Dale Earnhardt Jr. sends well wishes to John Force after scary crash: "Thinking about their family"

Dale Earnhardt Jr. sent his well wishes to NHRA Funny Car legend John Force, who was involved in a scary crash at the Virginia Motorsports Park last weekend, June 23. Force continues to remain in intensive care following the incident.

The 75-year-old was involved in the crash during a qualifying run at the NHRA Virginia Nationals. His engine exploded shortly after crossing the finish line at over 300mph, causing his car to crash into both sides of the walls. He managed to escape from the fiery wreck and was taken to the intensive care unit at Virginia Hospital.

Wrapping up his recent episode of the Dale Jr. Download podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr. sent his well wishes to Force and his family, keeping them in his thoughts. He said:

"We’ll close out the show with a note about John Force. John was involved in a terrifying crash at the drag strip this past weekend. Not a ton of information about his injuries, but we just wanna wish John Force the best. Thinking about their family." [at 1:35:05]

Dale Earnhardt Jr. dubbed the NHRA legend the "Dale Earnhardt of drag racing" and recounted numerous memorable interactions with him. Dale Jr. emphasized Force's grit and remained optimistic that the 75-year-old will battle through his injuries.

"John was one of our most popular guests, just an entertaining and incredible conversation. I’ve met him many, many times in my life. He was the Dale Earnhardt of drag racing. Just tough as nails and we feel like we know he’s gonna battle through this, whatever injuries there may be. But we’re all thinking of John Force as we close out the show," Earnhardt Jr. added.

Force is a 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion and has won a total of 157 races in his storied career. His daughter Brittany, a two-time NHRA champion, is joined at the hospital by her mother Laurie, and her sisters.

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John Force Racing issues the latest update on Force's health

Four days after the fiery crash, John Force Racing issued an update on June 27 concerning the team owner's condition. The statement revealed that the NHRA Funny Car legend's condition is improving but he faces a long road to recovery.

The 75-year-old has been moved from the trauma intensive care unit to the neuro intensive care unit, allowing doctors to focus on healing his head injury, which remains the primary concern.

"Four days after his crash at more than 300 miles per hour, drag racing champion John Force has moved from the trauma intensive care unit to the neuro intensive care unit, where the medical team can focus on his head injury which is their primary concern," the statement read.

The statement further indicated that Force's family has remained at the hospital all week, with Brittany deciding not to compete in this weekend's event at Norwalk, Ohio. She plans to stay by her father's side at the hospital.

Austin Prock will take over the AAA Chevrolet Camaro SS for the team at Norwalk this weekend.