John Force update

[hillsdown]

Not as bad as first thought.He will be OK but probably will not be back in the car for a while.Question is what made his car break in two?

http://www.sunherald.com/thats_racin/story/148841.html


That's Racin' Posted on Sun, Sep. 23, 2007reprint or license print email Digg it del.icio.us AIM NHRA star John Force taken to hospital after top-end accident with Kenny Bernstein
The Associated Press
DALLAS â€" Drag-racing star John Force was alert and conscious Sunday after sustaining serious injuries in a wreck with Funny Car rival Kenny Bernstein during the O’Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex in Ennis.

Team spokesman Elon Werner said the 58-year-old Force broke his left ankle and his left wrist and suffered a severe abrasion to his right knee.

“John’s chassis broke in half and the engine and front two wheels were over in Kenny’s lane, and that’s what Kenny hit,” Werner said.

Force, a 14-time champion, was airlifted to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, where Werner said doctors planned surgery Sunday night to clean up the abrasions and possibly set the broken bones.

“He was alert and obviously in a lot of pain, but the whole time he was asking questions. His primary concern was for Kenny Bernstein,” Werner said.

Werner said a CT scan came back negative for internal injuries. He also said Force sustained some minor fractures and severe abrasions to the tips of his fingers.

The John Force Team issued a statement saying the prognosis for a full recovery was very good.

The wreck occurred just after the two cars crossed the finish line in the second round of eliminations.

Daughter Ashley Force, also a Funny Car driver, pulled out of the semifinals.

Force’s wife, Laurie; Ashley; and son-in-law Robert Hight â€" also a Funny Car driver â€" were with him at the hospital.

“First of all, I just pray that John’s going to be OK,” said Bernstein, who wasn’t injured in the accident.

“I know he’s hurt and the main thing I’m praying for is that he gets 100-percent recovery. That’s more important than anything right now for me, Sheryl, and our team. I know he was talking to me there and he was asking if he hurt me. That’s typical John right there. He’ll be OK. He’s a strong-willed man. He’ll be fine.”

Top Fuel winner Larry Dixon spoke about Force.

“I’m glad that (John Force is) alive,” Dixon said. “From that point you can fix anything. A lot of credit goes to the Safety Safari, the medical team, and the rules package for the way the cars have to be built so that you can survive an accident like that. I feel safer in my car that goes 330 mph than I do in my rental car going 55 mph on the way to the track. I feel like I could run over a nuclear bomb, and I trust in that. He’ll be back racing one day. You can count on that.”

Ennis is about 30 miles south-southeast of Dallas.

 

[Tod Dague]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuN5cfgGUQM

 

[Tod Dague]

Wow I'm glad he's alive! :shock:

 

[hillsdown]

He is very lucky to be alive indeed Tod.I am going to watch the late edition of Inside Nextel Cup tonight to see if there is any new info on him.Missed the earlier show as I was getting cattle ready for auction.

 

[dun]

He is very lucky to be alive indeed Tod.I am going to watch the late edition of Inside Nextel Cup tonight to see if there is any new info on him.Missed the earlier show as I was getting cattle ready for auction.

He may be brash and loud, but he's also a tough old cob. If you can do it, it ain;t braggin

From NHRA:
Monday, 6;45p.m. CT: John Force, seriously injured Sunday in the crash of his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang Funny Car during the 22nd annual O'Reilly Auto Parts Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex, was undergoing physical therapy Monday at Baylor University Medical Center following six hours of reconstructive surgery Sunday night on his feet, legs and hands.

The 14-time NHRA Funny Car champion suffered a compound fracture of the left ankle, a deep laceration of the right knee down to the bone, broken fingers and lacerations on the right hand and a dislocated left wrist that originally was diagnosed as a dislocation and break.

The 125-time tour winner's injuries were tended by Alan Jones, M.D., orthopedic traumatologist, Michael Foreman, M.D., chief of trauma services, and David Zehr, M.D., orthopedic surgeon and hand specialist.

“We don't really know what went wrong,” Force said Monday after viewing video of the crash for the first time. “I don't remember much. I remember thinking that I had to cut a light to beat (rival) Kenny Bernstein. The next thing I remember is them trying to get me out of the car.”

Force's race car broke in half just beyond the finish line at the end of a victorious second round. The front half of the car then shot across the center line, crashing into Bernstein's Dodge, separating the carbon fiber body from the chassis. Meanwhile, the back half of Force's car, with the 58-year-old driver still strapped in the seat, came to rest on its side against the leftside guardwall.

“I was worried about Bernstein,” Force said, “because I knew he was in the other lane. I didn't want to hurt anybody, especially Kenny. He's a good friend and a great competitor â€" and he did nothing wrong. In fact, he did a great driving job.

“I'm just lucky to have my legs. I gnawed off some fingers and toes, but they had me up trying to stand today. They're great people here at Baylor and I know they'll get me up and around as soon as they can.

“The car pulled in half and I've never seen that, ever. A tire came off the car just as I put the parachutes out and it literally pulled the car apart. I just feel so helpless and vulnerable. I've been on fire from here to Australia. I've had some burns, but I've gotten out of every crash and never had a scratch. I've never had a broken bone (before) so this is all new to me.”



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Monday, 1:00 p.m. CT: John Force is on his feet at Baylor University Medical Center, just one day after his horrifying accident with Kenny Bernstein at the Texas Motorplex. Under the direction of his team of doctors, Force is out of his bed and seeing how much weight he can bear on his repaired left ankle and right knee.


"He isn't happy about standing up, but he is standing up," Force's longtime public relations director Dave Densmore told NHRA.com's Rob Geiger. "I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it with my own eyes. It's an incredible recovery.


"He was asking earlier this morning what it would take to race in Richmond (Va.) in two weeks but the doctors are having none of it. He'll be out for the year, I would certainly guess at this point. But you know John; he's very hard to keep down."



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Monday, 1:30 a.m. CT: Good news from Baylor University Medical Center, where doctors operating on 14-time NHRA Funny Car world champ John Force were able to set his broken left ankle and determined that his wrist was not broken but just severely dislocated.

According to team spokesperson Elon Werner, doctors inserted three pins into Force's ankle to set it and inserted three temporary pins to stabilize his wrist.

Force came through the surgery well. A full update will be issued by the team Monday.

 

[flaboy]

I'm glad John is ok. I have followed his career for many years. He is loud and brash but most times he backs it up with actions.

 

[dun]

http://www.nhra.com/content/news/24477.htm