John force severely injuried in crash with Berstein

[dukeboy_318]

John force involved in serious accident after the finish line with Kenny Bernstein.  ESPN is reporting that he has two broken legs, a broken arms and other serious injuried

Our prayers are with you John.


http://www.nhra.com/content/news/24436.htm

[69bronzeT5]

what ever happened to his show??

[dukeboy_318]

Dont know, but I bet his wife finally makes him retire. 

[Big Lebowski]

  Ouch, that's a bad crash. He will retire since he survived.

[TruckDriver]

Dont know, but I bet his wife finally makes him retire. 

[70charger_boy]

So sad that my hero was hurt.  He won't retire.  He's been on fire from here to Australia, but nothing could prepare him for 3 daughters

[69bronzeT5]

He's been on fire from here to Australia, but nothing could prepare him for 3 daughters

..where have I heard that before

[70charger_boy]

He's been on fire from here to Australia, but nothing could prepare him for 3 daughters

..where have I heard that before

[The70RT]

W :oW  The car exploded in half before they got together. It's a wonder he wasn't hurt worse than what they said.

[skip68]

Chuck just put on the tv and we saw the crash right away(Repeat)! WOW! My prayers go to him!
Mrs.Skip68

W :oW The car exploded in half before they got together. It's a wonder he wasn't hurt worse than what they said.

The car is designed to break apart on hard impact! FYI.  Mrs.Skip68

[The70RT]

Chuck just put on the tv and we saw the crash right away(Repeat)! WOW! My prayers go to him!
Mrs.Skip68

W :oW The car exploded in half before they got together. It's a wonder he wasn't hurt worse than what they said.

The car is designed to break apart on hard impact! FYI.  Mrs.Skip68

Yeah I know but it came apart BEFORE impact. The chutes made it rip in half. The race is on now and just showed it.

[skip68]

Chuck just put on the tv and we saw the crash right away(Repeat)! WOW! My prayers go to him!
Mrs.Skip68

W :oW The car exploded in half before they got together. It's a wonder he wasn't hurt worse than what they said.

The car is designed to break apart on hard impact! FYI.  Mrs.Skip68

Yeah I know but it came apart BEFORE impact. The chutes made it rip in half. The race is on now and just showed it.

OK, I'm ready for the  Hehehe! Mrs.Skip68

[Steve P.]

That is some footage that will need some very serious looking at.

Yes, the chassis is designed to come apart at the motor plate on impact. The thing is, as many times as I watched it I would have to say that the left rear tire let go first. Then I have no idea, but the right rear tire was going up in the air as the front half of the chassis was separating. I almost have to think that something locked up the axle causing the car to split and the right rear to skip up into the air. 

I just hope John is ok...  I don't think he will want to retire. Being an owner is one thing, but being a driver is quite another...

That team has sure seen it's hell this year.. 

[71ChallengeHer]

As of right now, John is in surgery. His right knee is to the bone. He went in surgery at 9 pm. Surgery is expected to take 4 hours. He was alert the whole time. He wanted to know if he won. If Kenny was hurt. And he wanted to do his interview to thank his sponsers.

[70charger_boy]

I was watching the tape and just realized how much this guy and his family of racers means to me.  I was talking to him a couple weeks ago and hope he makes it out ok. I asked him if he was going to retire and he said NO.  He didn't even think about it.  Everytime I see the video I think of Eric Medlen. 

[TUFCAT]

Watching that video,  it looked like something large and red from the center line of the track was hit by Bernsteins front tire.....  and shot sideways into the back of Force's car...as Bernstein was getting sideways and out of the groove towards the center line. I'm sure we'll soon find out what that was.  To me, that object is the reason for accident.  Possibly got into the driveshaft or something - - and that's what turned him sidways??

[41husk]

prayers are with him, but I doubt he will retire unless he is physically unable to race.  These guys are all to well aware of the danger involved in their proffesssion.  My hat is off to them I couldn't do it.

[Ponch ®]

Watching that video,  it looked like something large and red from the center line of the track was hit by Bernsteins front tire.....  and shot sideways into the back of Force's car...as Bernstein was getting sideways and out of the groove towards the center line. I'm sure we'll soon find out what that was.  To me, that object is the reason for accident.  Possibly got into the driveshaft or something - - and that's what turned him sidways??

yep...the cone or whatever was on the track definetly went into JF's car and that's when it came apart.

The chassis is designed to break, but the way it broke, it basically left his arms and legs unprotected.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=xrbFyH4vFWE

[69bronzeT5]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=xrbFyH4vFWE

[chargerman68]

sorry to hear that it was announced on the nascar race yesterday,man the safety these days on drag cars is great maybe he should buy some stock in roll cages or something

[70charger_boy]

sorry to hear that it was announced on the nascar race yesterday,man the safety these days on drag cars is great maybe he should buy some stock in roll cages or something

You have to keep in mind that drag racing is unlike any sport out there.  You are strapped into a nitro bomb that can go off any second.  Racers have been killed by pistons coming apart.  Don Garlits was messed up too.  That is why these guy and girl racers have my upmost respect

[chargerman68]

sorry to hear that it was announced on the nascar race yesterday,man the safety these days on drag cars is great maybe he should buy some stock in roll cages or something

You have to keep in mind that drag racing is unlike any sport out there.  You are strapped into a nitro bomb that can go off any second.  Racers have been killed by pistons coming apart.  Don Garlits was messed up too.  That is why these guy and girl racers have my upmost respect

[TUFCAT]

Most accounts say a foam timing block hit the left rear tire of Force's car......

A video of the accident shows Bernstein's car drifting toward Force's lane and striking a foam timing block, which shot into the back of Force's car. Force swerved across Bernstein's lane into the retaining wall. Bernstein then rammed into Force's car, breaking the chassis in two (from: usatoday.com).

Bernstein then gave his account of the incident.

"I left the starting line and felt like it was a good leave. The car was running fine down through there and it got close to the center-line about halfway down there. The car started moving over and I keep turning and correcting as hard as I could and it just kept sticking over there next to that center-line. It got down near the finish line and I said 'Man, I think this thing is going to catch a [timing] cone'."

"I guess I did catch it with the rear tires from what I understand. I just couldn't get it to come back. It got right down to the finish line. I lifted the throttle and hit the parachutes at the same time – that's my procedure. As soon as I hit the parachutes, out of the corner of my eye, I saw John's black car coming towards me. It was coming over and it just hit me. Then we just wadded up together for a second or two and then all I could see is nothing because there were bodies coming apart and coming up in front of you, taking your eyesight away. I remember seeing my body up there and going through it. I remember seeing his body up there and going through parts of it.

"Then, when I came out of that, and you have to realize that took milliseconds, when I came out of it I saw John's car going towards the wall. It hit the wall really, really hard. Then I was a little out of control at that time. Obviously ... it was at the point where it was teetering on whether to turn over or not turn over, going left or going right. I was just trying to steer it to keep from going anywhere but as straight as it could . Then it finally settled down and stayed on all fours. It never did go over. "Right when I got ready to stop, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something again. It was the chassis and the engine – the front half of the car passed me on the right side. It passed me on the right side and went all the way to the end of the track.  (from: competitionplus.com)

[70charger_boy]

It looks like the timing foam had something to do with a early parachute deploy.  His tendons on his right knee are really messed up.  Maybe, he will retire.  I hope not.  I really hope he gets better

[Ponch ®]

It looks like the timing foam had something to do with a early parachute deploy.  His tendons on his right knee are really messed up.  Maybe, he will retire.  I hope not.  I really hope he gets better

I read he's 58 years old? I thought he was maybe in his late 40's/early 50's. He should probably call it a day....