Legendary NHRA drag racer John Force is “conscious and talking” after suffering a fiery hot rod crash last Sunday, according to a statement posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account.
The 75-year-old was competing in Sunday’s first elimination round at the NHRA Virginia Nationals Funny Car event held at Virginia Motorsports Park. Just after Force crossed the finish line at 302.62 MPH, the engine of his Camaro exploded in a ball of flames, sending the car across the center line and careening off a concrete guard wall into another as the car seemingly disintegrated.
Just now seeing John Force’s crash. One of the biggest of his career. He was alert and NHRA says he’s at hospital for further evaluation. Not as bad as his Dallas crash of ’07, but super scary. He was 58 then. He’s 75 now. Get well, champ. pic.twitter.com/1gwZN4jb52
— Ryan McGee (@ESPNMcGee) June 23, 2024
The racer was evaluated at the track by NHRA medical staff before being airlifted via medical helicopter to a “nearby medical center for further evaluation in the ICU,” Force’s official X (formerly Twitter) page shared.
Force’s wife, Laurie, and their four daughters rushed to meet him at the hospital, where he remained in the ICU through 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 explained. “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 somebody you really care about, but I know he’ll be back,” Force’s 28-year-old teammate, Austin Prock, told the press (via People) after the crash. “We’re race car drivers and we have to flip the switch. I know John wanted us to be out here, going rounds, and I’m glad we did our job.”
A few weeks before Sunday’s crash, Force won his 157th NHRA victory at New Hampshire’s New England Nationals.
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