"I can't make that decision now": NHRA star Brittany Force reflects on racing future as she prioritizes family

Two-time NHRA Top Fuel champion, Brittany Force, who announced plans to step away from full-time competition after the current NHRA Top Fuel season, has opened up on her decision to dedicate time to her family.

The daughter of legendary drag racer John Force pointed out the trouble with balancing racing with personal life commitments after a series of personal events. She wants to start a family with her husband, Bobby Lyons. Her father also suffered a serious brain injury after his Funny Car exploded at over 300 mph, which led her to announce about retirement during a conference at Maple Grove Raceway last week.

"I believe you dedicate everything to driving, to my team, to chasing a championship, or you dedicate everything to starting a family. I don't think you can do both. For me, I knew deep down it was time. I've given 13 years to this sport, and I'm ready for a shift," Brittany Force said (via Forbes).

Force will follow in the footsteps of her sisters, Ashley and Courtney Force, who also stepped away from racing to focus on family. However, she plans to remain involved with John Force Racing behind the scenes.

"I love NHRA drag racing. I'll definitely still be out at the races. The door isn't closed on driving, I just can't make that decision now," she added.

The Force family team will reveal the structure of the multi-car lineup for 2026 in the coming few weeks.

"I just want to get a win" - Brittany Force on unimaginable success in NHRA drag racing

Brittany Force won her first Top Fuel championship in 2017 and became only the second woman to do so. Her second title came in 2022. In 2022, she also set a national speed record with a run of 338.48 mph at the NHRA Midwest Nationals. She later improved this record to 341.85 mph during the NHRA Northwest Nationals in Kent, Washington.

"I think I've accomplished more than I ever could have imagined. My big focus (then) was I just want to get a win. I wanted to stand in a winner's circle with my team. I never imagined two championships ever. And when that first one came, that's really when it was, "okay, now we want more,'" Brittany Force said.

However, this season, she broke her previous records and achieved the fastest run in NHRA at 343.16 mph during qualifying at Sonoma Raceway. The 39-year-old now holds nine of the top ten fastest Top Fuel speeds in NHRA history. She is currently trailing former NASCAR driver Tony Stewart in the standings. Notably, Brittany is the first woman since Shirley Muldowney to clinch an NHRA Top Fuel Championship.