Legends always come back stronger no matter how hard it gets! This is something that even John Force proved this time. With a stellar comeback and the zeal to face life head-on, the veteran racer is now in a much better position. One month in the hospital and a traumatic head injury might not be the best-case scenario right? There is some good news after being in the hospital and wandering across various critical care units. Force might finally be able to come back to the tracks!

John Force, the legendary 16-time NHRA champion, experienced a terrifying crash on June 23rd when his car’s engine exploded, sending him careening into a concrete wall at a staggering speed of 487 km/h. Miraculously, he managed to escape the wreckage but sustained multiple injuries, including a fractured sternum. He was airlifted from Virginia and initially placed in the trauma ICU before being transferred to the neuro ICU just four days later due to significant head injuries requiring urgent care. Recovery took nearly a month, highlighting the severity of his condition and the risks associated with drag racing.

NHRA released a social media post, “Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to John and his family. He is a legend of our sport and universally loved, and it has been incredible to see the tremendous outpouring of support from the racing community during this time. From everyone at the NHRA family, we wish John nothing but the best in his ongoing recovery.” After his crash, John Force showed notable improvement in his traumatic brain injury and was moved to acute neurocare, but the incident had temporarily sidelined Force from the world of racing. However, now, his daughter has made an announcement that feels like a ray of hope.

A recent update from Kelly Crandall read, “John Force continues outpatient therapy at home and the hope is he might be able to attend the NHRA Las Vegas and Pomona events to be with the team. Brittany Force says it’s up to him and how he’s feeling.”

John Force’s daughter also mentioned that “We’re pushing for it if he’s ready.”

• Although John Force has shown immense progress over the past few months, he has dealt with major cognitive and behavioral symptoms from TBI.
• He has been taking up regular outpatient therapy to overcome this battle and return to the tracks.

With the team in the doldrums at the moment and both Texas and Pomona being crucial events, Force will try to make an appearance to be their ultimate cheerleader. Consequently, the upcoming NHRA events in Nevada and Pomona will happen between October 30th to November 2nd and November 13th to 16th respectively. John Force’s appearance would send the fans into a frenzy as the legend has been missing from the tracks for almost four months. 

But what, John Force’s replacement is out of the finals too?

It seems as though a streak of misfortunes has struck the John Force Racing team. Jack Beckman, Force’s replacement, has also withdrawn from the NHRA Texas Fall Nationals. Beckham has 35 national event wins, including 33 in the Funny Car class, and is also a former Funny Car world champion. Despite facing certain physical and technical issues with John Force’s car, he has managed to reach 2nd in the Mission Foods driver standings.

But as per recent reports, Jack Beckman started to show major symptoms of vertigo and this led to him spending a night at the hospital. With the Texas finals being on the front porch now, stress and anxiety could further worsen Beckman’s health. Reacting to this, he mentioned, “I want to thank all of the fans and my amazing JFR teammates and crew for making a horrible situation tolerable. Vertigo is nothing to take lightly, and a night in the hospital stunk, but Christine and I are on a plane getting ready to head home, put this behind me, and focus on Vegas…and our next win!”

It seems to be a very tough time for the 16-time NHRA champion, John Force, and his team. But with the legend himself trying to make an appearance on the track, will it lead to positive morals?