John Force’s vehicle caught fire and had a horrifying crash during a qualifying race at Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park. The accident happened as he approached the finish line during the first round of Funny Car eliminations when his engine caught fire and sent his car hitting both sides of the concrete barricades.
The 75-year-old survived the crash and was examined by the NHRA Medical Team before being sent by helicopter to a hospital for further evaluation in an intensive care unit.
Watch the video below:
According to reports, Force was conscious and communicating with NHRA safety team members after the crash.
John Force won his record 157th NHRA victory just three weeks ago in New Hampshire. The experienced racer had a crash in 2007 when he was 58 years old, that left him seriously injured with a broken ankle and dislocated wrist, among other injuries.
His teammate, Austin Prock, won the Funny Car division on Sunday, ahead of Bob Tasca III in the final round. He dedicated the trophy to Force. “(The trophy) is going straight to the hospital to John Force,” Prock said. “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.”
John Force has the most wins in NHRA history with 16 Funny Car titles and 157 NHRA race wins in his career. He won his first NHRA title in 1990 and 12 more titles from 1991-2004.
His driving prowess seems to be a family thing as his three daughters have also all driven at the top levels in NHRA.
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