Kris Thorne, the reigning NHRA FuelTech Pro Mod Drag Racing Series champion, was unhurt Saturday evening in a wild accident at the NHRA Nevada Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Thorne, the points leader coming into the series’ championship season finale, was racing alongside Signei Frigo in the opening round of eliminations when he lost control of his Bahrain 1 Racing, ProCharger-boosted Camaro, struck the retaining wall, and flipped onto his roof.

Thorne had already watched number three in points, Mike Castellana, advance on to round two, and was well aware of the need to maintain pace and not allow Castellana nor second-place Justin Bond to gain any points on him. The series’ new Road to the Championship points format awards 30 points per round at the Las Vegas event, meaning the winner of the event can tack on 120 points on a driver that exits in round one. Justin Bond entered eliminations trailing by just 31 points, and Castellana by 50.

Said Kris Thorne, “I just got crossed up. I didn’t do a good job driving…I should have lifted. You get caught up in things, championship stuff on the line and just over-drove it and didn’t do a good job.” He added, “I don’t care who you are, you get in predicaments like this, your mind’s not right and you do stupid things.”