John Force Hits the Wall After Engine Explodes at NHRA Virginia Nationals
After hitting the wall at over 300 mph, Force was rushed to a local Virginia hospital.
Before you watch the video clip of this crash, you need to remember one thing. John Force is 75 years old. Most men that age are lucky if they survive a fall from a golf cart. Force was strapped into his 11,000 horsepower PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS. The Funny Car racer is capable of doing the quarter mile in about 4 seconds at speeds well over 300 mph. For a man that age to be able to control a machine like that is incredible. But even more astounding is that he survived the horrific wreck at the NHRA Virginia Nationals.
A video posted on the Drag Illustrated YouTube channel details the harrowing crash. It all began when the engine suffered a catastrophic failure and exploded at about 302 mph. The burning car crossed into the other lane and hit the outside concrete wall with staggering force. It then ricocheted across the entire track again and hit the opposite wall. Eventually, it stopped in a crumbled heap past the finish line. The crash obviously ended Force’s day, but thankfully not his life.
John Force
Even if you have never watched a drag race in your life, you likely heard of John Force. He is a 16-time Funny Car Champion. He has more all-time records than any other driver in the history of the NHRA. And all this is after he went winless in his first ten seasons on the NHRA circuit. He finally got that first win in Canada in 1987. He was 38 years old. Incredibly he has been racing for 37 years since that first win. And his win total now stands at 157. Win number 158 will need to wait a little longer, as he recovers from this violent crash. For over a decade, Chevrolet used the ‘Like a Rock’ ad campaign. But if anything is like a rock, it is Force. The video clip of the crash shows him alert and talking to medical personnel after the crash.
PEAK Chevrolet Camaro
In drag racing, the Top Fuel cars are the top of the food chain. However, despite the drastically different appearance, Funny Cars like the one Force drives, are not all that different when it comes to performance. They are powered by the same supercharged 500 cubic inch engines found in the Top Fuel cars. They have a shorter wheelbase than the Top Fuel dragsters and a carbon fiber body. That body on the Force car is designed to look like a sixth-generation Camaro SS. These cars are able to reach speeds of more than 300 mph in just 1,000 feet. So, when things go wrong, they go wrong very quickly.
Recovery
As of this writing there is no formal update on the condition of Force. He remains in the ICU at a Virginia hospital. There is no word on the full extent of his injuries or a timeline for his recovery. It was a horrific crash, and we hope that Force has a speedy and full recovery. He is the most prolific driver in the history of the NHRA and this is not how we want to see his career end. If anyone can bounce back from this, and get back behind the wheel, it is Force.
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