SIGNATURE PROFILES
© 1999-2001 Dwight Drum
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SIGNATURE PROFILES
© 1999-2001 Dwight Drum
DOB: May 4, 1949
Home Town: Yorba Linda, California
Story and questions by Dwight Drum
Photos by Gary Larsen and Dwight Drum
At first I envisioned an interview with John Force would be like sipping an expressio cup of adrenaline. I've seen many of John's interviews, and know that his persona erupts. When it's your job to catch his words, you need to be ready for verbal lava. I prepared to be powered over, because I know that John Force is a take-over-type-person. I'm not anticipating rudeness from him, I simply expect him to dominate the conversation as he dominates the wins on the NHRA tracks around the country.
It's always my job to catch answers to questions. Normally I don't tape my interviews, normally I write answers on a notepad. Gary Larsen asked if I had everything ready for John Force. My answer, "I've got my recorder powered up and six tapes ready." Gary asked…"Is the recorder double speed?" No, I'd have to deal with present technology, and be content with taping John and writing furiously on a fat note pad. Just like a 'John Force Burnout', like his smoking preparation to many wins, we need to be ready. If we prepare we will have a better chance of insuring his words will linger in cyberspace a lot longer than his burnout smoke will linger in the air. We know we are privileged to have the opportunity to get close to the inner fire of John Force…after the burnout…after the run.
AFTER I INTERVIEWED JOHN FORCE…My Thoughts >I found it might be easier to gulp an expressio cup of adrenaline, perhaps learn how to tame electricity, or maybe even perfect a way to collect shadows than to try to control an interview with John Force. During our fine hour with John, I probably used my own adrenaline, but I wasn't ready to be pointed to the nearest electrical outlet, hands ready, nor was I about to try to peel shadows off the ground. Still, a face-to-face interview with John Force will bring about big changes in your life. He has a personal impact that exceeds his incredible Elapsed Times. Having survived an interview with John, I'm not the same person I was before the sixty minutes of rapid words with "THE MAN" of drag racing. I'm different now, even though (thankfully) I haven't got a grasp on electricity, or lost my shadow… I am changed…forever...for the better.
Leave your shadow at the threshold of John's motor home, nudge your way in between us, and get ready to be plugged in…
"I'd like to think I was a good race car driver, but I've proved that. I think the time I spend with the fans, getting along, blending with everybody…blue-collar people on. I have spent a lot of years out here, and they have built my popularity, bought our endorsements. I think it's more than being a winner, it's how you work with the sponsors, and the fans, and the running of the team, the camaraderie of the team. Running three teams is tough, knowing each player by their name, it gets tougher and tougher."
What's most important?"Breathing…That's pretty important…My children…and just flat being happy…Anything that creates happiness. I don't base my life on an ET slip. I did that for twenty-five years and I'm still trying…Just being happy. It's not fame. It's not money. Thrill and the fun, that's cool. Winning…obviously. If you are happy in life, you have all of the above. "
Do you have a nickname?"Not really. It was 'Brute Force' for years."
If you have heroes, who?"Elvis, probably number one. I'm a big fan. I call him a hero, he was just someone I loved. He motivated, and traveled the country in a car, circus style, just like we do. He tried to do something in life. He wasn't chasing money. He was chasing the cheer of the crowd. That's why he retired, made movies, and then got back to singing on stage. Like that Hawaiian deal, it was all based on people, and maybe he needed money too.
In racing, Don Prudhomme is the guy I look up to the most. I'm inspired by my dad, and looked to my dad for guidance. Also…Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty. Petty taught me a lot about being near the fans. He doesn't know he taught me. I watched him at a number of races when I was younger. He never gave up the fans. And Earnhardt…I've been in business with him, doing stuff with the Action Collectable Group, with the Collector Car Series, and maybe because his life was shortened. That's a heartbreaker. You base your life on people who are around you who are great. In Funny Cars, it was Don Prudhomme. I look what people have accomplished like Richard Petty and Earnhardt, and I try to set my goals after those people. I've said this before, when we lost Earnhardt, we didn't lose a legend, we lost a way of life. Those boys down in the South are still getting up and not knowing which direction to go with their cars. Some have asked me …'What do we do now?' You go out there and follow his son, and I hope the kid can live up to his old man."
When driving a car, do you always wear a seatbelt?"Yeah, pretty much. If it's not one of my stupid days."
Do you have time for a hobby?"I have a car collection. I collect Harley-Davidsons, classic cars, old Cadillacs, new Dodge Vipers, Cobras. I got into buying furniture. I got as bad as a housewife buying furniture. I've bought a number of old homes, and completely redone them myself. I like buying antiques, a lot of reproduction stuff. Bicycles built for three, Wurlitzer pianos and Juke boxes, old stuff like statues of Betty Boop. I purchased a Marilyn Monroe a few weeks ago with her skirt blowing up. I have toy collections too."
My mom and dad worked hard to give us everything. I had a toy log truck when I was a kid, and it was thrown out in the trash when I grew up. My dad was a logger and hauled cows too. My family was gypsies. I spent most of my life in a bus or a trailer. Here I am, back in a trailer, and some of my neighbors are the best of the best, like Kenny Bernstein down the road. I collect the toys I never had. My brother Louie restored the logging truck toy to its original colors. He chased all over the country trying to find parts for it. He traced down the original manufacturer…US Toys. They were out of business, but Louie got the name of the owner in Portland. The owner was dead. He found the owners son, and they went to an old garage where some of the toys were stored, and got the axle and rear tires to complete the logging truck. It sits on my desk today, a green and yellow logging truck. Louie knew it was important to me, and he dedicated it to the memory of Dale Earnhardt. I told Louie let's not do an injustice. Maybe I'll do a whole car in the memory of Dale Earnhardt…'The Intimidator.' He was awesome.
END PART ONE … PART TWO…. NEXT
