wow that sucks hes like a role model... best of wishes to him

 

Here's more from http://www.nhra.com/

John Force taken to Dallas hospital after top-end accident with Bernstein

Drag racing's bigest star, 14-time champion John Force, was alert and conscious after suffering two broken legs and an injured 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 outside 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 was not injured in the incident, but Force was transported by LifeFlight Helicopter to Baylor 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.

Updated: 2:35 p.m. Central

Complete story

 

I hope he recovers from this. John Force is the man, and my favorite NHRA driver.

I'll have to catch the coverage on ESPN or ESPN2 this evening of the event.

 

I hope he has a fast recovery!!!

 

The video just goes to show you how deadly a timing cone can be when punted at over 300mph. I hope John makes a speedy and full recovery.

 

I think his tires were coming apart before Kenny hit the timing light. It looks like the drivers side rear explodes right as he cross' the finish line and then throws the car into a hard right turn into Kenny's car and the wall.

 

Damn, I didn't even see that they had video up earlier when I read the story.

Why do they need the damn cone out there? They have all this fancy computer timing equipment and what not, yet they need a cone out there.

 

Why do they need the damn cone out there? They have all this fancy computer timing equipment and what not, yet they need a cone out there.

It's there just in case they want to do some auto-xing at the end.

 

as long as Berstein is ok.

 

I hope John comes out okay. He has a lot of serious injuries my prayers are for him and his family.

 

Hrmm...another automotive-related injury....

-Cody

 

I just saw the footage on ESPN, what a crazy impact.

John Force is a tough sumbitch, he'll make it thru this.

The car did what it was supposed to in an impact like that, break at the engine plate.

Drag racing, in my opinion is one of the most dangerous motorsports out there. It's right up there with motorcycle racing.(dirt and paved tracks)

 

From someone within the team:

When the tire exploded the chassis broke behind the seat with Forces legs exposed. Both legs are broken, an ankle, a wrist, a finger, a huge cut on his knee and other minor cuts.

 

What Hocky said is pretty much on the money.

They said he had a compound fracture of one of his ankles, a very deep contusion on one knee down to the bone with potential tendon damage in that knee, a dislocated and broken wrist, and multiple finger fractures. CAT scan came back negative, which is a positive.

 

I WAS THERE!!! It was scary as hell to see in person, even though they didnt tell us anything at the track. They didnt show any replays of it on the big screen or anything. In fact, the only information we got after the crash was about an hour or so after the helicoptor left and they announced over the intercom that he "Has two SEVERLY broken legs, a damaged hand, and possibly a concusion"

I had no idea of just how bad the wreck was (I was at half-track) until I got home and could see some replays of it. Now that I have seen the replays, it just baffles me that car ripped itself in half when the chutes caught air. I dont see how that happens. I was always under the impression that the cars were designed to break apart like that upon IMPACT, not BEFORE an impact.

None of that matters though as my thoughts and prayers are with John and his family. Also, this is kinda creepy to me, but I have a few pictures from the day that I'm gonna post now (all taken just shortly before his crash, and a few of the actual pass)

Here he is just chillin, watching some racing:

Doing what he does best.... SPEED AWAY!!! (While smiling of course)

Here is a video of the burnout before the ill-fated pass...

PROCESSING....

After the burnout...

Staged and ready to go...

I didnt get anything of the actual run (figures), but here is the aftermath...

Again, my heart pours out to John and his family, and may he make a swift and full recovery.

 

I hope that he gets well soon. I also hope that he doesn't stick a steak knife in his leg.

 

I don't follow drag racing. . .but the video of the crash is insane!.

Hope he pulls through. :thumbup:

 

I think his tires were coming apart before Kenny hit the timing light. It looks like the drivers side rear explodes right as he cross' the finish line and then throws the car into a hard right turn into Kenny's car and the wall.

They changed the video clip from the link above. KB clipped the last timing beacon cover, sending it into the side of JF's car. This took out the right rear tire, causing pretty much the instant right turn into KB's car.

I doubt the chassis is designed to come apart where it did because that leaves the driver's legs exposed to being dragged under the car, or smashed into the wall. If the chassis is supposed to come apart, it should be on the front side of the engine.

 

I was under the impression the ****pit endured the collision with Bernsteins car and the wall while really the ****pit broke away while the tire exploded. Crazy. The ****pit stayed in the left lane the whole time.

 

Sucks. Hope he makes it through.

 

The timing cone had nothing to do with Johns car grenading itself. If you caught the replay of it on ESPN2, they show it from MULTIPLE angles, and Johns car loses a tire about 150-200FT past the finish line. One of the cameras on the O'Reily side of the track (right lane) caught it perfectly. From the head on camera, it does appear that one of the timing cones colides with the rear of Johns car, but it doesnt at all.

I've got a video uploading now that shows what I'm talking about.

RIGHT-CLICK SAVE AS PLEASE
http://webpages.charter.net/tobyboom/Movie_0001.wmv

 

I still say the cover clipped his car. Looking at the video, I saw nothing happen until the 10-11 second mark just as they cross the line. You see the cover come up and fly away, then the car comes apart at 14-15.

In your clip you can't see it right anyhow. The very first clip from Z63R's post had a head-on shot. This video was changed later so it does not bring the same clip as previously available.

BAM!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4zjhvXDkeg

Look at 5-6 second mark, you see two orange objects head straight toward JF's car.

 

I still say the cover clipped his car. Looking at the video, I saw nothing happen until the 10-11 second mark just as they cross the line. You see the cover come up and fly away, then the car comes apart at 14-15.

In your clip you can't see it right anyhow. The very first clip from Z63R's post had a head-on shot. This video was changed later so it does not bring the same clip as previously available.

BAM!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4zjhvXDkeg

Look at 5-6 second mark, you see two orange objects head straight toward JF's car.

BAM!!! What? The link you gave further proves that the timing marker didnt do it. Go to the 1:42-1:43 mark of that video and you can clearly see the timing marker on the other side of Johns car. Come to think about it, since it was the drivers side rear tire that let loose, how is it possible that at 320mph, Kenny hit the marker, and it somehow made it past the passenger side tire of Johns car and clipped the drivers side? Not possible at all?


You are correct about the timing in the video that I posted... Which completely proves what I was saying. In the head on video, it looks like the timing cones are to blame... But if you watch the video from the side, you can tell that the car didnt start to come apart for about another 150 feet AFTER Bernstein hit the last timing marker, which was at the finish line.

If you're saying that the head-on camera angle shows it better than you just dont get it.... Think about it... What if Johns car was 20 feet in front of Kennys? Would you be able to tell that from a head-on camera shot? NO!!! Would it have looked like the cone hit his car... OF COURSE!!!! From the head on camera angle, you have no perception of DEPTH. Granted, I know that Johns car was actually behind Kennys (which you can see in the link I posted), but you can also see that the timing marker goes BEHIND Johns car and not into it.

If you have some video editing software, open the video up with it. You can see that at the 11.33second point of the video, the second timing marker that kenny hit is already BEHIND Johns car. Then at the 15.39second point in the video, you can see Johns car start to come apart.

I know that all of this arguing is pointless, but I just wanted the facts to be clear.

 

Word from the force team is that the marker did not hit the car, but a reflector from it did and that is what cut the tire.

 

Force progressing, could be released as early as Friday from Dallas hospital

www.nhra.com

Force progressing, could be released as early as Friday from Dallas hospital

Fourteen-time NHRA POWERade Funny Car world champ John Force, seriously injured in a high-speed accident Sept. 23 in Dallas, hopes to be released from Baylor University Medical Center Friday and return to his Southern California base to continue his recovery.

Force has been undergoing daily physical therapy in a walker to begin to rehabilitate his broken left ankle and deeply lacerated right knee. The challenges of getting ambulatory are incredibly difficult because he has a cast on his left foot and his right leg is bandaged from below the knee up his thigh. His left hand and wrist are in a cast, and the fingers on his right hand are heavily swollen.

Complete story

He wants to get back into the car as soon as possible to maintain his position in the championship...

:thumbup: