NHRA star John Force was released from the hospital on Tuesday and transported to a neurological rehab clinic as he recovers from a violent crash that left him with a traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Force, 75, had been in the hospital since June 23, when his car suffered a catastrophic engine failure near the finish line and collided with a concrete barrier wall at 302 miles per hour. Force was awake and talking when he was rescued and transferred to a nearby hospital before being deeply medicated.
On Tuesday, John Force Racing released a statement saying that the relocation to a rehab facility “was considered by family members to be a major step forward in the recovery process.”
According to the statement, “medical staff cautioned that the road ahead remains difficult.” Force is coping with TBI-related cognitive and behavioral symptoms, and while he has been able to communicate with family and staff, he is still prone to bouts of confusion.
The period Force will spend in “the new facility, which was selected because of its success in treating other race car drivers with similar issues,” according to the team’s statement.
Force and his family have dominated drag racing for decades. Force won 16 NHRA Funny Car championships as a driver and an additional 22 as a car owner. His daughters, Ashley Force Hood, Brittany Force, and Courtney Force, have all raced in NHRA drag racing.
The older Force has continued to compete, earning his second victory of 2024 on June 2 at the NHRA New England Nationals.