Driving Force

It's the end of the 2006 NHRA season and the Funny Car championship is still undecided. The championship is between John Force, his teammate and son in law Robert Hight, Ron Capps. John Force emerges victoriously and wins his 14th NHRA championship and then begins to question what a true sportman is.

It's been a bumpy ride, but it's John and Laurie's 25th wedding anniversary. John plans to show Laurie how much he still cares about her by taking her on a romantic weekend getaway, but Brittany, Ashley, and Courtney have other plans. While John and Laurie are away, the girls plan on throwing them a surprise anniversary party once they return.

It's almost time for Ashley's big Funny Car debut. John is thinking about all the bad things that could happen, but Ashley tries to remain upbeat about it all.

It's time for John Force's class reunion. He doesn't want to go and have to face all of the bad memories that he has, but yet he wants to go and show what he's made of himself. The girls head off to go racing and leave John to face this problem alone.

Ashley makes her pro debut at Pomona, the first race of the 2007 NHRA season, and John sets a lofty goal for his team: get all four of their cars qualified for the 16-car elimination round. Two members of John's team qualify for the show early, but Ashley and John's struggles have them on the outside looking in. With John's 19 ½ year qualifying streak on the line and Ashley's pro debut about to go up in flames, both must make dramatic runs to make the show.

Scared that Brittany is getting out of control and losing focus, John tries his best to reign in his most stubborn daughter. But Brittany scares herself badly when she crashes her dragster into the wall during a testing session. John worries that fear from the crash will prevent her from ever wanting to race again, so he attempts to push a reluctant Brittany back into the seat without damaging their fragile relationship even further.

Ashley is in the hot seat as she prepares for her NHRA Funny Car debut. John hovers over her like a hawk and he begins to think about his own future. He decided to take his family on a little surprise vacation. This isn't any ordinary vacation though; it's a vacation to a funeral home.