Words: Avery Finnivan
John Force had an up-close-and-personal encounter with the wall last weekend at Phoenix, Ariz.'s Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. The veteran driver has been through crashes before, and while he was knocked unconscious and transported to the hospital immediately afterwards, he's fortunately alright, though his car wasn't so lucky.
The crash occurred during Sunday's eliminations, when Force's Chevy Camaro collided with Jonnie Lindberg’s Toyota Camry. Lindberg emerged unharmed, but both cars suffered damage. The notable absence of driver deaths, or even serious injuries, highlights the importance of the NHRA's relatively stringent safety regulations, which the organization has refined multiple times in recent years.
This crash marked the second race to go badly awry for John Force Racing in the 2018 season - a few weeks ago, Brittany Force also tangled with the walls. The middle Force daughter got away with a few bumps and bruises, and was able to win her first round at Pomona. Both she and her father praised the NHRA's safety regulations after their close calls.
John Force crashed due to an engine explosion, which sent his car scraping across the track and into Lindberg's vehicle. He and his team will have a little while to repair the Funny Car and, hopefully, figure out what went wrong; the next event in the NHRA Mello Yello series (the Amalie Oil Gatornationals) doesn't take place until March 15-18. We certainly wish him the best!