Larry Dixon Wreck - Spectators of the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Florida's Auto Plus Raceway on Saturday feared for the worst after Larry Dixon's Top Fuel car suddenly disintegrated and leapt into the air at top speed, but the 48-year-old driver somehow managed to escape the horrific accident without any injuries.
Dixon had covered about three-quarter of the track and was performing impressively at about 280mph when the nose of his car suddenly flies into the air. The cockpit of the car, along with the engine and rear portion, is also thrown into the air - reaching about 20 feet before plummeting back to the floor to crash against the wall. Meanwhile, the nose of the car lands far behind it.
It was a heartbreaking moment as fans watched safety officials and rush to the mangled vehicle. But, to everyone's relief, Dixon walked out of the crash unharmed. He even waved at the crowd after being removed from the wreck.
"It's like a roller-coaster ride that flies off the track," Dixon described his accident to the press."Now what are you going to do? You just have to wait to land and hope everything does its job for you."
"I was just wanting it to land on the track and not in the dirt. That's the biggest deal. Going that fast, you can tumble. That isn't good for your insides. Everything did its job. My car's a mess, but I'm still here."
It is still unclear what caused Dixon's car to fly off into the air and disintegrate. Reports indicate that the vehicle was only released to his team on Sunday and their experts are yet to ascertain the problem.
Due to the crash, Dixon has been forced to pull out of the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals. Despite his team being offered a chassis by other teams, Dixon explained that it would have been impossible for his team to have the car ready on time.
"It's like Joe Gibbs loaning his race car to Jeff Gordon," Dixon explained."That's very nice of him, but that car is a Toyota, and now Jeff has to put all of his Chevrolet equipment into it. And he can't start working on it until about three hours before the race. And then he has to give it back to him after the race."
Dixon, whose father Larry Dixon Sr. won the Top Fuel Eliminator in 1970, has won about 62 races. He drives for Bob Vandergriff Jr.
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