The world of John Force
First-ever biography of drag racing’s most charismatic, dominant driver
“John Force is the greatest funny car racer ever. He’s done more in a quarter-mile than I’ve done in my whole life.” – Bill, from an episode of King of the Hill in which John Force makes a guest appearance
He’s the fastest mouth in motorsports and arguably the most dominant American race driver in modern times. With 13 NHRA championships and more than 130 wins, drag racer John Force has a victory record rivaling NASCAR legends Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty (he has fewer race wins than Petty, but more championships than both).
In John Force: The Straight Story of Drag Racing’s 300-mph Superstar – the first biography on Force – veteran drag race reporter Erik Arneson follows his rags-to-riches journey from a grassroots, dirt-poor racer to NHRA champion and superstar. The book covers his childhood through the many years spent dragging rag-tag equipment to races behind his camper truck, his eventual partnership with veteran crew chief Austin Coil and the successful string of electrifying driving performances that followed.
More than 150 color photographs by premier drag racing photographer Jon Asher and other great shooters in the sport accompany the story of this outspoken, outrageous, fast-driving folk hero.
About the Author
Erik Arneson is a former journalist who worked at USA Today for 10 years as a design editor and motorsports writer, specializing in NHRA drag racing. In 1998, he received the NHRA Media Award “in recognition of journalistic excellence and outstanding coverage of the NHRA drag racing series.”
The following year, Arneson left the newspaper business for motorsports public relations, managing accounts for NASCAR, Clear Channel Motorsports and SPEED Channel (then Speedvision) for the Charlotte, N.C.-based Cotter Group. During this time, he continued to cover professional drag racing as a columnist for RacingOne.com.
He published his first book in 2003, an official biography with drag racer Darrell Gwynn entitled Darrell Gwynn at Full Throttle: Triumphs and Tragedies from a Life Lived at Speed. Arneson currently is the media relations director for SPEED Channel and resides in Charlotte with his wife and children.
John Force: The Straight Story of Drag Racing’s 300-mph Superstar, by Erik Arneson with photography from Jon Asher
Hardcover, 8 1/4 x 10 5/8, 160 pages, photos: 150 color, 25 black-and-white, ISBN: 0-7603-2221-X, £16.99 (UK)
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