GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- With a victory in Sunday's Mac Tools NHRA Gatornationals, John Force will join an elite list of drivers to earn 100 victories in major auto racing competition. Force, an 11-time NHRA Funny Car champion, would join NASCAR legends Richard Petty (200 wins) and David Pearson (105) as the only competitors in motorsports history to reach the century mark in career victories.

Additionally, Force would become the first driver in motorsports to earn 100 victories in the modern era (1972-2002).

Force, 52, came up short last month in his bid to achieve the milestone, losing a final round battle to Del Worsham in Phoenix when his Castrol GTX Ford Mustang lost traction just after the start.

Of Force's 99 career victories, seven have come at the historic Gainesville Raceway quarter-mile, including a win last year.

Force has earned more victories than several of auto racing's prominent drivers, including most notably Darrell Waltrip (84), A.J. Foyt (79), the late Dale Earnhardt (76), and Mario Andretti (65).

In the world of drag racing, a pair of legendary Pro Stock drivers are closest to his leading total, including Warren Johnson (87) and Bob Glidden (85). He has no equal in Funny Car competition, as his closest active rival in the career win column is Cruz Pedregon (22). Retired driver Don Prudhomme is second among all-time Funny Car winners with 35.

MAJOR AUTO RACING SERIES' CAREER VICTORY LEADERS:

	Richard Petty 200, NASCAR
	David Pearson 105, NASCAR
	John Force 99, NHRA Funny Car
	Warren Johnson 87, NHRA Pro Stock
	Bob Glidden 85, NHRA Pro Stock
	Bobby Allison 84, NASCAR
	Darrell Waltrip 84, NASCAR
	Cale Yarborough 83, NASCAR
	A.J. Foyt 79, CART, NASCAR
	Dale Earnhardt 76, NASCAR
	Mario Andretti 65, CART, F1, NASCAR
	Kenny Bernstein 61, NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car
	Jeff Gordon 58, NASCAR
	Lee Petty 55, NASCAR
	Michael Schumacher 54, F1
	Rusty Wallace 54, NASCAR
	Joe Amato 52, NHRA Top Fuel
	Alain Prost 51, F1
	Ned Jarrett 50, NASCAR
	Junior Johnson 50, NASCAR
	Don Prudhomme 49, NHRA Funny Car and Top Fuel
	Herb Thomas 48, NASCAR
	Buck Baker 46, NASCAR
	Michael Andretti 41, CART
	Bill Elliott 41, NASCAR
	Ayrton Senna 41, F1
	Tim Flock 40, NASCAR
	Al Unser 38, CART
	Bobby Issac 37, NASCAR
	Don Garlits 35, NHRA Top Fuel
	Al Unser Jr. 33, CART, IRL
	Mark Martin 32, NASCAR
	MAJOR AUTO RACING SERIES' WIN LEADERS IN THE MODERN ERA OF MOTORSPORTS (1972-2002):
	John Force 99, NHRA Funny Car
	Warren Johnson 87, NHRA Pro Stock
	Bob Glidden 85, NHRA Pro Stock
	Darrell Waltrip 84, NASCAR
	Dale Earnhardt 76, NASCAR
	Cale Yarborough 69, NASCAR
	Kenny Bernstein 61, NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car
	Richard Petty 60, NASCAR
	Jeff Gordon 58, NASCAR
	Bobby Allison 55, NASCAR
	Michael Schumacher 54, F1
	Rusty Wallace 54, NASCAR
	Joe Amato 52, NHRA Top Fuel
	Alain Prost 51, F1
	David Pearson 45, NASCAR
	Don Prudhomme 44, NHRA Funny Car and Top Fuel
	Michael Andretti 41, CART
	Bill Elliott 41, NASCAR
	Ayrton Senna 41, F1
	Mario Andretti 32, CART, F1
	Al Unser Jr. 33, CART, IRL
	Mark Martin 32, NASCAR
	A.J. Foyt 31, CART, NASCAR
	Nigel Mansell 31, F1

Auto Racing Series Abbreviation Key:

	NASCAR- National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (Winston Cup Series)
	NHRA -- National Hot Rod Association
	CART -- Championship Auto Racing Teams
	F1 -- Formula One
	IRL -- Indy Racing League

NHRA DRAG RACING CAREER WIN LEADERS (Top 10, Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock only)

1. John Force, Funny Car 99
2. Warren Johnson, Pro Stock 87
3. Bob Glidden, Pro Stock 85
4. Kenny Bernstein, Top Fuel, Funny Car 61
5. Joe Amato, Top Fuel 52
6. Don Prudhomme, Funny Car and Top Fuel 49
7. Don Garlits, Top Fuel 35
8. Darrell Alderman, Pro Stock 27
9. Lee Shepherd, Pro Stock 26
   Cory McClenathan, Top Fuel 26
10. Gary Scelzi, Top Fuel 25

NHRA FUNNY CAR WIN LEADERS (Top five)

1. John Force 99
2. Don Prudhomme 35
3. Kenny Bernstein 30
4. Cruz Pedregon 22
5. Ed McCulloch 18
   Mark Oswald 18

NHRA POWERADE DRAG RACING SERIES, ROUND NO. 3:

WHAT: Mac Tools NHRA Gatornationals, third of 23 events in $50 million NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series for 2002

WHEN: March 14-17, 2002

WHERE: Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, Fla.

SCHEDULE: Qualifying Friday and Saturday (11 a.m., 2:15 p.m.); Eliminations Sunday (11 a.m.)

TV: Saturday, ESPN2, qualifying, 8-10 p.m. ET

Sunday, ESPN2, eliminations, 5-7 p.m. ET

QUICK FACTS: John Force will attempt to score his 100th career NHRA victory in Funny Car competition ... NHRA legends "Big Daddy" Don Garlits and Shirley Muldowney will compete in Top Fuel, while Pro Stock legend Bob Glidden will take to the track for the third time this season in his comeback attempt ... Angelle Savoie begins defense of her 2001 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle championship at this event ... Gene Wilson, son of famous TV outdoorsman Orlando Wilson, will make his NHRA driving debut for the Team Mopar Pro Stock team, owned by Houston's David Nickens. Wilson, new teammate of three-time NHRA Pro Stock champ Darrell Alderman, is the defending IHRA Pro Stock champion and replaces Mark Osborne in the second Team Mopar Dodge Neon R/T.

TICKETS: (800) 884-NHRA