What Is Ashley Force Hood’s Net Worth?
Ashley Force Hood, a celebrated former NHRA Funny Car drag racer, boasts a net worth of $3 million. This financial standing reflects her successful career in motorsports, appearances in television, and subsequent business ventures.
Early Life and Education
Born on November 29, 1982, in Yorba Linda, California, Ashley Force Hood is the daughter of Laurie and John Force, the 16-time NHRA Top Fuel Funny Car national champion. Growing up in a family deeply entrenched in drag racing, Ashley was exposed to the world of motorsports from a young age. She has two sisters, Courtney and Brittany, and a half-sister, Adria. During her teenage years, Ashley attended Esperanza High School in Anaheim, where she participated as a cheerleader. She then pursued higher education at California State University, Fullerton, culminating in a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications in 2003.
Drag Racing Career
Ashley Force Hood embarked on her drag racing journey in the early 2000s, following in her father’s footsteps. In 2004, she competed as a Top Alcohol Dragster rookie, securing victories in three of the final five races of the season and achieving fourth place in national driver points. A notable moment was sharing the winners’ circle with her father at the season-ending Automobile Club of Southern California event, marking them as the first father-daughter duo to achieve this feat in NHRA history. In 2007, Ashley transitioned to the professional ranks, joining John Force Racing and driving a Castrol-sponsored Mustang Top Fuel Funny Car. That spring, she and her father made history as the first father and daughter to race against each other in the NHRA, during a competition in Atlanta. Ashley won that round, advancing to the semifinals. Later that year, she reached the final round of the TF/FC national series in Las Vegas but was defeated by Tony Pedregon. The 2008 racing season saw Ashley achieving the final round of eliminations in three consecutive events, held in Houston, Las Vegas, and Atlanta. At the NHRA Summit Southern Nationals in Atlanta, she once again faced her father, who sought his 1,000th career round win. Ashley won, securing her first professional NHRA Funny Car win, making her the first woman to achieve a win in TF/FC. In 2009, Ashley secured her second career event win at the O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals, defeating her former instructor Jack Beckman in the finals. Later, at the US Nationals, she beat Robert Hight, becoming the first female Funny Car driver to win at Indianapolis. Ashley finished the 2009 season in second place in points. After competing in 2010, she took a hiatus in 2011 to focus on family and retired from racing.
Driving Force
From 2006 to 2007, Ashley Force Hood, along with her parents and sisters, starred in the A&E reality television series “Driving Force.” The show centered on the lives and careers of the family members, with a particular emphasis on John. The exposure from “Driving Force” likely contributed to Ashley’s public profile.
Other Activities
In early 2011, Ashley Force Hood was announced as the president of John Force Entertainment, a subsidiary of John Force Racing focused on media projects. She assumed the role in 2012. Although she had retired from racing, Ashley did test driving for John Force Racing in 2014 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This allowed her to renew her NHRA Funny Car license so she could continue doing test or reserve driving in the future.
Personal Life
Ashley Force Hood married Daniel Hood, the parts manager of the Castrol GTX Funny Car team, in late 2008. Together, they had a son named Jacob in the summer of 2011. The Hoods also have two American Bobtails named Simba and Gizmo, who were featured on the Animal Planet television program “Cats 101” in 2010.