They say race cars are always running at their very best right before they blow up, and for West coast small-tire veteran Mark Luton, that very saying played out in frightening fashion during the opening round of Outlaw 10.5 versus Radial eliminations at the Street Car Super Nationals on Sunday morning.

The Camarillo, California native, driving the Modular Mustang Racing 5.4-liter, mod motor-powered, twin-turbo Mustang, was the top qualifier on the slick tire (Outlaw 10.5) side of the show — second only to radial racer Jason Michalak — and therefore earned a bye run in the opening stanza, based on the odd number of cars on the ladder.

Rather than take it easy and save the parts, Luton went for broke on the run, and just after recording what may have well been a career-best 4.00 at over 188 mph when something let go in the engine, depositing fluid under the tires and sending Luton on a ride that he was little more than a passenger on.

The sleek Mustang, which debuted just a season ago, struck the wall nose-first as it turned onto its roof. The LVMS safety crew was already rolling as Luton slid on his roof — on fire — and quickly got the flames extinguished. Luton climbed from the battered car unhurt and later acknowledged to the Dragzine crew that a parts failure up front was the cause of the hair-raising incident.

Video credit: FreeLifeFilms