Courtney Force shows some skin

ESPN The Magazine

Behind the scenes of Courtney Force’s ESPN The Magazine Bod Issue photo shoot.

Assets Stats

Weight: one hundred twenty nine pounds

Why did you determine to pose for the Bod Issue?

CF: A lot of people think that as a race car driver, you just sit in the seat and mash the throttle and it’s just a 4-second run and it’s effortless. But there’s a lot that goes into it. You need a lot of upper figure and core and gam strength to drive a Ten,000-horsepower racecar. I hope we can capture that. It bothers me when people think we aren’t athletic.

How did you learn to treat these cars?

CF: My dad [Funny Car racer John Force] crashed in two thousand seven and broke all his arms and gams. When he got back in the gym after physical therapy, I copied him. They were getting back his arms, mitts, gams, everything. Now I have a trainer and do a lot of strength training, especially core and gams. You want your gams strong enough to mash the throttle, and your arms and upper bod strong enough to steer the car and keep it straight. It might seem like it’s pretty effortless, but you are truly fighting the car in the cockpit. So I train as hard as possible to keep up with the guys and be better than them. So far it’s working out pretty well.

When did you get interested in Funny Cars?

CF: I grew up with NHRA. I was out here in a pacifier and diapers. When I was youthful, I played with Barbies, but I also loved collecting race cars. When I was 7, I commenced telling everyone I was going to be like my dad and race a Funny Car for a living. People looked at me like I was crazy. I loved running around the race track, getting covered in grease and tire paw and helping shine my dad’s race car. A month after I got my driver’s license, at 16, I went to haul racing school and got my racing license.

What other sports did you play growing up?

CF: I was in dance, gymnastics, cheer and softball. In high school, I was a cheerleader, but I was also taking auto shop class, kind of like the best of both worlds. I like the girly side of everything, but I indeed love these race cars. My sisters were cheerleaders, too. Dad hated coming to our cheer competitions because he was afraid we would fall and break our necks. Yet he was supportive when we got into 300-mph Funny Cars! My dad wished he had four boys and ended up with all chicks, and three of us went on to race professionally. I don’t think he expected that at all.

Bod Issue: Q&As

What does it feel like to go three hundred mph?

CF: It’s an adrenaline rush. When we launch off the embarking line, you’re pulling three to four G’s until you hit three hundred mph in four seconds. It’s like being strapped to a rocket; it’s a Ten,000-horsepower, eight-cylinder car.

How well can you see in the car?

CF: The very first time off, I couldn’t see a thing. You get off the throttle, and you can’t see where you are because it happens so quick. In one 2nd, you’re going one hundred mph. But the more and more passes I made, the more convenient I got. My vision kind of slowed down; my eyes commenced to catch up with the rest of my figure. Now I can pinpoint moments in the run and talk about it: “The very first sixty feet this is what I felt” or “It attempted to pull me to the outside three hundred feet out.” It’s titillating how much I’ve switched after a year of driving.

How significant is fitness to your sport?

CF: I reminisce when I very first began, I used to walk away from the car — I wasn’t as strong as I am now — and I’d be sore. Just from steering my arms would be sore, my shoulders would be sore and my gams would be sore from working the clutch and the throttle pedal. You are doing so much at once. But now I’ve pinpointed what to concentrate on at the gym so that I can drive better. It’s pretty much all about strength training.

If you could switch something about your assets, what would it be?

CF: I used to have lil’, skinny arms, but ever since I commenced racing, they’ve gotten big and muscular. Now my team guys make joy of me and call them my “man arms.” Which I don’t think is a bad thing. I attempt to be comfy in my own skin. I’m pretty curvy for a chick, but I’ve grown to love it. I’ve got gam muscles that I use to my benefit. And I like having my big guns if it helps me drive my car better.

How about your most unusual training?

CF: Working with steering wheels would very likely sound strange to most people, but I use this chunk of metal shaped like a steering wheel to work my core and arms and gams. My trainer adds weight to the machine it’s fastened to, usually about fifty pounds. We do things like pulling it up or turning it using my entire bod to work core and arms.

What would you define as your edge, mentally?

CF: I don’t second-guess myself. In a four-second run, if I make a decision, it had better be the right one. When you’re going down the track at three hundred mph, once you make a decision you have to stick to it and go for it or you can end up hurting your car or running into a wall. You indeed have to feel and hear the motor and know how to react. No matter what, you can’t regret it once you get back to the pit area.

My sisters and I were cheerleaders. Dad hated coming to our cheer competitions because he was afraid we would fall and break our necks. Yet he was supportive when we got into 300mph funny cars!`

What is a mental weakness you fight against?

CF: On the commencing line, you can’t let others divert you. You have to stay focused and alert. You have to stick to basics and do your routine. A distraction of milliseconds can cost you a run. Some people attempt to mess with me, especially my dad. He attempts to screw me up to make sure I’ll be ready when other drivers attempt. But I’m not afraid to race my dad. He’s a 15-time champ, but he’s just my dad. I’ve looked forward to racing him my entire life.

How do you get your adrenaline rush off the track?

CF: I did fly with the Blue Angels once, and that was an amazing, a once-in-a-lifetime chance. I broke the sound barrier, hit Mach 1, pulled 7.Three G’s and even passed out at one point during the flight. It was an hourlong flight and it was the most amazing thing ever. But honestly, after a race, I like to be tranquil. Your adrenaline skyrockets, so I attempt to keep it mellow when I’m not racing.

Is there anything you’re afraid of?

CF: My fattest fear is insects. When I see a spider, I do the best I can to not be a baby about it, but I usually call my dad or a fellow to kill it. Now that I live on my own, I’ve instructed myself to kill insects, but I still weirdo out a bit. I also could never be a surfer; I have a fear of sharks and being swept away in the ocean. My dad made us witness “Jaws” as kids, and now we’re all afraid of the ocean.

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