Prayers For John Force

[matt63]

If you look at the video something flew out from Force's car first.  Thankfully all will race another day!

[MOPAR FANATIC]

If you look at the video something flew out from Force's car first.  Thankfully all will race another day!

  If you read super blue and 4cruizins reply i have to agree with them.watch the split second the video starts and you'll see a cone or barrel fly from kenny's car into the back of johns car making him shoot over in kennys lane.  looks to me thats why this accident happened.If so what was that object doing on the track in the first place.   

[MOPAR FANATIC]

  i have seen john force race live hundreds of times and although this accident was pretty bad and it blows and i'm glad he'll walk away from it,i've seen many many much worse of his crashes that he just walked away from.knowing john he'll be with froce racing within 2-3 week watching from the side lines and helping ashley and the rest of his team compete.thats just the nature of the guy.John heres hoping for a SPEEDY recovery so you can go out and  again.   

[6packCuda]

I didn't see anything fly from Force's car. It looked  to me like Kenny hit a cone, shooting it into John's car, taking out the right rear tire which sent John into the wall in his own lane. The car broke in half there and the front half went across into Kenny's lane and collided with Kenny. Here's what Kenny had to say...http://www.nhra.com/content/news/24444.htm

[matt63]

  ...If so what was that object doing on the track in the first place.   

You have to wonder why there are pylons out there when cars are blowing by them at 300 mph.  I'm sure the NHRA will be examining that film footage very closely.  One of the pylons appears to shoot out towards Bernstein's car just before he veers into Force.  It's hard to tell if the pylon hit Bernstein's car or went behind it.  Hitting a pylon at 300 mph would be catastrophic!

[4Cruizn]

I know there are censors under or right next to the cones as I have seen many drivers hit them at the US Nationals.  Usually they are radar machines that show how fast they are going first at the 60 ft, then half track and of course at the finish line.   

[70_challenger]

If I'm not mistaken, they are foam blocks with reflectors mounted to them.  I believe that the timing lights are located at the bottom of the concrete wall, and the reflectors in the foam blocks for the left and right lanes.  That's why they can put new ones up quickly when they get hit (which they frequently do).

From the ESPN replays, it looks like Bernstein hit the foam blocks, one of which flew under Force's car, and the right rear tire blew out.  Right around that same instant, the parachute came out, and some combination of forces (no pun intended) ripped the car in two.  But I will leave the analysis to the NHRA - They do a darn good job.

Like most NHRA followers, I am a huge Force fan, and have been thinking quite a bit about him, the team, and his family.  If you've never had an opportunity to meet this guy, you would be surprised by how friendly and genuine he really is.  It is amazing how much time he will spend signing autographs and talking to fans.  He is one of the most down-to-earth people I have ever met (in a sport that is full of great people), and one of the last true 'characters' in motorsports.  I hope for a complete recovery for him.

-Tom

[Topcat]

He's back.

FORCE BACK IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: After 27 days at Baylor University Medical Center following his September 23 crash at Texas Motorplex, 14-time NHRA POWERade Funny Car world champ John Force returned to his native Southern California to continue his rehabilitation. Force, 58, suffered a compound fracture of the left ankle, broken right foot, broken and mangled fingers on his right hand, ligament and tendon damage to the right knee and a badly dislocated left wrist when his drag racing Funny Car crashed at a speed exceeding 300 mph.
   
He will receive further physical therapy in his home state in anticipation of returning to competition in the 2008 season. The 125-time NHRA tour winner plans to attend at least one day of next week's race at Las Vegas to support the efforts of daughter Ashley Force, 24, and son-in-law Robert Hight, 38, who drive Castrol GTX and Automobile Club of Southern California-backed Ford Mustangs almost identical to the one in which he crashed into fellow competitor Kenny Bernstein.

[Oldschool]

He's back.

FORCE BACK IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: After 27 days at Baylor University Medical Center following his September 23 crash at Texas Motorplex, 14-time NHRA POWERade Funny Car world champ John Force returned to his native Southern California to continue his rehabilitation. Force, 58, suffered a compound fracture of the left ankle, broken right foot, broken and mangled fingers on his right hand, ligament and tendon damage to the right knee and a badly dislocated left wrist when his drag racing Funny Car crashed at a speed exceeding 300 mph.
   
He will receive further physical therapy in his home state in anticipation of returning to competition in the 2008 season. The 125-time NHRA tour winner plans to attend at least one day of next week's race at Las Vegas to support the efforts of daughter Ashley Force, 24, and son-in-law Robert Hight, 38, who drive Castrol GTX and Automobile Club of Southern California-backed Ford Mustangs almost identical to the one in which he crashed into fellow competitor Kenny Bernstein.

That's great news...       

[BIGSHCLUNK]

That's great news...       

O Ya!!   

[Street_Challenged73]

Wow, that was a nasty accident.  Team Force definitely had its fair share of problems this season.

[DoNotChallengeHer]

  That's great. Glad to hear he's home and getting better.