John Force on Wally Parks passing

John Force on the death of NHRA founder Wally Parks:

"I'm laying in the hospital after crashing at Dallas, thinking about Eric Medlen and his dad, like I do every day, and the call came in about the loss of Wally Parks. It saddened my heart. There couldn't be a greater loss for the sport because this is the individual who gave us a dream and gave us a playground. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and I just pray that Wally's legacy continues, that the NHRA's current commanders and chiefs take the sport to the level it deserves. NASCAR did it and, if we all work together, we can do it, too. Wally always said this was a family sport and no one knows that better than me. To have my family here during my recovery and to have my extended family of fans and friends sending their wishes has given me the heart to come back from the worst wreck of my career. If I can, I know I owe it to Wally because he saw something special in drag racing. I love this sport just like he did and we'll always have that bond."

-credit: jfr