Summer of 98. I attended the Northwest Nationals at SIR. Force made a run and while riding his moped back up to the starting line he stopped at this platform where all the disabled kids in wheel chairs were watching the races. He spent a good bit of time there talking with each one of them and gave them all autographs. Guess who else stopped and did the same thing.... nobody thats who. Earlier that day my dad and I had showed up early to see if we could catch him to get an autograph. All the other drivers were still in their motorhomes but sure enough he was out there with his crew working on his car already. He autographed my hat and we chatted for a few minutes. I was 14 years old and blown away that JOHN FORCE took the time to stop and chat with me. Cheater or not John Force is a hell of a guy.
Doesn't make it not cheating. It is cheating because you cheat the other guy WHO DID NOT GET IT HANDED TO HIM ON A PLATTER OUT OF A SPOT! Everyone says team this team that. WTF does team anything have to do with fair racing? It doesn't. Cheating is cheating. John Force is known for cheating anyhow so I am not surprised. His entire legacy is a joke.
That’s reality, but it’s against NHRA rules! Force staged crooked so he would have to lift at the hit of the throttle. He knows how to stage a car straight!
I met John Force years and years ago in Atmore, AL. (I want to say it was either 1975 or 1976). I was walking through the pit area, admiring the cars, and was standing there admiring John's car. A guy stepped up beside me and said "Pretty cool, Huh?". I answered "Cool doesn't even come close!". He shook my hand, said "HI, I'm John Force", turned and walked away. I didn't make the connection till two or three minutes later that I had just met one of the (what I consider) the greatest racers there is. I probably think with as many fans as he's met, he won't remember it, but I sure do. As a young teenager back then, it was the highlight of that year, and to this day I'm still blown away every time I see him race. "Good Luck John!!!, and may The Lord be forever smiling on Ya!!!"
@@@foxfordcatguy2283 regardless of when he won his fist championship, that isn't what I was referring to, I just said "I though" he's a great guy. If you don't, then again that's your opinion.
That is not at all what you said. You said you "didn't make the connection until a couple minutes later that you had just met one of the greatest racers." Which he wasn't at the time. But you made it sound like he was. There's no other way to interpret that. Never said he wasn't an okay dude. The first time I met him was at E-Town in the '90s (when he was hugely famous), it was raining and he let us stand under his canopy. But I still think Bob Glidden (R.I.P.) was the greastest guy/driver. He always talked to you, joked with you, looked you right in the eye and pointed at you and said "thank you". His final win he sat down on the starting line signing autographs and told everybody if they didn't get one there, come back to the trailer and he'd sign all night if he had to...And he never got any of his wins by having a team driver let him win. Which Tony Pedregon said Force made his teammates do. Warren Johnson famously did, too. Force didn't win till he hired Austin Coil as his crew chief. Glidden did it all himself.
Flair made every boy want to wrestle, then they went to crazy Mick Foley crazy jackass shit, it was pathetic, now they calmed it down a little bit.I enjoyed hating Flair lol.I also enjoyed hating Petty , yes I did I will admit.
John has the last three cars in the race, he is the boss, he can play it any way he wants. That's smart racing. There is more to this business than just going down the track.
Yeh may more business but I want to see neck in neck fair sport not one smoking tyre like he did to win his daughter ...it looks bad as a best champion how it happens ....like every one predicted he gona smoke tyres....it really disappointed me
Just my two cents worth.... I remember seasons where Force's tuner found ways to run faster than everyone else, but the tuneup to run that fast blew the engine at the end of nearly every run. Force knew that he would probably be stuck in a burning race car - actually more often than not - on every pass, but he also knew that's what it took to win. He earned his way to the top. I do think multi car teams have ruined most of motorsports, but racers make their living working for their sponsors, win or lose they have the same expenses - no matter how much the winner's money is it's not enough to compete and not there at all if you don't win. Racing has become more big business than a sport. I can see being pissed about someone taking a dive to "bend" the outcome of a race/championship - but there's no way to stop it from happening, deals between seemingly separate teams have been made behind closes doors all along - say two independent cars meet on track, both privately sponsored (there are billionaires who own several teams) by the same source, the team not doing as well in the championship takes the dive and no one is the wiser. NHRA can't outlaw teams when they can exist without their knowledge, which has gone on for decades in NASCAR, it was just kept hidden from the public. NASCAR is the association that can - and does - control who even has a chance to win any race in the championship - here's how.... Part of the rules that changed when they went to fuel injection is that everyone has to use the same system, seems like that would make everything even, but NASCAR ruled that THEY supply each team the ECM box at EACH race throughout the season - no exceptions - the boxes are programmed differently for each track. So NASCAR gets more money from some of THEIR sponsors than others, yup they operate on series sponsorship money, so how they program each team's box at each race controls how well the car can perform - the cars that don't represent NASCAR'S sponsor(s) get programming that holds the car back from performing as well as the others. When you're at the top of the game people resent what you've accomplished, and especially the power you've earned to control more of what goes on around you. Hard work got Force where he is - that includes what he's learned about winning in business as well as racing.
I can tell a story on Force and it is 100% true because I was sitting at the table with him in a small cafe in Ft Stockton, Texas when he said it. It was around 1982-83. He stated that he absolutely hated Don Prudhome because he was bad for the sport! I was a naive 18 year old kid so I asked him how a Prudhome was bad for the sport? Force replied “He’s a sponsor abusing son of a bitch”! I told him again that I didn’t understand what that meant could he explain? Force said Prudhome will blow an engine up every round if that’s what it takes to win and eventually the sponsors get tired of the expenditures and quit the sport! So I guess Force has double standards which is no surprise since he has every other characteristics of a major narcissist!
Is Tony gonna give back the championship he won with Force and Densham laying down for him? He had no problem with it when it was being done for his benefit.
Loved that year of the U. S Nat. Force just showed that ole Shirley Muldowny was right when she said the NASCAR race for chase format wont work in drag racing. Cheater or not he got the job done and Hight was in. Good job John.
well i feel its strategy.. not cheating.. i feel where Tony is coming from. but to be honest i think Tony is upset with finishing 2nd to Force alot. then to get beat by Ashley Force.. i think it was thelast straw.
I've been with Robert in his truck when he's mixing the fuel- he's incredibly focused and kind. Drag racers are some of the best guys you could ever come across...
I know what that means ... " the dirtiest player in the game" ... LOL ... with Flair and Force ... it's... " WIN " at all cost.... hehehe! Ya gotta have guys like Flair and Force in Sports entertainment... otherwise... it's no fun to watch! 👍👍😎
It's strategy. It's a rather cruel strategy, to the fans and Tony and whatnot, but it's strategy. They need money to race. Drag racing costs a lot of money and they get that money from sponsors. Also, what people don't know is that due to everyone's positions in the points, when Robert won that race it meant Tony had to win the race against Ashley to stay in the countdown. Had John won it would have been fine and Tony would have been in the countdown either way. He's not mad because he lost to Ashley, he's mad because John set him up into a bad position. It was cruel, but it was strategy, and I think it's fair. John did what he had to to help his team.
LightningFast Rc Agree, consider this: John got Robert into the countdown, the hottest car @ that point was Ashley, Ashley had a great countdown, EXCEPT for Vegas, barely qualified, lost first round, kicked ass every where else. Robert won the championship by a few points. Bottom line, John secured the championship for his team, but if he had taken out Robert at Indy, Ashley would beyond any doubt have been the World Champion!
I know this is old racing news but in 2008. I was wearing a motorcycle vest with an operation Iraqi Freedom patch on it (US Army deployed 03, 04 ,05, 07.) He noticed it while I quietly stood to the side waiting for an autograph along with others. John not only gave me his autograph but asked if I had a smart phone and if I wanted a pic of us closer to the car. He lifted the rope thats used to keep the crowd back so I can get closer to the Eng and he had one of his guys snap a shot. All this when his crew was doing what they do between rounds. His appreciation for his fans and Vets showed what a class act he is. Winning for your fans, your team and especially your sponsors is doing whatever it takes neccessary to be at the top.
As if this is the only sport where things are done within the rules that don't demonstrate the best sportsmanship . Would you really expect the man to go all in and take a hit for it ? Blame the system , not the players . Every sport has situations arise where it's to one's advantage to lose a game . For a lower draft pick , for a more favorable opponent in playoffs , to rest players for more important games ahead , whatever . The fans are aware of it and don't show up at times knowing one team is laying down . It's accepted . Racing is all about multiple car teams . One car teams have it tough for a lot more reasons than this . No one in the place thought he should try to win except the hermanos .
@Taco dog ya..... a bunch of boomers in this thread, right? "force is only 11 months older than me" so? and it sounds like your pretty obsessed with force if your going to look up / memorize his birth date....
@@frankjohnson7640 "this channel doesn't have any content yet" . upload a picture/video of yourself dude.... back in the early days of youtube.... we called people like you "leaches"
I love Johns order of team sponsorship and staff. John has class and the driving force to get it done. I respect this man for who he is, John Force is drag racing's living legend. Keep going old man !!
When you win as much as Force's race teams,and John himself. People gonna cry. To me it doesn't matter,he could have pulled to the line and shut it off,got out and drank a Pepsi while Hight made his pass. IN ORDER TO BE THE MAN, YOU GOT TO BEAT THE MAN,and nobody has done that consistently for years now. John Force is the best to ever sit in a funny car period.
Are you familiar with how many championships Austin Coil has? Most of Forces happened with Coil tuning and Force hired Coil because he was the best tuner and already had two championships tuning the Chi Town Hustler driven by Frank Hawley circa 1982. Force couldn’t win a race to save his life until he hired Austin Coil in 1985.
In many cases today, many racing operations have fallen victim to their own stupid creation… Multicar teams. It is gotten so expensive to run these things, it is practically unsustainable.
And "four wide" hasn't helped. Still watch racing on the TV when ever I can BUT look at the number of people in the stands. "The event is sold out" or " Thousands of fans this weekend" Yeh right. I was actually at the St. Louis event last year (2018 ) and the PA announced "people along the guardrail fence please return to the stands to make the track look full" .
I'm no NHRA fan, so I don't believe I could render an opinion as to there being cheating. But if the outcome was in fact manipulated, I would blame the NHRA for the way their rules work, and making it possible for racing teams to manipulate the outcome of races.
Could it really be cheating if the guy put himself in the situation to lose like that?? He literally had to hope a specific person lost in order for himself to move on. Never leave that in someone else's hands. Get the job done yourself.
GOFLuvr It's like taxes. If the loopholes are there, whose to blame??? Any person who doesn't take those loopholes is lying he wouldn't do that. WE ALL WOULD!!!
Dill Hole is it really cheating when you “fix” the standings? Sometimes it’s hard to get into the countdown for some teams and being in the right place at the right time is probably okay, John didn’t fix that Robert and him qualified in the same bracket, I think the sore losers will say he fixed it. Everybody hates a winner. Either way, you win the race you’re a traitor to your team, lose the race and you’re a traitor to the sport, tony said it himself “John treated me well” case and point, his family always comes first, no matter what the rath.
These lame little point and shoot psuedo psychology tips are fucking annoying. "Usually the person that ______ is always lying" is the dumbest observation possible.
@@rickdavis3593 Friends often agree with whatever you say to avoid an argument. Also, when you're friends, you cover up negative qualities so as not to offend the other person. As a result, you never know for certain how a friend truly feels. Never put too much trust in friends.
I'm a poor man most of my life, my car has set in the garage for decades, but I have taken care of my kids myself and family. All those things come first. Seems really strange whenever I see wealthy people arguing over things that are non consequential to life. You go out there and win or lose, it's supposed to be about fun, enjoyment of cars and all that goes with it. Losing is part of it and so is winning. The old-timers used to tell us Farm kids where the wealthy people are, you might not likely ever be, it's Lonely at the Top, but at the bottom us Farm people have our families. And so the old Mopar still sets down there in the garage... I smile everytime I see it. You don't have to win to be a winner
Saw this live. I do belive that it John intended for Hight to win. Here's my point. You can bet that if roles were reversed and Tony had to race Cruz and Cruz needed to win to get in the top 10 Tony would have allowed it to happen. I lost a lot of respect for Tony after that . Force did what was necessary to get his driver in. Anyone would do the same. I do like Cruz and hope he does better in the future.
I am sorry but "cheating" like this has always been a part of drag racing. These guys are all hustlers from waaaay back. Obviously John is going to give his daughter the best chance to win that he can. Drivers throw races all the time to help their teams. There is simply no way to absolutely prove that Force lost on purpose anyway. Part of the game.
Wow this "John Force" guy is a stand up act! Much respect to him and his family. People talking dirty about him and he puts em down and tells it how it is!
Im a local small time racer here in south Florida , PBIR(aka moroso) is my closest track , I have met John and his daughter and spent quiet a bit of time around them , and I can tell you no one likes losing and everyone loves winning , the force family takes racing seriously and at the same time knows its all for fun. I dont care what one salty loser would say , i personally feel i know the forces well enough to say they would never cheat ! and they would be the first to point out if someone was a cheater. the guy who had the fastest consistant passes at that event won that event , cry me a river . Ashley force gassed you . You and your brothers careers have sense fallen off , a step down hill spiral like flushing your career down the toilet . The force name ,brings fans to events and puts asses in seats and sales tickets which is exactly what the sport needs to grow and continue to exist , how many people lines up for those other guys autographs , they are just salty that even with big sponsers they still cant beat John Force AND Ashley Force .
I went to the 4 wide nationals and met John after he lost to Robert hight. He was pissed sure, but he was so kind and inviting. Signed autographs for us and even offered us some chicken wings. I asked him how he was doing and I believe his exact words were “pretty good considering I got beat by my own damn car”. Class act
I don't think there was any setup or cheating going on. Anyone who knows or has seen force race knows he will beat his own daughter on the track for a win.
@@allee6096 Why are you even using the word strategy to describe this event.. it was cheating, not strategy. Ask the officials.. they will tell you it was cheating as well.. thats why they put RULES into place to avoid this situation where a multi car team could throw races in order to stack the finals.. Make sense? *facepalm*
@@allee6096 ABSOLUTELY!!!...He's just another one of those John Force haters... That whole occurrence was a "protest" based on opinion and speculation and was later deemed unsubstantiated and thrown out! ...Hell, We use to "pre-determine" we were going to qualify before we even left the house...I guess we cheated right out of the driveway ! When Pro-Stock first started having multi car teams, Guys were redlighting, Pulling chutes early, Intentionally driving out of the groove, Short shifting and whatever else... At one race, Ricky Smith actually "bought" a spot out from first alternate just because he couldn't qual at a race his sponsors (STP at the time) was sponsoring not to mention Richard Petty was grand marshall???...SPADES... ....NOBODY SAID NOTHING, Now because a [Strategy] is put in motion to give you a competitive edge, Its considered fuckin cheating???...Variety is the spice of life, GET OVER IT or better yet, Add more cars to your corral and you too can have the same options when making crucial critical decisions/advantages. Sometimes I get fed up with these hyper analytical assholes who don't know [schitt] concerning drag racing and can't tell the difference between their ass and a double barrel ! Talk to me bout cheating when someone gets busted with nitrous or the windshield is layed back too far, Not when a plan is implemented successfully and the guy you were rooting for got beat!
Force is always gonna be the guy who can do no wrong in the eyes of most fans and whoever calls him out is gonna be the bad guy - just the way it is. JFR is one of the main things keeping NHRA afloat.
Omg he wanted his little girl to take the win. Boo hooo. I would have played it the same. Not cheating if it’s not breaking the rules. His team won regardless. Wins a win
@NPC #303 Your use of the word "kiddo" is a dead giveaway you yourself are quite young. Adults can disagree and retain respect for the opposing side. Also sand-bagging is a completely different practice. Sand bagging is running in a class you are too developed for despite your experience, which is not the case here.
John Force doesn't cheat, he doesn't have to; come Pedregon grow a set of balls and man up (YOU LOST), I lost a fishing tournament because the other guy cheated and caught more fish, geez Tony what a baby you are! GO JOHN GO!
So what if john did let robert win that's not really cheating in fact he should've let him won and when the other guys get a big team like that they can do the same. pedregon needs to stop being a sore loser.
@@lynndragoman1573 ??? force would have decked that dude if people were not their to hold him back..... what the fuck are you talking about??? . any person that says "swing first".... or "try it".... is obviously the weaker dude.... relying on intimidation and the fact that cameras were around . if that was a street race.... with no media around.... force would have beat the shit out of that dude.... hell, anyone would have, in the same situation. . its like the 300 pound bully in high school just looks big..... but will be hacking up a lung after one swing.... uses intimidation.... . and the second the bully gets punched by a 115 pound twig he goes and crys to the principal about "its not fair!!!!! he actually hit me when i asked him to "hit me then, pussy""!!!!!
@@kainhall LOLROFLMAO Force was there and if nobody held him back he still wouldn't have done anything because he threw the race and got caught cheating.
all you know for sure is that people get mad and go over the top when they're caught, not when the other way around. Generally speaking, the person staying most calm is probably being straight up.
It's similar to postseason baseball: the best (or in this case, fastest) team doesn't always win it all- just the team that wins at the right time. Force didn't cheat, he played the same game everyone else does, with legal equipment. No one bitches when football players run out the clock. That's the difference between Force and other drivers: Force plays to the hand that he's dealt, and wins championships. That man has done more for Funny Car racing than any other human.
Sour grapes man. Robert looked like he was having a good run in the right lane and not for the fire may have won. If you ever saw the TV series, John was always late when he was worried about his daughter in the race. Cruz and Tony need to suck it up and stop whinging!
John Force is the MAN. He wins, he loses and he plays the game that is dealt to him and his team. To those that feel he manipulates the outcome of his races they need to think long and hard about how long he's been at this and what he's gone through to get where he and his team are now. He plays/drives to win, if winning means you have to lose occasionally then that is what he'll do too. It's about the end result and the Force Team putting themselves first.
Mark Lokken “Throwing” a race isn’t winning & never will be. If Tony wasn’t telling the truth John wouldn’t have thrown a temper tantrum. The Fans deserve an honest race & outcome. Not this WWE bullsh1t‼️
@@rickyrudd28texacohavolinef2 he reacted the way he did because that's who John is...he doesn't do well with the games...you throw shade on John "I'll beat you on the track and the pits" Force, you get what you get...he came up when real men didn't pull that passive/aggressive bullshit, you run your mouth, you get some new dental work....
John has always been low class. But it's not his fault that motorsports have become a multi team sport. Harvick did the same thing long ago in NASCAR when he told his driver Ron Hornaday to let him by or else. Basically auto racing is entertainment, not a true sport.
WifeBTR123: Sure he has a point, however: Tony Pedregon is a player himself, he's just as sold out as any other driver/teams to the same corporate-sponsored/political/game playing devils! How do I know? Because he wouldn't be racing at this level AND being interviewed on t.v. if he wasn't, would he? But hey, if he ain't happy racing funny cars, perhaps Tony could join up with the "Nitro Circus"! I bet that Travis Pastrana could teach him how to do back flips on a motorcycle!
Mr. Force 'tried it' again recently with modded injectors and was fined $10,000... Smokey Yunick reported smiling down from the great track in the sky.
I like both the Force team and the Pedregon boys and yes, it is a team sport, but a lay down is still a lay down....and THAT was a lay down and everybody knows it.
I mean the part you say about being beat by a girl... really? What does gender have to do with driving funny cars, or dragsters, or any race car? Sure there is that man mentality that women can't drive but really? Do you think ANY sponsor would sponsor someone that can't drive? The sponsor people that win, that will be on the track over and over for people to see their brands slapped all over the cars. You are just a stereotypical male saying stupid shit. Sure there are some things women can't do as well as men, or have to put more effort then a man to get the same results due to body structure, however racing is not one of those things.
i hope these two never growup cuz this is part of the sport and we love it. and these two are the greatist of friends outside the track. good luck to both yaz,,
What kind of punk rats out and rags on his former boss like that? Uh, yea... Everybody knows people and teams take a dive sometimes for a draft choice or some other future consideration. As others said, people who don't know a Funny Car from a Clown Car know who John Force is. Not many people in the Biz you can say that about.
Tony was 100% correct it makes zero sense for him to accept the crappy lane ! he really did cheat here he knew exactly what the car was going to do. the fact he was as angry as he was at pedregon solidifys it ! anger is fear turned outward force was afraid cause pedregon exposed him cheating and this is why Nhra has gone down the tubes , cause they encourage cheating and take the money instead of making it a legitimate sport!
I remember watching that, screaming, "Throw a chair...somebody throw a chair!!!" That was NHRA meets WWE meets Geraldo Rivera meets......GREAT TELEVISION!
Force didn't win 18 world champions by taking dives. Even if he did its not cheating. Mixing 98 nitro is cheating,which we probably will not see by anyone anytime soon.
Cody Maranto Agreed, big difference between strategy and cheating. The whole point of having a race team(more than one car) is to use your cars and drivers to increase the odds of your team winning the race.
hoghogwild Actually throwing a race IS cheating by NHRA rules. I don't really care one way or another. Robert is a friend of mine. The issue I had is when Force insulted the intelligence of everyone that actually has a clue by saying, oh the car made a move on it's own and drove it out of the groove...BS! Stevie Wonder could see he drove it over. I was on the line when it happened so I know better, but whatever. On another note the John Force most see on TV or meet when asking for an autograph is NOT the John you deal with as an employee. Ask Coil, Prock, Medlin and numerous other ex employees who have quit and gone to other teams. Add that he's damned lucky there were people at the big end that kept things from going any further because Tony, who boxes would of put Force on his ass in a heart beat lol.
+MrNitrocat and whats your name if you were on the line you must be pretty important and guarantee you that you know nothing about what john force is like off the cameras.just because you buy a ticket every year to get in and make your rounds and get all the drivers autographs doesn't mean you know them or what they are like because any time I have been in john forces shop or in his trailer or out to supper with him hes one of the coolest guys ive ever met and I have never seen him treat anyone any different than they have treated him.Just because he is demanding and whats things done his way on his team doesn't mean he is a bad guy I'm demanding and want things done my way at my business too I guess that's the way owners of businesses are.
+Andrew Godfrey Buy a ticket...make rounds for autographs....priceless. If you want to be a Force fan boi and think he can do no wrong, that's fine and your prerogative. My points stand. A. Force threw that race B. Tony (former Golden Gloves boxing champ) would of knocked him out C. Crew chiefs that are being paid well with a successful team don't leave just for the hell of it...At the time I was a member of a different team and in Top Fuel not F/C so I didn't have a horse in that race, I just saw what everyone else did, Force drive it out of the groove... Going out to "supper" with Force, is a lot different than working for him. Being demanding is the way of most crew chiefs, you have to be, but the way you treat people is a completely different deal. Louis was always the good guy anyhow. So say what you will I made my points, it was 6 years ago so I won't be back. I have a ticket to moving on.
The man (John Force) is in the seat. He CHOOSES what he wants to do. I raced NHRA as a "little guy" for many years . If you get an advantage handed to you ,you should take it.
Summer of 98. I attended the Northwest Nationals at SIR. Force made a run and while riding his moped back up to the starting line he stopped at this platform where all the disabled kids in wheel chairs were watching the races. He spent a good bit of time there talking with each one of them and gave them all autographs. Guess who else stopped and did the same thing.... nobody thats who. Earlier that day my dad and I had showed up early to see if we could catch him to get an autograph. All the other drivers were still in their motorhomes but sure enough he was out there with his crew working on his car already. He autographed my hat and we chatted for a few minutes. I was 14 years old and blown away that JOHN FORCE took the time to stop and chat with me. Cheater or not John Force is a hell of a guy.
thats emotional manipulation
I have a similar stor at gator national he was out early in his pit early signed every autograph and took every picture with the fans
So
big country you got the name of a cheesy Scottish jock group ... That's SO
@@miawallace2785 SWEET!!!
No different than a NASCAR team or an F1 team telling one of their drivers to lay back and let another driver win. Happens all the time.
Got an itchy arm? (Spingate with MWR)
Team, in competition, team comes first. Happens all the time. No matter the sport .
Doesn't make it not cheating. It is cheating because you cheat the other guy WHO DID NOT GET IT HANDED TO HIM ON A PLATTER OUT OF A SPOT! Everyone says team this team that. WTF does team anything have to do with fair racing? It doesn't. Cheating is cheating. John Force is known for cheating anyhow so I am not surprised. His entire legacy is a joke.
Except NHRA supposedly has a rule against that.
That’s reality, but it’s against NHRA rules! Force staged crooked so he would have to lift at the hit of the throttle. He knows how to stage a car straight!
I love this guy! He is among the few who will take the time to acknowledge his fans at any time, at any place. A true legend!!!!!
I worked for NHRA for 15 years. There is nobody who cares more about their fans than John Force. Too many stories to tell. God bless you John.
Anyone that has been to an NHRA event knows that is true by a mile
I love John Force. Have been a fan since he drove the Coca Cola Corvette back in the early / mid 80's. A true class act !!!
I met John Force years and years ago in Atmore, AL. (I want to say it was either 1975 or 1976). I was walking through the pit area, admiring the cars, and was standing there admiring John's car. A guy stepped up beside me and said "Pretty cool, Huh?". I answered "Cool doesn't even come close!". He shook my hand, said "HI, I'm John Force", turned and walked away. I didn't make the connection till two or three minutes later that I had just met one of the (what I consider) the greatest racers there is.
I probably think with as many fans as he's met, he won't remember it, but I sure do. As a young teenager back then, it was the highlight of that year, and to this day I'm still blown away every time I see him race.
"Good Luck John!!!, and may The Lord be forever smiling on Ya!!!"
Force wasn't "great" in the '70s.
@@@foxfordcatguy2283 ; Well you know what they say about opinions.....
Not an opinion, it's fact. He started in '78 and didn't get his first win until '87. Look it up.
@@@foxfordcatguy2283 regardless of when he won his fist championship, that isn't what I was referring to, I just said "I though" he's a great guy. If you don't, then again that's your opinion.
That is not at all what you said. You said you "didn't make the connection until a couple minutes later that you had just met one of the greatest racers." Which he wasn't at the time. But you made it sound like he was. There's no other way to interpret that.
Never said he wasn't an okay dude. The first time I met him was at E-Town in the '90s (when he was hugely famous), it was raining and he let us stand under his canopy.
But I still think Bob Glidden (R.I.P.) was the greastest guy/driver. He always talked to you, joked with you, looked you right in the eye and pointed at you and said "thank you". His final win he sat down on the starting line signing autographs and told everybody if they didn't get one there, come back to the trailer and he'd sign all night if he had to...And he never got any of his wins by having a team driver let him win. Which Tony Pedregon said Force made his teammates do. Warren Johnson famously did, too. Force didn't win till he hired Austin Coil as his crew chief. Glidden did it all himself.
"These are my race teams. I do what I want to do." CASE. CLOSED.
To be the man you gotta beat the man
Eric Minton yup an schumacher has been the MAN!
Eric Minton wooooooooooooo
Flair made every boy want to wrestle, then they went to crazy Mick Foley crazy jackass shit, it was pathetic, now they calmed it down a little bit.I enjoyed hating Flair lol.I also enjoyed hating Petty , yes I did I will admit.
John has the last three cars in the race, he is the boss, he can play it any way he wants. That's smart racing. There is more to this business than just going down the track.
Yeh may more business but I want to see neck in neck fair sport not one smoking tyre like he did to win his daughter ...it looks bad as a best champion how it happens ....like every one predicted he gona smoke tyres....it really disappointed me
I know a Democrat that owned a sign shop, and makes campaign signs for Republicans. He said, "Business is business."
Pure strategy
@Madd Zack You close friends with him?
Cheating is cheating. Period. You want to support cheating? You weren't raised with any morals and can lick the crud from my boot.
Just my two cents worth....
I remember seasons where Force's tuner found ways to run faster than everyone else, but the tuneup to run that fast blew the engine at the end of nearly every run.
Force knew that he would probably be stuck in a burning race car - actually more often than not - on every pass, but he also knew that's what it took to win.
He earned his way to the top.
I do think multi car teams have ruined most of motorsports, but racers make their living working for their sponsors, win or lose they have the same expenses - no matter how much the winner's money is it's not enough to compete and not there at all if you don't win.
Racing has become more big business than a sport.
I can see being pissed about someone taking a dive to "bend" the outcome of a race/championship - but there's no way to stop it from happening, deals between seemingly separate teams have been made behind closes doors all along - say two independent cars meet on track, both privately sponsored (there are billionaires who own several teams) by the same source, the team not doing as well in the championship takes the dive and no one is the wiser.
NHRA can't outlaw teams when they can exist without their knowledge, which has gone on for decades in NASCAR, it was just kept hidden from the public.
NASCAR is the association that can - and does - control who even has a chance to win any race in the championship - here's how....
Part of the rules that changed when they went to fuel injection is that everyone has to use the same system, seems like that would make everything even, but NASCAR ruled that THEY supply each team the ECM box at EACH race throughout the season - no exceptions - the boxes are programmed differently for each track.
So NASCAR gets more money from some of THEIR sponsors than others, yup they operate on series sponsorship money, so how they program each team's box at each race controls how well the car can perform - the cars that don't represent NASCAR'S sponsor(s) get programming that holds the car back from performing as well as the others.
When you're at the top of the game people resent what you've accomplished, and especially the power you've earned to control more of what goes on around you. Hard work got Force where he is - that includes what he's learned about winning in business as well as racing.
I can tell a story on Force and it is 100% true because I was sitting at the table with him in a small cafe in Ft Stockton, Texas when he said it. It was around 1982-83. He stated that he absolutely hated Don Prudhome because he was bad for the sport! I was a naive 18 year old kid so I asked him how a Prudhome was bad for the sport? Force replied “He’s a sponsor abusing son of a bitch”! I told him again that I didn’t understand what that meant could he explain? Force said Prudhome will blow an engine up every round if that’s what it takes to win and eventually the sponsors get tired of the expenditures and quit the sport! So I guess Force has double standards which is no surprise since he has every other characteristics of a major narcissist!
Is Tony gonna give back the championship he won with Force and Densham laying down for him? He had no problem with it when it was being done for his benefit.
Doug Gentry it’s not really even cheating tho. It’s just teams playing their advantage.
And playing the rules too. 🤔
@@TA_Plus_Hemi well, actually after the NHRA put the No "Laying down" rule in the rule book, JFR was breaking the rules every event 🤷🏻♂️
@@Slinger43 No you’re not understanding what’s going on here.
@@mikeznel6048 LMAO!! Yeah, ok, sure 🙄 I grew up at the dragstrip's of So-Calif & I understand it perfectly thank you.
I understand both sides but I feel any team would have done the same strategy in that position. Cheating--- no---- competing.
Loved that year of the U. S
Nat. Force just showed that ole Shirley Muldowny was right when she said the NASCAR race for chase format wont work in drag racing. Cheater or not he got the job done and Hight was in. Good job John.
Everyone hates on the best in any sport PERIOD.
True!
🖕 Gordon
🖕 Johnson
🖕 KC Chiefs
@@mikereynolds6118 SEE! LMAO
@@mikereynolds6118 I don't have to worry I'm a Cleveland browns fan from way back in the day
NFL? People still care enough to hate?
Schumacher team is the best
well i feel its strategy.. not cheating..
i feel where Tony is coming from. but to be honest i think Tony is upset with finishing 2nd to Force alot. then to get beat by Ashley Force.. i think it was thelast straw.
when yu can just drive it into the wall..thats not a race and its more about corporate sponsors then anything NHRA is garbage today
i agree its not the ability its corporate money same in pro stock, pro truck that they shutdown,
It’s called being smart and strategic, I see nothing wrong there it happens in all types of Motorsports.
I've been with Robert in his truck when he's mixing the fuel- he's incredibly focused and kind. Drag racers are some of the best guys you could ever come across...
I agree
I agree with that
the ric flair of racing lmao
I know what that means ... " the dirtiest player in the game" ... LOL ... with Flair and Force ... it's... " WIN " at all cost.... hehehe! Ya gotta have guys like Flair and Force in Sports entertainment... otherwise... it's no fun to watch! 👍👍😎
Wooooooooo!!!
Don't even watch drag racing but this was interesting UA-cam recommendations
Wooooooooooo!
Always wondered which cost more...the car or Johns coke bill
It's strategy. It's a rather cruel strategy, to the fans and Tony and whatnot, but it's strategy. They need money to race. Drag racing costs a lot of money and they get that money from sponsors. Also, what people don't know is that due to everyone's positions in the points, when Robert won that race it meant Tony had to win the race against Ashley to stay in the countdown. Had John won it would have been fine and Tony would have been in the countdown either way. He's not mad because he lost to Ashley, he's mad because John set him up into a bad position. It was cruel, but it was strategy, and I think it's fair. John did what he had to to help his team.
LightningFast Rc Agree, consider this: John got Robert into the countdown, the hottest car @ that point was Ashley, Ashley had a great countdown, EXCEPT for Vegas, barely qualified, lost first round, kicked ass every where else. Robert won the championship by a few points. Bottom line, John secured the championship for his team, but if he had taken out Robert at Indy, Ashley would beyond any doubt have been the World Champion!
I know this is old racing news but in 2008. I was wearing a motorcycle vest with an operation Iraqi Freedom patch on it (US Army deployed 03, 04 ,05, 07.) He noticed it while I quietly stood to the side waiting for an autograph along with others. John not only gave me his autograph but asked if I had a smart phone and if I wanted a pic of us closer to the car. He lifted the rope thats used to keep the crowd back so I can get closer to the Eng and he had one of his guys snap a shot. All this when his crew was doing what they do between rounds. His appreciation for his fans and Vets showed what a class act he is. Winning for your fans, your team and especially your sponsors is doing whatever it takes neccessary to be at the top.
Don't want to see a John Force car win? Beat him then! Otherwise, it's just sour grapes.
+ndnballin ikr
You must be blind idiot.
He didnt win dumbshit
@@lsxtmt4910
His car did tho. And that's what makes the $, no matter who is driving.
Student beat the master
Always a fine line between cheating and strategy.
That's why you always Cheat Strategically ; )
well I guess cruzer should have won one more race ....then he would have not been in that position
That's what I thought
As if this is the only sport where things are done within the rules that don't demonstrate the best sportsmanship . Would you really expect the man to go all in and take a hit for it ? Blame the system , not the players . Every sport has situations arise where it's to one's advantage to lose a game . For a lower draft pick , for a more favorable opponent in playoffs , to rest players for more important games ahead , whatever . The fans are aware of it and don't show up at times knowing one team is laying down . It's accepted . Racing is all about multiple car teams . One car teams have it tough for a lot more reasons than this . No one in the place thought he should try to win except the hermanos .
bull frogger
Well said
If it seems like the whole world is after you ... it's because you are in the lead.
Cry me a river..it's a strategic calculated step. Do what it takes to win!
I guess you never heard of the word integrity? John has none in my book and he is only 11months older than me.
@@oldgoat50 he sure has a lot of wins though. FORCE!
Force looks like Gary Busey. His big ass teeth look like a row of urinals.
@Taco dog ya..... a bunch of boomers in this thread, right?
"force is only 11 months older than me"
so? and it sounds like your pretty obsessed with force if your going to look up / memorize his birth date....
@@frankjohnson7640 "this channel doesn't have any content yet"
.
upload a picture/video of yourself dude....
back in the early days of youtube.... we called people like you "leaches"
I love Johns order of team sponsorship and staff. John has class and the driving force to get it done. I respect this man for who he is, John Force is drag racing's living legend. Keep going old man !!
When you win as much as Force's race teams,and John himself. People gonna cry. To me it doesn't matter,he could have pulled to the line and shut it off,got out and drank a Pepsi while Hight made his pass. IN ORDER TO BE THE MAN, YOU GOT TO BEAT THE MAN,and nobody has done that consistently for years now. John Force is the best to ever sit in a funny car period.
I agree.
Got to see him run and Bernstein run dragster once or twice at Texas motor speedway
Force couldn't 'cheat' from the left lane? lol
Shit no, you can only cheat in the right lane 😂😂😂
Thank you John for being yourself for a lot of years. You are the best drag racer of all time. Jimmy Prock the best tuner of all time!!!
Austin Coil
Are you familiar with how many championships Austin Coil has? Most of Forces happened with Coil tuning and Force hired Coil because he was the best tuner and already had two championships tuning the Chi Town Hustler driven by Frank Hawley circa 1982. Force couldn’t win a race to save his life until he hired Austin Coil in 1985.
"Teams" have ruined racing.
In many cases today, many racing operations have fallen victim to their own stupid creation… Multicar teams. It is gotten so expensive to run these things, it is practically unsustainable.
Hue Jas you are absolutely right!
Everything involved with racing has gotten expensive. It's the only way to survive.
Lol
And "four wide" hasn't helped. Still watch racing on the TV when ever I can BUT look at the number of people in the stands. "The event is sold out" or " Thousands of fans this weekend" Yeh right. I was actually at the St. Louis event last year (2018 ) and the PA announced "people along the guardrail fence please return to the stands to make the track look full" .
I'm no NHRA fan, so I don't believe I could render an opinion as to there being cheating. But if the outcome was in fact manipulated, I would blame the NHRA for the way their rules work, and making it possible for racing teams to manipulate the outcome of races.
Could it really be cheating if the guy put himself in the situation to lose like that?? He literally had to hope a specific person lost in order for himself to move on. Never leave that in someone else's hands. Get the job done yourself.
GOFLuvr It's like taxes. If the loopholes are there, whose to blame??? Any person who doesn't take those loopholes is lying he wouldn't do that. WE ALL WOULD!!!
@@havingfun1968 So what your saying is you have no integrity. In which case it means your parents didn't raise you right.
"Generally" the one yelling the loudest is the biggest liar.
It can also be one whos trying to get a point through a thick skull...
JUrry3, good point. Andrew, shut up. Force seems like a over-the-top dickhead. I'm calling CHEATER!
Dill Hole is it really cheating when you “fix” the standings? Sometimes it’s hard to get into the countdown for some teams and being in the right place at the right time is probably okay, John didn’t fix that Robert and him qualified in the same bracket, I think the sore losers will say he fixed it. Everybody hates a winner. Either way, you win the race you’re a traitor to your team, lose the race and you’re a traitor to the sport, tony said it himself “John treated me well” case and point, his family always comes first, no matter what the rath.
@@kuhndog52 I agree, so what if he lifted, its his car and his team, he can do what he wants
These lame little point and shoot psuedo psychology tips are fucking annoying. "Usually the person that ______ is always lying" is the dumbest observation possible.
I feel sorry for Tony, 4 seconds of emotions cost him the best friend he probably ever had.
and gave Tony the only chance to drive a top fuel funny that he would have never got hell his own brother (cruz) would not stand behind him at first
Tony is still bitter and it’s not his best look.
a friend will burn your house down faster than an enemy - 48 laws of power.
@@dudet9662 You need to hang out with a better class of people....rofl
@@rickdavis3593 Friends often agree with whatever you say to avoid an argument. Also, when you're friends, you cover up negative qualities so as not to offend the other person. As a result, you never know for certain how a friend truly feels. Never put too much trust in friends.
I'm a poor man most of my life, my car has set in the garage for decades, but I have taken care of my kids myself and family. All those things come first. Seems really strange whenever I see wealthy people arguing over things that are non consequential to life. You go out there and win or lose, it's supposed to be about fun, enjoyment of cars and all that goes with it. Losing is part of it and so is winning. The old-timers used to tell us Farm kids where the wealthy people are, you might not likely ever be, it's Lonely at the Top, but at the bottom us Farm people have our families. And so the old Mopar still sets down there in the garage... I smile everytime I see it. You don't have to win to be a winner
Amen strait up %100 truth there God is there money and their toys it's very sad
Saw this live. I do belive that it John intended for Hight to win. Here's my point. You can bet that if roles were reversed and Tony had to race Cruz and Cruz needed to win to get in the top 10 Tony would have allowed it to happen. I lost a lot of respect for Tony after that . Force did what was necessary to get his driver in. Anyone would do the same. I do like Cruz and hope he does better in the future.
I don’t think that was the full story. Force was in a win win situation he could set a new record or have one of his cars advance for a championship.
If John Force helped out another driver who cares. They do it in every race NASCAR.
In every series. It’s business, it’s what teams do and why there is teams.
I am sorry but "cheating" like this has always been a part of drag racing. These guys are all hustlers from waaaay back. Obviously John is going to give his daughter the best chance to win that he can. Drivers throw races all the time to help their teams. There is simply no way to absolutely prove that Force lost on purpose anyway. Part of the game.
Wow this "John Force" guy is a stand up act! Much respect to him and his family. People talking dirty about him and he puts em down and tells it how it is!
playa says "there's always a hater"! My absolute favorite sport, whatever it takes to win/put on a show...Fan for life!
Petragon got beat by a girl, a force girl.....
Im a local small time racer here in south Florida , PBIR(aka moroso) is my closest track , I have met John and his daughter and spent quiet a bit of time around them , and I can tell you no one likes losing and everyone loves winning , the force family takes racing seriously and at the same time knows its all for fun. I dont care what one salty loser would say , i personally feel i know the forces well enough to say they would never cheat ! and they would be the first to point out if someone was a cheater. the guy who had the fastest consistant passes at that event won that event , cry me a river . Ashley force gassed you . You and your brothers careers have sense fallen off , a step down hill spiral like flushing your career down the toilet . The force name ,brings fans to events and puts asses in seats and sales tickets which is exactly what the sport needs to grow and continue to exist , how many people lines up for those other guys autographs , they are just salty that even with big sponsers they still cant beat John Force AND Ashley Force .
I went to the 4 wide nationals and met John after he lost to Robert hight. He was pissed sure, but he was so kind and inviting. Signed autographs for us and even offered us some chicken wings. I asked him how he was doing and I believe his exact words were “pretty good considering I got beat by my own damn car”. Class act
Know what solves the problem? Not losing. Don't put yourself in the position in racing to not be in control of your own destiny.
I don't think there was any setup or cheating going on. Anyone who knows or has seen force race knows he will beat his own daughter on the track for a win.
John Force is still a badass. A true legend
True living legend love his attitude weather he wins or loses he works his ass off every race you go john
I quit going to NHRA because they won't let you bring in water and they charge you $5 for a bottle of water.
I bring coolers in full of beer and water
@@kennybean402 Probably depends on which event, huh?
I bring all kinds of unopened non alcoholic beverages in at Norwalk. But it is the best track in the usa.
I bring a flask, hid in my private area, lol
Ronald Archibald I think maple grove in pa is close second or first. It has the best air for the tuners
i lost all respect for the pedregons after that race !
I did as well
John Force has a real Gary Busey thing going on that I never noticed before.
lefty2guns now that’s funny but your right lol
If you ain't cheating ya ain't tryin
So he Forced the car to lose? lol He's a Force to be reckoned with. May the Force be with you.
"You gotta do what you gotta do." I don't think we need to decide John did it for us lol
😂🤣
strategy isn't cheating..
That wasnt strategy.. it was pre-determining the outcome of the race. Also known as cheating.
@@hakapik683 Strategy: a plan of action or policy designed to achieve a major or overall aim.. or "pre-determing the outcome"
@@allee6096 Why are you even using the word strategy to describe this event.. it was cheating, not strategy. Ask the officials.. they will tell you it was cheating as well.. thats why they put RULES into place to avoid this situation where a multi car team could throw races in order to stack the finals.. Make sense? *facepalm*
@@allee6096 ABSOLUTELY!!!...He's just another one of those John Force haters...
That whole occurrence was a "protest" based on opinion and speculation and was later deemed unsubstantiated and thrown out!
...Hell, We use to "pre-determine" we were going to qualify before we even left the house...I guess we cheated right out of the driveway !
When Pro-Stock first started having multi car teams, Guys were redlighting, Pulling chutes early, Intentionally driving out of the groove, Short shifting and whatever else...
At one race, Ricky Smith actually "bought" a spot out from first alternate just because he couldn't qual at a race his sponsors (STP at the time) was sponsoring not to mention Richard Petty was grand marshall???...SPADES...
....NOBODY SAID NOTHING, Now because a [Strategy] is put in motion to give you a competitive edge, Its considered fuckin cheating???...Variety is the spice of life, GET OVER IT or better yet, Add more cars to your corral and you too can have the same options when making crucial critical decisions/advantages.
Sometimes I get fed up with these hyper analytical assholes who don't know [schitt] concerning drag racing and can't tell the difference between their ass and a double barrel !
Talk to me bout cheating when someone gets busted with nitrous or the windshield is layed back too far, Not when a plan is implemented successfully and the guy you were rooting for got beat!
It's just like baseball some time you gotta take one for the team. All the multiple teams do it Cruz knows
Force is always gonna be the guy who can do no wrong in the eyes of most fans and whoever calls him out is gonna be the bad guy - just the way it is. JFR is one of the main things keeping NHRA afloat.
Why did they hold John back, when Tony was the one to run his mouth?
Omg he wanted his little girl to take the win. Boo hooo. I would have played it the same. Not cheating if it’s not breaking the rules. His team won regardless. Wins a win
@NPC #303 Your use of the word "kiddo" is a dead giveaway you yourself are quite young. Adults can disagree and retain respect for the opposing side. Also sand-bagging is a completely different practice. Sand bagging is running in a class you are too developed for despite your experience, which is not the case here.
@@Burley_Bert well said, if you are within the rules then it is on the people who made the rules
It's just business, ask formula one, they do the same shit all day long. Where money is involved these things will happen.
You're right, political moves have always been a part of racing and always will be. Strategy is just as important as the car itself and the driver.
Same shit in the WWF.
LOLOLOLOLOL 2x for using old skool (sic) WWF.
Yeah hardly any racing is clean and fair anymore. F1 is especially bad about this shit. Constant cheap strategies.
Geyote Pilkington iu
John Force doesn't cheat, he doesn't have to; come Pedregon grow a set of balls and man up (YOU LOST), I lost a fishing tournament because the other guy cheated and caught more fish, geez Tony what a baby you are! GO JOHN GO!
John sounds like a pissed off super Dave
🤣 bring back Superdave!
No different than in NASCAR, teams block for each other!!
I met John Force and his team at a restraunt in Englistown, NJ years ago....he's a blast and a wild guy, my favorite funny car man.
So what if john did let robert win that's not really cheating in fact he should've let him won and when the other guys get a big team like that they can do the same. pedregon needs to stop being a sore loser.
Not cheating. However, Tony is a snitch and should be treated as one.
If the shoe was on the other foot Tony would have taken a dive for his bro.
Actually listen to the video the brothers were in a similar situation but they raced all out and didn't take a dive for eachother
It is very poor business strategy if not
His team, his cars, quit cryin... beat em....
What can I say Mr. force it’s Lonely at the top keep kickin ass and takin names
Force is a team player, do what's best for the team. JF number 1#
Hight was a walking John Force impersonation during interview. Good driver though
Well John it appears he said it to your face
Lynn Dragoman Made sure a camera was there. And like John said " I'll kick your ass on the track". But he let his little girl handle the light work.
@@oicu812brazell8 he got called out and walked away with his tail between his legs. His little girl would have done better.
@@lynndragoman1573 ??? force would have decked that dude if people were not their to hold him back.....
what the fuck are you talking about???
.
any person that says "swing first".... or "try it".... is obviously the weaker dude.... relying on intimidation and the fact that cameras were around
.
if that was a street race.... with no media around.... force would have beat the shit out of that dude....
hell, anyone would have, in the same situation.
.
its like the 300 pound bully in high school
just looks big..... but will be hacking up a lung after one swing....
uses intimidation....
.
and the second the bully gets punched by a 115 pound twig
he goes and crys to the principal about "its not fair!!!!! he actually hit me when i asked him to "hit me then, pussy""!!!!!
@@kainhall LOLROFLMAO Force was there and if nobody held him back he still wouldn't have done anything because he threw the race and got caught cheating.
get over it that's just racing you do what you gotta do to win
but he didnt that year thats why cruz was in the position he was in
all you know for sure is that people get mad and go over the top when they're caught, not when the other way around. Generally speaking, the person staying most calm is probably being straight up.
John didn't cheat... They needed Drama so they "Projected it"...
It's similar to postseason baseball: the best (or in this case, fastest) team doesn't always win it all- just the team that wins at the right time. Force didn't cheat, he played the same game everyone else does, with legal equipment. No one bitches when football players run out the clock. That's the difference between Force and other drivers: Force plays to the hand that he's dealt, and wins championships. That man has done more for Funny Car racing than any other human.
Sour grapes man. Robert looked like he was having a good run in the right lane and not for the fire may have won. If you ever saw the TV series, John was always late when he was worried about his daughter in the race. Cruz and Tony need to suck it up and stop whinging!
You got to love the drama of racing it's their life when things don't go their way they get pretty pissed 😂😂
How is it cheating when it's your team that you're running against either way you win being a team player isn't against the rules Force was the BALLS
John Force is the MAN. He wins, he loses and he plays the game that is dealt to him and his team. To those that feel he manipulates the outcome of his races they need to think long and hard about how long he's been at this and what he's gone through to get where he and his team are now. He plays/drives to win, if winning means you have to lose occasionally then that is what he'll do too. It's about the end result and the Force Team putting themselves first.
its called taking one for the team. not cheating. cold blooded yeah, but a team win is cool too.
No it's called breaking the rules. Aka cheating soo....
John said 'He ain't my friend no More'!!!!!😂😭😂
It's not a sport without the business,
It’s racing. Teams are paid to win. JF has a job to win. PERIOD
Mark Lokken “Throwing” a race isn’t winning & never will be. If Tony wasn’t telling the truth John wouldn’t have thrown a temper tantrum. The Fans deserve an honest race & outcome. Not this WWE bullsh1t‼️
@@rickyrudd28texacohavolinef2 he reacted the way he did because that's who John is...he doesn't do well with the games...you throw shade on John "I'll beat you on the track and the pits" Force, you get what you get...he came up when real men didn't pull that passive/aggressive bullshit, you run your mouth, you get some new dental work....
Doesn't matter if John's a cheater or not. We all know Tony's a lityle girl whinner!
John has always been low class. But it's not his fault that motorsports have become a multi team sport. Harvick did the same thing long ago in NASCAR when he told his driver Ron Hornaday to let him by or else. Basically auto racing is entertainment, not a true sport.
He was 'butthurt' but calling it before it happens, then watching it happen..he has a point.
WifeBTR123: Sure he has a point, however: Tony Pedregon is a player himself, he's just as sold out as any other driver/teams to the same corporate-sponsored/political/game playing devils! How do I know? Because he wouldn't be racing at this level AND being interviewed on t.v. if he wasn't, would he? But hey, if he ain't happy racing funny cars, perhaps Tony could join up with the "Nitro Circus"! I bet that Travis Pastrana could teach him how to do back flips on a motorcycle!
He can stop it by going out there and winning it all though...
Mr. Force 'tried it' again recently with modded injectors and was fined $10,000...
Smokey Yunick reported smiling down from the great track in the sky.
"He's not my friend anymore" lol like a little kid.
No need to apologize for words said. Good content!
I like both the Force team and the Pedregon boys and yes, it is a team sport, but a lay down is still a lay down....and THAT was a lay down and everybody knows it.
Not a cheater, just a great racer! Others are jealous!
How is that 'cheating'?
.....one of his cars goes to the finals and gets the win.
...i call that strategy.
...hey tony,
You got beat by a girl!!!
I mean the part you say about being beat by a girl... really? What does gender have to do with driving funny cars, or dragsters, or any race car? Sure there is that man mentality that women can't drive but really? Do you think ANY sponsor would sponsor someone that can't drive? The sponsor people that win, that will be on the track over and over for people to see their brands slapped all over the cars. You are just a stereotypical male saying stupid shit. Sure there are some things women can't do as well as men, or have to put more effort then a man to get the same results due to body structure, however racing is not one of those things.
It was a joke.
You need to focus that energy on something productive.
Women body can take more G's than a men, but we get your point. They call John a cheat and yet they still loose even when John is not at the wheel.
@@normanguzman417 Short people can handle more g's; women just happen to be shorter on average.
peter Coffey that what wrong with Tony! He got beat by a girl! He could have helped his brother but chose not to so I guess it is his fault!
i hope these two never growup cuz this is part of the sport and we love it. and these two are the greatist of friends outside the track. good luck to both yaz,,
What kind of punk rats out and rags on his former boss like that? Uh, yea... Everybody knows people and teams take a dive sometimes for a draft choice or some other future consideration.
As others said, people who don't know a Funny Car from a Clown Car know who John Force is. Not many people in the Biz you can say that about.
Tony was 100% correct it makes zero sense for him to accept the crappy lane ! he really did cheat here he knew exactly what the car was going to do. the fact he was as angry as he was at pedregon solidifys it ! anger is fear turned outward force was afraid cause pedregon exposed him cheating and this is why Nhra has gone down the tubes , cause they encourage cheating and take the money instead of making it a legitimate sport!
tony was right
I remember watching that, screaming, "Throw a chair...somebody throw a chair!!!"
That was NHRA meets WWE meets Geraldo Rivera meets......GREAT TELEVISION!
Force didn't win 18 world champions by taking dives. Even if he did its not cheating. Mixing 98 nitro is cheating,which we probably will not see by anyone anytime soon.
Cody Maranto Agreed, big difference between strategy and cheating. The whole point of having a race team(more than one car) is to use your cars and drivers to increase the odds of your team winning the race.
hoghogwild Actually throwing a race IS cheating by NHRA rules. I don't really care one way or another. Robert is a friend of mine. The issue I had is when Force insulted the intelligence of everyone that actually has a clue by saying, oh the car made a move on it's own and drove it out of the groove...BS! Stevie Wonder could see he drove it over. I was on the line when it happened so I know better, but whatever. On another note the John Force most see on TV or meet when asking for an autograph is NOT the John you deal with as an employee. Ask Coil, Prock, Medlin and numerous other ex employees who have quit and gone to other teams. Add that he's damned lucky there were people at the big end that kept things from going any further because Tony, who boxes would of put Force on his ass in a heart beat lol.
MrNitrocat ya right
+MrNitrocat and whats your name if you were on the line you must be pretty important and guarantee you that you know nothing about what john force is like off the cameras.just because you buy a ticket every year to get in and make your rounds and get all the drivers autographs doesn't mean you know them or what they are like because any time I have been in john forces shop or in his trailer or out to supper with him hes one of the coolest guys ive ever met and I have never seen him treat anyone any different than they have treated him.Just because he is demanding and whats things done his way on his team doesn't mean he is a bad guy I'm demanding and want things done my way at my business too I guess that's the way owners of businesses are.
+Andrew Godfrey Buy a ticket...make rounds for autographs....priceless. If you want to be a Force fan boi and think he can do no wrong, that's fine and your prerogative. My points stand. A. Force threw that race B. Tony (former Golden Gloves boxing champ) would of knocked him out C. Crew chiefs that are being paid well with a successful team don't leave just for the hell of it...At the time I was a member of a different team and in Top Fuel not F/C so I didn't have a horse in that race, I just saw what everyone else did, Force drive it out of the groove... Going out to "supper" with Force, is a lot different than working for him. Being demanding is the way of most crew chiefs, you have to be, but the way you treat people is a completely different deal. Louis was always the good guy anyhow. So say what you will I made my points, it was 6 years ago so I won't be back. I have a ticket to moving on.
he said it to your faceJohn and you had to have them "hold me back" Tony Pedregon was not scurred LOL
Let's settle this once and for all: it was LEGAL cheating. Period. Who would have done differently given the same countdown parameters.
dave0mary bet you Tony would've done the same thing
If it’s legal it’s not cheating
there is no such thing as legal cheating in sports cheating is a illegal peroid tell that to pete ross
The man (John Force) is in the seat. He CHOOSES what he wants to do. I raced NHRA as a "little guy" for many years . If you get an advantage handed to you ,you should take it.
It's just tactics.
This my friend is a prime example of why the thing we call motor sports is slowly dying.