John Force Reaching Another NHRA Unreachable Milestone in Countdown Opener

As the John Force Racing organization starts its quest this weekend at Reading, Pa., for a 22nd NHRA championship, company president and Funny Car points leader Robert Hight said he’s most concerned about boss John Force, his teammate and No. 5-ranked competitor.

At age 73, Force is eyeing his 800th career start at Maple Grove Raceway, site of the first of six Countdown to the Championship events in the Camping World Drag Racing Series. An unreachable number for a newcomer to the sport? Consider a rookie coming into the NHRA pro ranks next season. Schedule is 21 races for 2023. To reach 800 starts, at 21 races per season, it would take that rookie 38 years to reach 800.

Milestone aside, Hight isn’t unconcerned about the Nos. 2-4 challengers—Ron Capps, Matt Hagan, and Bob Tasca III. Capps is the reigning class champion with a huge head of steam after his $80,000 Pep Boys All-Star Callout Race and his jinx-breaking U.S. Nationals victory two weeks ago at Indianapolis. Hagan is the Tony Stewart Racing driver and three-time champion with whom he traded salvos during the first stretch of the season. And Tasca has won three of the past five races.

None, however, are hungrier than Force.

Hight uses the way Force signs his autographs as a case in point. Force scribbles his name and adds the notation “16x,” meaning “16-time champion.”