Because the impact of John Force’s wall-slamming accident at Sunday’s NHRA Virginia Nationals was so massive, the drag-racing icon remained in the intensive care unit at a Virginia trauma hospital Monday.
 
According to a statement the team released late Monday, doctors are deliberately taking a slow, careful approach to assessing the extent of his injuries from the high-speed racing crash at more than 300 mph.
 
The engine in Force’s Chevrolet Camaro Funny Car exploded in a massive fireball after Force crossed the finish line during the opening round of eliminations at Virginia Motorsports Park. The violent explosion propelled him into the concrete guardwall in the opposite lane and got slightly airborne as it crossed the track again and slammed into the other wall.

Competition Plus’ Water-Cooler Topics From The NHRA 

It is safe to say Austin Prock is in a zone right now.

Prock, driving for John Force Racing, took home the title at the PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals in Richmond, Va., on  Sunday.

Prock clocked a 3.921-second elapsed time at 327.90 mph to defeat Bob Tasca III, who coasted across the line in 7.145 seconds after smoking the tires.

Prock's third career win nitro Funny Car win, and seventh overall, was one filled with emotions.

Defending his inaugural NHRA world championship is going quite well for Doug Kalitta in 2024.

The veteran Top Fuel driver at Kalitta Motorsports won his third race of the season when he took home the title at the PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals in Richmond, Va., on Sunday.

Kalitta, pilot of the Mac Tools dragster, clocked a 3.752-second elapsed time at 333.41 mph to defeat his teammate Shawn Langdon, who smoked the tires off the starting line and slowed to a 6.148-second run.

On a day when drag racing paused to pray for the well-being of its most iconic drag racer, Austin Prock delivered the trophy for a man who has scored more than any other - John Force.

The 17-time drag racing world champion crashed in the first round of eliminations. While he exited the car under his own power, he was transported to a nearby medical center for further evaluation in the ICU.

In the end, Prock delivered his third 2024 win for the man who declared he would be his successor one day. 

Point standings (top 10) following the Fourth annual PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park, the ninth of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series - 

Final round-by-round results from the Fourth annual PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park, the ninth of 20 events in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series:

NHRA Funny Car icon John Force was taken to a Richmond-area hospital Sunday afternoon following his fiery, wall-smashing, high-speed crash during the first round of the PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals. 

And his daughter, two-time Top Fuel champion Brittany Force, said following her second-round loss to Tony Stewart that her 16-time champion father will recover from his 302.62-mph accident.
 
Racing in Virginia Motorsports Park’s right lane against Terry Haddock, Force clocked a 302.62-mph elapsed time before his engine let go in a massive fireball and sent him across the track and hard into the left-side wall. The car came completely off the pavement as it shot back across the track back into the right lane and made contact with that wall, as well.

Pro Stock’s Erica Enders has worn white hats as a series champion and a Mission Foods #2FastTasty Challenge winner, yellow hats for qualifying first in the starting order, and a variety of colors of hats for earning her 48 victories. Now she will once again be wearing another hat – that of a driving mentor.

Rookie of the Year Award candidate Sienna Wildgust has jumped ship from KB Titan Racing to Elite Motorsports and will be racing with her new colleagues starting at the July 19-21 Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways, near Seattle. And Enders, who has helped show the Pro Stock ropes to such standouts as Drew Skillman, Bruno Massel, Marty Robertson, Brandon Foster, and current teammate Jerry Don Tucker.

Wildgust, whose father, Scott, is competing this weekend in the Pro Modified category, joined Elite Motorsports in making the announcement Saturday morning at Virginia Motorsports Park.