NHRA legend John Force remains in ICU after suffering injuries in crash at Virginia Nationals

NHRA drag racing icon and 16-time champion John Force remains in the intensive care unit of a Virginia trauma hospital after being injured in a crash during the first round of Sunday's NHRA Virginia Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park. According to a statement by John Force Racing, the 75-year-old continues to be observed and evaluated as to the extent of his injuries.

Force won his first-round Funny Car race when his car suffered an explosion past the finish line, sending it veering into the other lane and into a concrete wall at an estimated 302 mph. Force's car then spun and briefly went airborne before a secondary impact in his original lane.

Force was said to be conscious and speaking with safety personnel before being transported via helicopter to a nearby medical center. According to John Force Racing, attending doctors were purposely moving slowly in assessing the full extent of his injuries due to the force of the impact, and medical staff will not provide a treatment and recovery timetable until a total evaluation is completed.

Updates on Force's condition will be released at the discretion of the medical staff.

Force is the most prolific and accomplished racer in NHRA history, with 157 race wins and 16 Funny Car titles. He is currently second in this year's points standings behind John Force Racing driver Austin Prock and has won two of the first eight races of the season.

Force's career has not been without its share of serious accidents. In 2007, Force suffered a broken ankle and dislocated wrist among other injuries in a crash at the Fall Nationals in Texas, causing him to miss the remainder of that season.