Force has been undergoing daily physical therapy in a walker to begin to rehabilitate his broken left ankle and deeply lacerated right knee.
The challenges of getting ambulatory are incredibly difficult because he has a cast on his left foot and his right leg is bandaged from below the knee up his thigh. His left hand and wrist are in a cast, and the fingers on his right hand are heavily swollen.
Well-wishes have been pouring in from sponsors, including Tom McKernan of the Automobile Club of Southern California, Dan Davis of Ford, and Bob Lawrence of Brand Source; fellow NHRA racers from all eras, including former Funny Car racer John Collins, who was involved in a two-car accident at the 1984 Cajun Nationals; and racers from all walks of motorsports, including former Texas Indy car great "Lone Star J.R." Rutherford.
"John's doing great for all that he went through," said Dave Densmore, public relations director of John Force Racing, who noted that Force is especially pleased that all of the work the team has done in padding the roll cage really paid off. "He told me that anytime he'd ever hit the wall before his neck was sore for weeks, and his neck is not sore at all after this accident where he got thrown around quite a bit."
Although Force still insists he would love to compete at the Torco Racing Fuels NHRA Nationals in Virginia to protect his hard-won spot in the Countdown to Four, it's highly unlikely given his medical condition and approvals that would need to be obtained from his doctors and NHRA officials. "I'm not trying to be no hero," he insists, just trying to keep the dream of a 15th championship alive.
The team is expected to have an official update later today.
Seriously injured Sunday when his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang broke in two at the end of a second-round match with the Monster Energy Drink Dodge Charger of Kenny Bernstein, Force endured another strenuous physical therapy session Wednesday in the hope of speeding his release.
Meanwhile, co-crew chiefs Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly, with input from fellow crew chiefs Jimmy Prock, Dean “Guido” Antonelli, and John Medlen, were examining video of the accident in the hope of providing Force with enough information to determine how many cars he might send to Richmond.
"The crew chiefs are looking for what happened," Force said. "Was it a tire issue? Was it a chassis issue? What happened, first, and then, why did it happen? We have to know those answers before we make any decisions.
"But, bottom line, the things we've done, safety-wise, since Eric's accident (teammate Eric Medlen succumbed last March to injuries suffered in a testing accident in Florida), are working. My neck and head were fine. Bernstein's neck and head were fine. Eric saved some lives out there and now we need to move ahead to address other issues."
Although the 14-time Funny Car champion reluctantly admitted that he might not be able to drive as early as next week, he vowed to be back for the last two events in the NHRA POWERade Series – the ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals, Oct. 25-28, at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and the Auto Club Finals, Nov. 1-4, at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona (Calif.)
"I need to get back out there to help Robert (Hight, son-in-law and teammate)," Force said. "He's got a shot at this championship. I did, too, right up until the tire let go."
Fortunately for Force, the tire blew, for reasons as yet unknown, at the end of the run, just as he was deploying the parachutes. When the 'chutes hit, the car pulled apart with the front half accelerating forward into Bernstein's lane and the back half coming to rest, with Force still strapped inside, against the left side guardwall. Force's injuries included a compound fracture of the left ankle but the veteran never lost consciousness.
Force's victory over Bernstein moved him back into the NHRA's Countdown to the Championship, but he'll drop out of the final four if either of the three drivers immediately behind him – Ron Capps, Gary Scelzi or Mike Ashley – is simply able to make a qualifying attempt next week at Virginia Motorsports Park.
As a result, the 125-time tour winner was left to ponder what might have been Wednesday while visiting with sponsors and well-wishers. His visitors included Ford Racing boss Dan Davis, Automobile Club of Southern California president Tom McKernan and Bob Lawrence, CEO of BrandSource.
He took a phone call from NASCAR legend and TV analyst Darrell Waltrip, who was with a group of Nextel Cup drivers visiting wounded troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and welcomed “Lone Star J.R.,” Johnny Rutherford, who stopped by to offer words of encouragement as three-time former NHRA Funny Car Champion Raymond Beadle, owner of the car in which Rusty Wallace won his only NASCAR championship, did on Tuesday.