Courtesy of John Force Racing

DINWIDDIE, Va. – John Force, drag racing’s most prolific winner and a contender this year for an unprecedented 17th NHRA Funny Car championship, was injured Sunday in the 300 mile-an-hour crash of his PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant Chevrolet Camaro in the first round of the 14th PlayNHRA Virginia Nationals.

The Hall of Fame driver and car owner crossed the finish line at Virginia Motorsports Park in 4.100 seconds at a speed of 302.62 miles per hour after winning his first round race when his car suffered a catastrophic engine failure that sent it, on fire, careening across the track and into the concrete guardwall bordering the left side of the track.

That impact sent it back across the track into the right guardrail before it came to rest in the middle of the track.

The 75-year-old Hall-of-Famer, who won two of the season’s first eight races and is in second place in points behind teammate Austin Prock, was conscious and talking to NHRA Safety Safari personnel immediately following the crash. He was transported to a nearby medical center for further evaluation in the ICU.