NHRA Funny Car legend John Force, 75, was hospitalized after his car exploded and crashed during the PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals. Read about the incident and the racing community’s reactions.
Bollywood Fever: NHRA Car legend John Force was taken to the hospital after his car caught ablaze and crashed into a wall during the first round of the PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals.
Force, 75, clocked in a 306.62 mph win over Terry Haddock in the right lane at Virginia Motorsports Park before the engine of his PEAK Chevy Camaro exploded during his high-speed run. The explosion sent him across the track, causing him to crash into the left-side wall by the driver’s compartment. The vehicle then crossed the track and touched the opposite wall.
Despite the scary incident, the 157-time winner exited the car and was alert while talking with Safety Safari workers. He was escorted into an ambulance and taken to a Richmond-area hospital for evaluation.
Force’s teammate Austin Prock, who was waiting for him at the end of the track after his own first-round victory, was visibly shaken but confident in Force’s resilience. “He’s one tough son of a b****, I know that. He’ll be back,” Prock said. “It’s just tough to see somebody go through that. I hope he’s all right. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers. I know he’ll be back.”
Ron Capps, who faced an hour delay after being eliminated by Prock, reflected on the incident: “The old man having that accident was tough to watch. You start thinking, ‘Man, what are we doing?’ We don’t know how he is.”
Reigning Funny Car champion Matt Hagan added, “My main thought is I hope John’s okay. You hate to see him go through that. Send prayers up for him. He’s a legend of the sport, the GOAT. The car looked pretty burned up.”
Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier Shawn Langdon shared, “We love what we do, but we’re all thinking about John at this point.”
Force’s condition remains a primary concern for the racing community, with hopes for his speedy recovery and return to the track.
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