A year after he flew out of Texas Motorplex in an Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter suffering from a compound fracture of the left ankle, broken bones in his hands, fingers, and toes, and ligament and tendon damage in his right knee, a pensive John Force made the return flight Monday.

A passenger in the same helicopter operated by the same crew that flew him to Baylor University Medical Center last Sept. 23 when his Ford Mustang broke apart at 300 mph, the 14-time NHRA POWERade Funny Car world champion returned to the track on which he suffered the worst crash of his 32-year NHRA Drag Racing career.

Force, who was met by track owner Billy Meyer, showed off safety improvements adapted since his crash and since the accident earlier this year that claimed the life of driver Scott Kalitta. He also accepted a proclamation from Ennis, Texas, Mayor Russell R. Thomas declaring John Force Day in that city.

"I wanted to know what it was like to come back," said an emotional Force, who will return to the Motorplex in a more formal capacity this week as one of the Funny Car contenders at the 23rd annual O'Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec. It's the second race in NHRA's Countdown to the Championship playoff series.

After his 2007 crash, the 59-year-old Force underwent seven hours of reconstructive surgery and spent 27 days at Baylor before being released to continue his rehabilitation at home in Yorba Linda, Calif.

"This ain't good for me," Force told those assembled Monday. "I'm a comedy act, usually, [but] it was strange when I got back in [the helicopter]; it kind of scared me. The smell, you remember, and the chopper noise. But I also remembered the lady [flight nurse Kim Loflin] that held my hand and told me everything would be all right.

"In all the hero stuff, yelling and screaming that I was gonna be back racing the next week, I really kinda thought [my career] was over. But your biggest fear," said the 126-time winner on the POWERade tour, "is that you ain't gonna see your kids again.

"This was very emotional for me. But I'm glad I did it. Billy's a racer. He knows what this is about, and that was the best feeling when I looked down from the helicopter and saw what he's done. He's added guardwall, and he's tripled the size of the sand trap even though his track already is one of the longest we have."

Addressing the Air Evac team, to which he presented autographed hats and diecast model cars, Force said, "When you think your life's on the line, to have people you don't even know come to help you, that's what's so great about America. I could have bled to death. That's what they were worried about, but they got me to Baylor, and then the doctors there took such good care of me, putting me back together. I can never repay any of them for what they did."