Damn. Plus and minus. He is only a year younger than I, and part of that may well be birthday month. A quick search "may" have shown that no other driver is even close to John in age, in top fuel.
Force (John) drives in Fuel Funny Car not Top Fuel. And that matters because in Top Fuel, Chris Karamesines still holds the oldest active driver award. He drove in to his 80s. John force gets that title in Funny Car.