NHRA Funny Car racer Alexis DeJoria was unhurt after a wild explosion during Friday’s second round of qualifying at the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways in Seattle.

DeJoria, driver of the Patrón XO Café Incendio Toyota Camry, was sitting twelfth during a fast and furious session at the third and final stop on the annual Western Swing when her Tommy Delago-tuned machine dropped a cylinder near the finish line, erupting with all of hells’ fury and sending the body of the car flying high into the air.

Despite the brutal concussion, DeJoria wheeled the chassis to a safe stop, climbed from the cockpit, and gave the fans and her crew back at the starting line the all-clear that she was unharmed. And because no oil was deposited on the race track, her 4.08-second pass at a slowing 299 mph stood, moving her up to eighth in the order.

Her crew worked into the late evening hours and returned on Saturday, but she was unable to improve on either of the day’s sessions leading into eliminations. On race day, she ousted Courtney Force in round one before falling to the elder Force in the second stanza.

“It was definitely an exciting race for our team, more exciting than the rest of them this year for reasons that everyone knows,” said DeJoria. “Aside from that, we gained some good points this weekend and are leaving here tied for the ninth spot and are headed to Brainerd in a week. We still hold the track record; last year, we ran a three, and you never know what can happen.”

Photo courtesy NHRA/National Dragster