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A lucky drag racer has had a miraculous escape after his monster car crashed and burst into flames just seconds into a race.
Dramatic video footage shows the moment Kevin Chapman’s car spun out of control and crashed into the track walls at the Santa Pod Raceway in Northamptonshire on Saturday.
Shocked crowds looked on as the vehicle careered into a barrier before catching fire and ended upside down just seconds after it set off in the 10,000 horsepower Funny Car Cup series.
The Ford Mustang’s safety parachutes were deployed and its bodywork instantly came away from the motor.
Amazingly, defending champion Kevin climbed out without any injuries and walked away from the crash to generous applause from the crowd.
The video shows the horror crash from multiple different angles, including several almost directly opposite the car’s final stopping point.
The vehicle, which is covered in white and blue bodywork, sets off from the race course starting line overlooked by hundreds of fans.
Within a matter of seconds the car can be seen careening towards the left-hand side of the course before the driver loses total control.
The car spins, striking the barrier head-on as it flips over and an enormous fireball consumes the vehicle, appearing to originate from its front.
Fortunately the bodywork was detached instantly and drag chutes triggered, allowing the driver to escape without serious injury.
Members of the crowd can be seen reacting with shock and fear as the incident unfolds.
Onlookers were left shocked after the vehicle burst into flames just a couple of seconds after beginning the race
Kevin Chapman’s Ford Mustang span out of control before hitting the barrier, flipping onto its roof and bursting into flames
One camera angle watches the car’s tragic course from just behind the start line, showing team members and mechanics watch the explosion before running towards the vehicle.
The video then cuts to audience video at the scene after an unknown amount of time, where a large group of people as well as two ambulances and several other vehicles can be seen gathered around the remains of the drag car.
Early investigations into the crash, which happened on Saturday, May 28, suggest a loose body panel may have jammed the car’s fuel injector mechanism.
Safety equipment in the car – including a roll cage, multi-layered fire suit and crash helmet – was thought to have protected him from the worst of the impact.
Early investigations into the crash suggest a loose body panel may have jammed the car’s fuel injector mechanism causing the huge explosion at the race course
The video shows the incident from multiple different angles thanks to members of the audience filming it on their smartphones
Mr Chapman told local TV news after the event: ‘When I left the start line the car veered to the right.
‘I came off the throttle to pull the car straight, then reapplied the power to continue the run but unfortunately the right rear tyre had more traction than the left and turned me hard left into the wall.
‘These machines have 10,000 bhp and are very unforgiving. As you can see, it was a huge crash – but I walked away totally uninjured.’
He had been due to race again in July but it is unlikely the car will be repaired in time to do so.
A spokesman for Santa Pod Raceway in Wellingborough said: ‘We are thankful for the high safety standards maintained in drag racing which saved driver Kevin Chapman from harm in the accident.
Safety mechanisms instantly triggered upon the car igniting which led to the bodywork separating and drag chutes being triggered
‘Kevin was thoroughly checked over at our medical centre and found to be uninjured, for which we are all grateful.
‘Kevin’s next race in the Funny Car was scheduled for an event in July but it is unlikely that the car will be repaired in time.
‘We all wish Kevin and his team well and look forward to their return to the track whenever they are ready.’
Funny Cars, developed in the USA in the 1960s, can reach 300mph in just four seconds.
The weekend saw the second round of Santa Pod’s Funny Car Cup series taking part at the racetrack in Wellingborough. Kevin had previously won the first round at Easter.
Santa Pod Raceway, dubbed the European home of drag racing, is a quarter-mile drag racing strip that was converted from a disused US Air Force base in 1966.
It gets its name from combing Santa – as a nod to Southern California – and Podington, the name of the airfield and closest village.
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