“John finally gets to sleep in his own bed,” John Force Racing had announced on July 23 after the veteran NHRA racer’s heart-stopping accident that reminded people of Dale Earnhardt at Daytona in 2001. To his family, it was a miracle—he’s 75 years old, crashed into the wall at 300 mph, and remained unconscious for five days from a traumatic brain injury.

“I was in the ambulance with him, holding his hand. He’s one of the toughest people I know, so he’ll bounce back like he always does,” Force’s daughter Brittany had hoped.

Thankfully, that optimism came to pass sooner than expected, and Force would come back to tell his stories about Elvis Presley (let’s talk about that later…). “His wife and daughters were overcome with emotion when he murmured his name, ‘John Force,’ and later when prompted, gave a thumbs up.” But that was five months ago, and he’s still to return to his hunting ground. While that could seem impossible looking at his age, the old man’s fighting spirit is indomitable. But what about when he actually retires? Who can replace his legacy of 157 wins (the highest wins in NHRA history), 16 championship titles, while leading an organization with 22 NHRA World Championships? Well, Force has quite some names in mind…

While there’s no official word on his retirement, his health challenges have sparked speculation that his remarkable career may soon take a different turn. With younger drivers on the block now, John Force shared about his top picks during a December 10 conversation with NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt Jr on ‘The Dale Jr Download’. While these drivers may not be necessarily a replacement for him, they do bring in good potential, according to the legend himself.

Dale Jr began asking, “People love you because of…obviously, because you win. But people love you because of who you are and the energy and the personality. What drivers coming up today…I mean eventually you’re going to hang it up, you’re almost 70 years old. What drivers do you see in the sport today are going to be the personalities that’ll fill your shoes? I mean, they got to be these…[we’re] talking about some big shoes to fill. I know you’re not going to be bragging on yourself but personalities are critical in sport, particularly in motorsport. What are the drivers that you think can fill your shoes, and the ones that’s going to turn the fans on you?”

Well, topping the list was Robert Hight, president of John Force Racing, and a reigning NHRA Funny Car champion. Praising his protégé, Force noted, “There are already stars. Naturally, Robert Hight—my guy—he’s won championships. Winning championships helps; it builds the fan base and everything you do, like helping sell sponsor products.” With a proven track record being a three-time NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series Funny Car champion, Hight’s place among the sport’s elite is undisputed.

Next, Force singled out Ron Capps, another powerhouse with 67 NHRA national event wins. “You take a guy like Ron Capps. He’s a champion, just like Robert Hight,” said Force. As one of the closest challengers to Force’s legendary win tally, Capps has cemented his reputation both on and off the track, securing major sponsorships from NAPA Auto Parts, Toyota, Carlyle Tools, USA Compression, F3 Energy, Champion Spark Plugs, Johnson’s Brake Clean, mGearWrench, and Mobil 1. His consistency and charisma continue to elevate his stature in the sport.

John Force also lauded the exceptional performances of Matt Hagan, Jack Beckman, and Cruz Pedregon. Hagan, a four-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion (2011, 2014, 2020, and 2023), has built a legacy of dominance and versatility. Beckman, who stepped in for Force after his unexpected departure, impressed with his ability to adapt under pressure, winning two of eight races he contested in Force’s absence. As Force remarked, “There are so many, like Matt Hagan, Beckman, and Capps, naturally.” But, that’s not all…

Cruz Pedregon, a two-time NHRA Funny Car World champion, also earned a spot on Force’s radar. Known for his impeccable control at high speeds, Pedregon combines raw talent with the storied Pedregon family legacy, which includes his brother, Tony Pedregon, another decorated driver. With an innate ability to captivate fans, Cruz continues to make waves in the drag racing world. However, he also had an advice for the young drivers. 

Having said that, Force—who’s already well-known for “running his mouth”—also rallied for the same for his protégés. “New stars are growing, and Torrence (the kid that won the championship)…Todd, these guys come out of the box and they say things and people go, ‘They’re rude, they’re crazy.’ No, they’re not. They’re beautiful. They’re speaking out from the heart, because you got to talk from the heart. And if you don’t, it all just becomes fake.”

But, don’t worry. We still have time till someone can actually aim to replace Force’s legacy. While Beckman is still going to drive for John Force Racing PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet SS for the full 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing season, as per a press release by the team and their sponsor Old World Industries, the veteran driver has been careful to not announce his retirement…

As per Autoweek, he said, “I’m still going to therapy every week and working as hard as I can to get back out there with the sponsors and the fans in a sport I love, and I miss. I’ve still got a lot of things I want to do, so I don’t want anybody thinking they’ve seen the last of John Force. We’ll have a lot more to talk about after the holidays.” 

Hopefully, he’ll also talk about Elvis Presley then, as much as he did during the podcast episode.

John Force opens up to Dale Earnhardt Jr. about his penniless Elvis Presley endeavor

As per what the racer recounts, he once saw the legendary Elvis Presley standing at a “thousand feet” when he was literally at the verge of life and death at Memphis Motorsports Park in 1992.

“I saw Elvis at a thousand feet at Memphis when I was on fire. And let me tell you something, I crawled out on my hands and knees, I thought I was dead”. Speaking about how desperate he went at that exact moment, Force added, “And I remember I was praying to God, like, ‘Let me stand. Let me get out of this thing. I’ll go back to church. I’ll quit. I’ll finish the Bible’… that was forty years ago, and I crawled out of there, and I stood up, my TV guy said, ‘What did you see?’ […] And I went, ‘I saw Elvis at a thousand [feet]. They made a book out of it, and I never got a penny from that”.  

It seems fitting that John Force, a lifelong fan of Elvis Presley, would have a vision of the King in his darkest moment. However, in true Force fashion, even that brush with legend came with its bittersweet twist.