00:01A drag racing driver escaped a terrifying fireball
00:04after his car's engine exploded during qualifying in Las Vegas
00:08Daniel Wilkerson was racing alongside J.R. Todd
00:11at the NHRA Las Vegas Nationals
00:14when his funny car suddenly lost traction
00:16and erupted in flames
00:22Oh, Daniel Wilkerson
00:23A huge fire, he's into the wall
00:26He clipped the wall with the rear tire
00:28He's got it straightened out
00:30The body came off of it
00:32There was a massive fire
00:33The explosion ripped apart the car's body
00:35sending debris flying as Wilkerson struggled
00:38to maintain control and scrape the safety wall
00:40Wilkerson managed to stop and escape without injury
00:43His crew immediately began preparing a backup car
00:46hoping to return for the final qualifying session