NHRA Funny Car legend John Force was taken to the hospital after his car caught fire and crashed into a wall during the first round of the PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals.
Force, 75, posted a 506.62 mph victory over Terry Haddock in the right lane of Virginia Motorsports Park before the engine of his PEAK Chevy Camaro exploded during his high-speed drive.
The explosion sent him flying across the track before he crashed into the left side wall near the driver’s compartment. The vehicle left the concrete surface and across the track before hitting the opposite wall.
After the terrifying incident, the 157-time winner got out of the car and was alert as he spoke to Safety Safari staff.
He was escorted into an ambulance and taken to a hospital in the Richmond area for evaluation.
John Force was taken to a hospital in Richmond after his car caught fire and crashed
When the crash occurred, Force’s teammate Austin Prock was waiting at the end of the track after his own first-lap victory. Although clearly shaken by the incident, Prock sounded confident in Force’s ability to bounce back.
‘He’s a tough son of ab****, I know that. He’ll be back,” Prock said of his boss. “It’s just hard to see someone go through something like that. I hope he’s doing well. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. I know he’ll be back.’
“We are race car drivers and we have to flip the switch,” Prock added. “You have Austin Prock at home and you have race car driver Austin Prock. You have to flip the switch and get the job done. I know John wants us to go around here. Maybe we can get him a Wally.”
Force, 75, recorded a 506.62km/h victory over Terry Haddock before the terrifying crash
The 157-time winner got out of the car and was alert as he spoke to Safety Safari staff
After enduring the hour-long delay, Ron Capps — who was eliminated by Prock — said, “The old man who had that accident was hard to watch.” He said he was sitting in his tow vehicle and “you start thinking, ‘Man, what are we doing?’ We don’t know how he is doing.’
“My main thought is I hope John does well,” said reigning Funny Car champion Matt Hagan. You hate to see him go through this. Send prayers for him. He is a legend of the sport, the GOAT.
‘The car looked quite burnt out. “I’ve always been in favor of not trying this one [car] tying up bodies, and that is a direct consequence of why we should not tie up the bodies.”
Top Fuel No. 1 qualifier Shawn Langdon added, “We love what we do, but we’re all thinking about John right now.”