Fans were informed by the doctor that John Force is no longer able to continue participating in sports because of another unfortunate set of facts.
Icon of drag racing John Force, who had a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a high-speed incident at the NHRA Virginia Nationals in late June, is being sent to a rehabilitation facility to receive therapy.
Force, 75, was transported from VCU Medical Center to a neurological rehab facility three hours away on Tuesday, according to a statement made by John Force Racing. The facility specializes in treating cognitive and behavioral problems from TBIs. Two-time NHRA champion Brittany Force, his daughter, stated that the new facility will be “closer to home” in California.
“Family members said that no timetable had been established for the length of Force’s stay at the new facility which was selected because of its success in treating other race car drivers with similar issues,” the team stated on Tuesday in a declaration uploaded to social media.
16-time NHRA champion Force was hurt in a fiery collision at Virginia Motorsports Park on June 23. After winning his heat with a lap of 302 mph, his Funny Car’s engine blew up, sending it flying into a concrete wall. Though he managed to escape the debris, he was not unharmed. Force was taken to a hospital in Virginia, where he spent fifteen days recovering from a TBI and a cracked sternum, among other injuries.
Ever since the crash, Force has displayed numerous “encouraging signs”. Prior to being discharged from the hospital, Force’s team earlier declared that he had “regained his equilibrium,” meaning he could walk with help, and that he could “converse” with others. The Hall of Famer “is prone to periods of confusion,” an indication of a traumatic brain injury, according to Force’s medical team, and his recuperation will take time.
Force’s family viewed his departure from the facility to which he was taken after crashing at over 300 miles per hour as a significant advancement in his recuperation, according to a statement released by his team and posted on social media. “However, medical staff cautioned that the road ahead still is a difficult one.”
Force of Brittany reshared multiple pictures of herself spending a fun time with her father on Monday, the day she turned 38. Force’s right arm was in a cast when the pictures were taken.
