The 25-year-old Force, who was the 2007 NHRA Rookie of the Year, has had a spectacular start to the season, reaching back-to-back finals to become the first woman in NHRA history to lead the Funny Car point standings.
"We've come a long way," she said. "We knew at the beginning we struggled and we had ups and downs and now we're through that. Now, we have a very consistent car and I'm working on becoming a more consistent driver and we've gotten more into the groove of things. We've shown that we are able to go rounds at these races.
"But we don't want to get too ahead of ourselves because we know what we're competing against, and you get to thinking about these things and then you're not thinking about what you need to be thinking about, which is racing, doing everything right with the car and trying to win.
"So we're trying to stay focused on that, but it's tough because we're all new at this and it's an exciting time to be leading and we just want to keep that lead. The thing about drag racing is that we all know you can go to hero to zero very quickly. We're enjoying (success) now while we have it, but we know there are three other teams in our camp alone who are gunning for that number one spot."
Force enters this weekend's race at Atlanta with a five-point advantage over Tim Wilkerson in the Funny Car standings (326-321). Cruz Pedregon is third with 294, followed by her teammate Robert Hight at 290 and Tony Pedregon at 285. Jack Beckman stands sixth with 280, followed by Gary Densham with 260 and Force's father, John, with 229.
With her confidence currently at an all-time high, the younger Force admits admits that nailing down that first win is foremost in her mind. She also is smart enough to know that she cannot put so much pressure on herself that it becomes the focal point every time she sets foot in the car.
"I still want that first win, but we're trying not to get anxious about it," she said. "Seeing so many of these other teams out here and how good they are and how long they have waited to win, including my father, I would really be a real snot if I got bratty about it. I'm just being patient and as long as I don't start thinking too much about it and just continue to come out to the races and enjoy racing and being with my team, we will get (that first win) one of these days."
Force is looking forward to coming to Bristol for the O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals May 16-18, despite not qualifying for the finals a year ago. She has seen her father tame Thunder Valley - most notably last year when he scored his first win of the season which was also his first victory since the death of teammate Eric Medlen - and feels her team can follow in his footsteps.
"Last year, Danny (fiance Danny Hood) said I was on fire every run and then we had a problem with the throttle stop and had to shut off (on the final qualifying attempt). It was my first DNQ since moving up to Funny Car."
"Hopefully, that's behind us. This year, we hope to go to Bristol, qualify and continue winning rounds until we get our first win. Dad won there last year, so we know we've got the car to do it with."
Grandstand tickets are available for the O'Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. Grandstand ticket pricing is as follows: Friday -- Sections A - D $30 Adult / $10 Junior; Sections E - U $35 Adult / $15 Junior; Thunder Terrace $35 Adult / $15 Junior, Saturday -- Sections A - D $45 Adult / $15 Junior; Sections E - U $55 Adult / $25 Junior; Thunder Terrace $55 Adult / $25 Junior, Sunday -- Sections A - D $45 Adult / $15 Junior, Sections E - U $55 Adult / $25 Junior, Thunder Terrace $55 Adult / $25 Junior. Weekend combos are: Sections A - D $95 Adult / $30 Junior, Sections E - U $120 Adult / $50 Junior, and Thunder Terrace $120 Adult / $50 Junior.
Pricing for the Thunder Valley Club is $300 for the weekend for adults and $100 per child. Seating in Bruton's Suite is $450 per seat for the weekend.
Gates open at 8 a.m. Friday, May 16 with the first professional session slated to begin at 4 p.m. The second round begins later that evening at 6:30. Gates open Saturday, May 17 at 7:30 a.m. with the first round of pro qualifying set for 12:30 p.m., followed by the next round at 3 p.m.
Gates open Sunday, May 18 at 9 a.m. with final eliminations starting at noon.
To purchase Thunder Valley Club seating, call the Bristol Motor Speedway ticket office at (423) 989-6900. To purchase Bruton's Suite seats, please call Kathy Artrip 989-6973. To purchase reserved grandstand seats, please call the ticket office at 989-6900 or visit www.bristoltix.com.