FORCE’S UNIQUE MOTORPLEX RETURN
Tue, 2008-09-16 10:31
The experience was totally different this time for John Force.
The fourteen-time NHRA Funny Car champion took another ride in an Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter. This time the flight was a return to the Texas Motorplex a year after the most devastating crash of his storied drag racing career.
Force suffered a compound fracture of the left ankle, broken bones in his hands, fingers and toes and ligament and tendon damage in his right knee at last season’s NHRA Fallnationals.
This time Force was all healed up.
The fourteen-time NHRA Funny Car champion took another ride in an Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter. This time the flight was a return to the Texas Motorplex a year after the most devastating crash of his storied drag racing career.
Force suffered a compound fracture of the left ankle, broken bones in his hands, fingers and toes and ligament and tendon damage in his right knee at last season’s NHRA Fallnationals.
This time Force was all healed up.
The same crew who flew him to Baylor University Hospital joined him on the triumphant return and they were met by Texas Motorplex owner Billy Meyer as they touched down.
There was a lot waiting for Force.
Meyer gave Force a tour of the new safety improvements to the facility adapted following Scott Kalitta’s crash earlier this season in Englishtown, N.J.
Ennis, Texas Mayor Russell R. Thomas was among those welcoming Force and presented Force with a proclamation declaring Monday as “John Force Day” in the city where the track is located.
"I wanted to know what it was like to come back," Force told NHRA.com, in an interview.
Force’s devastating crash resulted in the 59-year old undergoing seven hours of reconstructive surgery and a 27-day stay at Baylor before heading home to Yorba Linda, Calif., to complete his lengthy rehabilitation.
"This ain't good for me," Force said in the meeting with those present. "I'm a comedy act, usually, (but) it was strange when I got back in (the helicopter), it kind of scared me. The smell, you remember, and the chopper noise. But I also remembered the lady (flight nurse Kim Loflin) that held my hand and told me everything would be all right.
"In all the hero stuff, yelling and screaming that I was gonna be back racing the next week, I really kinda thought (my career) was over. But your biggest fear," said the 126-time winner on the POWERade tour, "is that you ain't gonna see your kids again.
"This was very emotional for me," Force said. "But I'm glad I did it. Billy's a racer. He knows what this is about and that was the best feeling when I looked down from the helicopter and saw what he's done. He's added guardwall and he's tripled the size of the sand trap even though his track already is one of the longest we have."
Force gave the Air-Evac their props as well.
"When you think your life's on the line, to have people you don't even know come to help you, that's what's so great about America,” Force said. “I could have bled to death. That's what they were worried about, but they got me to Baylor and then the doctors there took such good care of me, putting me back together. I can never repay any of them for what they did."
14-time
NHRA Funny Car champion John Force returned to the Texas Motorplex on
Monday via the same helicopter that transported him to Baylor
Universaity Hospital after his devastating crash. (NHRA.COM Photo)
The fourteen-time NHRA Funny Car champion took another ride in an Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter. This time the flight was a return to the Texas Motorplex a year after the most devastating crash of his storied drag racing career.
Force suffered a compound fracture of the left ankle, broken bones in his hands, fingers and toes and ligament and tendon damage in his right knee at last season’s NHRA Fallnationals.
This time Force was all healed up.
14-time NHRA Champion returns to the site of devastating crash a year later …
The experience was totally different this time for John Force.
14-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force returned to the Texas Motorplex on Monday via the same helicopter that transported him to Baylor Universaity Hospital after his devastating crash. (NHRA.COM Photo)
The fourteen-time NHRA Funny Car champion took another ride in an Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter. This time the flight was a return to the Texas Motorplex a year after the most devastating crash of his storied drag racing career.
Force suffered a compound fracture of the left ankle, broken bones in his hands, fingers and toes and ligament and tendon damage in his right knee at last season’s NHRA Fallnationals.
This time Force was all healed up.
The same crew who flew him to Baylor University Hospital joined him on the triumphant return and they were met by Texas Motorplex owner Billy Meyer as they touched down.
There was a lot waiting for Force.
Meyer gave Force a tour of the new safety improvements to the facility adapted following Scott Kalitta’s crash earlier this season in Englishtown, N.J.
Ennis, Texas Mayor Russell R. Thomas was among those welcoming Force and presented Force with a proclamation declaring Monday as “John Force Day” in the city where the track is located.
"I wanted to know what it was like to come back," Force told NHRA.com, in an interview.
Force’s devastating crash resulted in the 59-year old undergoing seven hours of reconstructive surgery and a 27-day stay at Baylor before heading home to Yorba Linda, Calif., to complete his lengthy rehabilitation.
"This ain't good for me," Force said in the meeting with those present. "I'm a comedy act, usually, (but) it was strange when I got back in (the helicopter), it kind of scared me. The smell, you remember, and the chopper noise. But I also remembered the lady (flight nurse Kim Loflin) that held my hand and told me everything would be all right.
"In all the hero stuff, yelling and screaming that I was gonna be back racing the next week, I really kinda thought (my career) was over. But your biggest fear," said the 126-time winner on the POWERade tour, "is that you ain't gonna see your kids again.
"This was very emotional for me," Force said. "But I'm glad I did it. Billy's a racer. He knows what this is about and that was the best feeling when I looked down from the helicopter and saw what he's done. He's added guardwall and he's tripled the size of the sand trap even though his track already is one of the longest we have."
Force gave the Air-Evac their props as well.
"When you think your life's on the line, to have people you don't even know come to help you, that's what's so great about America,” Force said. “I could have bled to death. That's what they were worried about, but they got me to Baylor and then the doctors there took such good care of me, putting me back together. I can never repay any of them for what they did."
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