27 days after suffering horrific injuries in a 300mph crash in Dallas, NHRA champion John Force headed home from the hospital Saturday in Dallas.Force suffered major injuries after his Funny Car ripped in two pieces at the completion of a run during the O'Reilly Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex on Sep. 23.
Left with a compound fracture of his left ankle, a broken right foot, broken fingers, a dislocated wrist, and severe abrasions impacting the tendons and ligaments of his right knee, Force ended up being a lucky man, despite his own belief that he shouldn't be alive.
He'll continue eight weeks of rehab near his California home, and is expected to be behind the wheel of his Ford Mustang Funny Car at the start of the 2008 NHRA Powerade Series Season.
"[...] my car broke in half and my legs got out and my arms. So we went to work to fix that. We've refitted the chassis with crossover bars to give it strength," said Force.
"What you saw, I've never seen in my career. I never saw a car rip in half."
In essence, there's one word that can legitimately describe Force's accident and recovery.
Incredible.
These tragedies make me think I have it easier as a stock car racing fan. And I can't help but find myself grateful to NASCAR for stepping up their commitment to driver safety.
