John Force was a little confused but he knew what he wanted to say.

The 14-time NHRA Funny Car champion wanted to say thanks to the owners of Atlanta Dragway for improving a track that used to provide what he described as “a gut ache” every time he watched his daughter make a run down the strip located in Commerce, Ga.

Fourteen-time Champion has Soapbox Moment at Atlanta Dragway …

John Force was a little confused but he knew what he wanted to say.

The 14-time NHRA Funny Car champion wanted to say thanks to the owners of Atlanta Dragway for improving a track that used to provide what he described as “a gut ache” every time he watched his daughter make a run down the strip located in Commerce, Ga.

The media center was abuzz Friday eventing with reporters filing their stories when the elder Force walked in with a few words to say Friday night. The consensus was that Force was going to add commentary to the provisional No. 1 his daughter Ashley Force Hood had laid down an hour earlier.

Without a question asked, Force started to speak from his heart.

“In this economy with it being as hard as it is for budgets and everything in the whole world, safety has really become huge,” Force explained. “I just want to say in a time when people don't want to spend I go down to the end of the track this morning and I was really excited. I just want to thank Atlanta Dragway and their owners. I want to thank them for working with NHRA because it takes big bucks to do what they did.”

What Force didn’t know is that Atlanta Dragway is one of four tracks the NHRA owns.

The NHRA has installed a shutdown/sand-trap configuration at Altanta almost identical to the one installed at Indianapolis’ O’Reilly Raceway Park.

“The only way we learn anything is when someone gets hurt like [Scott Kalitta] did and then you think about your own kids,” Force continued. “You think you can go all these years and never get hurt and then something happens and that opens up your eyes.”

His crash and the Scott Kalitta fatality opened Force’s eyes to the reality that no one in drag racing is invincible. It also opened his eyes to the reality the NHRA is doing their best to make the sport safer.

“These are rules that the NHRA is mandating and the tracks have to use their own money to fix them,” Force said. “They need to be thanked for that because when you're a driver your life is on the line when you are out there at over 300 miles an hour.”

Force said the NHRA’s dedication to safety is apparent in the cars and at the facilities. Just seeing the cars automatically deploy the parachutes when the supercharger blows out the burst panel is something that deserves recognition.

“You see these parachutes coming out on these guys at half track. They are on timers ... some of the guys don't like but all you need is a runaway freight train to change your mind,” Force said. “I'm glad there is someone there to help me because [in Dallas] I was knocked out. What am I supposed to do then?”

In the normal Force fashion, he covered a multitude of topics but returned to the original intent of his soapbox moment.

“If you get a chance then thank the NHRA and thank Atlanta Dragway for fixing this s*** that's been wrong for so many years and we didn't even realize it,” Force continued. “Finally everybody's starting to work together and I'm glad because I was about to quit. I was ready to take my kid and go home because we had gotten to speeds where it was just not safe.”

“[I used to] run quick burn the car to the ground and drag the next car out. Austin and we'll run low elapsed time. We knew how to do that. Then one day the world changes [for me]. Please thank those people because it takes their time.”

With that statement, to Force it really didn’t matter who owned the track. He’d made his point crystal clear.

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