EXCLUSIVE: NHRA Champ Julie Nataas Reveals Force Family’s Hidden Hand Behind Championship Legacy

On April 27, 2008, history was made in the high-octane world of drag racing. Ashley Force shattered barriers by becoming the first woman to win an NHRA Funny Car event—an achievement made even more iconic by her victory over one of the sport’s most dominant figures: her own father, 16-time Funny Car champion John Force. In the final round of the Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway, Ashley held her ground and outpaced her legendary dad, marking a moment that would echo through the sport for years to come.

In doing so, Force laid the groundwork for the rise of female drag racers, a legacy that continues to inspire. Seventeen years after that milestone, one such racer, Julie Nataas, shared her admiration in an interview with EssentiallySports. Having earned her Funny Car license this May and made her debut at the Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol, Tennessee, Nataas opened up about how the Force family profoundly shaped her journey in motorsports.

Julie Nataas lets out her fangirl emotions

Every legendary racer draws strength from a legendary role model—and for Julie Nataas, that inspiration runs deep. With a racing resume already brimming with accolades, Nataas began her journey behind the wheel of a Junior Dragster at just nine years old in her hometown of Drøbak, Norway. Her American dream took shape in 2015 when she moved to the U.S., quickly making her mark in the Top Alcohol ranks. Over the years, she racked up more than 20 national and regional victories, along with three regional titles in the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series Top Alcohol Dragster. In 2023, she reached a career-defining milestone by clinching her first world championship in the series. Yet behind all this success lies the spark ignited by a trailblazer from the Funny Car world, a category where Nataas is now beginning to write her own chapter.

In an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, Julie Nataas opened up about the profound influence Ashley Force had on her career. Although Force stepped away from racing in 2010 to focus on her family, she continues to take pride in the legendary moments she carved into drag racing history. For Nataas, Force stands out among the female icons who shaped her journey. “I feel like there’s so many. But growing up, watching racing mostly, and motorsport, I always looked up to Ashley Force. She’s no longer a racer, she retired, but I really looked up to her. She was great, between like, taking care of fans and sponsors but also the badass driver on the racetrack.”

Ashley Force inspired female racers across Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle. Before hanging up her firesuit, she secured four professional-level wins in 16 final-round appearances, including back-to-back triumphs at the sport’s biggest event, the U.S. Nationals. In 2010, she once again defeated her father, John Force, and also claimed victories over top male competitors like Jack Beckman and Robert Hight.

All these achievements propelled Julie Nataas toward earning her own accolades in Funny Car. In her rookie season this year, she captured her first professional round win in the Airmine Toyota GR Supra Funny Car on June 8th. Nataas delivered a clean 4.03-second run at 317 mph alongside Chad Green at Bristol. From piloting her first dragster to celebrating victory in Bristol, Nataas says racing has always been her life. She continued in her conversation with EssentiallySports: “I mean, I grew up on the racetrack. So all of my life lessons came out of the racetrack. From being a businesswoman to being an athlete to being a girlfriend, to being a friend – there are so many lessons that I don’t think I can pick just one.”

What is more, Julie Nataas fearlessly tackles the challenges of drag racing.

Reckless speeds do not faze her

Drag racing is not for the faint-hearted. Tony Stewart, a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, has harped on this time and again. He entered the Top Fuel category of drag racing for the first time in 2024, filling the shoes of his wife, Leah Pruett. The latter is a 17-time NHRA race winner, a seasoned veteran in handling 11,000 horsepower dragsters speeding up to 340 miles per hour. Amidst drag racing’s immeasurable noise, success at 330 mph is found in minuscule details. From racers’ reaction time to the go lights to the way that fuel is mixed and engines are torn down and reconstructed between each run, your attention needs to be exact. Achieving all this while handling a dizzying speed is no mean feat.

Yet Julie Nataas is one of those superhuman drag racers, as she is used to this speed. On being asked if she harbors a fear of the shuddering 330 MPH, Nataas gave the coolest answer. She said, “I mean, I always feel that it’s so hard to explain to someone about what that feels like. I guess you can say that it feels like a rollercoaster. Just like, really, really fast, can’t believe a different experience. I’ve never had a fear of going that fast in my life or my career before. I grew up in the sport. So it’s always like something that I’ve wanted to do. A goal…that you’ve just reached for. So it’s never been a fear, it’s always like a goal.”

That goal is getting bigger for Julie Nataas with every milestone. We hope to see her achieve legendary fame in the world of drag racing!