NORWALK, Ohio. — According to a statement released Thursday afternoon by John Force Racing officials, 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force is making strides in his recovery from injuries suffered in a violent crash June 23 at Virginia Motorsports Park.
Under the headline, “Force Improving, Faces Long Road Ahead,” the statement confirmed that Force was moved from the trauma intensive care unit to the neuro intensive care unit. According to the statement, Force’s “head injury” is the primary concern of attending physicians.
Force’s family has maintained a daily presence at the hospital.
With Force remaining hospitalized in Virginia, his daughter, two-time Top Fuel champion Brittany Force, has elected not to compete in her John Force Racing dragster this weekend at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park and will instead remain at the hospital with her family in support of her father.
However, John Force Racing will maintain a presence at the Norwalk, Ohio, round of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, with Funny Car point leader Austin Prock hitting the track in the AAA Chevrolet Camaro.
The statement concluded, “The Force family is grateful for the team of medical professionals who are caring for John, and for the overwhelming number of heartfelt messages of prayer, support, and concern. Thank you for continuing to respect the privacy of the family and John Force Racing team members.”