NHRA great John Force remains in ICU Monday after fiery crash

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — NHRA great John Force remained hospitalized in intensive care Monday, one day after a fiery, 300-mph crash in the Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park.

John Force Racing said in a statement Monday night that the 75-year-old Force was still in a Virginia hospital and that doctors “were moving slowly in assessing the extent of the injuries … because of the intensity of the impact.”

The statement said that medical staff will not provide a treatment and recovery timetable until a total evaluation is completed.

Force’s daughter, Brittany, a two-time world champion, was at the hospital with her mother, Laurie, and three sisters.

On Sunday, Force was alert and talking to safety workers immediately after crashing at 302 mph. The Hall of Fame owner and driver was examined at the track by the NHRA Medical Team before being transported by medical helicopter to the trauma hospital where he is being held.

During the first round of Funny Car eliminations, Force’s car had a catastrophic engine failure at the finish line, with the vehicle going across the centerline and striking the left concrete guard wall, then careening back across into the right wall.

Force, who is from Bell Gardens, and whose racing company is based in Yorba Linda, raced to his record 157th NHRA victory and second of the season three weeks ago in New Hampshire. In 2007 at age 58, Force was seriously injured in a racing crash in Ennis, Texas.

On Sunday, long after Force’s accident, teammate Austin Prock won the Funny Car division, topping Bob Tasca III in the final round.

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— John Force Racing (@JFR_Racing) June 25, 2024