Tennessee-based X275 racer Braxton Hopkins is no stranger to going fast. Even at his age – he is 18 and graduated high school just last week – he has already amassed several hundred laps down the track in various 275 Radial-equipped cars. His latest, and arguably best performing, car is this beautiful candy red Fox body coupe that he had the misfortune of taking on an unplanned adventure on the big end at Brainerd Optimist Drag Strip in Ringgold, Georgia last weekend.

Racing in the right lane late in qualifying for X275, Hopkins’ Mustang began hunting for the centerline past halftrack. Hopkins, who takes full responsibility for what happened next, pushed the car too far into the run hoping to lock down the No. 1 qualifying spot. As he crossed the finish line and got on the binders, the car began hopping — a phenomenon Hopkins has experienced, and drove out of without incident, many times at different tracks. He had already hit the chute release, but at that point it was too late for them to fully bloom and jerk the car back to its proper orientation.

Braxton wrestled the car for all it was worth, but eventually slammed nearly head-on into the barrier, pushing the engine and firewall back into the driver’s compartment. The impact resulted in a fractured left ankle and a deep laceration on his right knee from the steering column.

Meanwhile, in the passenger seat area, the nitrous bottle broke it’s mount and smacked Hopkins in the face, resulting in a broken nose. However, seeing photos of the car after the crash, it’s clear Braxton is lucky to have escaped with these relatively minor injuries. He had a well-built roll cage and a full complement of safety equipment, including a HANS device, that allowed him to pull himself from the car, though he didn’t walk too far on that broken ankle.

Hopkins’ family provides all financial contributions for his racing venture, so they are seeking any help in getting the car repaired while Braxton heals from his injuries. To learn more, and to offer help, check out the team’s Facebook page, The Tennessee Kid.