96th NHRA Funny Car Nationals John Force - John Force Vs. Car Craft

John Force drives a Mustang Funny Car. It goes 4s. Car Craft has a Mustang drag-race car, too. It goes 12s on a good day. So what else does Force have that we don't? How about millions of fans, millions in endorsements and sponsorships, and (by the time he's done racing) probably close to a million national event wins.

Even if you've never been to an NHRA event, the name John Force is synonymous with "kick-ass drag racer." Those of you who are familiar with his 4.7-second 320-mph Funny Car know that Force is not only a national champion, he's a Ten-'peat Champ and is credited with 96 national event wins, including the Pep Boys NHRA 50th Anniversary Nationals in Pomona, California, where we staged a mock "heads-up" race between our two cars. We also toured his race-team headquarters in nearby Yorba Linda, California, and squared off for a head-to-head interview with one of pro drag racing's funniest and favorite racers.

Head to Head with John Force
A few days after he won his 96th NHRA Funny Car national event at the Pep Boys 50th Anniversary Nationals at Pomona Raceway, we managed to pry a few minutes out of John Force's hectic schedule to chat about the sport and business of drag racing.

Car Craft: First, congratulations on your win at Pomona last weekend. Let's start at the beginning. How did you get started in drag racing?

John Force: I've been racing all my life, but I went to Australia in 1974 to campaign a Vega Funny Car as a pro. When I came back to the US, my first car was a Monza. I was with GM for about 15 years before I signed on with Ford.

CC: What was it like racing in Australia?

Force: They were about 10 years behind the times. I actually drove Jack Crisman's old Sidewinder Mach 1 that had a SOHC Ford mounted sideways in it.

CC: What goes through your mind when you're strapped into the car in the staging lanes during those few minutes you have alone before the race?

Force: I get in my head what the crew chief is telling me I need to do. Do I need a holeshot because the other guy is faster? Do I need to shallow stage because of track conditions? You get in your mind what you need to do to win the race. Then I think about my kids-that calms me down. We've all got a bit of the saber-toothed tiger in us-it's our aggressive nature-but you have to be able to control it and find the balance of aggression and control. If fear takes over, you lose all control.

CC: Is there time to think about anything during a 4.7-second, 320-mph run?

Force: I know where the fire bottles are!

CC: Your team is different from most because you have co-crew chiefs-Austin Coil and Bernie Fedderly. How do the three of you interact?

Force: I hired Austin Coil because he won two championships when he didn't have any money-all he had was one spare piston. Austin is aggressive; he yells and screams. Bernie is the opposite-he used to be that way, but now he's cool, calm, and collected. They find a balance. I'm scatterbrained, and I'm the same way in the car and in the boardroom.

CC: Speaking of boardrooms, how much of your time is spent at the business of racing compared to actually racing?

Force: Ninety percent-about 50 percent of that is talking with potential sponsors, 30 percent is attending car shows and other media engagements and working with current sponsors, and about 20 percent is working on new business. The racing part is getting on an airplane for 24 weekend events a year.

CC: What do you do when you're not racing or conducting racing business?

Force: I like to play with motorcycles. I've got Harleys and a Suzuki-the fastest street bike you can buy. I've also got a little ski boat up at my place in Lake Tahoe. And I like teaching my girls how to fish.

CC: So you don't really spend much time hot rodding around when you're not in the Funny Car?

Force: I did all that when I was a kid. I get fleet cars every year from Ford, and they always say, "If you want to buy a used one, buy Force's because he goes easy on them."

CC: What was your very first car?

Force: I had a '62 Ford Fairlane with a three-speed on the column, but I put a 390 Interceptor and a four-speed in it. I think it was a Muncie.

CC: If you could only have one car, what would it be?

Force: Probably the Jaguar I have now. I know it's not a Ford, but at least they own Jaguar, so it's OK. I actually have a whole museum full of cars. I have a '28 Ford Woodie, a '57 T-Bird, and I just got a '58 Cadillac. It's a shame I never get to drive any of them. But I guess my favorite driver is a '6411/42 Mustang convertible. It's got a 260 and an automatic, and I love taking the girls out in it for a Sunday drive.

CC: Most of the sport's top drivers eventually step aside to manage a team full-time. Is that in your near future?

Force: I just signed a five-year contract with Castrol to drive until I'm 55. Oh wait. I'm 52, so that means I'll be driving at least until I'm 57. But I have four daughters and three of them are interested in racing. One of them runs my office here in Los Angeles, and my youngest just graduated from the Frank Hawley Drag Racing School. I really think there's a lot of potential for women in the sport, and she's on the five-year plan. Ford is looking at her to possibly drive five years from now.

CC: There are rumors that Winston may pull out of the NHRA. How's the current health of the sport in your opinion?

Force: I'm proud to be the Winston champion, and even though I've heard that talk, I don't think it's a fact yet. [Ed. Note: Just prior to press time and after this interview, RJR Reynolds announced it was pulling its Winston sponsorship from NHRA.] We've got a great television package, and we've got two great people behind drag racing: Tom Compton at the NHRA and [the IHRA's] Bill Bader. I think one day there will be a Super Bowl between the two groups.

CC: What's your pitch when you meet with a potential sponsor?

Force: I tell them that drag racing is a better buy even than NASCAR. It's not only what you can get on TV, it's what you get at the races. NASCAR is a blur, with the cars going around in a circle, and so is drag racing when the car is going down the track. But at an NHRA race, the fans can spend time in the pits with with their favorite drivers. There's a more personal touch. The sponsors can also spend the day with their driver. I had about 20 sponsors with me last weekend.

CC: One last thing we've got to ask. Do you ever read Car Craft?

Force: I read Car Craft all the time, especially when I'm on an airplane. I like to see what's going on with the basic street car guys. But I also read Hot Rod, the Robb Report, and The National Enquirer.