CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A few months after a horrifying accident to drag racing legend John Force, his daughter gave an update to WCNC Charlotte.
"My dad's doing really good," Brittany Force said.
Force, 75, suffered a traumatic brain injury in a fiery, 300-mph crash at the Virginia Nationals in June. Brittany Force said her father is back home rehabbing and doing physical therapy in an effort to return to the track.
"He's really focused on it and dedicated," Force said. "And hopes that he'll be back with our teams at the end of the season."
Force, a beloved 16-time NHRA funny car champion, has received months' worth of well wishes since the wreck.
"It was one of the most touching things that I have ever seen and experienced," Brittany Force said. "I sat in the hospital room with him and read him every Instagram post that other drivers put out, fans put out. The comments, I read all of them to him. It was overwhelming in a goodway. I know it was motivation for him, as well."
Brittany, a two-time world champion, will compete in this week's NHRA Carolina Nationals at Concord's zMAX Dragway starting Friday.
So will Austin Prock, who won last week and is the current funny car points leader in his first season in the car. Prock also won last week. Prock credited his team for his early success.
"The people behind me," he said. "The car is going up and down the racetrack and giving me an opportunity to learn and get better. It's been a lot of fun. Years don't come by like this in anyone's lifetime, so we're definitely cherishing it."
Prock is among the many drivers who look forward to Carolina Nationals each fall.
"I grew up racing around the Concord area," he said. "I love coming down here, and have a lot of childhood memories here. This racetrack is beautiful."
Tickets and a weekend schedule are avaiable at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com, and provide incredible access to the races, and the drivers themselves.
"The one thing that sets NHRA drag racing apart from anything is every ticket is an all-access pass," Jonathan Coleman, senior director of public relations at Charlotte Motor Speedway, said. "You can get down into the pits, talk to the drivers in between the runs, watch the teams tear the engines completely down and build it back up. It's phenomenal access behind the scenes."
And of course, you'll feel the rumble firsthand during the races.
"To feel the power of 11,000 horsepower, TV can't do it justice," Coleman said. "It's something you have to see and experience to fully understand."
Contact Nick Carboni at ncarboni@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.