John Force, the legendary NHRA driver, has long been synonymous with drag racing. With a staggering 157 wins and 16 Funny Car titles, Force is a name that defines the sport. However, the 2024 NHRA season marks a turning point for the icon, as Force has been absent from the tracks since sustaining a traumatic brain injury in a June crash at Virginia Motorsports Park.
While no official retirement announcement has been made, the 75-year-old’s health challenges have raised speculation about the future direction of his remarkable career. Despite his absence, Force remains a significant presence in the sport, and during a recent conversation with NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt Jr., Force discussed the promising new generation of drivers. While they may not replace him, these young stars have certainly caught his attention.
Topping Force’s list of future stars is Robert Hight, president of John Force Racing and a reigning NHRA Funny Car champion. “There are already stars. Naturally, Robert Hight—my guy—he’s won championships. Winning championships helps; it builds the fan base and everything you do, like helping sell sponsor products,” Force shared. Hight’s role in the sport is undisputed, both as a driver and leader.
Next, Force highlighted Ron Capps, a fellow champion. “You take a guy like Ron Capps. He’s a champion, just like Robert Hight,” Force said. With major sponsorships from companies like NAPA Auto Parts, Toyota, GearWrench, and Mobile 1, Capps has proven himself both on and off the track, further solidifying his place in drag racing history.
Force also recognized Matt Hagan, a four-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion, and Jack Beckman, who impressed in Force’s absence, winning two races out of seven. As Force put it, “There are so many, like Matt Hagan, Beckman, and Capps, naturally.”
Additionally, Cruz Pedregon, a two-time NHRA Funny Car champion, earned praise from Force for his consistency and raw talent. Pedregon, part of the renowned Pedregon racing family, continues to impress fans with his speed and control.
While Force acknowledges the rise of these young talents, he firmly believes his legacy still holds unparalleled power in the sport. “I’m still going to therapy every week and working as hard as I can to get back out there with the sponsors and the fans in a sport I love, and I miss,” Force said, adding, “I’ve still got a lot of things I want to do, so I don’t want anybody thinking they’ve seen the last of John Force. We’ll have a lot more to talk about after the holidays.”
In addition to his racing career, Force shared a poignant story on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast about a personal experience in 1992, after a horrific crash at Memphis Motorsports Park. During the crash, Force claimed to have seen Elvis Presley. The incident inspired the book I Saw Elvis at a Thousand Feet, but, in a twist of fate, Force revealed he received no payment for it. “I saw Elvis at a thousand feet at Memphis when I was on fire. And let me tell you something, I crawled out on my hands and knees, I thought I was dead,” Force recalled. “And I remember I was praying to God, like, ‘Let me stand. Let me get out of this thing. I’ll go back to church. I’ll quit. I’ll finish the Bible’… that was forty years ago, and I crawled out of there, and I stood up, my TV guy said, ‘What did you see?’ […] And I went, ‘I saw Elvis at a thousand [feet]. They made a book out of it, and I never got a penny from that.”
It’s a surreal, bittersweet story from a man who continues to leave his mark on both drag racing and popular culture.
