John Force didn't mince words when he addressed his crew assembled in the team's hauler just moments before the start of the Dodge Mile High Nationals outside of Denver. 

Force was tired, but no more than is to be expected for a 69-year old man, who has made more trips down the drag strip than any fulltime fuel racer in drag racing. He'd crashed four cars already, been to the hospital three times, failed to qualify once and was already a million dollars in the hole from the aforementioned calamities. 

"It’s hard to motivate when you feel beat up and tired," Force admitted.

Force smiled when he remembers the words that did the trick. 

"I told them, 'You give me a racecar, and I’ll show you how to win."

If anyone knows how to win, it's Force, whose Denver win was No. 149.

Force fed off of their renewed energy as he prepared for race day. 

"They were all joking about it saying, “we’ll carry you to the start line and put you in the car," Force revealed. "I’m not that bad off."

In the weeks leading into Denver, all the King's horses and all the King's Men, came together to put Humpty Dumpty together again. 
Force said his braintrust Jimmy Prock, John Schaffer, and Ronnie Thompson with the help of Brian Corradi and Daniel Hood and Joe Veyette, were focused on helping Force get back on track.

"They know that I don’t need any more crashes," Force added.  

Force hadn't forgotten how to drive, but something was apparently wrong. 

"I had a lot of runs where I had loss of vision because my gear was not right on me and that’s my fault," Force explained. "As a driver, we’re responsible for certain things. I had one run where they brought me my hybrid, and it was sent back to Simpson to be fixed after a crash, and I thought they brought me back the same one I’d been wearing. They brought me a brand new one, and I just stuck it on and got in the car. 

"When you get out there, and you get tire shake, you’re loose in the car, and I was losing my vision, and I drove it for a couple of races before it hit me. I thought it was fine, but it wasn’t adjusted right. I made some mistakes and at my age can you imagine that."

Age appears to be a number for Force, but even he sees the finish line on the horizon. 

"Joe Costello [WFORadio.com] asked me if I was going to be like [Chris] Karamesines," Force said. "I said, 'no, I’ll take a role like Kalitta or Schumacher as an owner,” and that’s coming, it’s just about my health. I got myself injured, and I’m just over that. 

"God bless [Chris] Karamesines, I don’t know how he does it, he loves it, how he keeps the drive. I’ve got it right now, but I don’t think I’ll have it when I’m his age. I don’t think I’ll have it five years from now. So the clock is ticking, and I’ve never said that in all these years but finally, with all my injuries, how many hits I can take before I really hurt myself, I’m changing all that."

The thought of relegating himself to team owner doesn't scare Force, but he's quick to point out the reason he still races is the thrill of the hunt; the exhilaration of driving a car which can cover 1,000-feet in 3.9-seconds at well over 320 miles per hour. 

Force understands this kind of exhilaration can also be physically demanding. The price to pay can be those moments like he experienced pre-Denver. 

Force got his team right, but for him, it was a U.S. Marine veteran, one who had lovely blonde hair, who appeared to him to be every bit of 12-years old, which got him right. 

Top Fuel driver Blake Alexander is getting the maximum out of racing a limited schedule for Bob Vandergriff Jr. Racing.

Alexander, who is in his first year driving for Vandergriff, has... https://t.co/De1FFazoL6

— Competition Plus (@competitionplus) July 31, 2018

Kirstie Ennis, who is much older than 12, was injured in a helicopter crash during a battle in Afghanistan. She was a machine gunner on the aircraft. Ennis was in Denver representing the Advance Auto Parts-endorsed, Building Homes for Heroes program. 

"I saw some things in Denver that were kind of a wake-up call to me," Force admitted. "Someone’s always got a worse situation than you, and that was a real wake-up call and probably helped me the most, more than the doctors did. 

"I’ve had moments where you’re really down mentally, and you just think “What do I have to prove?” But I never did this to prove that I could win championships or races. I did it to make a living. I did it because I love it. Now I can’t get out of it."

Then Force met Ennis, whom he says was more than an inspiration. She was the reality he needed to face.  

"I was embarrassed," Force admitted. "I was embarrassed because I was whining about my shoulder. I was embarrassed because I was telling my guys, “if you got to carry me down there just get me to the starting line because I was hurt."

"And I look at this kid, and I didn’t win that race because I saw that kid, but that kid got my mind running. And I’m not trying to give you some big bull story, even my own guys said, when I jump in the car to warm it up I always go really slow because I don’t want to hurt my shoulder. They always try to help me with stools and stuff, and I just went and jumped in. They said, “what happened to you?” 

"And I said, “nothing, you don’t even need to know.” 

Reality hit Force dead-center moments later when he offered to help her up the stairs leading to the stage. 

"I said, “let me help you up the stairs," Force said. "And I said it again when we won the race. I told her you’re going to the press room with me because I want to give her the trophy, I had already given it to her on the stage. I said, “do you want me to help you up the stairs?” 

"She said “John Force, I can outrun you, and I’ll carry you up those stairs. I’m a U.S. Marine.” 

"She said, “I don’t want your sympathy. This is what happened to me, and I’m getting on with my life.” 

"She definitely gave me heart. I’m sore today; I’m beat up. Whatever happened on that hill [John Bandimere] said there’d be a sign, and then I win the race, and my car just finds magic. But something like magic took place. Maybe my heart was just right."

Even a decorated drag racer needs a tune-up of the heart, and for Force, it was up on the mountain in Denver inspired by a young lady he said reminded him of his granddaughter.