LAS VEGAS — Drag racing icon John Force has secured clearance from doctors treating him for a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) to attend the 24th NHRA Nevada Nationals Nov. 1-3 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
His return to the race track comes with his race teams battling for the NHRA Mission Foods Funny Car championship and daughter Brittany showing flashes of the form that carried her to a pair of Top Fuel titles,
“Vegas is close enough to home that (my wife) Laurie and I can drive over,” Force said. “I want to show my support for our race teams, the fans and all our sponsors. They’ve stuck with me during a hard time, and I want them to know that I haven’t forgotten them and I haven’t gone anywhere. I’ve just been doing my rehab, trying to stay strong.”
The 75-year-old resident of Yorba Linda, Calif., an inductee into all the major auto racing Halls of Fame, acknowledged that doctors have been treating him not only for the injury he suffered in the June 23rd crash in Richmond, Va., but for the cumulative effect of the multitude of hard hits he has absorbed in a 50-year career during which he has collected 157 tour victories and 16 championships.
Before the crash, Force already had won twice this year and his PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet team was solidly in contention for the championship. After missing two races, that team returned at Brainerd, Minn., with former World Champion Jack Beckman in the seat of the PEAK Camaro.
Beckman won the NHRA Midwest Nationals at St. Louis on Sept. 30 and, entering the LVMS event, the next to last race in the Countdown to the Championship, trails only teammate Austin Prock, a seven-time winner in the Cornwell Tools and AAA Chevrolet, in the Mission driver standings.
“I’m still a work in progress,” Force said. “I have good days and bad days, but I’m motivated. Beckman’s been doing a good job working with Dan Hood, (Chris) Cunningham and (Tim) Fabrisi. He tells me it’s still my car but he’s driving it like it’s his. It’s been exciting to watch him and (Austin) Prock on Fox but watching on TV is not the same as being there.
“I want to be there for Brittany and that team with (David) Grubnic and John Collins. They’re gonna win a race with Monster and HendrickCars.com and Chevrolet and I want to be there when they do, and I really can’t wait to see all my guys. I love them and I’ve missed them and can’t wait to be with them again.”