FEEDBACK ARTICLE – DRAGS, DOLLARS & SENSE: IT'S THE JOHN FORCE SHOW, AND RIGHTFULLY SO

If Michael Knights' article about John Force and Drag racing is even half correct, then the NHRA must be on Life support!  Last time I checked the NHRA telecasts garner maybe a 0.6-0.8 share, and this is with 30 minutes of Force every week!  How bad would the ratings be if Force wasn't there? Someone ask Mr. Knight how it is Pinks All Out gets much higher ratings then NHRA does, not to mention crowds! - Joe Sherwood

FEEDBACK ARTICLE – DRAGS, DOLLARS & SENSE: IT'S THE JOHN FORCE SHOW, AND RIGHTFULLY SO

If Michael Knights' article about John Force and Drag racing is even half correct, then the NHRA must be on Life support!  Last time I checked the NHRA Telecasts garner maybe a 0.6-0.8 share, and this is with 30 minutes of Force every week!  How bad would the ratings be if Force wasn't there? Someone ask Mr. Knight how it is Pinks All Out gets much higher ratings then NHRA does, not to mention crowds! - Joe Sherwood


What a great piece on John Force.  I agree.  He owns three pro race teams plus two other daughters racing.  He spends more time with fans than all active NASCAR drivers combined. He leads the charge towards safety in the NHRA.  

Wow...I'm new to NHRA racing after a 35 year stint as a diehard NASCAR fan. Richard Petty will always be the best, but John is certainly right there with him when it comes to being a fan's hero.  Thanks again for some excellent writing! - Brian Hill


Having worked on his team and having some inside knowledge of how Force runs his operation and treats people, I submit that his gregarious verbiage and top end interviews are really for HIS benefit rather than the masses. Many drivers sign autographs, allow special access for people that are disadvantaged, disabled, etc. but rarely get the press primarily because they do not want it. Force relishes it and flaunts it at every turn. The things he has done throughout the years has benefited Force first and everyone else second (please correct me with facts that are demonstrative of his popularity helping anyone but himself). Many (and I mean many) have become very tired of the extensive coverage he gets (i.e. the scooter and Ashley's cat). If he was so for the sport why not suggest to ESPN that they instead cover a Bob Bode or another independent individual that busts it at every race they attend, in some cases picking through Force's garbage to get some spares. That would be a great story!

As long as Force and his clan absorb all the available bandwidth and cable programming, the sport will never see an appreciable mainstream interest in drag racing due to JFR.

As for Force's incredulous rehab, I would recommend talking to Dale Creasy and get his story as well. Seems that "Peanut" was in as bad a way as the old truck driver. Just my two cents from a fan. - Daniel Albert


Not convinced. He has been the performance high water mark since the early 90's, but I mute the TV every time a Force segment comes on, which is often. - Rhett Fulton

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