The Queen of Speed: A Force to Reckon With

Brittany Force makes her mark on NHRA history.

By: Shiloh Van Bussum, Copy Editor/Entertainment Lead

October 21, 2025

“Brittany Force Sonoma 2023” by TaurusEmerald is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

On July 25th, Brittany Force set her third national record this year for the fastest speed in a National Hot Rod Association race in the Top Fuel class. Force, who has dedicated the last 13 years to the NRHA, set the new record in Sonoma, California. The previous record was set only five days earlier by Force herself at a different race in Seattle.

A drag race is an acceleration contest with a standing start down a measured track between two vehicles. The track is 1000 feet long for the Top Fuel class. The Top Fuel dragster vehicles are powered with nitromethane rather than gasoline. They are the fastest class in the NHRA. The new national record includes a mind-blowing elapsed time of 3.645 seconds. Force set the bar at 343.16 miles per hour. Force has been a recurring headline in the NHRA due to her unbelievable speed and skill. The only person left to beat is herself.

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About the Contributor

Shiloh Van Bussum, Copy Editor/Entertainment Lead

My name is Shiloh Van Bussum, and I am a sophomore. I am pursuing a future in sports journalism. This is my first year on the newspaper team, and I am excited to grow my experience and potential through this program. I joined the newspaper staff to further my journalism education and build my resume. This year, I would like to advance my photography skills alongside writing, reporting, and editing. I have roughly a year of photography experience. I have been writing for nearly my whole life, in and out of school. I am good with statistics, which comes in handy when reporting athletics. I would like to deepen my knowledge and talents. I hope to be a reliable and entertaining sports reporter. I want to be the next Helene Elliott. She was a famous hockey journalist for the LA Times. I aspire to be like her when I grow up.