Adria Hight Cause of Death: John Force’s Daughter Dies at 56
She worked the phones, sold merch, and became CFO. Adria Hight’s legacy runs deeper than most fans knew.
Published May 5 2026, 10:11 a.m. ET
Adria Hight, the eldest daughter of NHRA legend John Force, has died at 56. She was part of one of motorsports’ most famous families and helped build John Force Racing from the inside out.
According to her obituary from Roselawn Funeral Home & Memorial Park, Adria passed away peacefully on April 28 in Indianapolis, Indiana, with her family by her side. She was born on June 4, 1969, in Huntington Park, Calif., and later lived in Terre Haute, Ind. Now, folks are looking into her passing, as racing fans want to know what caused her death.
What was Adria Hight’s cause of death?
Adria’s official cause of death has not been publicly disclosed. Her obituary states that she “passed away peacefully,” but it does not list a medical condition or specific cause. Her family plans to hold private services, with burial at Roselawn Memorial Park in Terre Haute, Ind. A celebration of life will take place later in California.
Adria played a big role behind one of the biggest names in drag racing. After graduating from Huntington Beach High School, she joined her father’s drag racing business as one of the first employees of John Force Racing. According to Autoweek, Adria answered phones, sold T-shirts out of the race trailer, and later became CFO of one of the winningest teams in motorsports history.
She also had a creative side. Her obituary notes that she loved music, sang and played tambourine in a band called Mad Man Billy, and promoted rising artists through her company Civil Defense Music. Loved ones described her as “loyal, charismatic, spunky, wild, and cool.”
Who is John Force?
John is Adria’s father and one of the most successful drag racers in history. He is a 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion with 157 career Funny Car wins, according to John Force Racing. He won his first NHRA pro tour event on June 28, 1987, at Sanair Raceway in Quebec, Canada. From there, he became the driver everyone had to chase.
He is also the holder of more all-time records than any driver in NHRA history. Overall, his racing organization has won 24 NHRA world championships, and his daughters, Ashley, Brittany, and Courtney, also became major names in the sport.
John officially retired from competition in November 2025, about 17 months after a serious crash at Virginia Motorsports Park. He was emotional, blunt, and grateful when he explained the decision.
“I really love NHRA, but I am officially done with driving,” John said. “I’ve said so many times, ‘Until this race car kills me, they're gonna have to drag me out of the seat.’ But the truth is, I was dragged out of the seat at Richmond, and they thought it killed me then. So, I'm lucky that I'm back walking. They always say never say never, but I have grandchildren with [daughter] Courtney and Graham [Rahal], with [daughter] Ashley and Danny [Hood], and now Brittany's retired because she wants to have children.”