Normally, this space is reserved for oval racing. Today, we’re going straight.
Drag-racing legend John Force — the first to eclipse the 300 mph barrier in Colorado and unquestionably the most entertaining man in motorsports — won the NHRA funny car race Sunday in Topeka, Kan.
It was his record-extending 126th career event crown. But that’s not what made it special. What separated this one from all the others was that it was Force’s first victory since last August — and about a month before he nearly died after suffering debilitating injuries in a 300 mph crash in Dallas.
Check out the YouTube video from Dallas and you’ll be surprised Force survived. Among his injuries were a dislocated wrist, a severely broken ankle, a deep laceration on one of his knees and road rash on his right hand.
I’ve always thought drag racing is too much of a participation-based sport to go mainstream and that it takes more financial wherewithal and guts than talent to reach the NHRA’s top series. After all, how much skill does it really take to floor it and beat your neighbor from point A to point B?
The race car does most of the work. But the driver gets most of the credit.
So sometimes NHRA story lines are hard to find and often stale. But there’s always something about guts, determination and perseverance.
Force’s journey from rehabilitation to return, and then victory, was a thing of beauty. At age 59, his horrific crash just eight months ago, he reminded us about the love of the game.
You might not appreciate drag racing. But you have to appreciate John Force and his love for his game.
Force will again be the biggest attraction at the Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway in Morrison from July 11-13.
Race fans love stories, and funny man Force remains alive and well to continue to share his.
Camping in Colorado.
This year’s first regional NASCAR event at Colorado National Speedway is Saturday at the short paved oval in Erie.
The Toyota NAPA 150 is the fifth of 13 races on the Camping World Series West (formerly West Series), and HDNet will televise the 150-lap feature, which starts at 7:40 p.m.
The event has a $112,000 purse and is a homecoming for Wheat Ridge native Mike Gallegos, a former CNS late-models regular who is 10th in the Camping World standings.
Gallegos, who competed at CNS from 2001 to 2004, is in his second year with the regional tour, and fourth in NASCAR’s national Drive for Diversity Program.
The Cup and Joe.
Sprint Cup’s Joe Nemechek, who drives for Denver-based Furniture Row Racing, continues to be encouraged by the improvement of the third-year team.
Nemechek finished 34th on Sunday in Dover, Del., after making contact with Michael Waltrip.
“We’re excited about how well our car ran before the accident and how hard we fought to finish the race,” Nemechek said in a release. “We’re getting better each week and that’s why I am upbeat right now. It’s not about the finish, it’s about the performance. And from where I sat, our performance was pretty good.”
Nemechek is 37th in the standings, having made 10-of-13 races. Furniture Row qualified for 19-of-36 races last year, with Kenny Wallace and Nemechek sharing driving duties.
