The Driver Suit Blog-My Thoughts on John Force’s Retirement

By David G. Firestone

I was about ready to call it a year on The Driver Suit Blog. I’d written what I thought was my final posts for the year. I was already to enjoy Chicago during the Christmas season. Then…it happened. The day drag racing fans thought would never arrive…arrived. 16 time Funny Car champion John Force announced his retirement on Thursday.

Love him or hate him, it’s impossible to underestimate the impact he has had on drag racing, or even the impact he had on auto racing. His dominance in the 1990’s and 2000’s will never be replicated. Hell, 1992 and 2003 were the only seasons he didn’t win the NHRA Funny Car Championship between 1990 and 2004! 13 Championships in 14 seasons. Then, he went on to win three more, 2006, 2010, and 2013.

He also has 157 NHRA National Event wins. To put that in perspective, you could take the next two drivers, Ron Capps and Robert Height, add their collective win totals, and only get 141 wins, and 6 championships between the two. No matter how you feel about him as a person and as a driver, he is the GOAT in the NHRA. Nobody in Formula 1, or IndyCar has as many wins, and only Richard Petty has more wins in NASCAR.

This news hit me hard. I’m an NHRA fan, and an amateur racing historian, and for me, this is the end of an era. Looking at auto racing across the board, John Force was the last of the old school, hard-nosed, tough as tungsten drivers. He fought through crashes and injuries that would have killed lesser men. The fact he came back after his 2005 wreck is amazing, but the fact he went on to win three more championships shows that he is tough as tungsten.

Sadly, Father Time waits for no man, and his wreck last year would be the final time he raced in the NHRA, or ever. He’s now focused on his family, and spending time with his grandchildren. With Britney Force’s retirement, there is no longer a full-time Force in John Force Racing, for the first time in…ever. Like many racing fans, I wish John the best in his retirement, and he is missed, and will be missed!