During the first round of eliminations this Sunday at the NHRA Virginia Nationals, 75-year-old drag racing legend John Force was involved in a brutal crash when his engine exploded while crossing the finish line.

The NHRA released an official statement saying, “Force was alert and was examined onsite by the NHRA Medical Team before being transported to a local medical facility for further evaluation.”

Alan Reinhart reported on Fox Sports that the impact was made at 302 MPH.

Force bounced off both walls after crossing the centerline and pinballing off the guard walls further down the track.

Crossing the finish line first, Force took the victory over Terry Haddock in the right lane. Thankfully when Force crossed over the centerline, Haddock had slowed enough to avoid any additional contact.

In 2007, Force was involved in a crash at Texas Motorplex where he veered into Kenny Bernstein after blowing a tire at 327 MPH. This crash left Force in the hospital for more than a month and nearly ended his racing career.

Earlier this year after his victory in the NHRA Winter Nationals, Force told reporters that it pains him to think about retirement as he still wants to do everything in his power to compete at the top level of the sport. Speed Sport reported that he felt like “Time’s running out, and I’m trying to hang on.”

As more information is released about Force’s crash and recovery, this story will be updated.

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