It was late 2007 when John Force, in a race against Kenny Bernstein, barely survived a horrific crash at the Texas Motorplex.
Force's body was in shambles. His mind wasn't much better. Yet, 28 months later, John Force is as confident as he's ever been, at least in the public eye. He walks, he talks and he drives like he's still gunning for his first Funny Car title. He has the eye of the tiger and the hunger of an orca whale hunting seals.
Rehabilitation has not come easy for the 14-time champ. In the beginning, it was all about being able to walk again. Once he could walk, it was about being able to climb in and out of a race car. Once in the car, his exercise routine needed to be specialized to his routine inside the race car.
Trips to the gym were not without pain, both physically and mentally.