John Force, a sixteen-time Funny Car champion, is scheduled to attend the NHRA Nevada Nationals at the Strip in Las Vegas, marking the next and most visible step in his recuperation from a traumatic brain injury.
Since being hurt in a collision at Virginia Motorsports Park on June 23, Force, 75, has not been spotted at the racetrack.
Force will be present to support Austin Prock, Jack Beckman, and Brittany Force, drivers for John Force Racing, at the NHRA event in Las Vegas from November 1–3. Brittany Force is eighth in Top Fuel and Prock is first in Funny Car standings with two races left in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.
Jack Beckman has been operating the John Force Racing PEAK Camaro in Force’s place. According to NHRA regulations, John Force receives the points that replacement driver Beckman earned. In the Funny Car rankings, the Force/Beckman entry is currently in second place, 147 points behind teammate Prock.
For the first time, John Force will be able to return to the track from his home in Yorba Linda, California, after receiving medical permission for the Las Vegas event.
John Force stated, “Vegas is close enough to home that (my wife) Laurie and I can drive over.” “I want to express my support for all of our sponsors, the fans, and our race teams. They have supported me during a difficult time, and I want them to know that I haven’t forgotten them or abandoned them. I’ve been attempting to maintain my strength while completing my therapy.
Force claims that in addition to his serious head injuries, physicians have been treating him for what his team claims is a 50-year career.
With two race weekends left, Beckman would have little chance of catching Prock, but it would be impossible. On September 30, Beckman did win the NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis. For Force to earn his 17th class title, he would probably need to win the next two races and cause Prock to falter.
