Nearly one year after a violent crash at over 300 miles per hour, 16-time NHRA Funny Car world champion John Force is speaking out about the wreck that nearly ended his life — and the sport that still fuels his spirit.

In a CBS-KTLA 5 interview, Force opened up about his long road to recovery following a traumatic brain injury sustained during a crash at the 14th PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park last June. While Force won the first-round race in his PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro, his car suffered a catastrophic engine failure after crossing the finish line at 302.62 mph, veered hard left into the guardwall, ricocheted across the track into the right wall, and came to rest engulfed in flames.

Despite the violent impact, Force was conscious and communicating with NHRA Safety Safari personnel before being transported to the ICU at a nearby medical center.

Now, after months of physical and cognitive rehab, the 76-year-old drag racing icon says his love for the NHRA community — and the fans — has helped pull him through.

“Rehab is the… I got most of the work done,” Force said. “But rehab was what hit my mind, and it’s a lot of work. And I was already screwed up as a driver, okay? As a person, like, people come in and go, ‘John’s nuts,’ but that’s just the way I was always wired.”

Force says he doesn’t remember the moments after the crash, nor has he watched the footage.

“I remember nothing. You don’t see it. I haven’t really looked at the videos unless somebody puts them up, but I mean, why go back to that?”

Even though he says he probably won’t return to the driver’s seat, Force has no plans to leave the sport that made him a legend.

“Even if I don’t drive — and probably won’t — I love the sport, I love the NHRA, I love traveling the country going to a new town every week,” he shared. “And I hate giving it up because it’s been my whole life since high school.”

That love for the sport, though, is tempered by the emotional impact the crash had on his family.

“I don’t know if a doctor’ll let me drive again. Don’t know if I want to,” Force said. “I put my family through a lot of pain. My daughters that drove, they knew the drill. And my wife — it was like, ‘You’ve got to get well.’ And that’s what I’m doing.”

Despite still dealing with lingering effects from the accident, Force remains active with John Force Racing, mentoring young talent and focusing on his team’s future.

“I’ve got some young drivers that I think they’re better than me,” he said. “I don’t know how many people could beat me. I turned 76 this year and didn’t know it. I said, ‘No, 66.’ They said, ‘You’re 76. Why are you driving?’”

Force has spent more than 50 years building one of the most successful careers in motorsports history, earning not just trophies but the admiration of a multigenerational fan base.

“I really love NHRA. I love racing with them,” said Force.

And when asked about his empire, he answered, “I never thought about it. I never looked at it like that. I looked at one thing: get some more race cars, generate more revenue, take care of the sponsors, take care of the fans.”

That relentless drive — and devotion to the fans — is what’s kept Force in the sport longer than anyone else.

“I tell ’em all the time: they’re the ones that get out there and tell the story. And when you don’t win, they still love the stories,” Force added. “And that’s what other drivers go, ‘Man, I stand out here, I can’t get a crowd.’ You don’t do it overnight. You do it over 50 years. And that’s how I’ve learned how to do it.”

As he continues to recover, Force remains as committed as ever to the sport that has defined him — and the people who made it all worthwhile.

This story was originally published on July 10, 2025. Drag Illustrated