NHRA drag racing icon and 16-time champion John Force was released from a neurological treatment center in Arizona and moved into outpatient care on Tuesday. The move comes one month after Force suffered serious injuries in a crash during the first round the NHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park on June 23. The 75-year-old suffered a traumatic brain injury among other injuries, including a fractured sternum and right wrist injury.
Force won his first-round Funny Car race when his car exploded past the finish line, sending it veering into the other lane and into a concrete wall at an estimated 302 mph. Force’s car then spun and briefly went airborne before a secondary impact in his original lane. Force was said to be conscious and speaking with safety personnel before being transported via helicopter to a nearby medical center.
After undergoing rehab at Barrow Neurological Institute, Force was discharged on Tuesday and will now move into outpatient care closer to his home in California. Force will undergo occupational and physical therapy to address lingering short-term memory and cognitive issues.
Force is the most prolific and accomplished racer in NHRA history, with 157 race wins and 16 Funny Car titles. He was second in this year’s points standings at the time of his accident, having won two of the first eight races of the season.
Force’s career has not been without its share of serious accidents. In 2007, Force suffered a broken ankle and dislocated wrist among other injuries in a crash at the Fall Nationals in Texas, causing him to miss the remainder of that season.
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