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Everyone loves a wheelstand, right? Seeing racers pulling gears with the wheels in the air is what got me hooked on drag racing all those moons ago, and I’d venture to guess that I’m not alone in that sentiment. Just look at how many classes out there prohibit wheelie bars. Sure, some will tell you that they are a chassis tuning aid, but others will tell you they’re a safety device. Many of the heads-up racers we know lobby for bars in their respective classes, if only to prevent the outcome of this video – they definitely would have been a welcome addition to this Cobra Jet owner’s stable.
The 11th Annual ABM Nationals, held in memory of Mustang fanatic Andrew “Krimpet” Bauer, was held at Cecil County Dragway last weekend and this Cobra Jet, wheeled by Mike Harris, was making passes in the cool fall air. The tree drops, the driver pulls two gears in the air, but you can see the car drifting left into the marbles almost immediately upon launch, and if you watch closely you can see the driver working the steering wheel while the car is in the air – another no-no. When the car comes down, it’s already pointed in the wrong direction, and from there you just know what’s coming.
Almost in slow motion, the car veers back towards the center of the lane before skirting the foam timing blocks and nosing into the wall. That’s not the end of the ride, however, as the car then completes a 180 before backing into the opposite wall and tagging the back bumper. The information we found says he was testing out a new set of tires and did not expect the car to react so violently.
Unfortunately we were unable to touch base with Harris, but the reports we have are that the driver was okay. His ego, and his $90,000 racecar? Not so much.
