In a recent update, drag racing legend John Force addressed the situation surrounding Robert Hight\u2019s absence from the races, as well as some confusion regarding his own retirement plans during a press conference in Bristol, Tenn., at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals.<\/p>\n
Hight, a three-time Funny Car world champion and president of John Force Racing, and John Force Racing announced in January 2024 that he would be taking a hiatus from racing to deal with a health issue.<\/p>\n
Force began by assuring fans that Hight is doing well, emphasizing that Hight is not in the hospital but at home, dealing with his current situation. \u201cNo, Robert\u2019s good. What\u2019s he going through right now, the process is continually. He\u2019s not in the hospital. He\u2019s at home. He just doesn\u2019t want to come to the races. He don\u2019t want to answer all the questions,\u201d Force explained.<\/p>\n
Force also spoke about the close relationship he shares with Hight, describing him as his best friend. He highlighted how Hight had a significant say in choosing Austin Prock as his temporary replacement. \u201cRobert said, if any reason I ever have to get out of the car, that\u2019s the kid you put in my place,\u201d Force shared, underscoring Hight\u2019s trust in Prock\u2019s abilities.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on the recent changes in their team, Force mentioned the loss of their sponsorship deal with Flavor Pack and how that led to Prock getting a chance to drive. \u201cWhen we lost our deal with Flavor Pac because the owner had passed, and we just stopped. And Prock didn\u2019t have a ride. And Robert said, I\u2019ve been needing to do this for a while. And this is a good time. Put him in the car, and he\u2019ll drive this car,\u201d Force recounted.<\/p>\n
Force\u2019s comments about retirement also drew attention. Clarifying his earlier remarks, he stated, \u201cI wasn\u2019t saying I would everyone go you\u2019re not going to Bristol. I Went back and I said am I did I lose my mind? What did I say?\u201d He continued, \u201cI\u2019m 100 years old I gotta leave here sometime. All I was saying is there\u2019s a future of John Ford\u2019s racing this kid right here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Addressing his eventual retirement, Force emphasized that the team is in good hands with Prock. \u201cI\u2019m just telling them early, don\u2019t waste your time. He\u2019s coming because we want to keep winning. And he\u2019s the guy that will be able to do that for me if I quit in the next 25 years,\u201d Force joked, showing his characteristic humor.<\/p>\n
Force concluded by acknowledging the inevitable transition but reiterated his commitment to the sport and his team. \u201cI\u2019ll be ready to retire by then. Next 25 days. No, did it again,\u201d he quipped, leaving fans with a smile.<\/p>\n
As always, Force\u2019s candid and heartfelt communication reflects the deep bonds within his racing family and his unwavering dedication to the sport.<\/p>\n
This story was originally published on June 14, 2024. <\/p>\n
The post John Force Provides Update on Sidelined Robert Hight, Clarifies Retirement Comments<\/a> first appeared on Drag Illustrated<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In a recent update, drag racing legend John Force addressed the situation surrounding Robert Hight\u2019s absence from the races, as well as some confusion regarding his own retirement plans during a press conference in Bristol, Tenn., at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. Hight, a three-time Funny Car world champion and president of John Force Racing, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-94026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94026","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=94026"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94026\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racepages.com\/Videos\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}