NHRA icon John Force has made another significant step in his recovery from a crash at Virginia International Raceway last month.
According to a statement from John Force Racing, he was discharged from the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix on Tuesday. Force will now return to California where he will continue outpatient treatment as he recovers from a Traumatic Brain Injury.
The next step of the process for Force will be outpatient speech, and OTPT (Occupational and Physical Therapy) to address lingering short-term memory and cognitive issues.
The crash took place on June 23 at Virginia Motorsports Park. Force's Funny Car suffered a catastrophic engine failure after crossing the finish line at 302.62 miles per hour. His Funny Car careened across the track and crashed into the concrete guardrail. It then crossed the track once again and hit the opposite guardrail.
Force suffered a TBI in the incident, as well as a fractured sternum and a right wrist injury.
Force was transported to the VCU Medical Center ICU for further evaluation. He remained heavily sedated for five days and then he began showing signs of improvement after moving to the neuro intensive care unit. Force was able to respond to commands, and he was able to speak to his loved ones.
Another significant sign of progress came in a July 5 update from John Force Racing. A statement said that he had moved from the neuro intensive care unit to the acute neuro care unit. The statement added that Force had regained his equilibrium to the point where he could start walking with assistance from the medical staff.
While the progress continued, JFR also noted that the veteran racer still had "periods of confusion" when conversing with family members and the medical staff.
Force was released from the VCU Medical Center on July 9. He then took a flight on an AirMed Ambulance to a neurological rehab center, where he remained until July 23.
While Force has continued to focus on his recovery, his team has begun putting plans in place for the Peak Chevrolet's return to competition. Team President Robert Hight confirmed in a statement that with Force's approval, the Camaro would potentially return at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. The team plans to introduce a temporary driver after the race weekend at Sonoma Raceway (July 26-28).