YORBA LINDA, Calif. — John Force, a 16-time champion in Funny Car and a prominent figure in NHRA drag racing for almost 40 years, officially announced his retirement Thursday evening.
The 76-year-old Force’s declaration came 17 months following a traumatic brain injury he incurred in a devastating crash at Virginia Motorsports Park. A severe engine malfunction caused him to slam into a concrete wall at around 300 mph, and the impact sent him skidding across the center line into another wall.
He sustained a fractured sternum along with other injuries, but it was the TBI that ultimately ended his driving career after a historic 157 wins in the NHRA. Force dedicated months to rehabilitation with specialized therapists on an outpatient basis in California.
«I don’t want to keep going indefinitely, but I am definitively finished with driving,» Force stated in a video shared on social media. «I dislike using that word. I have stated so many times in the media, ‘Until this race car takes my life, they will have to pull me out of the seat.’ But the reality is, I was pulled out of the seat at Richmond, and they believed it had killed me. So I’m fortunate to be back walking, still following doctor’s orders.»
Force will maintain his role overseeing John Force Racing, although his youngest daughter, Brittany, is stepping back from Top Fuel competition at the end of this season to start a family. Another daughter, Courtney Force, retired years prior to begin her family. Force has six grandchildren, with some already involved in racing.
«I have a next generation that will carry on my legacy, just like my daughters,» Force remarked.
