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LATEST JOHN FORCE UPDATE

October 3, 2007
by Bobby Bennett

UPDATE 10 – 2 10:30 PM, CST – John Force got a reality check Tuesday and the 14-time NHRA Funny Car Champion

found he didn’t have a leg to stand on.

Faced with the knowledge that he can’t put weight on a badly broken left

ankle for at least 60 days and the realization that his severely damaged right

knee and foot simply won’t hold him up, Force finally acquiesced to the wishes

of orthopedic surgeons treating him at Baylor University Medical Center.

The upshot is that the injured icon will remain at Baylor for an

undermined amount of time under the supervision of trauma specialist Dr. Michael

Foreman, orthopedic traumatologist Dr. Alan Jones and orthopedic surgeon Dr.

David Zehr and immediately will embark on a more intense physical therapy

program.

Although, with assistance, he has been up on his feet since the Sept. 23rd

accident at the Texas Motorplex that left him seriously injured for the first

time in his 30-year career, reports that the 125-time tour winner has been

walking have been greatly exaggerated.

JOHN FORCE INTERVIEW

UPDATE 10 – 2 10:30 PM, CST – John Force got a reality check Tuesday and the 14-time NHRA Funny Car Champion

found he didn’t have a leg to stand on.

His physical activity to date has consisted primarily of doing pull-ups

with his right arm and raising and lowering his legs – all from his hospital

bed, which is why, on Tuesday, drag racing’s biggest star acknowledged that

while he is extremely motivated to get back in his race car as quickly as

possible, he finally understands that he cannot accelerate the healing process.

“It is what it is,” Force said. “I know I said I was going to drive at

Richmond (in this week’s second annual TORCO Racing Fuels Nationals at Virginia

Motorsports Park) and that I was going to drive at Las Vegas. That’s what I

wanted to do, but the truth is I’m beat up pretty bad. I can’t do anything for

myself right now plus my blood count is down.

“They want me to eat, but nothing tastes right and they want me to walk on

my own, which I can’t do because my right leg is so bad.”

Force’s right leg initially was weakened by childhood polio and then

aggravated by an accident in 1989. In the crash, the same knee was deeply

lacerated, affecting the tendons and ligaments.

“I’ve had to rely on my daughter Ashley and my son-in-law, Robert Hight,

to do everything for me – and I mean everything,” Force said. “I got two bad

hands and two bad legs, so it didn’t make any sense to do a couple days of

therapy here, a couple more in Indy and a couple more in California.

“My doctors here are right up there with the best in the world for these

kinds of injuries. They worked with Kenny Brack and they’ve handled PBR bull

riders when they’ve been hurt. So, my new game plan is to stay here to do the

physical therapy they want.”

That decision countermands Force’s earlier plan to travel to Indianapolis

this week and then on to Richmond to provide morale support for Hight, who

presently is second in POWERade points behind only Tony Pedregon.

Instead, he will remain in Texas under the care of a trauma team that has

had considerable experience with injuries like those suffered by the 14-time

Auto Racing All-American when his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang

literally broke in half after a tire failure.

In fact, Dr. Jones headed the team that put IndyCar driver Kenny Brack

back together after he crashed heavily in a 2003 IRL race at Texas Motor

Speedway. That was a determining factor in Force’s decision to stay put

although he still is determined to be in Las Vegas for the Halloween weekend

ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals.

“I’d like to think that I’m Superman, but I’m not,” Force said. “I know I

have to get stronger. I’m down probably 10 pounds (since the crash), but for

years whenever I lost weight I did it the wrong way. Instead of exercising it

off, I just quit eating. Well, lying here in the hospital, I realized how weak

I am. I know I’ve got build myself back up if I’m going to continue to race.

So that’s what I’m going to do.”

Relying on his family for support, Force said his nephew, Brian Force,

will fly to Dallas to take over the heavy lifting from Hight, who has done

yeoman duty as Force’s arms and legs during recovery.

Enhancements to Hight’s Automobile Club of Southern California Ford

Mustang should be completed Wednesday. That will make it possible for the

seven-time tour winner to compete this week – but not to test.

Work still is being done at McKinney Corporation on Ashley’s Castrol GTX

Ford and on a third Mustang for rookie-to-be Mike Neff. Force’s car, which was

to be the second to receive the latest upgrade, was pulled out of line when it

became apparent that the 1996 Driver of the Year would be unable to compete this

week.

Force said Tuesday that Ashley’s participation in the TORCO Nationals

won’t even be considered if improvements to her car are not completed by

Thursday.

In addition to his leg injuries, Force has broken bones in the fingers on

his right hand and a severely dislocated left wrist. He also has skin grafts on

his injured fingers. Of some additional concern is the fact that his white

blood count is low, a situation that ultimately might necessitate a blood

transfusion.

UPDATE 10 -2 10 AM, CST – John Force’s stay in the Dallas area might be longer than originally planned as the 14-time champion is now considering staying at Baylor University Medical Center

throughout his rehabilitation process. Meanwhile, Force’s race team is

scrambling to upgrade the chassis’ used by remaining drivers Robert

Hight and Ashley Force in time for this weekend’s race in Richmond, Va.

Force

has been in discussions with his doctors and family members to

determine the best course of action for his ongoing recovery from his

scary, high-speed accident nine days ago at the Texas Motorplex. Force

suffered a broken left ankle, a severe laceration to his right knee, a

dislocated left wrist, and a bevy of injuries to his hands that have

become one of the primary concerns in his recovery.

The 58-year-old Force is trying to figure out whether he’d be better off staying in Dallas with the doctors and rehabilitation specialists that have treated him from the start, or to go to Indianapolis to be closer to his racing operation, or even return to Southern California to be close to his family.

"The

plans change about every 10 minutes," said longtime PR man Dave

Densmore, who has remained at Force’s side since the accident. "John

being John, he wants to do everything — run the business, oversee the

reconstruction of the cars, be there for his girls, go to the races,

and, oh yeah, do that rehab stuff. It’s killing him that he’s not 100

percent. But what we’re all trying to get him to realize is that him

being healthy is the top priority. He always puts everyone else first

but he needs to set that notion aside for a few more weeks.

"He

has Kalitta’s air ambulance standing by to take him wherever but he

hasn’t decided where to go. The one thing we’re coming to realize real

quick is that he’s not leaving this hospital real soon. It might be

Thursday or later at this point. We’ll be meeting with the doctors once

again today to see if his hands are any better. That’s the area they’re

most concerned about right now because your hands are very complicated

and he’s waving his all around every time he gets upset until they

start bleeding again. He needs to relax."

While

Force tries to run his world from his hospital bed, his team of crew

chiefs is rushing to have Hight and Ashley’s car updated with support

members around the driver’s cockpit before this weekend’s second annual

Torco Race Fuels NHRA Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park. Under Force’s directive, if the car’s aren’t done, his drivers will not race.

"From

what I understand, Robert’s car was finished up very late last night,"

Densmore said. "He was hoping to test it somewhere to see if it reacts

differently but there just won’t be time. Ashley’s car is in line at

Murf McKinney’s shop in Indiana

but there are several cars in front of hers. I just don’t know if it

will be done in time. It’s going to be a game time decision.

"Every

team out there is scrambling to strengthen that area and make the cars

safer, which is a good thing. There just aren’t enough hours in the

day."

Densmore says a full report from the team will be forthcoming.

UPDATE 9-28 – 10 PM, CST – Five days after the spectacular crash that landed him in Baylor University

Medical Center, John Force again credited fallen teammate Eric Medlen with

saving him from more serious injuries.

Force’s crash last Sunday at the Texas Motorplex was eerily similar to the

one in which Medlen suffered fatal head injuries in a testing accident last

March at Gainesville, Fla. In both instances, for whatever reason, a tire

failed, setting up a chain reaction that culminated in a chassis failure.

In last Sunday’s incident, which occurred in the second round of the 22nd

annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Fall Nationals, Force’s Ford Mustang broke in two

with the front half veering across the center line where it collided with the

Dodge of Kenny Bernstein. The other half of the car, with Force still strapped

inside, his legs exposed, came to a stop against the left guardwall.

“The work we’ve already done through The Eric Medlen Project saved my

head,” Force said. “I’m all broken up in my arms and legs, but my head’s fine,

my back and neck are fine. That was what really excited John Medlen (who heads

up the John Force Racing, Inc., safety initiative begun after his son’s

death).”

Nevertheless, with his family around him, including oldest daughter Adria

Hight, who flew in Thursday night with his youngest daughters, Brittany, 21, and

Courtney, 19, Force acknowledged Friday that the rehabilitation process is

going to be long and arduous.

To underscore that reality, doctors concerned with swelling in his right

foot Friday ordered additional X-rays that may identify yet another break.

The bigger right leg problem for the 58-year-old drag racing icon is the

deep laceration to the right knee, a knee weakened by childhood polio and

injured 18 years ago in a fall. Unfortunately, that’s the foot with which the

14-time series champion mashes the gas pedal on the Castrol GTX High Mileage

Ford Mustang.

Beginning to recover from the effects of anesthesia and pain medication,

the 125-time tour winner acknowledged for the first time Friday that he won’t be

able to drive next week in the TORCO Racing Fuels Nationals at Richmond,

Va.

He is withholding judgement on his status for the last two races of the

season until he consults next week with Dr. Terry Trammell, a noted orthopedic

surgeon who specializes in motor racing injuries. It was Trammell who repaired

three-time former NHRA champion Shirley Muldowney’s badly mangled legs and got

her back into a Top Fuel dragster following her accident at Montreal in 1984.

She returned to the winners’ circle at Phoenix in 1989.

“I couldn’t have wound up in a better place than Baylor,” Force said.

“The doctors and nurses have been great to me and my family and I’ll always be

grateful for that, but I’m a race car driver and I need to talk to someone that

understands racing. That’s why we’re going to Indy.”

As originally

diagnosed, Force’s injuries included a compound fracture of the left ankle,

broken and mangled fingers on his right hand, a deep laceration in his right

knee and a severely dislocated left wrist.

“As soon as they release me, my game plan is to go to Indy to get updates

from all my crew chiefs – Austin Coil, Bernie Fedderly, Jimmy Prock, Dean

Antonelli and John Medlen – on the changes we’ve made to our race cars,” Force

said.

“After that, I’m going to meet with the doctors (Dr. Trammell has offices

in Indianapolis) and see about getting me back in my race car.

“I want to thank all the fans,” Force said. “I know a lot of them wanted

to come by (the hospital) to see me, but right now I just need to focus on

getting my strength back. I’ll be in Richmond, but I just won’t be racing.

“I want to wish everyone good luck in the Countdown. I’ll be rooting for

Robert Hight, my son-in-law, but I want everyone just to be safe. I’ve seen all

the footage (from the crash) and I don’t want anyone else to go through this.

I’m really proud of John Medlen and what he and his team are doing to make these

cars better. We’ve done some good work protecting the head. Now we need to

focus on protecting the arms and legs.”

UPDATE 9-26 – 11:00 PM, CST – Disputing suggestions that his 2007 season might be over following a spectacular

crash last Sunday at Billy Meyer’s Texas Motorplex, drag racing icon John Force

worked through physical therapy Wednesday at Baylor University Medical Center

while his crew chiefs pondered their options for next week’s TORCO Racing Fuels

Nationals at Richmond, Va.

Seriously injured Sunday when his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang

broke in two at the end of a second round match with the Dodge Charger of Kenny

Bernstein, Force endured another strenuous physical therapy session Wednesday in

the hope of speeding his release.

Meanwhile, co-crew chiefs Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly, with input from

fellow crew chiefs Jimmy Prock, Dean “Guido” Antonelli and John Medlen, were

examining video of the accident in the hope of providing Force with enough

information to determine how many cars he might send to Richmond.

“The crew chiefs are looking for what happened,” Force said. “Was it a

tire issue? Was it a chassis issue? What happened, first, and then, why did it

happen? We have to know those answers before we make any decisions.

“But, bottom line, the things we’ve done, safety-wise, since Eric’s

accident (teammate Eric Medlen succumbed last March to injuries suffered in a

testing accident in Florida), are working. My neck and head were fine.

Bernstein’s neck and head were fine. Eric saved some lives out there and now we

need to move ahead to address other issues.”

Although the 14-time NHRA Funny Car Champion reluctantly admitted that he

might not be able to drive as early as next week, he vowed to be back for the

last two events in the NHRA POWERade Series – the ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals,

Oct. 25-28, at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and the Auto Club Finals,

Nov. 1-4, at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona (Calif,.).

“I need to get back out there to help Robert (son-in-law and teammate

Robert Hight),” Force said. “He’s got a shot at this championship. I did, too,

right up until the tire let go.”

Fortunately for Force, the tire blew, for reasons as yet unknown, at the

end of the run, just as he was deploying the parachutes. When the chutes hit,

the car pulled apart with the front half accelerating forward into Bernstein’s

lane and the back half coming to rest, with Force still strapped inside, against

the left side guardwall. Force’s injuries included a compound fracture of the

left ankle but the veteran never lost consciousness.

Force’s victory over Bernstein moved him back into the NHRA’s Countdown to

the Championship, but he’ll drop out of the final four if either of the three

drivers immediately behind him – Ron Capps, Gary Scelzi or Mike Ashley – is

simply able to make a qualifying attempt next week at Virginia Motorsports

Park.

As a result, the 125-time tour winner was left to ponder what might have

been Wednesday while visiting with sponsors and well-wishers. His visitors

included Ford Racing boss Dan Davis, Automobile Club of Southern California

president Tom McKernan and Bob Lawrence, CEO of BrandSource, Inc.

He took a phone call from NASCAR legend and TV analyst Darrell Waltrip,

who was with a group of NEXTEL Cup drivers visiting wounded troops at Walter

Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and welcomed “Lone Star J.R.,”

Johnny Rutherford, who stopped by to offer words of encouragement as did three-time

former NHRA Funny Car Champion Raymond Beadle, owner of the car in which Rusty

Wallace won his only NASCAR championship, did on Tuesday.

UPDATE 9-25 – 5:00 pm CST – Fourteen-time

NHRA POWERade Funny Car world champ John Force, seriously injured in a

high-speed accident Sept. 23 in Dallas, hopes to be released from

Baylor University Medical Center Friday and return to his Southern

California base to continue his recovery.

Force has been undergoing daily physical therapy in a walker

to begin to rehabilitate his broken left ankle and deeply lacerated

right knee.

The challenges of getting ambulatory are incredibly difficult

because he has a cast on his left foot and his right leg is bandaged

from below the knee up his thigh. His left hand and wrist are in a

cast, and the fingers on his right hand are heavily swollen.

Well-wishes have been pouring in from sponsors, including Tom

McKernan of the Automobile Club of Southern California, Dan Davis of

Ford, and Bob Lawrence of Brand Source; fellow NHRA racers from all

eras, including former Funny Car racer John Collins, who was involved

in a two-car accident at the 1984 Cajun Nationals; and racers from all

walks of motorsports, including former Texas Indy car great "Lone Star

J.R." Rutherford.

"John’s doing great for all that he went through," said Dave

Densmore, public relations director of John Force Racing, who noted

that Force is especially pleased that all of the work the team has done

in padding the roll cage really paid off. "He told me that anytime he’d

ever hit the wall before his neck was sore for weeks, and his neck is

not sore at all after this accident where he got thrown around quite a

bit."

Although Force still insists he would love to compete at the

Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals in Virginia to protect his hard-won

spot in the Countdown to Four, it’s highly unlikely given his medical

condition and approvals that would need to be obtained from his doctors

and NHRA officials. "I’m not trying to be no hero," he insists, just trying to keep the dream of a 15th championship alive.

The team is expected to have an official update later today.

9-25, 12:00 PM – FORCE BEGINS PHYSICAL THERAPY

John Force, seriously injured Sunday in the crash of his Castrol GTX High

Mileage Ford Mustang Funny Car during the 22nd annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Fall

Nationals at the Texas Motorplex, was undergoing physical therapy Monday at

Baylor University Medical Center following six hours of reconstructive surgery

Sunday night on his feet, legs and hands.

The 14-time NHRA Funny Car champion suffered a compound fracture of the

left ankle, a deep laceration of the left knee down to the bone, broken fingers

and lacerations on the right hand and a dislocated left wrist that originally

was diagnosed as a dislocation and break.

The 125-time tour winner’s

injuries were tended by Alan Jones, M.D., orthopedic traumatologist, Michael

Foreman, M.D., chief of trauma services, and David Zehr, M.D., orthopedic

surgeon and hand specialist.

“We don’t really know what went wrong,” Force said Monday after viewing

video of the crash for the first time. “I don’t remember much. I remember

thinking that I had to cut a light to beat (rival) Kenny Bernstein. The next

thing I remember is them trying to get me out of the car.”

Force’s race car broke in half just beyond the finish line at the end of a

victorious second round. The front half of the car then shot across the center

line, crashing into Bernstein’s Dodge, separating the carbon fiber body from the

chassis. Meanwhile, the back half of Force’s car, with the 58-year-old driver

still strapped in the seat, came to rest on its side against the leftside

guardwall.

“I was worried about Bernstein,” Force said, “because I knew he was in the

other lane. I didn’t want to hurt anybody, especially Kenny. He’s a good

friend and a great competitor – and he did nothing wrong. In fact, he did a

great driving job.

“I’m just lucky to have my legs. I gnawed off some fingers and toes, but

they had me up trying to stand today. They’re great people here at Baylor and I

know they’ll get me up and around as soon as they can.

“The car pulled in half and I’ve never seen that, ever. A tire came off

the car just as I put the parachutes out and it literally pulled the car apart.

I just feel so helpless and vulnerable. I’ve been on fire from here to

Australia. I’ve had some burns, but I’ve gotten out of every crash and never

had a scratch. I’ve never had a broken bone (before) so this is all new to

me.”

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