John Force.
1/30/2008 10:41 PM
FORCE GOES TO TOP OF THE PERFORMANCE LIST AT PHOENIX
14-Time Champ Makes Dramatic Return to Cockpit of Castrol GTX Ford Mustang
CHANDLER,
Ariz. – For John Force, drag racing’s most prolific winner, four months
of intensive rehabilitation following the most serious crash of his pro
career culminated Monday in a unexpected and spectacular 4.782 second,
327.51 mile per hour sprint down a resurfaced quarter mile at Firebird
Raceway.
It was the quickest run recorded during a National
Time Trials test session extended by Sunday’s rain and it all but ended
speculation about Force’s ability to rally from injuries that included
a compound fracture of the left ankle, broken bones in both hands,
broken toes and ligament and tendon damage.
With many his
peers looking on, the 58-year-old icon fired the engine on a race car
on which daughter Ashley’s Castrol GTX Ford Mustang body had been
mounted and, on his first effort since last Sept. 23, successfully
executed a burnout and launch before shutting off at half track.
That
done, the 125-time tour winner came back hours later and laid down the
aforementioned 4.782 that moved him to the top of the performance list
ahead of veteran Ron Capps, whose 4.786 in the NAPA Dodge had been the
previous best.
Walking with a noticeable limp, Force passed
the first phase of his comeback test on Saturday when he was able to
get in and out of the cockpit and exit through the roof hatch, thereby
satisfying NHRA safety concerns.
“I had to get in my firesuit
and do the drill for them,” Force said, “but I knew it wasn’t going to
be a problem because I already had done it (climbed in an out) at the
shop. Like I said, ‘it ain’t pretty, but I can do it.’”
For
Force, it was important that he was the first member of his team to
take one of the new generation, Murf McKinney-built chassis down the
track. He was followed by Robert Hight and Mike Neff. Daughter Ashley
will make her first runs on Tuesday.
“I’ve been down the road
more than anybody out here,” he said. “If there was a problem, I wanted
to be the one to deal with it before I sent Robert, Ashley and Mike
Neff out there.
“We didn’t know what we had (with the new
car),” Force said. “We thought it would be good, but we didn’t know. We
still have a lot of work to do but that (4.78) was a good boost for
this team. That’ll give ‘em motivation. Everybody’s worked so hard
since the end of the season and to run down through there like that was
something.”
Force, who missed the last three races of the
season and finished seventh in points, his worst showing since 1984,
will return to competition Feb. 7-10 at the 48th annual CARQUEST
Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona (Calif.).
“I
wouldn’t be here without the doctors in Dallas (at Baylor University
Medical Center) who put me back together and without Robert Ortmayer,
my physical therapist in California, who’s kept me motivated. He
understood why I needed to get back in the car and what I had to do to
make it happen.”
FORCE GOES TO TOP OF THE PERFORMANCE LIST AT PHOENIX
14-Time Champ Makes Dramatic Return to Cockpit of Castrol GTX Ford Mustang
CHANDLER,
Ariz. – For John Force, drag racing’s most prolific winner, four months
of intensive rehabilitation following the most serious crash of his pro
career culminated Monday in a unexpected and spectacular 4.782 second,
327.51 mile per hour sprint down a resurfaced quarter mile at Firebird
Raceway.
It was the quickest run recorded during a National
Time Trials test session extended by Sunday’s rain and it all but ended
speculation about Force’s ability to rally from injuries that included
a compound fracture of the left ankle, broken bones in both hands,
broken toes and ligament and tendon damage.
With many his
peers looking on, the 58-year-old icon fired the engine on a race car
on which daughter Ashley’s Castrol GTX Ford Mustang body had been
mounted and, on his first effort since last Sept. 23, successfully
executed a burnout and launch before shutting off at half track.
That
done, the 125-time tour winner came back hours later and laid down the
aforementioned 4.782 that moved him to the top of the performance list
ahead of veteran Ron Capps, whose 4.786 in the NAPA Dodge had been the
previous best.
Walking with a noticeable limp, Force passed
the first phase of his comeback test on Saturday when he was able to
get in and out of the cockpit and exit through the roof hatch, thereby
satisfying NHRA safety concerns.
“I had to get in my firesuit
and do the drill for them,” Force said, “but I knew it wasn’t going to
be a problem because I already had done it (climbed in an out) at the
shop. Like I said, ‘it ain’t pretty, but I can do it.’”
For
Force, it was important that he was the first member of his team to
take one of the new generation, Murf McKinney-built chassis down the
track. He was followed by Robert Hight and Mike Neff. Daughter Ashley
will make her first runs on Tuesday.
“I’ve been down the road
more than anybody out here,” he said. “If there was a problem, I wanted
to be the one to deal with it before I sent Robert, Ashley and Mike
Neff out there.
“We didn’t know what we had (with the new
car),” Force said. “We thought it would be good, but we didn’t know. We
still have a lot of work to do but that (4.78) was a good boost for
this team. That’ll give ‘em motivation. Everybody’s worked so hard
since the end of the season and to run down through there like that was
something.”
Force, who missed the last three races of the
season and finished seventh in points, his worst showing since 1984,
will return to competition Feb. 7-10 at the 48th annual CARQUEST
Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona (Calif.).
“I
wouldn’t be here without the doctors in Dallas (at Baylor University
Medical Center) who put me back together and without Robert Ortmayer,
my physical therapist in California, who’s kept me motivated. He
understood why I needed to get back in the car and what I had to do to
make it happen.”
Neither of the JFR Mustangs made it to the
starting line during the first two days of testing because of
mechanical issues. They were denied again Sunday by rain.
Hight,
No. 2 in the world the last two seasons, and rookie Neff, both aborted
their first attempts Monday at half track, as planned. They’ll try to
follow Force’s lead on Tuesday.
“Right now, it looks like
we’ll try to test here through Wednesday,” Force said. “We need to make
some laps. We’re behind right now but we’re scrambling to catch up.”
After
the death of team driver Eric Medlen in a testing accident last March
and after his own crash in September, Force scrapped eight cars and
started over with a controversial new design that hadn’t been tested
competitively before Monday.
“That’s the first lap on these
cars,” Force said. “That’s a credit to Austin Coil, Bernie Fedderley,
John Medlen, Ford and Murf McKinney – to get these cars done in three
months was unbelievable.”
Neither of the JFR Mustangs made it to the
starting line during the first two days of testing because of
mechanical issues. They were denied again Sunday by rain.
Hight,
No. 2 in the world the last two seasons, and rookie Neff, both aborted
their first attempts Monday at half track, as planned. They’ll try to
follow Force’s lead on Tuesday.
“Right now, it looks like
we’ll try to test here through Wednesday,” Force said. “We need to make
some laps. We’re behind right now but we’re scrambling to catch up.”
After
the death of team driver Eric Medlen in a testing accident last March
and after his own crash in September, Force scrapped eight cars and
started over with a controversial new design that hadn’t been tested
competitively before Monday.
“That’s the first lap on these
cars,” Force said. “That’s a credit to Austin Coil, Bernie Fedderley,
John Medlen, Ford and Murf McKinney – to get these cars done in three
months was unbelievable.”