More often than not, it takes an unfortunate experience to make people realize the immense value of life and time. For rookie racecar driver and Driving Force costar Ashley Force, the unfortunate experience came in the form of the September 23 car accident that left her father, John Force, with serious injuries.
Despite the accident, Ashley Force, who rushed to her father on a golf cart following the crash at the O’Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals, has expressed her gratitude for having been given another chance to be with her father.
“After that long golf cart ride, I’ll never take [quality time with the family] for granted again,” she wrote on her MySpace blog last week. “I’m getting a second chance at being a good daughter.”
Ashley Force, whose family is the center of A&E’s Driving Force, also attributed her father’s survival to the late Eric Medlen, the NHRA Top Fuel Funny Car driver who passed away in March after losing control of his funny car during a test session at Gainesville, Florida.
“I truly believe that Eric was watching over dad [during] that fateful run as I’m sure he watches over all the drivers,” she mused on her blog, “and we think of him and talk about him all the time and thank him for this second chance.”
Currently, John is still recovering from his injuries at Baylor University Medical Center. Ashley Force, along with other family members and friends, has been by her father’s side since he was admitted at the hospital.
“Dad is working really hard doing physical therapy and stretching, healing and gaining his strength and there have been a lot of good moments that I wouldn’t trade for anything though I wish it wasn’t under these circumstances,” Ashley said. “My mom [Laurie], boyfriend Danny, brother-in-law Robert, my sisters Adria, Brittany and Courtney and niece Autumn, along with my cousin Bryan, and co-worker Chad, have spent many days in this room with dad watching football games, telling stories and jokes, and just spending a lot of quality time together that most of us take for granted.”
She also commended all the people who have continued to show their support for her father and family.
“They are all here for us during the good times like winner’s circle and also the hard times like these last few weeks,” the Driving Force costar said.
-Lisa Claustro, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: Ashley Force MySpace
(Image Courtesy of johnforceracing.com)
Staff Columnist, BuddyTV
