Camaro Takes Impressive Win at NHRA Midwest Nationals, then Explodes!

Fortunately, Robert Hight walked away from his Camaro funny car after the fiery crash, seemingly without injury.

This past weekend, Robert Hight drove his John Force Racing Chevrolet Camaro funny car to victory at the NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park. Hight’s third event win of the season moved up into the top spot in the championship battle with just four races remaining on the season, but this big win had a scary finish.

As the Camaro rocketed across the line, beating the Ford Mustang of Tim Wilkerson, the engine exploded, the car burst into flames and Hight was unable to keep it off of the wall. The car hit the wall so hard that the body flew over the safety fence into an area with fans, but luckily, no one was injured. This includes Hight, who walked away from the crash, and you can watch the incident unfold in the video above from the NHRA YouTube channel.

Hight Dominates at Gateway

This past weekend started off beautifully for Robert Hight and the other John Force Racing team Chevrolet Camaro funny cars. Hight qualified in the top spot and Courtney Force qualified third while team boss John Force turned in the ninth-quickest time in qualifying. Both Force family members would both lose in the second round of eliminations, but Hight beat Dale Creasy, John Force and Tommy Johnson Jr. to secure a place in the final round.

Meanwhile, Wilkerson and his Ford Mustang beat Matt Hagan, Courtney Force, and J.R. Todd to setup a meeting with Hight in the finals. This was Wilkerson’s third final round of the year, having lost the previous two. For Hight, it was final round number five, having won twice earlier this season.

In the final round, Hight grabbed the hole shot lead with an .057 reaction time to Wilkerson’s .075 and his Camaro just kept on pulling away. Towards the end of the run, the Mustang lost power first, followed by the Chevy, so both cars turned in lackluster times. Hight won with a 4.036 at 276 miles per hour (he qualified first with 3.844 at 326) while Wilkerson could only muster a 4.413 at 201 miles per hour.

Hight got the win light, but we he crossed the line, the fact that he was moving into the top spot in the championship run was probably the last thing on his mind.

The Explosion

Hight’s Camaro lost power shortly before the finish line and right as he crossed the line, the car exploded. Flames poured from every opening in the fractured body as the car wandered to the left side of the track, slamming into the wall and ejecting the body up over the safety fence. It flew through the air, hitting one of the monitors in the spectator area and falling to the ground, but no fans were injured.

As for Hight, he was able to quickly get out of the car and walk away from the fiery wreckage. He was taken to the hospital for evaluation, which is normal for any driver involved in a crash like this one, but it seems as though he walked away without any injury as well.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com