Two weeks after a horrific crash and subsequent traumatic brain injury during the Virginia Nationals in North Dinwiddie, Virginia, NHRA legend John Force was taken out of intensive care on Friday.
The 75-year-old patient was admitted to a Richmond, Virginia, hospital’s acute neuro care unit. According to a statement from John Force Racing, Force still struggles with “behavioral symptoms” and cognitive problems as a result of his injuries.
“The fact that (Force) can converse with medical staff, family members and John Force Racing president Robert Hight … is an encouraging sign,” read the statement.
“However, there have also been periods of confusion, which doctors say require time and patience to treat.” According to the statement, Force also suffered injuries to his right wrist and a cracked sternum in the collision. Force and his relatives have earned the moniker “the first family of drag racing” due to their combined supremacy in the field. As a racer, Force won 16 NHRA Funny Car championships; as a car owner, he added another 22.
Courtney Force, Brittany Force, and Ashley Force Hood, his daughters, have all participated in NHRA drag racing.
The older Force competes far into his seventies. His second victory of the year came at the NHRA New England Nationals on June 2. The Motorsports Hall of Famer’s car broke down catastrophically near the finish line on June 23, resulting in an accident. At 302 mph, he crashed into a guard wall made of concrete. When he was saved and brought to a nearby hospital, he was talking and conscious before being profoundly unconscious. While Force’s recuperation is anticipated to be “long and difficult,” the native of the Los Angeles area has been able to walk recently with the help of medical personnel.
