John Force, a 16-time National Hot Rod Association champion from Yorba Linda, continued what his family hopes will be a full recovery in a hospital Saturday, nearly one week after a catastrophic crash at the Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park.
The 75-year-old Force, who was born in Bell Gardens and attended Cerritos College, hit the concrete guard wall at the dragstrip in Virginia at 302 mph in the first round of elimination in the Virginia Nationals on June 23. He was taken by helicopter to a trauma hospital in Virginia.
Doctors later moved him from an intensive care unit to a neuro intensive care unit, and were focusing on the immediate concern of injuries to Force’s head.
Force has been heavily sedated since the accident. His wife Laurie, daughters Brittany, Adria, Ashley and Courtney and other family members have been with Force during his hospital treatments, according to multiple media reports.
Brittany Force is a two-time NHRA Top Fuel champion and races for her father’s team, John Force Racing, which is based in Yorba Linda. Ashley Force Hood and Courtney Force have competed in NHRA events in the past for John Force Racing. Adria Force is the CFO of John Force Racing.
“Attending doctors purposely were moving slowly in assessing the extent of the injuries to the Hall of Fame owner and driver because of the intensity of the impact. Medical staff will not provide a treatment and recovery timetable until a total evaluation is completed,” according to a statement released by the team on Monday.
Brittany Force, driver of the Cornwall Tools Chevrolet Top Fuel dragster, skipped the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Ohio from June 27-30 to be with her father and family in Virginia.
“My dad’s going to be all right — I was in the ambulance with him, holding his hand. He’s one of the toughest people I know, so he’ll bounce back like he always does,” Brittany Force said after the crash in Virginia. “It’s something that’s tough. We know that’s a part of the sport. That’s how this sport goes,”
Austin Prock is driving in place of Brittany Force for John Force Racing in the races in Norwalk.
John Force started his NHRA Funny Car racing career in 1978 and won his first NHRA championship in 1990. He won 10 NHRA Funny Car championships from 1990-00 and 10 in a row from 1993-02.
He survived a violent crash in September 2007 at the O’Reilly Auto Parts Fall Nationals in Ennis, Texas that sidelined him for the remainder of the season. He broke his ankle, dislocated his wrist and his fingers and toes were badly mangled in the crash.
According to reports from the track in Virginia last week, following the crash, John Force was coherent and communicating with safety crews before being taken to a trauma center, and later to the neuro specialty unit.
“The move was a welcome positive for his family members, who have maintained a daily presence at the hospital all week,” the team said in a statement released Thursday.
He won his 16th NHRA Funny Car championship in 2013. He won the season-opening event at the In N Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip the following year in 2014.
Force won the 157th NHRA Funny Car race of his career at New England Dragway in New Hampshire on June 2.