John Force, the founder of John Force Racing and a legend in drag racing, returned to the track at Bradenton Motorsports Park for the PRO Superstar Shootout for the first time in 2025.
In June 2024, John Force was involved in a devastating crash in the Virginia Nationals, resulting in a serious brain injury. The crash at nearly 300 mph forced him to withdraw from competition and required an extended period of hospitalization.
Force announced ahead of the 2025 NHRA season that he is still not ready to return to the cockpit as he continues to recuperate. However, after attending races at the end of the 2024 season, Force made his first appearance with his team in 2025 at Bradenton.
Ron Capps took the victory at the Bradenton race by defeating JFR driver Austin Prock in the final round. Despite the setback, the team considers the event as solid preparation for the upcoming NHRA Mission Foods Series, beginning March 7 at the Gatornationals.
Prock pushed boundaries with a historic 3.791-second run in the final qualifying session.
Force shared an emotional message after the race weekend came to an end. He explained in a press release from the team:
“My wife, Laurie, told me I needed to get back in the game. And being here in Bradenton was just good for my heart. Watching everybody work, watching the cars and the teams and seeing old friends like Capps, it was just special.
“We didn’t win, but I was excited just to be where I need to be,” he said. “Running my teams and supporting Cornwell, PEAK, Monster, HendrickCars.com and all our other partners. I can’t wait to get to Gainesville. To tell you the truth, this is the first time since Richmond I really felt alive again.”
Speaking about his recovery at the end of 2024, Force explained, as previously reported by Newsweek Sports:
“I’m still going to therapy every week and working as hard as I can to get back out there with the sponsors and the fans in a sport I love and I miss. I’ve still got a lot of things I want to do, so I don’t want anybody thinking they’ve seen the last of John Force. We’ll have a lot more to talk about after the holidays.”
