Yorba Linda/Corona fire gives John Force a scare
The brush fire that was spreading in the Yorba Linda/Corona area on Saturday came too close to home at the NHRA Finals drag races at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona.
As plumes of black smoke from the fire filled the southern horizon at the drag strip, John Force -- the 14 time funny-car champion and a team owner -- burst into the media center to say the fire was threatening his Yorba Linda headquarters, along with homes of some team members.
"They just evacuated Robert's house," Force said, referring to driver Robert Hight, who's hoping to win the sport's funny car championship Sunday.
Force, wearing his racing fire suit because he still had one more qualifying run ahead, leaned over reporters' shoulders to look at websites tracking the fire. He pointed to maps displayed on their laptops and tried to calculate the distance between the flames and his property.
"It will be all right," said the irrepressible Force. But some reporters who live in the fire area, or have relatives there, already had packed up and left Pomona.
Nature already has taken a toll on Force this year. In July, several crystal trophies broke when a 5.4 earthquake shook the Yorba Linda area.
-- Jim Peltz
Photo (top): Traffic flows in the same direction on both sides of the 241 toll road after a brush fire shut down the 91 Freeway in Yorba Linda on Saturday. Creidt: Mark Avery / Associated Press
Photo (inset): Funny car drag racer John Force during the NHRA Carolinas Nationals at the Zmax Dragway in Concord, N.C., on Sept. 13. Credit: Rusty Jarrett / Getty Images.
omg i am so sosrry about this fire. and everybody who had to evacutate
be safe everyone:)
Posted by: Chelsea | November 17, 2008 at 08:32 AM
I am Yorba Linda resident and now I know how it feels to evacuate. It was a torture to my family and me. We had to pack in a hurry but what you pack. It was eye-opening incident.
Chandrakant Patel
Posted by: Chandrakant Patel | November 17, 2008 at 04:56 PM
JOHN, YOU ARE MY FAVORITE DRIVER..I WATCH YOU ALL THE TIME...IF IAM NOT GOING TO BE HOME I RECORD YOU...MY HUSBAND AND OUR KIDS ARE FANS AS WELL..WE LIVE IN FULLERTON...ABOUT 10MIN FROM YOUR SHOP IN YORBA LINDA...I HOPE THAT SOME DAY I CAN SEE YOU IN PERSON AT THE RACES AND HOPEFULLY GET TO MEET YOU...MY HUSBAND WENT TO ONE OF YOUR RACES AND BROUGHT ME A PINSTON SIGNED BY YOU I WAS VERY EXCITED...AND HE BOUGHT ME A DIE CAST OF YOUR CAR FOR MY BIRTHDAY..I WAS VERY HAPPY.....I WAS WONDERING IF YOUR SHOP IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC...I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT.....
Posted by: carrie allers | February 09, 2009 at 06:30 PM
on that fire john force has money to rebuild do you think if i went to him as a resident told him i lost my house do you think he would care. john force is all for himself hes to old to race take the money and run. yes john let the world know that you care.CARE ONLY FOR YOUR SELF......
Posted by: DAVID SMITH | March 15, 2009 at 08:34 PM
The above comment was uncalled for. The one by David Smith.
If you have nothing good to say, just keep it to yourself. In this day and world we need more people like the Force. I have met them and they are good people.
Just keep to yourself David. You sound bitter and lonely.
Posted by: Lisa Harris | March 16, 2009 at 05:44 PM
David Smith needs to calm down. The Forces are all good people.
His comments were all uncalled for.
Posted by: Lisa Harris | March 16, 2009 at 05:57 PM
I have a john force signed tee and trying to
Sale. ANY BODY?
Posted by: Kaitlin | June 13, 2009 at 07:38 PM