Racing
Force crash serves as grim reminder
By GREG ZYLA

John Force is one lucky guy. His recent Funny Car accident with Kenny Bernstein at the Texas Motorplex event again underscores the importance of safety advancements and the fact that racing is indeed a dangerous sport.

Although Force survived the 300-mph accident with fewer injuries than first reported, the incident is again a grim reminder that these professionals are playing with fire, and sometimes the principals get burned.

However, thanks to recent cockpit safety developments headed up by Force's team following the death of teammate Eric Medlen after a top-end mishap in a test accident in Gainesville, Fla., the injuries to the racing superstar are small in comparison with what looked like a most violent crash.

Of course, there's always an element of luck involved, too, and John Force is one lucky fellow.

The incident also reminds us older drag-racing followers of the infamous Don Prudhomme versus Jim Nicoll final-round crash back in 1970 at the U.S. Nationals. After Prudhomme won a close encounter with Nicoll, 6.45 to 6.48, a clutch explosion on Nicoll's car cut his chassis in half and sent debris in all directions as his car was traveling at 225 mph. What was left of Nicoll's front engine dragster slid hundreds of feet to a stop, similar to Force's episode.

Nicoll emerged from the wreckage with only bumps and bruises, as his part of the car, with Nicoll strapped in, came to a rest. Force, meanwhile, sustained a broken left ankle and severe abrasion on his right knee. Force's left wrist also was dislocated and broken, and he sustained some severe abrasions and slight fractures on several fingers on his right hand. He was alert throughout the ordeal, and a CAT scan showed no head injuries.

Force's crash had all the makings of a really bad one, as the left side tire looked to disintegrate and then the whole cockpit separated from the front end, where the engine sits, following parachute deployment. Only after seeing the replay did we notice that the body and front piece of Force's car that hit Bernstein's car did not contain the cockpit with Force inside.

Kenny Bernstein, who luckily escaped unscathed, said he was surprised to see just the engine and front part of the car go by him at the far end of the track.

"What we do out here is a business, and we, as professional drivers, know our risks. We have to decide whether we want to get back in the car tomorrow and do this again," Bernstein said in an ESPN interview.

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In a proclamation that came as no surprise, the U.S. Army announced it would not renew the sponsorships of Angelle Sampey and Antron Brown, the two NHRA Pro Stock motorcycle teammates who make up part of the Don Schumacher racing stable. However, the Army is still a major sponsor on the Top Fuel car driven by Schumacher's son, Tony, and will continue to support the program.

The Army also sponsors the Ginn Racing-DEI Chevy "01" driven by Mark Martin and Aric Almirola, and will be with the team next year sponsoring the number "8" car, to be driven by the same duo. The driver of the 01 in 2008 will be either Regan Smith (rumored favorite) or perhaps Jeremy Mayfield.

Write to Greg Zyla in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL32853-6475, or send an e-mail to gzyla@ptd.net.

(c) 2007 King Features Synd., Inc.