ping
Met John several times. Like many, one of my favorite NHRA drivers. Been a very rough year for John Force Racing. Hopefully, John will recover 100% and continue driving.
The crash did not look good, but other than two broken legs he is fine.
Hey, it's John Force for crissakes, he always talks like that.
I can't wait to hear his explanation of what his ole hot rod (and Elvis) were doing.
Prayers sent.
Force spent some time in Humboldt County Ca with his family when his dad worked in the logging industry. He has mentioned his fond memories of Mikes Garlic Fries on Broadway in Eureka. Mikes Drive up opened in 1946 and still going strong today with it’s third owner.
My Prayers are with John and his family
I love drag racing, and John Force IS the man! He is one tough son of a gun.
From the video, looked like Bernstein crossed the median throwing something into Force’s car. Prayers up for John Force.
Replay of the event is on ESPN2 right now...
Watched the incident frame-by-frame, from several angles, on my DVR late last night. No question in my mind that Force’s car suffered a catastrophic clutch explosion (very rare these days) that had nothing to do with Kenny Bernstein taking out two of the speed trap timing blocks, which both missed John’s car. Later in the 3 hour NHRA program they showed a tow truck taking away the back part of John’s car. From the close-up camera shot, it was cleanly cut in half right at the bottom of the driver’s roll cage. The left tire was intact but had many metal? fragment punctures in it. Noticed right when the accident began to happen there were chunks of metal destroying the rear left side of the car’s body, then as the clutches were letting go the excess revs blew the supercharger - starting a flash blower fire and the burst panel went flying off the car – then the car’s chassis separated right in front of John with the entire back of the car pitching up in the air from the explosion. Noticed after the front 3/4 of John’s car took out Kenny’s car, and finally slid to a stop at the front of the sand trap, I didn’t see any bell housing-clutch can in the car. Imo, this was nothing more than a freak and very rare type of accident that didn’t have anything to do with TF-FC technology. That’s my 3 cents until something official comes out on the subject. Glad John wasn’t hurt worse that he was and Kenny is alright. Hope next season is better for both of them.
I sent him well wishes on his web site.
John is a tough cookie. He'll be back and God willing he will hoist #15 in 2008.
Many accidents lately. Perhaps it is time to bring the drivers home and ensure that they are safe...../huge sarc.
........ Nevertheless, with his family around him at the hospital, including oldest daughter Adria Hight, who flew in Thursday night with his youngest daughters, Brittany, 21, and Courtney, 19, Force acknowledged Friday that the rehabilitation process is going to be long and arduous. To underscore that reality, doctors concerned with swelling in his right foot Friday ordered additional X-rays that may identify yet another break. The bigger right leg problem for the 58-year-old drag racing icon is the deep laceration to the right knee, a knee weakened by childhood polio and injured 18 years ago in a fall. Unfortunately, that's the foot with which the 14-time series champion mashes the gas pedal on the Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang.
Beginning to recover from the effects of anesthesia and pain medication, the 125-time tour winner acknowledged for the first time Friday that he won't be able to drive next week in the Torco Racing Fuels Nationals at Richmond, Va. He is withholding judgement on his status for the last two races of the season until he consults next week with Dr. Terry Trammell, a noted orthopedic surgeon who specializes in motor racing injuries. It was Trammell who repaired three-time former NHRA champion Shirley Muldowney's badly mangled legs and got her back into a Top Fuel dragster following her accident at Montreal in 1984. She returned to the winners' circle at Phoenix in 1989.