For drag racers utilizing nitrous oxide in potent quantities — and particularly those in the Pro Modified and small tire ranks who run their combinations on the very ragged edge — it’s not exactly a matter if, but rather when, a backfire through the intake manifold is going to turn their expensive carbon fiber hood scoops into something akin to an unassembled puzzle on the race track.

The reality is, all of that pressure has to go somewhere, and the scoop just happens to be first in line when it does. And the result is, more often than not, a completely obliterated hood scoop.

In an effort to alleviate the destruction experienced by the nitrous racers, the team at Tim McAmis Performance Parts scaled down a concept used for years on Funny Car bodies, constructing a scoop featuring a burst panel that opens to relieve pressure in the event of a backfire.

The Burst Panel Hood Scoop, as the TMPP team is calling it, has a removable molded panel on the topside of the scoop, that rests on a flange and is held in place with plastic breakaway rivets. The company is now offering these lightweight four-pound scoops through their online mail order catalog, but the burst panel feature can also be added to any pre-existing hood scoop, meaning you don’t have to throw yours away (or blow it up) to get your hands on this ingenuous piece of engineering.

The TMPP team recently put the scoop to the test to illustrate to potential customers how the product works in the field, by sending compressed air into the underside of the scoop. And just as expected, it works to perfection without sending even a single shard of carbon fiber sailing into the air.

To learn more about the burst panel hood scoop and the hundreds of other products that Tim McAmis Performance Parts offers, visit them on the web at timmcamis.com.