Over the weekend, X-DRL Top Dragster racer Dan Phelps rode out one of the scariest blowover accidents in recent memory while competing at the series’ X-Treme Gateway Showdown at the Gateway Motorsports Park near St. Louis. Phelps, from nearby Labadie, Mo., was making his third qualifying shot at the Gateway 1/8-mile on Friday evening when his brand new Race Tech dragster, reportedly with just four runs on it in total, headed skyward straight from the hit. Before reaching the 330-foot mark the dragster was already nearly vertical, and just when it appeared to be headed back down, the wind and momentum took hold and sent the car straight up, where rather than go over backward as is common with most blowover incidents, it pirouetted on the four-link tail for a couple of revolutions and then slammed down on its side.

Phelps had earlier run a 4.28 at 164 mph to put himself fourth in the 12-car qualifying order, so this dragster was certainly making a ton of power and clearly enough to bring the front wheels off the ground. After a few tense moments after safety personnel arrived, Phelps was pulled from the battered race car, shaken up and hurt in the wallet, but otherwise uninjured. Further inspection of the car in the pit area showed the chassis twisted forward of the driver’s footbox, and possibly twisted between the cage and the rear end, as well. Certainly an unfortunate incident magnified by the fact that it was such a new race car. Most importantly, however, is that Phelps will race another day.

Video courtesy of X-DRL/MotormaniaTV