During the first round of eliminations this Sunday at the NHRA Virginia Nationals, 75-year-old drag racing legend John Force was involved in a brutal accident when his engine exploded while crossing the finish line.
The NHRA released an official statement saying: “The force was alert and was examined at the scene by NHRA medical personnel before being transported to a local medical center for further evaluation.”
Alan Reinhart reported on Fox Sports that the impact was made at 302 MPH.
The force ricocheted off both walls after crossing the center line and hitting guard walls further down the track.
Crossing the finish line first, Force took victory over Terry Haddock in the right lane. Fortunately, as the Force crossed the center line, Haddock slowed down enough to avoid any further contact.
In 2007, Force was involved in an accident at the Texas Motorplex where he crashed into Kenny Bernstein after blowing a tire at 327 MPH. This accident left Force in the hospital for over a month and nearly ended his racing career.
Earlier this year, after his victory at the NHRA Winter Nationals, Force told reporters that it pains him to think about retirement as he still wants to do everything in his power to compete at the highest level of the sport. Reported speed sport that he felt “time is running out and I’m trying to hold on.”
As more information is released about Force’s crash and recovery, this story will be updated.
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