NHRA Drag Racing Legend John Force Announces His Retirement

The force was with him for a long time.

Sixteen-time NHRA Funny Car Champion John Force announced his retirement from racing on Thursday ahead of the season finale at his home track in Pomona, Calif.

The 76-year-old is still recovering from a traumatic brain injury he sustained in a 302 mph crash at the 2024 Virginia Nationals.

“It’s time for me to retire,” Force said in a social media post, apologizing that his statement might sound cloudy.

“And it all made sense to me, even though I had medical stuff that I had to address … ‘do I want to get back in the car and get hit in the head?’ And I don’t,” he said.

“I’ve said it many times, ‘I’m going to stay in the car until my race car gets me,’ and I always meant that.”

Force said his thoughts were with his grandchildren and daughters, three of whom became racing drivers.

“I’ve got a next generation that’ll follow me, just like my girls.”

Force won 10 straight championships from 1993 to 2002. His 16 championships and 157 wins are both the most of all NHRA classes. He said he will continue running his John Force Racing team.

“I’ve beat this body up for 65 years of racing and I’ve pretty much had enough, Force said.

His daughter Brittany is also retiring this weekend at age 39 in the hopes of starting a family. She has two Top Fuel championships and holds the all-time records the quickest 1,000-foot time, fastest top speed and most wins by a female driver.

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