John Force facts for kids
Quick facts for kids John Force |
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Force at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2024
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| Born | May 4, 1949 Bell Gardens, California, U.S. |
| Related to |
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| NHRA Funny Car career | |
| Current team | John Force Racing PEAK Chevrolet Camaro SS |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Car no. | 7 (2024) |
| Crew chief | Danny Hood |
| Championships | 17 (16 in NHRA, 1 in AHRA) |
| Wins | 157 (NHRA) |
| Fastest laps |
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| Championship titles | |
| 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2013 |
16 NHRA Championships (see left) 1 AHRA Championship (1984) |
| Last updated on: May 27, 2024. | |
John Harold Force, born on May 4, 1949, is a famous American drag racer. He has won 16 championships as a driver in the NHRA Funny Car category. He also won one championship in the AHRA. John Force is a champion car owner 22 times over.
He owns and races for his own team, John Force Racing (JFR). He is one of the most successful drag racers ever, with 157 career victories. John graduated from Bell Gardens High School. He also played football for a short time at Cerritos Junior College. He is the father of three well-known drag racers: Ashley Force Hood, Brittany Force, and Courtney Force. His oldest daughter, Adria Hight, is the chief financial officer for JFR.
Today, drivers like Austin Prock and his daughter Brittany race for Force's team. John Force is sometimes called "Brute Force" because of his many wins. Other nicknames include "Force to be Reckoned With" and "Force of Nature." John, his daughters, and his son-in-law Robert Hight are known as "The First Family of Drag Racing."
Contents
John Force's Early Life
John Force was born in Bell Gardens, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. His parents were Harold and Betty Ruth Force. As a child, he lived in many different places. These included logging camps, Native American reservations, and trailer parks.
He had polio as a child but recovered with the help of his mother and family. He played football in high school and later attended Cerritos College. John is one of six children. His siblings, Walker, Louie, Tom (now deceased), and Cindy Hem, were all older than him. His younger sister, Dana Marino, is ten years younger. Walker Force still works at JFR. Many family members still attend NHRA events to support John and his team.
Racing Career: The Early Years (1978–2004)
In 1971, John Force drove his first Funny Car, a Mustang called Night Stalker. Early in his career, he drove a Corvette and a Monza. In the 1980s, he switched to an Oldsmobile Cutlass. He drove a Chevrolet in 1994, then a Pontiac in 1995 and 1996. From 1997 to 2014, Force was a Ford driver and team owner. He then returned to Chevrolet.
Between 1987 and 1996, Force won 67 NHRA national events. He also won six World Championships. In 1996, with tuner Austin Coil, Force reached the final round in 16 of 19 events. He won 13 of those races, which was an amazing record. His success continued with ten NHRA Funny Car World Championship wins from 1993 to 2002. This included six championships in a row from 1997 to 2002.
In 1992, Cruz Pedregon won the championship, beating Force. Force's career really took off when Castrol Motor Oil became his main sponsor in 1986. From 1986 to 1995, he consistently finished at the top. In 1996, his rival Cruz Pedregon's younger brother, Tony, joined Force's team. John Force won five more championships from 1996 to 2000.
In 2001, John's friend Gary Densham also joined his team. John won another championship that year, and his tenth straight world title in 2002. In 2003, John did not win the title for the first time since 1992. However, his teammate Tony Pedregon won his first world title. After that season, Tony Pedregon and Gary Densham left to race on their own. John then brought in two new young drivers: Eric Medlen and his son-in-law, Robert Hight. Both had great success, but John won his 13th world title in 2004.
In 2000, BP's Castrol brand sponsored Force. This partnership lasted from 1985 until 2014. After winning his fourth Funny Car title in 1994, Force earned the nickname "Brute Force." This name came from his early days when he drove his own car called "Brute Force." John Force even appeared as himself in an episode of King of the Hill in 2004.
Recent Racing Seasons
2005 and 2006 Racing Highlights
In 2005, Force won five events. He finished third in the championship standings. In 2006, Force won his 14th NHRA World Funny Car Championship. He beat Ron Capps in the quarter-finals to secure the title. Force then went on to win that event, his 122nd career victory.
2007: A Challenging Year
The year 2007 was tough for John Force. He had a crash in Ennis, Texas, and also failed to qualify for a race. This ended a streak of over 20 years of always qualifying. He bounced back by winning races in Bristol, Tennessee, and Sonoma, California. This helped him get into the "Countdown to Eight" playoffs.
On September 23, 2007, Force was injured in a crash in Ennis, Texas. His car broke apart after crossing the finish line. He suffered a broken ankle, a dislocated wrist, and other injuries. He was taken to the hospital by helicopter. Phil Burkart Jr. took his place for the rest of the 2007 season.
2008: Focus on Safety
The 2008 season was not John Force's best in terms of racing results. He finished seventh in points. However, he played a big role in making drag racing safer. After the death of driver Scott Kalitta, Force helped develop new safety features.
One new feature was a sensor that shuts down the engine and deploys parachutes if the engine backfires. This helps prevent serious accidents. This safety device became required for all cars in 2009. Another change was an optional brake handle that pushes away from the driver. This was helpful for Force, who had trouble with his hand after his 2007 crash. These changes made racing safer for many drivers.
2009 and 2010: More Championships
In 2009, John Force finished ninth in points. However, his team won the championship with teammate Robert Hight. This made Force the winningest car owner in NHRA history.
The 2010 season marked 25 years with the same sponsor for Force. On February 14, he won the season opener in Pomona, California. He had four wins after 13 events and led the Funny Car points. At the final race in Pomona, Force needed to finish two rounds ahead of Matt Hagan to win the championship. Hagan lost in the first round, and Force won his first two rounds, securing his 15th NHRA Championship. He then went on to win the event. John Force became the oldest NHRA champion in history.
2011 and 2012: Family Racing
In 2011, John Force Racing changed cars among John, Robert, Ashley, and Mike. Ashley Force Hood announced she was expecting her first child and would not race that season. John Force drove Ashley's car.
In 2012, John welcomed his fourth driver, his daughter Courtney Force. She was a former Top Alcohol Dragster champion. Courtney competed for the Rookie of the Year Award. She even beat her father in their first race against each other. Although John did not win the championship that year, Courtney won the NHRA Road to the Future Rookie of the Year award. Her strong performance helped secure John Force Racing's future.
2013 and 2014: New Challenges
At the start of the 2013 season, Ashley Force Hood retired from full-time racing. Instead of finding a new Funny Car driver, John Force did something new. He entered a Top Fuel car with his daughter Brittany as the driver.
In July 2013, it was announced that Ford Motor Company would no longer be part of John Force Racing after the 2014 season. Also, Castrol, his main sponsor for 29 years, would be leaving. Despite these changes, Force won his 16th NHRA Funny Car Championship in 2013. He beat his daughter Courtney in the final race of the season. In 2014, he won three events and finished second in points.
2015 and 2016: New Sponsors
In 2015, John Force announced a new partnership with Chevrolet. He also gained a new sponsorship deal from Peak Antifreeze. In 2016, he introduced the new Chevrolet Camaro SS body. John won four races that season and finished fourth in the Funny Car Championship points.
2017 to 2019: Team Success and Milestones
In 2017, John's daughter Brittany won the Top Fuel championship. Robert Hight also won the Funny Car championship. Advance Auto Parts joined the team as a sponsor. In 2018, John won one event in Denver.
On August 4, 2019, John Force won his 150th race in Seattle, Washington. He beat Ron Capps and ended a 25-race winless streak. John was very relieved after the win. He celebrated with fans while his teammate Austin Prock won his first race. Force also won the U.S. Nationals that year. His daughter Courtney Force retired from driving.
2020 to 2024: Pandemic and Recovery
In 2020, John Force was the runner-up at the season opener. However, he and his teams did not race again that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They returned to racing in 2021.
In 2021, after missing most of the previous year, John Force won three events. At Dallas, his car caught fire in a crash, similar to a win he had in 1996. In 2022, he won one race in Charlotte. In 2023, he had two runner-up finishes and again finished in the Top 10 in points.
In 2024, John Force won the Saturday Final at the Arizona Nationals. This race was a makeup from an earlier event. He also won two events at New England Dragway. He won the Mission Foods Challenge and then beat his teammate Austin Prock in the final round for his 157th victory. In June 2024, Force was injured in a fiery crash at Virginia Motorsports Park. His engine exploded at the end of a run. He was admitted to the ICU and has been recovering from a traumatic brain injury.
Achievements and Awards
Championships Won
- 1984 AHRA Funny Car Champion
- 1985 ADRA Funny Car WORLD FINALS Champion
- 1990 NHRA Funny Car Champion
- 1991 NHRA Funny Car Champion
- 1993 NHRA Funny Car Champion
- 1994 NHRA Funny Car Champion
- 1995 NHRA Funny Car Champion
- 1996 NHRA Funny Car Champion
- 1997 NHRA Funny Car Champion
- 1998 NHRA Funny Car Champion
- 1999 NHRA Funny Car Champion
- 2000 NHRA Funny Car Champion
- 2001 NHRA Funny Car Champion
- 2002 NHRA Funny Car Champion
- 2003 NHRA Champion Owner (with Tony Pedregon, Funny Car)
- 2004 NHRA Funny Car Champion
- 2006 NHRA Funny Car Champion
- 2009 NHRA Champion Owner (with Robert Hight, Funny Car)
- 2010 NHRA Funny Car Champion
- 2013 NHRA Funny Car Champion
- 2017 NHRA Champion Owner (with Brittany Force, Top Fuel)
- 2017 NHRA Champion Owner (with Robert Hight, Funny Car)
- 2019 NHRA Champion Owner (with Robert Hight, Funny Car)
- 2022 NHRA Champion Owner (with Brittany Force, Top Fuel)
- 2024 NHRA Champion Owner (with Austin Prock, Funny Car)
Key Achievements
- In 1996, he was named "Driver of the Year" for all American motor racing. He was the first drag racer to receive this honor.
- He has 157 wins in 269 final rounds as of the 2024 season. He was the first driver to reach 100 wins.
- He was the first NHRA drag racer to win 1,000 career elimination rounds. This happened in 2008.
- He was the first driver to set an official NHRA Funny Car elapsed time under five seconds. This was on October 16, 1993.
- He is a 16-time NHRA champion driver and a 21-time champion owner.
- He is ranked #2 on the NHRA Top 50 Drivers list (1951–2000), behind Don Garlits.
- With his daughter Ashley Force Hood, they were the first father/daughter pair to race against each other. Ashley won their first meeting in 2008.
- He is the only driver to win more than ten championships in his division. He broke the record held by NHRA Pro Stock Champion Bob Glidden.
- He has the most event #1 qualifications in NHRA history, with 161 as of May 15, 2021.
- Force received the Lee Iacocca Award on June 19, 2012.
- He holds the record for most consecutive championship seasons, with 10 (1993-2002).
Awards Received
He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2008.
Driving Force TV Show
John Force was featured on A&E's reality show Driving Force. The show followed him, his wife Laurie, and three of his daughters: Ashley, Courtney, and Brittany.
See also
- Ford Racing
