John Force formally announces NHRA retirement

It's now official – John Force has run his final NHRA Funny Car race.

Force, a 16-time world champion and the winningest driver in drag racing history, formally announced the news Thursday ahead of the season’s final race weekend in Pomona. He did so from the John Force Racing team shop in Yorba Linda, Calif.

The 76-year-old was sidelined in June 2024 when he crashed at Virginia Motorsports Park, suffered a right wrist injury, a fractured sternum and a traumatic brain injury (TBI), the latter of which resulted in time spent in neuro-intensive care and acute neuro care.

Jack Beckman has driven the car Force vacated ever since.

“I really love NHRA, but I am officially done with driving,” Force said. “I’ve said so many times, ‘Until this race car kills me, they're going to have to drag me out of the seat.’ But the truth is, I was dragged out of the seat at Richmond, and they thought it killed me then, so I'm lucky that I'm back walking. They always say, 'Never say never,' but I have grandchildren with (daughter) Courtney and Graham (Rahal), with (daughter) Ashley and Danny (Hood), and now Brittany's retired because she wants to have children.”

“It's time for me to retire. I had medical stuff that I had to address, and ‘Do I want to get back in the car and get hit in the head?’ and I don't, so I guess it's official – I'm done. I won't say I won't ever get in a car to warm it up or maybe even make a burnout. Don't know. I guess it'll be the response from the fans. If they cheer loud enough, I'll hear you.”

Force overcame childhood polio to become one of the greatest drivers in NHRA history in a career that began in the 1970s. He appeared in his first NHRA final round in 1979, but it took until 1987 to win his first race in Montreal.

Over the course of five decades, he won 157 races, the last on June 2, 2024 at Epping, weeks before his career-ending crash. Force also claimed the No. 1 qualifier 166 times.

In addition to the victories and No. 1 qualifiers, he has 269 final round appearances and set numerous NHRA records throughout his career – among them, the most consecutive world championships (10, in 1990, 1991, 1993-2002, 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2013) and the most consecutive event victories (five).

The patriarch of the family team has also been inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame, the California Hall of Fame, the National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame and the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Nicknamed "Brute Force," he was named one of NHRA’s 50 greatest drivers during its 50th anniversary season.

Force will continue overseeing his John Force Racing operation in his post-driving career. The organization will continue fielding the Funny Car teams of Beckman and Austin Prock (looking to secure his second Funny Car title at Pomona) next season and the Top Fuel dragster of Josh Hart as he takes over Brittany's seat.