John Force Gives Himself an Early Birthday Present…and Something to Think About
Credit: NHRA
It’s been two years since John Force last hoisted a “Wally”, the trophy named after National Hot Rod Association founder Wally Parks and handed out to national event winners.
Saturday, Force, the winningest driver in NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series history, defeated Matt Hagan in the Funny Car portion of the postponed Pomona Raceway Lucas Oil NHRA WInternationals, completed at Firebird Motorsports Park in Phoenix.
It was the 156th career win for Force, eight of which have come in the Winternationals. As he approaches his 75th birthday next month, the win couldn’t have come at a more pivotal time for drag racing’s most popular driver.
“I'm just sort of facing the truth in life. That, you know, time's running out. And I'm trying to hang on,” Force said. “This morning I was talking about, you know, maybe this is it, maybe I should just walk out the gate and go to the casino or somewhere and get drunk. And then, all of sudden, you win and your personality just changes. And that shows I'm not normal. But who'd be normal to drive a (nitro) fuel Funny Car? You know what I mean?
“I was mad, mad at myself. And I started saying (to myself) you just need to get out of the seat, you're just too old for this stuff. Or get out there and fight the fight. You know what I mean? And I did and things went right and I got the win, so I'm excited.”
Credit: NHRA
From time to time in recent years, Force has mulled retirement. But the cockpit of his 11,000 horsepower PEAK Antifreeze & Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS Top Fuel Funny Car is where he feels most alive.
“I feel once I get in the race car I’m home,“ the 16-time champion explained. “That’s where I get right, that’s when the stomach aches go away, until you lose. But the hard part is thinking about having to give it up and you’re going to have to sooner or later. You just can’t go till you fall in the dirt.
“What I’m saying is that to have a day like this, first of all at my age, I can’t remember the first (win). I think it was in Montreal (June 28, 1987). But then you get something like this and all of a sudden, your life’s back. I can see my wife looking at me at the other end (of the track) with the two (grandsons). I can see that gleam back in her eye ‘cuz she was happy for me.
“She knows what I go through in the middle of the night, sitting up in the bed and she’ll say, ‘John, the race is three days away, go to sleep.’ I’ve done it all a million times. And boy, it gets old. But then this fixes you.
“You know, I just can’t believe I’m still doing this. But man, I love it so much. And if I quit, that’s what really scares me.”
Credit: NHRA
If Saturday’s win was an early birthday present, Force says he’ll take it.
“Yeah, I better take it now. I just realized I'm going to be 75 in another month, May 4, and then I'm doing some serious thinking, where I'm going. But moods change. My mood’s changed right now. But it's a win and I've had lots of wins. But I watch these young kids and and I've got some drivers I'm talking to so there's something coming.
“I'll let y'all know.”