Recovering Force eyes return in Feb. 7 opener

INCLINE VILLAGE -- John Force carefully positioned himself on the seat, and his hands firmly grabbed hold of the grips.

His expression matched the one he has when he approaches a starting line strapped inside a Funny Car.

But the 14-time champion wasn't racing against a clock as much as a calendar.

Force spent the last 10 days of 2007 with his family at their home in this village on the northern shore of Lake Tahoe.

Each morning began with stretching exercises before a short ride to a nearby gym for one-hour workouts.

"I don't think I've been to a gym to work out since I was in high school," he said.

The 56-year-old is nearing the end of strenuous physical rehabilitation from injuries sustained in a Sept. 23 racing crash.

He spent a month in a Dallas hospital and underwent surgeries to repair a severely dislocated left wrist and compound fracture of his right ankle. A bone-deep laceration to his right knee, broken fingers and lacerations on his right hand have healed.

Screws have been removed from the injured wrist, but rods will remain in his right leg.

He was able to walk from machine to machine without a walker, crutch or assistance.

He said he's confident he'll be ready for the Feb. 7 opener in Pomona, Calif., and the last hurdle will be getting his left ankle strong enough so he can escape the car if needed.

• GAUGHAN TESTING -- Brendan Gaughan will sub for Robby Gordon during Sprint Cup testing beginning Monday at Daytona International Speedway while Gordon is competing in the Dakar Rally in Africa through Jan. 20.

Gaughan has not lined up a driving job for this season. His family's South Point Racing team in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has closed its operation.

• LAS VEGAS TESTING -- Las Vegas Motor Speedway will host top teams in NASCAR and NHRA over the next four weeks. Several pro drag-racing teams will be at the dragstrip Jan. 18-20 and Feb. 1-3. Sprint teams will be on the 1.5-mile oval Jan. 28-29 with Nationwide teams there the following two days.

• MEMORIAM -- Howard Lee, executive producer of "This Week at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway," died recently. He spearheaded the former show that highlighted weekly racing at the speedway's Bullring.

Contact reporter Jeff Wolf at jwolf@ reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0247.