A matter of course

The speeches had been made, the sponsors introduced, the one-on-one interviews completed.

When the conference call was finally over, John Force, a 14-time funny car champion in National Hot Rod Assn. drag racing, could take a deep breath. And then came a casual question: “Is today your proudest day?”

Yes, he said, because Daddy’s little girl was following in his tire tracks as a professional funny car driver.

Today, four weeks after that announcement, Ashley Force makes her debut at Pomona Raceway in the 47th annual Carquest Auto Parts NHRA Winternationals.

According to many in drag racing, it may be the dawn of a new era.

“She’s going to make this sport much, much better,” said Tony Schumacher, three-time defending top-fuel champion. “The only thing that would concern me is if anything happened. If she got hurt, it would be hard on the sport.”

When the announcement was made, John Force, at 57, drag racing’s winningest driver, got choked up.

“This is bigger to me than when I won my first championship,” he said. “This is bigger to me than when I won [the nationals] at Indy because it’s my child that’s driving a fuel funny car.”

Ashley, 24, had three partial seasons in a super comp dragster while earning her bachelor’s degree in communications at Cal State Fullerton and raced the last three seasons in a top-alcohol dragster, winning in that division in the U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis in 2004.

Those were development classes, though, and for the last 18 months, she has also tested a funny car -- funny cars rank second only to top-fuel dragsters on drag racing’s speed chart -- in anticipation of this day.

And even though she has never raced in funny cars, hardly anyone in the sport doubts that Ashley will become the first woman to win in one on her way to stardom.

“It may very well be a significant point in the history of the NHRA,” said Tom Compton, president of the sanctioning body. “Women and minorities have been racing and winning through much of [the NHRA’s] history, but what makes this an important moment, not only is Ashley a woman, but she’s the daughter of arguably the most influential and well-known driver in history.

“She could become as big [as], or bigger than, her dad.”

There have been successful female drag racers, notably three-time top-fuel champion Shirley Muldowney. There are women competing today in top fuel, pro-stock and pro-stock motorcycle, but Ashley will be the first to drive a funny car in a national event since 2000.

History will probably judge her by how she compares with Muldowney, who won 18 times in her career.

But Muldowney was a pioneer, a lone woman fighting for sponsorship in what then was a man’s sport. Ashley Force doesn’t have to fight that battle.

“She’s going to get 100 times more media attention than Shirley ever got,” said Larry Dixon, a two-time top-fuel champion. “The advantage she has over Shirley is, she’s stepping into a championship-caliber car. That car is going to have everything it takes to win a championship out of the gate. It will be all up to her.”

Said Bill Wynne, a marketing manager for Ford Racing: “Within all the milestones of Ford racing history, we see this as one of the biggest milestones.”

How soon Ashley wins in her Ford Mustang is a matter of conjecture but consider: John Force has won 122 races but didn’t win his first race until he was 38, and his first title until he was 41. Ashley has time on her side. She also has a following.

“When she was in the sportsman ranks, we had more requests for her than some of our top pro drivers,” said Anthony Vestal, NHRA director of media communications.

Many think her crossover celebrity is inevitable. Castrol oil, which has sponsored her father’s car for 22 seasons, locked onto her two years ago.

“Ashley cuts across a number of demographics,” said Bruce Firkins, North American sponsorship manager for Castrol’s parent company, BP Lubricants. “She’s important because she’s a fresh face, particularly in the funny car class.... She transcends the NHRA. She has the potential to have exposure and opportunities in a number of other areas beyond traditional motorsports.”

Brand Source, a national distributor of brand-name furniture and appliances, aligned itself with Ashley and her sisters, Brittany and Courtney, last year in the amateur ranks. A “significant percentage” of its marketing budget is tied into the race program, said Chief Executive Bob Lawrence, whose target customers are women ages 35 to 54.

He sees Ashley eventually performing as the Anaheim company’s first national spokeswoman. That would put her on cable television channels HGTV, Fine Living and the Food Network, the ESPN properties that broadcast races and the A&E; network, which broadcasts the reality TV series “Driving Force,” whose emphasis will change in its second season from John’s reconnection with his family to Ashley’s professional journey.

Lawrence marvels at her “personality and presence.”

“I can’t convert it to dollars and cents, but when ‘Driving Force’ [is on] or ESPN runs races, the hits on our website increase significantly,” he said. “We believe that now we’ve got a woman who’s going to be very big in her industry that’s going to be endorsing our brand. I believe the potential is unlimited.”

It’s that kind of enthusiasm that makes Ashley’s debut so anticipated in NHRA circles. If she attracts new fans and improved television ratings, the expectation is that new sponsors will follow, not just for Team Force, but throughout the NHRA.

Mike Held, president of Co-Pilott, a motorsports marketing agency with offices in Los Angeles and Charlotte, N.C., said she could become another Dale Earnhardt Jr.

“Her father is a legend. She has the proper resources. The recipe for success is there,” he said.

“Is it the dawn of a new era? We’ll have to wait and see. But if I were a betting man, I’d be going to Vegas with a pile of cash.”

martin.henderson@latimes.com