Building a Dream

John Force has seen Orange County’s open land get swallowed up quicker than the alcohol that fuels his Funny Car. From his home high on a hill in Yorba Linda, the eight-time world champion driver has seen orange groves replaced by strip malls and nearby ridges have been leveled to accommodate homes.

So when Force saw an opportunity to purchase an eight-acre plot adjacent to his Yorba Linda retail store, shop and museum, he moved quicker than a lighted Christmas tree in a staging area.

“I could have bought a ranch for $2 million outside of Dallas and had 100 acres and a big, old house like the one from ‘Gone With The Wind’ on it, but Texas isn’t my home,” Force said. “I came out here 20 years ago and what I really want to do is salvage my own little piece of Orange County before it’s gone.”

Escrow closed on the parcel two weeks ago, but Force already can picture a nostalgic atmosphere packed neatly into his corner of Savi Ranch, which looks up at the bustling Riverside Freeway.

“I want to make a small city walk where bands can play on Sunday, but I don’t know if I have the room to do all that I want to do,” Force said. “There’s only about five acres of buildable land, but the bottom line is, Graceland was built on 11 acres, and if Elvis can do what he did, then I think I’m in good shape.”

Force plans to lease out sections of the property for a hotel, a steakhouse and another smaller restaurant. He also foresees a small pond with a gazebo and stage, water fountains and studios for filming infomercials and other projects.

Force envisions a glass wall in the steakhouse, which would allow patrons to view performers in the studio.

“The concept is to build three 20,000-square-foot buildings,” Force said. “You build your restaurant up against those three studios, and if Reba McEntire is in town for four days shooting, then they could come in and watch her record.”

Force is part owner of Race Rock in Las Vegas and Orlando, which are two-level retail and interactive entertainment venues and full-service restaurants.

“But with those, the theme never changes,” Force said. “After a while, if the food doesn’t change and the theme doesn’t change, what do you got?”

Force, 50, initially inquired about purchasing the adjoining land three years ago, about the time he purchased his current facility, which was previously a car dealership. The bare lot originally belonged to a group of investors out of the area, but they never developed the land and it fell back into the hands of the city.

Force said the site will also allow additional parking for his museum, which has accommodated crowds of up to 20,000 for weekend car shows, and give out-of-town visitors a chance to stay overnight.

“Half the stuff I do is a pipe dream, but when I built this place it was a pipe dream,” Force said of his current complex, which has grown to 45,000 square feet.

Force also plans to build two bridges at a cost of $500,000 to connect the lots, and turn portions of the slope leading up to the new areas into staircases.

“Any kind of a builder would say these slopes aren’t worth anything, but these are priceless to me,” Force said. “You put a couple staircases out here where people can come and park their car and walk up the hill. People like to go and just stroll. There’s nowhere in the city where you can just walk. I’m going to create a little Knott’s Berry Farm, where people can come down here and walk at night.”

Like most of Force’s side projects, this one was inspired by his own life experiences.

His museum is decorated with memorabilia from the past, including one wall dedicated to his fallen heroes: Elvis, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. His antique collection, which grows by the week, includes bicycles, drive-in theater speakers, toy trucks and even a statue of Bob’s Big Boy.

“Long after I’m gone I hope there’s something to leave behind, for my kids and for the fans,” Force said. “Between our place and over there, we have about 14 acres. It’s not all buildable, but I think we can give people the Graceland of racing.”

INJURY UPDATE

Force injured his elbow in a scary incident last month while filming an infomercial for Speedvision, a 24-hour motor sports cable channel. The show involved Force cutting up one of his cars with a chain saw. The car pieces would then be signed and available for purchase. The car was positioned on a rotating device, which enabled it to mimic human gestures, as if it were listening to Force.

The car’s movements were all pre-timed, but Force miscalculated a scene and was hit in the back by the 2,300-pound vehicle, which threw him 50 feet and left him with a badly swollen elbow.

“Twenty-five years of racing, been on fire, crashed end-over-end, never been hurt,” Force said. “Then I get hit from behind while filming a show.”

The program will be featured on Speedvision SpeedShop at 3 p.m. on Sept. 20.