“IndyCar guys might kiss ya”: When John Force cracked a hilarious joke on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast

NHRA drag racer John Force once cracked a joke about drivers from different racing disciplines. Force implied on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s podcast that while dragsters and NASCAR drivers were tough, IndyCar drivers were soft.

Force is a now 75-year-old drag racer and team owner at NHRA (National Hot Rod Association). He joined the Dale Jr. Download podcast in 2019 where co-host Mike Davis asked him what would happen if a drag racer, an IndyCar driver, and a NASCAR driver walked into a bar.

In response, Force joked a fistfight would break out, especially with a NASCAR driver.

"Fistfight. You ain't going to get away, especially a NASCAR guy," Force stated.

Further, the 16-time Funny Car champion joked that IndyCar drivers could give a kiss instead, though they could throw a punch in the end.

"IndyCar guy... they might kiss ya [...] But they'll slug you before it's over."

He then shared the difference between people lining up for an autograph from an IndyCar driver and a drag racer like himself.

"I know them guys. They are different personalities. I had to do a show and I'm standing with my guy, and I said, 'What's wrong with this picture?' And I look over at this line and they're all lined up to get these IndyCar drivers [...] to get their autograph, and everybody in line they got little umbrellas and the girls in high heels, all I look over at my deal and I said it looks like a homeless situation."

John Force jokingly concluded that his fanbase looked like "homeless" people trying to get into a bar, unlike IndyCar fans.

Today, Force still races on the drag strip, though he was sidelined last June after crashing at Virginia Motorsports Park. Meanwhile, Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently got back to racing in the late model series with the returning Budweiser No. 8 car.

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John Force opened up on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s podcast about his experience of using social media

During the same podcast episode, Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared his experience as when using the internet. He stated he couldn't stop using Twitter (now known as X) and Instagram when he was starting out.

"People always ask me all the time like, 'What would your dad think about Twitter and Instagram.' I think I just learned my answer," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said.

John Force went on to open up about the difficulties of keeping up in the digital world using social media apps, particularly Twitter, which he described as a "Woodpecker" on his device.

"I spend two days trying to find out this certain thing [Twitter app]. The girl that runs my office at Indy. I said, 'Kelly, I can't find it.' She goes, 'That's because you don't have it.' Well, how do you figure this stuff out? You ever go in and, 'I'd like to have directions on a phone.' You know what I mean? And they don't tell you," Force shared.

Force is the winningest driver in his respective sport having claimed 157 career victories. Aside from 16 Funny Car championships, the dragster has 22 NHRA World titles under his racing team, John Force Racing.