"He was very important to me": NHRA legend John Force pens emotional note on JFR crew chief Bernie Fedderly's demise 

16-time NHRA champion John Force penned a heartfelt note in the memory of Bernie Fedderly, who passed away last Saturday, aged 76. To everyone at John Force Racing, Fedderly was a championship-winning crew chief but to Force, he was family.

In the note, Force recalled a conversation that he had with his wife Laurie the day before Fedderly breathed his last.

“He was very important to me and taught me a lot about business and life,” Force wrote remembering Fedderly. “We enjoyed a lot of success together: he, Austin (Coil), and me. We love Bernie, and he will be missed."

John Force Racing garnered many successes with Bernie Fedderly as its crew chief. As reported by Newsweek, Fedderly took driver Austin Coil to the victory lane 109 times. The duo bagged 13 NHRA Funny Car championships besides a record-breaking 10-race winning streak.

In a 2013 story by NHRA, Fedderly recalled working with John Force and said,

“It was never boring, that's for sure. Force sometimes had a hundred ideas an hour, and it was up to us to make them happen, and sometimes that was pretty challenging, but we got through it.“

“Working for John Force was a really special and interesting time,” he further mentioned. “We didn’t lack for anything. Force reinvested in the program, anything we needed, and it shows in the results. Force was never afraid to step up, and he wasn't afraid to try and gave all of us quite an education. He knew how to create chemistry and put the right people together.”

Bernie Fedderly was inducted into the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 1996. He is survived by his wife, Mary.

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John Force Racing President announces huge step-down

John Force Racing president Robert Hight has announced that he will be stepping down from his current position. He has been with the team for the last 30 years and 14 years as the president. Hight said in a statement (via JFR),

“I had 30 great years at JFR. But being out of the car last year made me realize there are other things I want to do, especially with my wife Leslie and my family. John opened so many doors for me and I'm just glad I was there to help him and the company through everything that happened last year."

Hight started as a crew member at JFR in 1995 and moved to the ranks in the following years. He also earned the friendship of team owner John Force.

“Family is everything,” Force said of Hight (via JFR). "So as much as I'll miss Robert, I understand that he has some other things he wants to do. He was a big part of the success of John Force Racing for more than 25 years. I love him and I wish him well in whatever he decides to do.

Hight was JFR’s first-ever designated test driver. He also made his racing debut in 2005 and won in just his fourth attempt. Most of his tour event wins and championships were with crew chief Jimmy Prock.