John Force stood inside the John Force Racing shop in Yorba Linda on Friday afternoon and did the one thing he spent a lifetime swearing he’d never do – he announced he’s officially done driving a Funny Car.
More than a year after his harrowing, high-speed crash at the 2024 NHRA Virginia Nationals, the 16-time Funny Car world champion spoke candidly about the injuries, the recovery, the fear, the gratitude, and the clarity that ultimately pushed him toward retirement.
“It’s been over a year, but I’ve been under doctor’s care and I still am,” Force said. “Do I want to get back in the car and get hit in the head? And I don’t.”
The crash – a violent, wall-to-wall impact that left the sport holding its breath – forced the 75-year-old champion into a long, difficult neurological rehab. Force acknowledged that while he once expected to “stay in the car until the race car got me,” the accident in Richmond changed everything.
“I’ve said so many times, ‘Until this race car kills me, they’re going to have to drag me out of the seat,’” Force admitted. “But the truth is, I was dragged out of the seat at Richmond. They thought it killed me then. I’m lucky I’m back walking.”
Force wasn’t somber as he said it. He was honest – in that way only Force can be – balancing humor with a very real understanding of what another hit could mean. Surrounded by family and longtime team members, he spoke openly about the race he’s been fighting off the track for more than a year: rehab, rest, and the pressure of the unknown.
He also talked about his growing family, new grandchildren, and the next generation building around him. And he credited the timing of Brittany Force addressing her own plans for the future – something she initially revealed in early September – as another moment that made today feel right.
“It was time for me,” he said. “I really love this sport. I really love NHRA. But I am officially done with driving, and I hate to say that word.”
Even as he closed the book on his driving career, Force was quick to point out that retirement doesn’t mean disappearing. Far from it. He made it clear that he’s committed to the future of John Force Racing and the programs already in motion.
“I’m going to grow my operation,” he said. “I’m excited where it’s going.”
And then, in true Force fashion, he cracked the door open just enough to remind everyone that the man still bleeds nitro.
“I won’t say I won’t ever get in the car and warm it up,” Force said with a grin. “Or maybe even make a burnout. Don’t know.”
The crowd laughed. Force smiled. And just like that, drag racing’s greatest showman delivered one more cliffhanger.
“They always say never say never,” Force said. “So I won’t say it. But I’m done racing. That part’s official.”
A career defined by winning. A legacy that reshaped the sport. And a final chapter delivered the only way John Force could deliver it – with honesty, with heart, and with plenty of horsepower still rumbling somewhere under the surface.
This story was originally published on November 13, 2025. 
