John Force Drops Hint On NHRA Racing Return As Team Confirms Driver Extension

16-time NHRA Funny Car Champion John Force has opened up on his recovery and potential return to racing.

After suffering a traumatic brain injury in June, Force has been absent from the 2024 racing season. Despite an appearance in the garage in Las Vegas, Force is still in recovery but has confirmed he is keen to make a racing return when he can. Meanwhile, John Force Racing has extended its partnership with Old World Industries and a full-time driver contract to Jack Beckman.

Commenting on Beckman’s contract extension, Force explained that his ongoing recovery means that he is not ready to make a return to the cockpit himself just yet. He explained:

“Beckman’s doing the job for PEAK and BlueDEF.

“I’m still going to therapy every week and working as hard as I can to get back out there with the sponsors and the fans in a sport I love and I miss. I’ve still got a lot of things I want to do, so I don’t want anybody thinking they’ve seen the last of John Force. We’ll have a lot more to talk about after the holidays.”

With a record 16 NHRA Funny Car championships, Force started his racing career in 1978 and built a legacy with 157 wins. The crash resulted in a TBI, a fractured sternum, and an injured wrist. Despite a stay in ICU, Force is now continuing his recovery with regular therapy sessions.

This comes after Force recently opened up on his mental health struggles and how the crash added to them. During an appearance on the Dale Jr Download podcast, Force explained, as previously reported by Newsweek Sports:

“You live in the gym, and I do. Since my crash, I go to the, I go to the gym, you know, my wife will say you’ve been 5 days in a row you’re going to wear yourself out.

“I go there number one for depression I fight depression, okay I read, I never read his book, but I read all about Robbie Williams when that little problem thing went down cuz that kind of stuff worries me because I’ve had depression since I was a kid. Wow, you know, what I’m saying and I fight it every day but I get up and if I get up in the morning and I go something’s wrong the sky is falling you know, and I run straight to the gym.

“I go to bed sick every night, I get depression. Me and my wife talk about it all the time. Why am I stressed? Because I dream that I won’t have a sponsor or I won’t be driving. I dream that and then I wake up sick.

“Once I get in the race car, I’m home. That’s when the stomach aches go away until you lose and (have to) come back. The hard part is thinking you’re gonna have to give it up. And you’re gonna have to, sooner or later. You just can’t go until you fall in the dirt.”