John force (1 Viewer)

The sponsor “obligations” can wait. And will. Right now I can’t imagine anyone at JFR worrying about or focusing on getting that car back into competition anytime soon. Maybe out of respect for John it will never make another pass again.
THAT car is done. I'm sure another is/has been on the jig by now. Idk any of the Force family and only met Force once, and that was away from the track. The John I met, would agree with all the human factor things said since that pass. In the back of his mind, he'd be like, "f all that, I was having a great season, and on pace for number 17." Now two things. This could be a "life altering event" for him. Don't know him well enough to say. Also, he may have changed cognitively from the impact, and life altering event or not, his thinking on things may be different. Idk. But the John I met would want no coddling, no sympathy, just the ability and then the clearance from his Drs and nhra Drs to get back after it.
 
I'm sure his family has input to the Docs
True, but kind of like one of the drivers said in the tribute, it's really hard to communicate who he really is to someone who's not met him or experienced his world before.

If one takeaway from this occurs, maybe the NHRA Drs will staff a neurologist and psychiatrist on the competition clearance medical panel, if nothing else to be able to give a baseline to attending drs after an event. They travel the circuit and can give input because they know the teams. Kind of like a trainer and team Dr on an NFL team.
 
this showed up on FB today......blast from the past. honestly did not remember cristen behind the wheel of this FC.
check out the goracing.com decal on john's car! guessing 99 - 2001? there is a winston drag racing decal on inside of spill plate.
powerade was new for 2002.
 

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this showed up on FB today......blast from the past. honestly did not remember cristen behind the wheel of this FC.
check out the goracing.com decal on john's car! guessing very late 90's?
I seen that yesterday and was thinking the same thing.
 
this showed up on FB today......blast from the past. honestly did not remember cristen behind the wheel of this FC.
check out the goracing.com decal on john's car! guessing very late 90's?
'Nater thread on Christen Powell. 2006

 
Got this on AP gives a few details on John and family.

Also has input from Graham Rahal that I've never read about.

The claim in the headline that John is in a California rehab facility is not backed up in the article. And his flight to the rehab facility was said to have taken 3 hours. You cannot fly from VA to CA in three hours.
 
The claim in the headline that John is in a California rehab facility is not backed up in the article. And his flight to the rehab facility was said to have taken 3 hours. You cannot fly from VA to CA in three hours.
The info I was trying to covey was Rahal's reaction and point of view of John's crash.
We all know the press is very stupid when it involves Drag Racing. I even saw an article saying John crashed in a NASCAR race.
 
I wonder what FOX recorded from the in car camera before it went out. Some funny cars have their levers at the very edge of the tv safe frame. I wonder how many good frames it transmitted to the truck before it went out or was knocked out of place or focus.
 
Do the cars still have data recorders that measure, among other things, G-forces?
That first impact was beyond brutal. Side hits like that make me cringe.
The second hit wasn't any better, but it was more head-on.
 
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Do the cars still have data recorders that measure, among other things, G-forces?
That first impact was beyond brutal. Side hits like that make me cringe.
The second hit wasn't any better, but it was more head-on.
All RacePak Data Gathering systems that I know of have Forward and Lateral GForce measuring. The Lateral GForce (Gravitational Force Data {+ & -}) are equally important on all runs even when it is a near perfect run. From the small systems for a Jr Dragster that start at up to 8 channels to Top Fuel / Funny Car which can go up to about 60 available Channels by compounding data. You can measure almost anything you want to except possibly what you had for breakfast. It is also possible to even create measurements. Everything goes through a central "Can" hookup to sensors and you don't have to have "Miles of wiring". The Trick is deciphering what you have in front of you and what to do with that information. Just like in our Jr. Dragsters we used the RacePak information to tune the clutch and be able to stay within the index while having 5/6 MPH advantage over the field without breaking out. It works the same way in the larger Index Cars with other readings. Don't have to guess which way the wind was blowing (By licking your finger and sticking it up in the air) like we did in the Dark Ages. The "Big Cars" to the partial second know exactly how long the Engine ran before staging - burnout - 60 - 330 - 660 & 1000 foot, even how far after that before the driver shut down. As far as G's go that information can tell everything from what to do to what not to do next time usually as well as know what happended when you tried to knock down the Fence.
 
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Curtis and Roger, thanks for the informative replies.
The data recording capabilities of today's race cars are amazing.
About 20 years ago I was at Ennis, watching Force's pit. I heard one of the crew telling another member "we need a new thermocouple for #7 cylinder."
I had to chuckle, because I had no clue thermocouples were being used on race cars.
The only thermocouples I was familiar with at the time were on water heaters.
 
Curtis and Roger, thanks for the informative replies.
The data recording capabilities of today's race cars are amazing.
About 20 years ago I was at Ennis, watching Force's pit. I heard one of the crew telling another member "we need a new thermocouple for #7 cylinder."
I had to chuckle, because I had no clue thermocouples were being used on race cars.
The only thermocouples I was familiar with at the time were on water heaters.
Actually those engines are Heaters but don't have any water;)!
'
 
That's really great news that John is now in good enough shape that he has left the TBI rehab facility in Arizona, and is now back home. He will continue therapy near his home in Yorba Linda as an outpatient.

I'm sure we have seen him race for the last time, though. Remember why Dale Jr. called it quits? For a similar reason, in that even if Force fully recovers, if he has another similar accident the result could easily be permanent brain damage. It's not even close to being worth it to take that risk.
 
John will do what John wants to do. There is no shame in retiring though. He has nothing whatsoever to prove to anyone. Look at all the greats like Connie Kalitta, Chris Karamesines, Don Garlits, Ed McCulloch, Don Prudhomme, Joe Amato.......John would be joining an elite field and still have the joy of grooming others for success. Personally, I hope he calls it a day rather than risk an injury that takes away his ability to enjoy reaping what he has sown.
 
John will do what John wants to do. There is no shame in retiring though. He has nothing whatsoever to prove to anyone. Look at all the greats like Connie Kalitta, Chris Karamesines, Don Garlits, Ed McCulloch, Don Prudhomme, Joe Amato.......John would be joining an elite field and still have the joy of grooming others for success. Personally, I hope he calls it a day rather than risk an injury that takes away his ability to enjoy reaping what he has sown.
Sometimes a man is constantly trying to prove it to himself. That drives a lot of top tier athletes.
 
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