Ashley Force Hood is a former professional Funny Car drag racer who raced for her father’s company John Force Racing. She was the first female to ever compete in a national series TF/FC final round.
Ashley was born in America to her parent, John, and Laurie. John Force is the 16-time NHRA Top Fuel Funny Car national champion.
Following in her father’s footsteps, Ashley also entered the race track early in her life. Luckily, she made a lot of contributions as a female drag racer in the industry.
Apart from earning the Rookie of the Year award, Force even became the first female driver to win in two different classes. But she announced her retirement from the racing industry after her first childbirth.
As of 2024, Ashley has an estimated net worth of around $3 million.
Today, we will take a look at her personal life, including her family, education, early life, and her short-lived yet accomplished drag racing career. Make sure to read till the end to find out more about her.
Ashley Force Hood | Quick Facts
Full Name | Ashley Force Hood |
Birth Date | November 29, 1982 |
Birth Place | Yorba Linda, California, US |
Known as | Ashley Force |
Religion | Unknown |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | White |
University | California State University |
School | Esperanza High School |
Horoscope | Sagittarius |
Father’s Name | John Force |
Mother’s Name | Laurie Force |
Siblings | Two sisters |
Age | 41 years old |
Height | 5’6″/1.68 m/168 cm |
Weight | 57 kg/125 lb. |
Build | Slim |
Eye color | Dark Brown |
Hair color | Dark Brown |
Profession | Drag Racer |
Associated to | John Force Racing |
Active years | 2007-2010 |
Marital Status | Married |
Husband | Daniel Hood |
Net Worth | $3 million |
Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
Merch | Books of Daniel Hood, Drag Race Gears |
Last Update | October, 2024 |
Ashley Force Hood | Age And Body Measurements
Ashley was born in the year 1982, which means she is 41years old. Force celebrates her birthday every year on the 29th of November.
Her zodiac sign happens to be Sagittarius. And from what we know, the people of this sign are known to be smart, skilled, and goal-oriented.
Moving to her body measurements, Force stands at an average height of 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 meters) and weighs around 57 kg (125 pounds). Even after being a mother, Ashley has maintained her body well.
Moreover, back in 2007, she was voted the Hottest Athlete by an AOL Sports Poll, where Force beat fan favorites like Tom Brady and Danica Patrick.
The famous drag racer Ashley Force Hood has been gone from the scene for a long time and is now focusing on being a mother.
Ashley Force Hood | Family
Ashley Force Hood, a former Top Fuel Funny Car drag racer for John Force Racing, was born and grew up in the city of Yorba Linda, California, the United States of America.
Talking about her family, Force is the daughter of John Force, a legendary racer, and Laurie Force.
Hood has two sisters, Courtney and Brittany, and an older half-sister, Adria. Other than their names, details on their whereabouts are unknown.
Hood is an American citizen who belongs to a white ethnic background.
Ashley Force Hood | Early Life And Education
As for her education, Ashley went to the Anaheim-based Esperanza High School. She used to be a cheerleader, just like her sister, Courtney. After that, Ashley enrolled at California State University, Fullerton(CSUF).
From there, Force graduated with a B.A. degree, where she majored in Communications with an emphasis on television and video, in 2003. Right after her graduation, Ashley started drag racing.
Similarly, in 2004, Hood won three of the season’s final five races as a Top Alcohol Dragster rookie, including the 50th annual Mac Tools U.S Nationals at Indianapolis, and the season-ending Automobile Club of Southern California event at Pomona.
It was also the event where she shared the winner’s circle with her father-NHRA’s first-ever father-daughter winners.
Ashley Force Hood | Marriage, Husband, And Personal Life
Ashley Force is a married woman as of now. She married Castrol GTX Funny Car team’s parts manager, Daniel Hood. After marrying him, Ashley changed her name to Ashley Force Hood.
The couple exchanged their vows on December 13, 2008, and their wedding ceremony was held in Lake Tahoe. Sadly, not much information has been shared about the events.
In fact, it is also their whole married life and even their dating life before that. We have no idea where and when the two met for the first time. But just from the assumption, Ashley might have met after she started racing.
Nonetheless, the duo is the biggest supporter of each other. Ashley gave birth to her first child, a son, on August 8, 2011, and named him Jacob John Hood. Later, the couple also welcomed their second son, Noah Hood.
The small family of four also takes upon two American Bobtail cats, Simba and Gizmo. All in all, the family is living a happy and blissful life at the moment.
Ashley Force Hood | Professional Career
Ashley started her drag race career right after her graduation. She quickly teamed up with her father and drove for her father’s team John Force Racing in 2007, with a Mustang Top Fuel Funny Car sponsored by Castrol.
Not only that, but the father-daughter duo also created history by racing each other in NHRA.
Surprisingly, Ashley beat her father with an elapsed time of 4.779 seconds, where her top speed was 510.24 kph (317 mph).
Following her win, Force moved to the semi-finals and even became the first female to reach the national series TF/FC final round at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in October 2007.
Sadly, she lost to Tony Pedregon on a holeshot. And it seemed as if Ashley took her losing streak in the early 2008 racing season as well. Force lost three consecutive meetings in Houston, Las Vegas, and Atlanta.
To put it out there, Force made her first final-round appearance of the year on March 30 at Houston and lost to Del Worsham. Then at Las Vegas, she was defeated by Tim Wilkerson. However, she became the first female racer ever to lead the NHRA Funny Car point standings.
Further
In the final at Atlanta on April 17, 2008, Force had her father as the opponent where John was vying to score the 1000th round win of his career. The younger Force halted her father from reaching the milestone and claimed her first-ever NHRA Funny Car win. Likewise, the win was the first-ever for a woman.
Force also got the second event win of her career on March 29, 2009, at the O-Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals. After defeating her former instructor, Jack Beckman.
However, at the next race, Beckman beat Force in the first round of elimination at Las Vegas.
To be the first female Funny Car driver to win in two different classes, Ashley beat her teammate Robert Hight. Force finished the season, second in points, the highest women finished in Funny Car history.
Fast forward to 2011, Ashley became the President of John Force Entertainment on January 25. It is more like a subsidiary of John Force Racing, which will focus on developing media projects and products.
Furthermore, on January 28, 2012, Hood assumed the title of President of John Force Entertainment. Besides that, she was also featured with her family on the A&E reality show, Driving Force.
The Accident In 2007
Ashley has been a fan favorite throughout her sports career. However, right during her early years, she faced a tragic point in her life. She lost her teammate Eric Medlen.
“I had never lost anyone that close to me. Eric was so much more than a teammate. He was like my brother.” -Ashley Force Hood
Well, Eric died of massive head injuries suffered in a testing accident at Gainesville, Fla. Indeed, that incident taught Ashley a much more profound lesson in the car racing field.
Ashley Force Hood | Net Worth And Salary
The former female drag racer was active in the industry for seven years. But professionally, she only started later in 2007. But whatever the duration was, Ashley managed to grab a lot of attention and make a record.
As of 2024, it is reported that Ashley has acquired a net worth of $3 million. It all comes from her successful career as a drag racer. Sadly, Force’s career on the race track was shorter than anticipated, though.
Moreover, anything other than her worth has not been recorded for public knowledge. Force’s income and salary are also not known yet.
But there is no doubt that the Hood family is living a happy and luxurious life with their children.
Ashley Force Hood | Social Media Presence
Hood is quite active on her social media. She frequently posts pictures of her kids and her sister, who is also a professional NHRA drag racer. You can find her on Instagram under the handle @ashleyforcehoodjfe and on Twitter @ForceHood.
Instagram: 83.3k followers
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Twitter: 21.8k followers
Ashley Force Hood | Popularity
The former racer gained media attention after defeating her father and becoming the first female to win the NHRA Funny Car race.
The above image gives brief information about the popularity of Ashley based on Google searches in the United States over a year.
Ashley Force Hood | FAQs
Did Ashley Force win a championship?
Ashley won her first NHRA Professional-category win on April 27, 2008, after defeating her father in the final round at the NHRA Summit Southern Nationals.
She became the first woman to earn a win in TF/FC.
What is the net worth of John Force?
John Force is a 16-time NHRA and 1-time AHRA Funny Car champion. He also owns a company, John Force Racing. He is estimated to have a net worth of around $20 million.