When Pro Modified debuted in the NHRA back in 2001, the class drew the intrigue of everyone — even John Force, who had spent half his career upside down and on fire — for their wild and unpredictable nature. While the cars have gotten safer and produce far more straight and consistent runs than they once did, thanks in large part of advancements in chassis design, suspension, and power management, the cars haven’t exactly lost their unpredictability. And that’s a good thing for the fans, and bad for guys like Bob Rahaim.

Rahaim, from Grosse Point, Michigan, was racing alongside Sidnei Frigo — who endured a frightening incident of his own at the same event one year ago — when his TLC Waste Disposal Services-backed Corvette encountered tire shake just beyond the sixty-foot mark. Despite his many years of experience behind the wheel of a Pro Modified car, Rahaim was simply along for the ride as the Corvette took an immediate turn into the guardrail. The angle of impact allowed the car to climb up and nearly over the wall, crashing back down onto the racing surface, Rahaim alert throughout the entire incident.

With the right front wheel and strut folded under the car from the first hit, Rahaim had virtually zero control over the trajectory of the car as it glanced off the opposite wall before rolling to a stop. Rahaim exited the car under his own power and was evaluated and released by onsite medical personnel.

Rahaim the number eight qualifier at Houston with a 5.837 at 248.02, finished a career-high third in the J&A Service NHRA Pro Modified points standings a year ago. With the Corvette out of commission for a couple of races while it undergoes repairs at Jerry Bickel Race Cars, Rahaim told Dragzine that he’s working to “make something happen” in an effort to stay in contention in the points as the series shifts to Charlotte and Atlanta in a rare three-races-in-three-weeks stretch for the class.