2009 once again saw Force finish outside of the top five. John finished 9th, daughter Ashley finished 2nd, and Mike Neff placing 10th. However, he would Castrol GTX win his 16th overall championship as a car owner, with teammate Robert Hight’s championship, placing Force as the winningest car owner in NHRA history.
He played football in high school and attended Cerritos College.John is one of six children. John has five siblings- Walker, Louie, Tom , and Cindy Hem were all older than John. Walker and Cindy still live near John in Southern California. Walker Force and Louie Force have worked with John over the years, but Walker Force is the only sibling now working at JFR.
Initially, it was thought that the block ruptured Force’s left rear tire, causing it to come apart, violently shaking the chassis until it broke apart. However, it was determined by NHRA after a thorough review, that the block went behind Force’s tire and was not the cause of the wreck. Injuries sustained were a broken ankle, abrasion of his right knee, a dislocated left wrist, and badly mangled fingers and toes, and Force had to be airlifted to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. Phil Burkart Jr. was added as Force’s replacement for the remainder of the 2007 season, starting at Las Vegas. In 2005, Force won 5 events, but only finished third in the championship standings, 32 points behind champion Gary Scelzi, and 24 points behind Ron Capps, both of Don Schumacher Racing .
This indicates how well the oil will flow through the engine at different parts of operation to provide protection and increase fuel economy. The first number is the cold rating (paired with a “W” to indicate “winter”). The lower the number, the easier the oil will flow throughout the engine. The second number indicates how well the oil flows in hotter temperatures. The higher the number, the better the oil flows in warm temperatures.
Effective July 2013 Jimmy Prock replaced Mike Neff as crew chief, and Mike Neff became crew chief for Robert Hight. Neff, who was once the crew chief for rival driver Gary Scelzi, raced in a 4th Funny Car for JFR from October 26, 2007, following the death of Eric Medlen, until the end of the 2009 season. However, in 2010, after a 2009 season in which Force did not win a single race, Force parked his 4th car, and named Neff as his new crew chief instead. This decision resulted in Force winning his 15th NHRA Championship.
Castrol® GTX® Ultraclean is our cleanest GTX engine oil ever! Specially formulated for the rigors of modern driving, its GTX for the 21st century. Force went on to win the event, his third of the season and 122nd of his career. In 2000, Force was sponsored by BP’s Castrol brand, continuing the relationship between Force and Castrol that began in 1985 and lasted through 2014.