Auto Racing Digest

NHRA: Alcohol Funny Car driver escapes massive fire at U.S. Nationals (VIDEO)

It's rare that you see a fire in the Alcohol Funny Car class, but Chris Zgoda fortunately was able to walk away

Jerry Bonkowski

NHRA: Alcohol Funny Car driver escapes massive fire at U.S. Nationals (VIDEO)
NHRA: Alcohol Funny Car driver escapes massive fire at U.S. Nationals (VIDEO) /

Chris Zgoda drives an Alcohol Funny Car, but there was nothing funny about an incident he endured during Saturday's qualifying rounds at the NHRA Dodge Power Brokers U.S. Nationals in suburban Indianapolis.

Zgoda was competing in a run against Andy Bohl, who wound up taking the win light. But Zgoda had a light of his own, as his Funny Car lit up in a massive fireball, a rarity typically not seen in the Alcohol ranks.

Fortunately, Zgoda was able to escape the fire through the escape hatch above the driver's seat, but his car was a total loss.

Check out the video, courtesy of NHRA:

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Jerry Bonkowski
JERRY BONKOWSKI

@JerryBonkowski is an award-winning writer/columnist/editor who has specialized primarily in motorsports -- most notably coverage of NASCAR, IndyCar and NHRA -- for much of his 30-plus-year career. He has worked full-time for many of the largest media brands including USA Today, ESPN, Yahoo and NBC. He started AutoRacingDigest.com in partnership with Sports Illustrated in 2022 and serves as the site's editor and publisher. He also is a regular contributor to Autoweek.com and NASCAR.com. Follow Jerry on Twitter @JerryBonkowski

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