John Force Hospitalized

kat2220

kat2220

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Just heard that John Force has 2 broken legs and at least 1 broken arm after a collision after the finish line!
 
Just read over at the Speed board that Bernstein drifted over into Forces Lane and they crashed. Be Well John.
 
Haven't heard anything on that yet. Can't get into the NHRA site. ESPN has nothing on it and John Force's website says John was airlifted to the hospital, updates to follow. Nothing on Bernsteins site either.
 
Kenny Bernstein was uninjured. And to think that Ashley is still racing. She beat Del Worsham to move on to the semi-finals.

Edit: Ashley decided not to race.
 
Here is what is posted on NHRA.com
John Force taken to Dallas hospital after top-end accident with Bernstein

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Rob Geiger Sr., NHRA.com senior editor
9/23/2007


Drag racing's bigest star, 14-time champion John Force, was alert and conscious after suffering two broken legs and a broken arm in a nasty top-end collision Sunday with fellow straight-line legend Kenny Bernstein in the second round of eliminations at the O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex outisde of Dallas. Force has been airlifted to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas for further treatment. Their Funny Cars got together just as they crossed the finish line with Bernstein drifting over into Force's lane after clipping the final timing cone. The numbers, although unofficial, showed Force crossing with a 4.863 at 315.34 mph to Bernstein's 4.904 at 312.06 mph.

Bernstein quickly made his way out of his Monster Energy Drink Dodge Charger R/T and was shown walking around and talking to medical and safety personnel on the large television screens at the racetrack, which brought a huge cheer from the crowd. But the mood quickly turned quiet as everyone waited for word on Force's condition. Minutes later, track announcers reported that Force was talking to EMTs but would be transported by LifeFlight Helicopter for further evaluation. Team spokesman Dave Densmore reported Force's injuries to the media. NHRA.com will provide more information on this breaking story as it becomes available..

Team spokesman Dave Densmore reported Force's injuries to the media. "He was asking to talk to Laurie, his wife, and Ashley and Robert Hight, so that was a good sign," Densmore said. "He is in a lot of pain, obviously. They can't take passengers on the helicopter so the family is off to the hospital in a car."

"John has very, very serious injuries to his hands, his legs, and his feet that will require extensive work-up and treatment," said NHRA doctor Dwight Shewchuk, who was first on the scene with the Safety Safari. "Nothing appears life-threatening at this time but he certainly has significant injuries so he's been taking to Baylor Hospital where he'll be further evaluated.

"Although he was alert and conscious throughout the whole thing he was demonstrating some signs of a concussion as he was asking the same question over and over. But his vital signs were stable and he's on his way."

It is reported that daughter Ashley Force, who won her second-round race with Del Worsham, will compete in the semifinals.

Said Bernstein, who was not injured in the incident, "First of all I just pray that John's going to be okay," Bernstein said. "I know he's hurt and the main thing I'm praying for is that he gets 100-percent recovery. That's more important than anything right now for me, Sheryl, and our team. I know he was talking to me there and he was asking if he hurt me. That's typical John right there. He'll be okay. He's a strong-willed man, he'll be fine."

NHRA.com will provide more information on this breaking story as it becomes available.
Click to expand...
 
Update: 6:20 p.m. Sunday: Doctors updated John Force's family and team following a thorough evaluation of his multiple injuries and the prognosis for a full recovery is very good.

Force sustained a broken left ankle and severe abrasion on his right knee. Force's left wrist also was dislocated and broken and he sustained some severe abrasions and slight fractures on a number of fingers on his right hand.

Throughout all procedures Force was alert and responsive. CAT scans performed came back negative and showed no damage other than the injuries to his legs and hands. Surgeons will begin cleaning a number of his injuries tonight and possibly setting his fractures if the swelling is at an acceptable level.
Click to expand...

To see that video, and then hear of his injuries........all I can say is WOW!!!

They did say that the abrasion on his right knee is actually down to the bone. I think that is the injury that they are most concerned with.
 
I watched the ESPN video.

If you lok closely, kenny hitting the cones and john's car breaking MAY NOT BE related!!!

watch the burst panel and blower belt around the 1000 foot mark on john's car. The motor blew up, and that may have had an affect in it.
 
I still feel that when Kenny hit the scoring pylon (you can see it fly behind Force's car) but the mechanism under that pylon went into the rear tire and caused it to explode.
 
I'll have to watch all the videos again to trace the blocks. on my vid i counted 3 flying, but upon closer watching, maybe it's only the 2 speed trap ones.

there is no mechanism under the blocks.

The blocks are 8" foam cubes with a reflector in the middle that reflects the IR beam back to a sensor, a la a garage door system.

However, they can take huge chunks out of a carbon fiber body. Anyone who's touched broken carbon fiber is probably still bleeding. That craps sharp. so it can easily cut a tire if it hits it.

however, i haven't seen any evidence yet that either rear tire was down.

However, IIRC, John just switched to a slip tube chassis. That may or may not be a factor.

either way, the car broke in half literally 5" from the front edge of the driver's seat while the car was still going straight.

After Eric's crash, they're running earbuds fitted with gyrometers and a head movement meter mounted to the roll hoop, that run to a Delphi control brain underneath the driver's seat. Wether that survived remains to be seen. Then they brought the remnants back, all that was on the hook was the driver's seat and roll hoop covered by a blue tarp. no axle. no tires. No anything. Just seat and cage.
 
Saw the first two rounds, & then I left to go do some things. Must've been right after I left whenever he got into his wreck. ESPN said he has a broken ankle, fingers, & dislocated wrist. Sucks but he lived, thats what counts most.
 
they were the pair right after ashley force. She saw the whole thing while sitting at the top end of the track, most likely getting interviewed by gerould when the front end coasted by.
 
Maybe it's time for NHRA to start looking at their safety issues. Nascar has come along way.
 
well, number 1 a funny car, with such a short wheelbase, is not ssupposed to break apart like john's did.

dragsters break because they have a 15 something foot chassis with 4000+ pounds of downforce at each end, thats why they break in the middle.
Funny cars have the downforce delivered at the ends, but it's less, and it's over a much shorter chassis.

The funny car chassis is built, if nowhere else, to break at the motor plate. However, john's broke right in front of the roll cage, which is about 2 or 3 feet back from the plate.
 
UPON FURTHER REVIEW:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=yuN5cfgGUQM

http://youtube.com/watch?v=XYi7z-kwZDI

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/magnethead/2007_racing/motorplex/forcevid1.gif

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/magnethead/2007_racing/motorplex/forcevid2.gif

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/magnethead/2007_racing/motorplex/forcevid3.gif

if you don't like grousome videos, dont watch either of those.

The car was broke before the chutes were even out. When the chutes blossomed, they broke the car physically in half. (image 1)

You can see one of john's feet hanging out in the second image.

The third image is of John's seat, er what was left of it.
 
Magnethead said:
I watched the ESPN video.

If you lok closely, kenny hitting the cones and john's car breaking MAY NOT BE related!!!

watch the burst panel and blower belt around the 1000 foot mark on john's car. The motor blew up, and that may have had an affect in it.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I saw MH. It appeared that Forces car was already breaking apart before the cone got there.
 
both cones went behind john.

they had severe tire chunking all weekend from the cool ambient and track temps.

Right now my theory is that the left rear tire blew, overrevved the engine, that popped the blower, and when the tire blew it broke the left side frame rails from physical contact and harmonics. When the chutes deployed, the -5G shock that the chutes exert ripped the car simply in half.

we know it wasn't a clutch (or driveshaft [for the most part]) failure because both of john's feet were still attached to his body.
 
?!!??!?!?!?!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.nhra.com/counter.htm

9/24/2007
File this one under incredible


John Force is on his feet at Baylor University Medical Center, just one day after his horrifying accident with Kenny Bernstein at the Texas Motorplex. Under the direction of his team of doctors, Force is out of his bed and seeing how much weight he can bear on his repaired left ankle and right knee.


"He isn't happy about standing up, but he is standing up," Force's longtime public relations director Dave Densmore told me from the hospital. "I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it with my own eyes. It's an incredible recovery.


"He was asking earlier this morning what it would take to race in Richmond (Va.) in two weeks but the doctors are having none of it. He'll be out for the year, I would certainly guess at this point. But you know John; he's very hard to keep down."


I think it's safe to say John will attend all of the remaining races this year, even if he's on crutches or in a wheelchair. Hurry back, man, we need you out there.
 
channel 5 news (who had an in room interview with john, he's allll taped up) said he's shooting to be in the car the third week of october, wether the doctors approve or not.
 
Just checked out JFR's website, says they're pretty much sure that a tire blew and caused harmonics that broke the frame.

Oh wait. That's the same thing that killed medlen.

Oh, and Robert Hight broke an upper frame rail when he smoked the tires during a run.

I may be no mathmetician, but i'm pretty sure there's a common denominator there.

Also, it hadn't come about until NHRA required heat treated tubing for the chassis's. heat treating makes a metal tensily stronger but weaker in every other category (or something like that).
 
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