SAN FRANCISCO — Wednesday’s NHRA press conference got off to a late start for the Force family.

With 13-time Funny Car world champion John Force behind the wheel of his white Ford F150 Lariat — and wife Laurie and daughters Ashley and Courtney in tow — he was pulled over by a San Francisco police officer.

Despite several wrong turns and an illegal U-turn, the Forces escaped without a ticket. They rolled up unscathed and ready to talk about this weekend’s FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals at Infineon Raceway.

John Force hopes his experience on the Infineon road course goes better than his time on the San Francisco streets. And it should — he has notched six wins at Sonoma and is hoping to grab No. 7 on Sunday.

“I’ve been spanked a lot by (Gary) Scelzi and his team,” Force said about the returning Infineon winner and the 2005 Funny Car world champion. “We’re all fighting for a championship. We need to get away from the TV crew and win a race.”

Force and his family have been followed by A & E television crews for the past six months documenting their lives for the new reality series, “Driving Force.” The show has aired four episodes and can be seen Monday nights at 9 p.m. on A & E.

Though the family is glad they’re doing the show, Force admits, “it’s a big ’ol pain in the gluteus!”

“It’s an opportunity to grow our sport,” Force added. “We’re NASCAR’s little brother and we’re tired of that.”

Force added that he’s quit swearing after listening to himself on the show, and that’s he’s rehearsed things ahead of time so he sounds better.

“I’ve changed my ways, I’m a new man,” Force said.

In the show Force hasn’t looked like that great of a father or husband.

Courtney Force admits that what viewers are seeing actually happened, but so far producers haven’t shown too much of the good stuff.

“That’s how everything is,” said Courtney, who racers Super Comp dragsters with her older sister Brittany. “Dad gets frustrated and it looks like he’s always fighting with us, but it’s not always like that.”

John added, “Can you show any action of me winning? It’s reality, it’s who we are. There are times the girls get mad because, what about me loving them?”

Ashley, who pilots a Top Alcohol dragster, knows her dad has “fits” but “he’s really not that bad.”

John Force joked with Scelzi, who was featured in the third episode when the two were dining at Hooters in southern California, that “we’ve had so much fun in the world. If our wives let us in the house at the end of the night, we’ve been blessed.”

Force is second in the points championship, 88 points behind Ron Capps. Scelzi is sixth, 295 behind Capps. Scelzi beat Force their last two matchups in Denver and Seattle.

Scelzi races for team owner Don Schumacher, and Schumacher has been putting the pressure on Scelzi to repeat last season’s performance.

“When I see Don Schumacher coming, I go the other way,” Scelzi laughed. “Sometimes it takes a half a day for him to find me.”

Force is looking forward to making another trek to Infineon and continue the friendly rivalry with Sculzi, who’s posted two wins in Funny Cars at Sonoma.

“I love Sonoma,” Force said. “I used to be the champ until Sculzi won it, now I’m just Ashley’s dad.”