racing because I know what I do. Besides, I told Rahal that if I crash one of his dad’s Indy cars he’s going to make me pay for it.”

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IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar championship contender Tom Blomqvist put the Meyer Shank Racing Acura at the front of the starting lineup for the Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Road Atlanta.

Blomqvist turned a 1-minute, 8.55-second lap on the 2.54-mile circuit Friday to capture his third pole position for MSR this season. Earl Bamber qualified second in the No. 02 Cadillac for Chip Ganassi Racing.

Ricky Taylor was third in the No. 10 Acura of Wayne Taylor Racing, which enters Saturday’s season finale with a 19-point lead over the No. 60 of Blomqvist and Oliver Jarvis (who will be joined by Helio Castroneves) for the 10-hour race.

PETIT LE MANS STARTING GRID: Click here for the starting lineup l Lineup by car number

PETIT LE MANS: Info on how to watch

With the pole, MSR sliced the deficit to 14 points behind WTR, which will field the trio of Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque and Brendon Hartley in Saturday’s race.

“We really needed to put the car in this kind of position,” Blomqvist said. “It makes our life a little less stressful tomorrow. It would have given the No. 10 a bit more breathing space. It’s going to be a proper dogfight tomorrow. The guys gave me such a great car. It’s been fantastic this week so far, and it really came alive. I’m hugely thankful to the boys and girls at MSR for giving me the wagon today to execute my job.

“That was a big effort from me. I knew how important it was. It’s just awesome for the guys to give them some sort of reward as well. It’s always nice to be quick. If you do the pole, you know you’ve got a quick car.”

Though WTR has a series-leading four victories with the No. 10, MSR won the Rolex 24 at Daytona and has five runner-up finishes along with its three poles.

The strong performances of the ARX-05s ensure that an Acura will win the final championship in IMSA’s premier Daytona Prototype international (DPi) division, which is being rebranded as Grand Touring Prototype in the move to LMDh cars next season.

Taylor qualified third despite sliding into the Turn 5 gravel during the closing minutes of qualifying while pushing to gain points.

“Qualifying was important for points,” Taylor said. “Going into it, if we outqualified the No. 60 Meyer Shank Acura, they had a lot to lose in terms of championship points. So, we were trying to increase the gap over 20 points which would’ve made a big difference for tomorrow. We would have loved to get the pole and qualify ahead of the No. 60, but in the scheme of the points, it didn’t change a whole lot. I’m feeling good since it’s such a long race, and the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura team does such a good job strategizing and putting us in a good position.

“I’m very confident in our lineup and our team compared to them over the course of 10 hours. I’d put my two teammates up against those guys any day. I think we are all feeling optimistic and strong for tomorrow.”

In other divisions, PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports (LMP2), Riley Motorsports (LMP3), VasserSullivan (GTD Pro) and Paul Miller Racing (GTD) captured pole positions.

The broadcast of the 10-hour race will begin Saturday at 12:10 p.m. ET on NBC, moving at 3 p.m. to USA Network.

QUALIFYING

Results

Results by class

Fastest lap by driver

Fastest lap by driver after qualifying

Fastest lap by driver and class after qualifying

Fastest lap sequence in qualifying

Best sector times in qualifying

Time cards in qualifying

PRACTICE RESULTS: Session I l Session II l Session III