Legendary drag racer John Force, a 16-time NHRA Funny Car world champion and the winningest driver in NHRA history, announced Thursday during a media luncheon at his race shop in Yorba Linda, Calif., that he is officially retiring from competition 17 months after suffering injuries in a devastating crash during competition at Virginia Motorsports Park in Dinwiddie, Va.
The numbers Force accumulated over a career that began in the 1970s speak for themselves: 16-time NHRA Funny Car Champion (1990-91, 1993-2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2013); 157 event wins; 269 final-round appearances; 166 No. 1 Qualifiers; 1,460 round wins in competition.
“I really love NHRA, but I am officially done with driving,” said Force. “I’ve said so many times, ‘Until this race car kills me, they’re gonna have to drag me out of the seat.’ But the truth is, I was dragged out of the seat at Richmond, and they thought it killed me then. So, I’m lucky that I’m back walking. They always say never say never, but I have grandchildren with [daughter] Courtney and Graham [Rahal], with [daughter] Ashley and Danny [Hood], and now Brittany’s retired because she wants to have children.”
“It’s time for me to retire. I had medical stuff that I had to address, and ‘Do I want to get back in the car and get hit in the head?’ and I don’t. So, I guess it’s official, I’m done. I won’t say I won’t ever get in a car to warm it up or maybe even make a burnout. Don’t know. I guess it’ll be the response from the fans. If they cheer loud enough, I’ll hear ya.”
Force will continue to oversee John Force Racing, the 23-time championship winning organization based in Brownsburg, Ind., and it’s three champion drivers: Brittany Force, two-time Top Fuel Champion who is fourth in the point standings in the Monster Energy dragster; Austin Prock, reigning Funny Car champion who has a 101-point lead going into the Finals in the Cornwell Tools Chevrolet SS Funny Car; and 2012 Funny Car champion Jack Beckman who took over the driving duties for Force in the Peak Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet SS Funny Car and is third in the point standings.
Brittany Force announced Sept. 12 that she would be stepping away from competition at the end of this season to focus on starting a family with husband Bobby Lyons, Jr. John Force Racing announced Oct. 15 that five-year veteran Top Fuel driver Josh Hart will be driving for its Top Fuel team in 2026.
