A Force to be reckoned with, still.

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

Detroit. That John Force is still a fiery competitor in the NHRA in a Funny Car is no surprise. Force, whose exuberance is well documented and who embraces life to a degree that would leave some people half his age gasping for air, is one of those people who can never get enough of what life has to offer, and for that he gives it his all in return. But the fact that Force is still at the top of his game, well into his sixth decade on the planet, is a sight to behold.

This past weekend he won yet another big-time drag race - career win No. 139 - at the season-opening Circle K NHRA Winternationals, at the Auto Club Raceway, in Pamona, California. But it was the way he did it that left people talking. Force, 64, set a new national top speed record for Funny Cars in qualifying with a pass at 324.12 mph (this is for the 1,000 feet distance). And he closed out the weekend and the competition with another national record - an elapsed time of 3.956 seconds - and a speed of 323.58 mph in his Castrol GTX High Mileage Ford Mustang.

Now, tradtional descriptors for that kind of performance are simply inadequate, because comprehending going from zero to 320+ mph in just 1000 feet is simply incomprehensible, unless you happen to be one of the few directly engaged in the sport. And the fact that Force can perform at peak levels in a form of motorsport that requires blistering fast reaction times in order to succeed while undergoing gut-wrenching g-loads is amazing in every sense of that overused word.

That the sport of drag racing in this country is under extreme duress is no secret. I don't cover this form of motorsport in these pages so I won't bother offering any analysis, besides that is not what this column is about. But manufacturer and network TV interest is down, and the sport itself seems to be dying off along with the aging demographic that first propelled it to soaring heights in the 60s. There are many out there, in fact, who firmly believe that the current scope of the NHRA is simply unsustainable and we are witnessing the excruciatingly slow demise of the sport all together. 

But I'm not picking on the NHRA here. Because the reality of the situation is that it is suffering from the changes in society that are impacting all of racing today. There are just too many other forms of extreme motorsport that have caught the younger generation's fancy, but even the size of that hardcore group of enthusiasts pales in comparison to the number of enthusiasts that were drawn to motorsport in previous eras.

But again, this column isn't about all of that. It's about a man - John Force - who gives everything he has to life itself and to the sport he loves, and he does it with an exuberant style that is simply a joy to behold.  John Force will never be one of those people who just goes through the motions. And I admire him greatly for that. 

And the day he finally hangs it up will be a sad day for all of us.

(Ron Lewis Photography/Ford Racing)
John Force on his way to an NHRA record of 324.12 mph last Friday, February 7th, in Pomona, California.

(Ron Lewis Photography/Ford Racing)
The digital timing readout says it all.

(Ron Lewis Photography/Ford Racing)
John Force turned in an NHRA record pass of 3.956 seconds - for the win - last Sunday, February 9th, in Pomona, California

(Ron Lewis Photography/Ford Racing)
Winning never gets old for John Force.

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Photo courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Riverside, California, 1967.  Don "The Snake" Prudhomme poses by his Lou Baney-owned SOHC Ford-powered dragster. Prudhomme became the NHRA's first six-second national event winner with his triumph at the spring nationals that year.

Publisher's Note: Like these Ford racing photos? Check out www.fordimages.com. Be forewarned, however, because you won't be able to go there and not order something. - PMD