National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) legend John Force was “conscious and talking” to safety officials following his horrific crash at the Virginia Nationals on Sunday, his team said.
Force was taken to a hospital after the wreck.
Force was in his Funny Car riding down the track, like he had done thousands of times before, when his engine exploded, causing him to veer across the centerline and into the wall. His vehicle crossed back over the line and hit the guard wall again.
“During the first round of Funny Car eliminations at the PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals on Sunday at Virginia Motorsports Park, John Force’s Funny Car suffered an engine explosion at the finish line and then crossed the centerline, striking both guard walls before coming to a stop,” the NHRA said.
“Force was alert and was examined onsite by the NHRA Medical Team before being transported to a local medical facility for further evaluation.”
“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. 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.”
Update: John Force has been moved out of the trauma intensive care unit and into the neuro intensive care unit, four days after his harrowing crash during the NHRA Virginia Nationals. According to a statement from John Force Racing, the 16-time champion suffered a head injury when his vehicle impacted the wall at over 300 mph. Also in the announcement, his daughter, Brittany Force, will skip this weekend’s Summit Racing Equipment Nationals to be with her father and family at the hospital. Her teammate, Austin Prock, will compete this weekend in the AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS
Funny Car.
This past weekend NHRA Funny Car driver John Force was involved in a dreadful accident following an engine explosion. The 16-time Funny Car champion climbed out of the wreckage with assistance from the NHRA Safety Safari and was transported to a local trauma hospital via helicopter. Force was competing in the NHRA Virginia Nationals, held at Virginia Motorsports Park, located outside of Richmond.
The incident occurred in the opening round of competition, his supercharged Hemi engine experienced catastrophic failure, setting off a chain of events that ended with several impacts with the retaining walls. Force received the win light over his competitor, Terry Haddock, and blistered through the traps at over 300 mph. The engine exploded, Force seemingly struggled to remain in control his Chevrolet Camaro Funny Car, before it slid from the right lane to the left, impacting the wall at a high rate of speed. The car then moved across the course and contacted the right side’s concreate barrier.
