“We should all feel lucky to have witnessed this legend in drag racing,” reads a heartfelt post from 1320Video, capturing the awe surrounding John Force’s unmatched legacy in NHRA. For decades, Force dominated Funny Car with 16 championships and 157 wins, turning tracks into his playground and inspiring a generation of racers. But his recent news of retirement from the sport echoes through the pits, and tributes pour in from across motorsports. One such tribute includes a touching message from Richard Petty himself.

Richard Petty’s tribute echoes across the drag strip

Richard Petty posted a touching message on X, sharing photos of their shared moments together.

“Congratulations on a championship career, John!”

The King’s words feel like a gentle send-off. It honored Force’s grit after a brutal 2024 crash at Virginia Motorsports Park, which left him with a traumatic brain injury and fractured sternum.

That wreck, at over 300 mph, sidelined the 76-year-old icon for months of therapy, but he returned trackside, overseeing his team’s 2025 progress. Petty, who won seven Daytona 500s and 200 Cups, sees the same resilient and unyielding spirit in Force too, as both of them raced through pain and built dynasties.

Fans call Force a legend for good reason. He overcame a polio-scarred childhood and 27 consecutive losses in high school football to achieve NHRA immortality through his dominant performance, like winning 10 straight Funny Car titles from 1993 to 2002.

Often tagged as the “Richard Petty of NHRA,” Force’s 157 victories and a team-first ethos mirror The King’s dominance. something that turns underdogs into champions.

Congratulations on a championship career, John! pic.twitter.com/ktApB2Pcap

— Richard Petty (@therichardpetty) November 26, 2025

“Until this race car kills me, they’re gonna have to drag me out of the seat,” Force once boasted, a line that reflects his mindset and love for the sport very clearly.

But after Richmond’s chaos, he was unable to walk, and the doctor feared he would never walk again. But Force defied the odds again, and he walked. That similar mindset built John Force Racing into a 50-year empire, with daughters like two-time Top Fuel champ Brittany extending the family roots.

Force’s exit on November 13, 2025, was announced via social media, where his words showed the real meaning of resilience.

“The truth is, I was dragged out of the seat at Richmond, and they thought it killed me then. So I’m lucky that I’m back walking, still under doctor’s orders,” he shared.

This vulnerability humanizes the GOAT, whose records of 13 wins in 1996 and 337 mph speeds still stand unbreakable. As Petty’s message reminds us, Force didn’t just race; he redefined drag racing, and his exit might leave tracks quieter, but his legacies will be louder.

Meanwhile, as Force retires, there’s another not-so-good news for his team.

Prock’s sudden exit shakes up John Force Racing

Fresh off clinching the 2025 NHRA Funny Car crown at Pomona, Austin Prock and his father, Jimmy, are leaving John Force Racing after 24 years. Prock’s 21 wins across classes showed a dominant run, but the split, which was confirmed on November 25, hints at bigger moves. Rumors suggest that he might join the Tasca Racing team for a two-car setup.

His father, Jimmy, who has been crew chiefing him since 2001 (minus a brief 2015-2016 stint), tuned Force’s cars to glory, blending family loyalty with pit precision.

“We are very proud of our accomplishments with the Prock family,” Force said, his tone warm yet wistful.

This pride stems from shared titles, like Prock’s back-to-back crowns, that held the JFR flag high even after Force’s crash.

“I wish them well, and I understand that their decision to move on is just part of the business we’re in,” Force added, nodding to drag racing’s culture.

As JFR prepares for a four-team setup from 2026, Prock’s sudden exit will test JFR team adaptability. JFR is set to field Jack Beckman in the Funny Car class next season and Josh Hart in Top Fuel to fill the seat vacated by Brittany Force, but still there will be two driver seats that need to be filled.

Prock’s exit from JFR underscores the sport’s cycle: champions rise, bonds shift, but one thing is confirmed: ‘The race must go on.’