“Get well soon, John.” Every NHRA fan echoed this sentiment when the legendary John Force crashed at the NHRA Virginia Nationals. A true titan of Funny Car racing and NHRA, Force had just claimed his 157th NHRA victory at the New England Nationals not long before his injury.

Now, a month later, the collective prayers and well wishes from his friends, family, and fans seem to have worked wonders. The 75-year-old icon is finally returning home. Fans everywhere breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed, “Phew!” upon hearing the good news.

The legend holds more all-time records than any driver in NHRA history. Force did not have the most successful start to his career. For a decade on the NHRA tour, victory eluded him. Even in final races, he fell short nine times before finally achieving a breakthrough. At the age of 38, Force got his first victory at the Grand National in Montreal, Canada. Starting his career, he faced financial troubles and a lot of criticism, yet he powered through the hardships to win the Funny Car Championships 16 times.

Force currently ranks fifth in the 2024 NHRA Funny Car standings, through 11 of 20 events this season. The tragedy occurred in his last race at the Virginia Nationals. He won the heat with 302 mph. However, his engine exploded, and his car headed right for the wall. Though he emerged from the wreckage, the impact wasn’t without consequence.

John Force sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and a fractured sternum, along with other injuries. He was then airlifted to a Virginia hospital for initial treatment. After spending 15 days, he was transferred to a specialized facility at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix for further recovery.

But Force is truly a force to reckon with, as he was finally discharged from the hospital after a month. His daughter Brittany, delighted, shared a heartwarming photo on Instagram. Brittany, also a NHRA racer known for recovering through injuries, wrote, “Peace out Phoenix! After 30 days, my dad is finally heading home where we will continue outpatient therapy. These next steps to recovery will definitely be a family effort!.” 

His team, also excited for John’s return, said, “finally gets to sleep in his own bed.” According to John Force Racing, the next phase of his recovery involves outpatient speech, and OTPT (Occupational and Physical Therapy) to address lingering short-term memory and cognitive issues. It’s still a long way to go in recovery.

It’s not just good news for his immediate family but also for his extended one. His fans, who cheered him through all his victories, also cheered his recovery.

Fans glad and relieved as the NHRA legend returns home

The legend is probably one of the most loved racers in the NHRA community. Fighting a brain injury must have been challenging for Force and his family. A fan relieved from the news said, “I’m glad he’s home. It sounds like it’s been a hell of a fight.”

Although John has been released from the hospital, his recovery is still ongoing. The 75-year-old has a tough demeanor both on and off track. He is quite literally a force to be reckoned with. One fan was glad that John is now one step closer to recovery; he wrote, “I’m glad he is on the road to recovery. That’s one tough af legend.”

Taking a jab at Bob Pocrass. A fan sarcastically asked him as to why he did not share how many championships he has. Probably writing all the years he won championships would not have fit in the character limit, X allows. The fan wrote, “Bob, you didn’t list how many championships and individual wins he has.”

Force is regarded as the greatest of all time in the sport. Making up for the first decade that he had no wins, he won 10 back-to-back funny car championships (1993-2004). He has also won 22 NHRA World Championships. Delighted by the news, a fan wrote, “Good news for the 🐐”

It’s a day for celebration in the Force family as their leader returns after a long battle. The ones who stood with him through the thick and the thin must be delighted. His probably couldn’t contain her happiness when she took to Instagram to share the news and the photos of a smiling John Force. Sending his wishes, a fan wrote, “:) happy for the force family”

We wish John a happy and speedy recovery and hope he gets back to racing soon.