Think John Force will ever drive again?

Zeke · 10-07-2007, 06:43 PM

I think (I strongly believe) he'll try. They usually don't make it back after one like that.

trekkor · 10-07-2007, 06:47 PM

I heard he wrecked.

Was it severe?

KT

SlowToady · 10-07-2007, 07:02 PM

Video of the crash

Looks pretty severe, and Medlen is in pretty bad shape, although he made it through brain surgery to relieve pressure/blood/swelling.

As to Force, I'd bet on him at least trying to race again. A wreck like that has to be pretty mentally devastating.

jeffgrant · 10-07-2007, 08:34 PM

I'm sure he'll be back... he's was ON FIRE and came back, and that's way worse than what he went through in that one.

He's already talking about the safety developments he's going to be making to deal with the legs in a crash, etc.

Zeke · 10-08-2007, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlowToady

Video of the crash... and Medlen is in pretty bad shape, ....

I'll say. He's dead.

Mule · 10-08-2007, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlowToady

Video of the crash

Looks pretty severe, and Medlen is in pretty bad shape, although he made it through brain surgery to relieve pressure/blood/swelling.

What are you even talking about?

John's coming back. Count on it.

cashflyer · 10-08-2007, 08:16 AM

It looked like Bernstein caused the wreck.

Watch closely. Kenny hits the center cones and they fly over at Force's car. It's at the same instance that we see Force's tires break loose and the rear of the car hop.

I think a cone went under the tire, caused the loss of traction and a wheelhop at WOT, resulting in a loss of control.

Mule · 10-08-2007, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashflyer

It looked like Bernstein caused the wreck.

Watch closely. Kenny hits the center cones and they fly over at Force's car. It's at the same instance that we see Force's tires break loose and the rear of the car hop.

I think a cone went under the tire, caused the loss of traction and a wheelhop at WOT, resulting in a loss of control.

Either that or the timer inside the foam block punctured the sidewall. One block went behind Force's car. The other disappeared into the rear of Force's car. Disintegration ensued.

Mo_Gearhead · 10-08-2007, 11:38 AM

He will be back in the car. It's his passion. He has too much ego to stop driving at this point in his life.

Zeke · 10-08-2007, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashflyer

It looked like Bernstein caused the wreck.

Watch closely. Kenny hits the center cones and they fly over at Force's car. It's at the same instance that we see Force's tires break loose and the rear of the car hop.

I think a cone went under the tire, caused the loss of traction and a wheelhop at WOT, resulting in a loss of control.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mule

Either that or the timer inside the foam block punctured the sidewall. One block went behind Force's car. The other disappeared into the rear of Force's car. Disintegration ensued.

This is how the NHRA sees it, but no one is blaming Kenny but Kenny.

the · 10-08-2007, 03:54 PM

I haven't followed drag racing since . . . well, a long time. But John Force and Kenny Bernstein getting into a wreck? I didn't realize they still were driving. Aren't those guys like 100 years old now??

74-911 · 10-08-2007, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the

I haven't followed drag racing since . . . well, a long time. But John Force and Kenny Bernstein getting into a wreck? I didn't realize they still were driving. Aren't those guys like 100 years old now??

I think only "Big Daddy" is that old...

Red Baron · 10-08-2007, 04:23 PM

I can hear Force now,

In a Terminator voice; "I'll be back"

Brew 66 · Brew 66's Garage

Eric Medlen died earlier this year, his accident had nothing to do with Force's accident.

...and either did Kenny B hitting the timing cone. You can see on the ESPN footage that the cones go behind force's car, not under or into the side.

He'll drive again, if only to prove he can!

Zeke · 10-08-2007, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brew 66

Eric Medlen died earlier this year, his accident had nothing to do with Force's accident.

...and either did Kenny B hitting the timing cone. You can see on the ESPN footage that the cones go behind force's car, not under or into the side.

He'll drive again, if only to prove he can!

They weren't "cones." Try to keep up.

Brew 66 · Brew 66's Garage

Cone, is what we have called them for the last 20 plus years that I drag raced...Try to keep up.

By the way it is only a small block of styro, with a small reflector on it! Just in case you've never been down the track, Milt!

Zeke · 10-09-2007, 06:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brew 66

Cone, is what we have called them for the last 20 plus years that I drag raced...Try to keep up.

By the way it is only a small block of styro, with a small reflector on it! Just in case you've never been down the track, Milt!

Still, the 2nd one clearly hit Force's car according to Mike Dunn and others and was gobbled up by the tire. Now, the thing that confuses me is how the car broke in half. I heard Dunn say last Sunday during yet another replay that the chute pulled the rear half off. I didn't see the chute deploy.

Cornpanzer · 10-09-2007, 03:33 PM

No, it has been determined that the foam blocks did not contact Forces car. It appears that this was another case of a tire coming apart.

herr_oberst · 10-09-2007, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cornpanzer

No, it has been determined that the foam blocks did not contact Forces car. It appears that this was another case of a tire coming apart.

Sure looked like the block hit to me, unless it was just a really weird coincidence. I saw the cone shoot across the track, what looked like into the rear tire of the Castrol car with quite a bit of velocity, and milliseconds later, Forces car was out of control.

Those wrinklewalls are paper thin and the Force team has been totally jinxed this year, so it wouldn't surprise me if that a sharp corner or the reflector damaged the tire.

I also believe that Force will try to drive again, see how it feels, decide if he should hang it up or not - he's almost 60, he knows he is gonna have to quit sooner rather than later.

I hope Hight can win a Championship and I wish Ashley would just sit out till next year.

Mule · 10-09-2007, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cornpanzer

No, it has been determined that the foam blocks did not contact Forces car. It appears that this was another case of a tire coming apart.

That's the old "who ya' gonna believe, me, or your lying eyes?" The block did not come out of the other side of the car & dis-integration ensued. Vibration probably broke the car in 2. Think about a really out of balance tire, at 315 mph.