Legendary drag racer John Force might challenge for another Funny Car championship, despite the fact that he will miss the remainder of the campaign to recuperate from a traumatic brain injury sustained in an incident in Virginia last month.
This Monday, John Force Racing CEO Robert Hight revealed that 16-time Funny Car champion Jack Beckman will drive for Force for the remainder of the season.
For a maximum of eight races, NHRA regulations let teams to use a backup driver to earn points in lieu of the original driver.
When Force was hurt in Virginia on June 23, his engine blew out and he slammed into the walls. He was second in points behind teammate Austin Prock. Force is currently sixth in the standings, behind Prock, having not competed since then.
Before being transferred to an Arizona facility, Force was admitted to a hospital in Virginia for around two weeks. Force is reportedly receiving outpatient care at his California home, according to his family.
On August 16, at the Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minnesota, Beckman will compete in his first points race for Force.
Hight added that as a potent substitute for the ailing 75-year-old Force, Beckman fits all the requirements.
After missing four years of NHRA competition, Beckman, 58, is back and prepared to assist Force win another championship.
“I’m aware of my good fortune in being chosen to cover for John, and it should be simple to find me in the pits. In a statement, Beckman stated, “I’ll be the guy who can’t stop smiling.”
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