Sixteen-time NHRA Funny Car champion John Force decided he would fly to Bristol, Tennessee, with his daughter Brittany Force after rain washed out the New England Nationals at Epping, New Hampshire.
At least, that was his travel plan until he saw the cost of the first-class plane ticket—$1,500. That’s when Force decided he would hitch a ride to East Tennessee on the team’s transporter.
"We had a ball! I got to drive a little bit,” Force said.
Actually, he was allowed to drive the team rig about a block, until they reached the interstate.
“Then my guy looks over and says, ‘We only crossed the centerline once,’” Force said.
Force, 74, said the ride in the 18-wheeler got “my mind right.”
“When you’re mad at yourself for the way you ran the last race and then all the change of everything that happened, I changed mentally, but the truck got me back to why I came,” said Force.
Since Force traveled with his team to Bristol, he didn’t have a rental car waiting for him. Without a rental car, Force and his truck drivers were stranded at Bristol Dragway. They called their teammates who were bringing the other John Force Racing hauler to the facility, but they were still two hours away.
That’s when NHRA Vice President of Competition Ned Walliser came to the rescue. He and his wife were staying in a motorcoach at the dragway and he was curious as to why Force was at the track in the middle of the night.
Force explained their dilemma and then quickly cut a deal. He told Walliser he would buy the couple dinner if they would take him and his crew members to their hotel. It worked. The next day, Force turned to daughter Brittany for transportation the rest of the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals weekend.
Bristol lost in the quarterfinals to eventual Thunder Valley Nationals event winner Ron Capps.
