John Force officially retired today, but I don't think that is actually news, news usually comes as a random unpredictable event. Force retiring was nothing like that

 He was a news item in drag racing for decades, but after his last crash (June 2024) it wasn't like there would be any other option at age 75 with the problems involved with drag racing in the most elite level

Amazing career, accomplishments, and legacy. 

https://dragillustrated.com/john-force-makes-it-official-im-done-with-driving

The NHRA Nationals Oct 31 - Nov 03 2024 at at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is the weekend before SEMA, and 75-year-old member of every major auto racing Hall of Fame, John Force, will be there to support his team and family

Las Vegas is close enough to Force’s Yorba Linda, CA home that he can drive over. “I want to show my support for our race teams the fans and all our sponsors,” he said in making the announcement of his return to the community. “They stuck with me during a hard time, and I want them to know that I haven’t forgotten them and I haven’t gone anywhere. I’ve just been doing my rehab, trying to stay strong.”

Force has been treating both his physical injuries, the TBI and the successive effects of many incidents and violent crashes that have been part of his 50-year career. 

“I want to be there for Brittany and that team with (David) Grubnic and John Collins. They’re gonna win a race, and I want to be there when they do. I really can’t wait to see all my guys,” Force continued. “I love them and I’ve missed them and can’t wait to be with them again!”

https://www.nhra.com/schedule/2024/nhra-mission-foods-drag-racing-series/ford-performance-nhra-nationals

https://www.racingjunk.com/news/force-to-attend-24th-ford-performance-nhra-nationals-at-las-vegas

Jack Beckman has been named as the replacement driver of John Force’s car for the remainder of the 2024 season

https://www.nhra.com/news/2024/jack-beckman-named-replacement-driver-john-force-balance-season

Thank you George! 

Finally accurate good news on John Force, he's walking and talking (thank you George! and Marc B)

A fractured sternum and wrist injury were mentioned in the July 5th John Force Racing facebook post. 

No mention of exactly what else, other than the "Traumatic Brain Injury". 

Until anyone has more than that, they are not doing anything but using clickbait when they mention an "update" on his condition, so they can get website traffic. A real update would actually be details on injuries, sprains, broken bones, etc. But as of yet, the most clear update has only been that he's been able to walk and talk. 

https://sports.yahoo.com/a-long-road-ahead-brittany-force-shares-picture-with-father-john-force-after-his-fiery-nhra-wreck-234717159.html

https://www.instagram.com/p/C9I8JwJs-HC/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=3a378f75-5418-4e94-857d-fb06c109144f

https://www.facebook.com/groups/300103187963391

https://www.facebook.com/TeamJFR/posts/pfbid0e3DtpL8wM4n8soejoRznQ42McvqF3tNxsxxJXkGt2UHqWJTv58EDTXyWyzwyFYWkl?rdid=qcUrJt05s7xCNUmv

there still is zero news on John Force's injuries, or IF he got badly injured, OR NOT. The family and hospital STILL haven't said what his injuries might be!

 unspecified possible head injury has him in the "a neuro intensive care unit for an unspecified head injury"

https://www.thedrive.com/news/john-force-transferred-to-neuro-icu-days-after-300-mph-crash

Why did they even bother, this isn't news. Moving from the trauma ward to the ICU, is that from bad to worse? Or bad to better?

https://www.instagram.com/jfr_racing/?hl=en

John Force crashed hard, but was able to exit the wreck, and was alert while transported to a local hospital. No news outlet has ANY thing more to say at this time

 

hard to believe that after that crash, not a single news outlet, blogger, tweeter, etc is at the hospital, on the John Force team, in the family, and able to post a single word that describes his condition...

It would take less than a minute to say if he has broken anything, if he is lucid, if he was able to use his arms and legs to get out of the wreck? 

Not a damn word online. Ridiculous! 

interesting

makes me wonder, who has the most championships for a team sport, and who for a single competitor sport? 

And how many people must be in a sport for it to really matter? Because if there are only 4 people competing, does your championship matter in the big picture? If you've only got 3 competitors, it's not as meaningful as if you have 300, or 30,000. 

And in a team sport, it's something else, and not even comparable, I think. Because how can you compare when you are relying on a half dozen to two dozen (whatever) other people to be playing at their best, uninjured, in teamwork lockstep, in order to win the championship for your game?

Hmm, that's a lot to think about. 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/798838050138540/permalink/3867221329966848

For the 1st time in 50 years, John Force was not at the dragstrip, not him, or his teams

The NHRA returned to Lucas Oil Raceway in Indy over the weekend.

The entire John Force Racing team, including Robert Hight who races Funny Car along with Brittany Force and Austin Prock who race Top Fuel were not present.

https://www.powernationtv.com/post/for-the-first-time-in-50-years-the-nhra-returned-without-john-force-or-his-cars

Holy smokes, John Force not only took a year (and 25 losses) between wins, but on his 700th Funny Car race, won his 150th time, at age 70!

Racing Capps for a title for the 20th time in his career, Force sped through the traps in 3.971 seconds at 320.58 mph for the win.

You wanna hear excited? (censored version)



or uncensored version



The magnitude of Sunday’s accomplishment cannot be overstated insomuch as no other pro driver has won as many as even 100 races.

Second all-time is Warren Johnson, who won 97 Pro Stock events before retiring in 2013.

Among active drivers, four-time NHRA Pro Stock champ Greg Anderson has 93 wins.
Eight-time Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher, inactive this season, has won 84 events.
Ron Capps is second on the Funny Car list with 62.

Even before he hoisted the Seattle trophy for a record ninth time, second only to his 11 victories in the Lucas Oil Nationals at Brainerd, Minn., John Force had secured a record 35th consecutive Top 10 finish in NHRA’s Mello Yello Series.

http://www.norwalkreflector.com/Motor-Sports/2019/08/04/Ahead-of-Norwalk-return-John-Force-wins-historic-150th-race.html
https://www.powernationtv.com/post/john-force-wins-150th-nhra-funny-car-race-at-70

69-year-old John Force wins 149th NHRA Funny Car race, and sets a new record for oldest person to win an NHRA Funny Car race with his victory at the Dodge Mile-High Nationals in Colorado on Sunday. 4.075 at 315.42, reaction time .037

http://www.foxnews.com/auto/2018/07/23/69-year-old-john-force-wins-149th-nhra-funny-car-race.html

thanks Gary!

Sweet welding, a John Force funny car with the flames made from head gaskets from a JF funny car

https://www.facebook.com/cold.hard.art/photos/a.10150988861101149.424832.310875001148/10153888563986149/?type=3

John Force in 2008 celebrated his NHRA 1,000th round win milestone

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nhra/2008-05-04-gateway_N.htm

the interesting tale of the tires and all that went into the memorable photo of Force that was sent around the world. As you can imagine, getting "the shot" is often the result of good planning and anticipation. Such is the case here as well.

Obviously, with Force sitting on 992 wins entering this year, we all knew that if he was healthy enough to drive (and we all knew he’d be behind the wheel one way or another, right?), eight wins was light lifting for him. One thousand was just around the corner.

Force put in two right out of the gate in Pomona and two more in Houston to put him at 996 and within an event’s win of 1,000

The original concept began earlier in the year when the NHRA Marketing and Communications departments began to discuss ways to salute Force’s milestone achievement.

“There was some concern about the trophy/plaque being done in time for the Las Vegas NHRA event, the first race where he had a shot at 1,000, so we went into contingency mode. How could we illustrate this remarkable milestone – and this was important – and do it in a way that would represent the sport of NHRA POWERade Series Drag Racing?

“The idea of the three tires representing the zeros just sort of jumped off the page.”

NHRA’s Don Taylor came up with a quick sketch that would become the blueprint that everyone would work toward.

But then Force didn't qualify in Las Vegas, so, plans were reset for the photo-shoot in Atlanta.

Not only did Force qualify in Atlanta, but he won his first three rounds to push his total to 999 and set up a final-round date with none other than his daughter Ashley, who also was gunning for a piece of history, the first Funny Car win by a female racer. Ashley made history by defeating her father. And plans were delayed again.

Force qualified for the O’Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals and was pitted against Ron Capps in the first round. NHRA Senior Vice President-Racing Operations Graham Light gave the green light to a short stoppage in the racing schedule should Force win the round, but with just 75 minutes between rounds, everyone wanted to get the job done quickly and efficiently.

At the top end, an actual line was painted on the return road to mark where Force's Castrol Mustang should stop. “X” literally marked the spot.

Force was finally brought up to speed on what he needed to do should he win. His role is simple: Come out of the car, do his ESPN2 interview, then pose for the photo.

Force beat Capps, and everyone rolled into motion. But as the green Ford was rolled toward the spot, the turn was made too wide, and his Mustang came to rest 30 feet from assigned spot.

Then the transmission locked up.

A mad dash was made to move the tires, signage, and photographers into the new location.

Force does his thing with ESPN, but instead of moving to the setup area, he wants to talk with Capps. As he’s doing that, Force’s newest protégé, Mike Neff, wins his first round of racing, so Force wants to congratulate him, much to the dismay of the assembled group

Force is finally corralled and photos are taken.

http://www.nhra.com/blog/dragster-insider/page/154/

Good News! The band is back together! Austin Coil and John Force working together again! ( when they split, it was like parents divorcing, and realizing the good ol days are over)

Robert Hight, president of John Force Racing got us together. I want to clarify: he [Coil] does not work for me. He’s not on my payroll. He’s helping me because he loves me. He said, ‘I don’t know how a guy like you could screw all this up.’ ”

“Yeah, when me and Austin made up, it made my heart right, because I failed him. Part of the reason that happens you don’t even realize: that there’s things you’re supposed to do in life to be fair and right. And I thought I was. But I made it right.”

http://www.dragzine.com/news/coils-voluntary-return-to-help-puts-john-forces-heart-right/

Avoided a head on collision with a wrong way driver

http://www.competitionplus.com/drag-racing/news/details-are-sketchy-in-force-hauler-accident

http://www.dragzine.com/news/john-force-racing-crew-unhurt-in-highway-accident-en-route-to-vegas/

John Force, still winning, still giving great interviews

John qualified 1st 22 times, in California, which is the most anyone ever did in one state
and 139 times qualifying 1st, more than anyone else ever did

John Force said this about Richard Petty, and how to treat fans

" Richard Petty was really something else. He taught em to stand at the ropes and fences and never leave the fans. I'd watch him stand there and never leave a guy in a wheelchair. And I thought, my god, never walk away from a wheelchair even if you miss the next session. If you have to, shove him up there with ya! "
Hot Rod magazine interview June 2014 issue

Car and Driver Magazine tried to interview John Force, a for effort, but they only got 8 words out, and John took the reins!

C/D: Well, um . . .

JF: I’m no young chicken. But I live in the gym every other day. Since that crash in ’07. That was the same year that we lost Eric [Medlen] when he died in a crash at Gainesville. And then we realized we have chassis problems. And I got into the business, building chassis. And here I am today. We got that up and running and our motor program is up and running and it’s time for us to get back to winning championships. I won in 2010. And right now Robert Hight and myself and Courtney are all fighting in the Countdown with four races left, and we’ve got a shot at that title.

C/D: So . . .

JF: Look at NASCAR: Those guys at my age, they all retired 10 years ago. And it’s not like I need to be on fire out there for three or four hours. I have to have the energy to react to that tree. That’s where the race is won or lost, on that start line. If you’ve got a good race car. And I always said I could drive these cars blindfolded. And nobody, in the history of this sport, has made as many runs as John Force has. I’m just starting to get good at it. I say I’m just getting started. It’s what I love to do. I’m a road warrior; I love the road. I don’t know how to go home. I’ve been gone so many years, and now my kids, my wife, everybody is out here with me. All my girls are part of John Force Racing.

See what I mean? It's a good read though, and fans of John Force will get a kick out of this. The full article at http://www.caranddriver.com/features/what-id-do-differently-john-force-interview

John Force on marketing

"I'm pumping a couple million dollars out of my own pocket into chasing Corporate America... but that's marketing."
"You've got to pay to get that done," he said,  "and I'm not shy when it comes to spending my wife's money."

John Force Racing news and info

Castrol and Ford can't afford to remain sponsors any longer, and 2014 is the end for them

John won the 2013 NHRA Funny Car championship, his 16th world title

the team of John Force Racing (JFR) now has more championships than any other motor racing team, more than Ferrari, Kinser, Schumacher, Petty, Hendrick and Childress!

John set the low ET on the 1000ft course that has been the norm since mid 2008 on Feb 7 2014 of 3.966 at 324mph

http://www.johnforceracing.com/history.cfm