John Force’s team reported Sunday that the veteran NHRA Funny Car driver suffered a traumatic brain injury and was unable to respond to commands from doctors for days after his fiery crash at the Virginia Nationals.
John Force Racing said in a statement that the 75-year-old Force “failed to follow the series of commands to open his eyes, squeeze the hands of his caregivers and move his limbs” four days after his crash. The team had previously said Force was moved from the trauma intensive care unit to the neurological intensive care unit earlier in the week.
“He responded more consistently to commands and finally opened his eyes on day five,” the statement said. “After days of failed attempts, his wife and daughters were overcome with emotion when he mumbled his name ‘John Force’ and later, when prompted, gave a thumbs up sign.”
“The biggest challenge is managing his extreme agitation and confusion, which causes him a great deal of stress. He has tried to get out of bed repeatedly and has been restrained; his doctors have humorously described him as a raging bull.”
The team added that Force “still has a long and difficult recovery ahead of him, and that will happen in the near future.”
Force’s car crashed a week ago in the first round of eliminations at the Virginia Nationals when his engine exploded. The explosion sent his car into two concrete exterior walls before coming to a stop. After the crash, John Force Racing said Force was conscious and communicated with security personnel who helped him get out of the car.
Force has 16 Funny Car titles and has won 157 races over the course of his storied NHRA career. He was second in the standings at the time of his crash, behind teammate Austin Prock. Force’s daughter Brittany, who competes in the NHRA’s Top Fuel division, did not compete in this weekend’s event in Norwalk, Ohio, to stay with her father in the hospital.
