Legendary NHRA drag racer John Force is “conscious and talking” after a horrific hot rod crash last Sunday, according to a message posted on his official X (previously Twitter) page.
The 75-year-old was competing in Sunday’s first elimination round of the NHRA Virginia Nationals Funny Car event at Virginia Motorsports Park. Just after Force crossed the finish line at 302.62 mph, the engine of his Camaro burst in a ball of flames, pushing the car across the centre line and careening off a concrete guard wall into another as it appeared to disintegrate.
The racer was checked on the track by NHRA medical professionals before being transported by medical helicopter to a “nearby medical centre for further evaluation in the ICU,” according to Force’s official X (previously Twitter) profile.
Force’s wife, Laurie, and their four daughters went to meet him at the hospital, where he stayed in the intensive care unit until Monday. “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,” the statement claimed. “Medical staff will not provide a treatment and recovery timetable until a total evaluation is completed.”
“It’s just tough to see somebody go through that, especially when it’s someone you really care about, but I know he’ll be back,” Force’s 28-year-old teammate, Austin Prock, told the press (via People) following the accident. “We’re racecar drivers, and we need to turn the switch. I know John wanted us out here, making rounds, and I’m delighted we did our duty.”
Force claimed his 157th NHRA victory at the New England Nationals in New Hampshire a few weeks before the crash on Sunday.
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