“We need to find the right fit for both the team and our sponsors,” says the president of the NHRA race team, Robert Hight.
Plans are being made behind the scenes to get John Force’s car back in action while he recovers from a traumatic brain injury sustained in a crash at Virginia Motorsports Park on June 23. Robert Hight, president of John Force Racing, stated on Thursday that he hoped to have the PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS back in action prior to the beginning of the Countdown to the Championship playoffs in the NHRA in September. Hight stated, “We have begun taking the steps necessary to get the PEAK Chevy back on the racetrack. After conversations with John’s team and with our partners, especially Brian Bohlander at PEAK and Jim Campbell at Chevrolet, and with John’s input and approval, we have begun.”
The big question that remains unanswered is who will drive the vehicle. Hight didn’t say who might drive the car; he missed this season with his own unidentified health issue. Hight said he desires to have the vehicle in the groove again for the 47th yearly Cornwell Apparatuses Night Enduring an onslaught, August 2-3, at Culmination Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. Force was scheduled to compete against fellow NHRA Funny Car drivers Ron Capps, Cruz Pedregon, and Dale Creasy Jr. at that exhibition event. The Night Enduring an onslaught show is the a feature of the race season at Norwalk, and the show likewise incorporates Top Fuel speedsters, jets and the greatest firecrackers show at the track throughout the year. “We desire to take care of the multitude of potential issues and present a driver some time just after Sonoma (the DENSO NHRA Sonoma Nationals, July 26-28),” Hight said. “There is a good pool of driving talent out there, but obviously we need to find someone who is a good fit for the team and our sponsors.” At the same time, the 75-year-old Force, who was second in the NHRA Funny Car points standings at the time of his injury, continues his expected lengthy recovery at a rehab center in Arizona that focuses on brain injuries.
The Peak Chevy team of John Force Racing is getting ready to return with a substitute driver. During this week’s 35th NHRA Northwest Nationals, John Force will not have the opportunity to achieve double-digit success on a Pacific Raceways track where he has won a record nine times, most recently in 2019.
During this week’s 35th NHRA Northwest Nationals, John Force will not have the opportunity to achieve double-digit success on a Pacific Raceways track where he has won a record nine times, most recently in 2019. Instead, the most successful driver in drag racing will continue his rehabilitation at a facility in Arizona that specializes in treating the kind of traumatic brain injury (TBI) he sustained in a crash in Richmond on June 23.
John Force Racing President Robert Hight confirmed on Thursday that the 16-time champion’s Peak Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS will be reinstated prior to the beginning of the NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship in September, despite the 75-year-old racer’s indefinite absence. Hight stated, “We have begun taking the steps necessary to get the Peak Chevy back on the racetrack. After conversations with John’s team and with our partners, especially Brian Bohlander at Peak and Jim Campbell at Chevrolet, and with John’s input and approval, we have begun.” The 47th Cornwell Tools Night Under Fire, which takes place on August 2 and 3, at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, is the tentative location for the car’s return. At this event, Force was scheduled to compete against Funny Car rivals Ron Capps, Cruz Pedregon, and Dale Creasy Jr. as part of a show that also features Top Fuel dragsters, jets, and a world-class fireworks display. “We hope to tie up all the loose ends and introduce a driver sometime right after Sonoma,” Hight stated, referring to the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, which take place from July 26 to 28. “There is a good pool of driving talent out there, but obviously we need to find someone who is a good fit for the team and our sponsors.”
John Force Racing President Robert Hight confirmed on Thursday that the 16-time champion’s Peak Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro SS will be reinstated prior to the beginning of the NHRA’s Countdown to the Championship in September, despite the 75-year-old racer’s indefinite absence. Hight stated, “We have begun taking the steps necessary to get the Peak Chevy back on the racetrack. After conversations with John’s team and with our partners, especially Brian Bohlander at Peak and Jim Campbell at Chevrolet, and with John’s input and approval, we have begun.” The 47th Cornwell Tools Night Under Fire, which takes place on August 2 and 3, at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, is the tentative location for the car’s return. At this event, Force was scheduled to compete against Funny Car rivals Ron Capps, Cruz Pedregon, and Dale Creasy Jr. as part of a show that also features Top Fuel dragsters, jets, and a world-class fireworks display. “We hope to tie up all the loose ends and introduce a driver sometime right after Sonoma,” Hight stated, referring to the NHRA Sonoma Nationals, which take place from July 26 to 28. “There is a good pool of driving talent out there, but obviously we need to find someone who is a good fit for the team and our sponsors.”
