Joe Clemente was conversing with team members Ed Bamond Jr., Bruce Blair and Ed Bamond Sr. when a tire blew on his toterhome on the way from New Jersey to Tennessee for the Small Tire Pro Stock race at Jackson Dragway.

Thankfully, the toterhome did not go out of control, but because of the distance and the time it took to have the tire replaced, the trip to the race, which was held Aug. 29-30, 2025, took more than 30 arduous hours.

Clemente and his team members remained focused, and he went on to lead qualifying with a 4.94 and 141 mph at the eighth-mile race in his Mustang powered by a 419 cubic-inch small-block Chevrolet built by Martino Race Engines and topped with two carburetors finessed by Dale Cubic of CFM Performance Carburetors.

Clemente and Tony Petrovski then had a close race in the first round of eliminations, and Clemente won with a holeshot and a 4.93 to Petrovski’s 4.91, but things took a terrible turn in the second round of eliminations. Clemente and David Theisen were nearly nose to nose when Theisen, who had the holeshot this time, won with a 4.98 to Clemente’s close 4.96, but right after the clock flashed the elapsed times, Clemente’s car made a sudden move to the right and went into the wall.

It was a hard hit, and Clemente was surrounded by his team members and fellow racers as he was being put into the ambulance. He felt pain throughout his body, and after x-rays, doctors determined he had a concussion, a broken bone in his right foot and bad bruising on multiple areas of his body. Additionally, he is set to have an MRI to determine whether the area of the neck surgery he had two years ago was affected.

“The car, which was built by my team member Bruce Blair of Exstreme Fab and Beadlocks, took quite a lick,” said Clemente. “It hit so hard that I tensed up and bent the steering wheel forward, and the car sustained significant damage upon impact.”

The car has a broken rack and pinion, broken and bent right strut and bent wheels, as well as damaged fuel cell, fuel pump and water tank. The front half of the car needs to be cut off to the firewall and rebuilt, as everything in that area is bent, and the car will need a new one-piece front clip, right quarter panel, right tail light valance, right tail light and hood, plus control arms and brakes. Bruce Blair will perform all of that work, and make new wheels for the car.

Since the engine plate is also bent, Clemente’s engine will go back to Martino Race Engines to be inspected.

“The fact that the car came out of the crash the way it did is a testament to the quality of everyone’s workmanship,” said Clemente. “All of the safety gear worked, and I am glad I have a Racetech seat with wrap-around head protection. With all of the safety gear, you may not physically move around a lot on impact, but the inside of your body still moves and takes a hit. Most of the pain is in my upper back, neck and shoulder blades, where the Hans device sits.”

Clemente, who organized a community meal in the pit area for anyone at the event who wanted to come, said that he will never forget how his team members Bruce Blair, Ed Bamond Jr., and Ed Bamond Sr., and fellow racers, stood by him after the crash.

“The concern that racers in our class have for each other showed through and it means a lot, and it is just another reason why Small Tire Pro Stock is as great as it is,” said Clemente. “I am surrounded by high-quality racers who care.”

The mood in the Small Tire Pro Stock pit area changed after Clemente’s crash, and David Theisen and Dwight Ausmus, who were to face each other in the final round of eliminations, mutually decided to split their earnings rather than race.

The last Small Tire Pro Stock race of the year is scheduled for Sept. 26-27 at Cecil County Dragway in Maryland, and while Clemente’s Fox Mustang will not be back together for that, he might have his 2018 S550 Mustang buttoned up and ready for battle by then. Watch for a separate story about the 2018 S550 Mustang soon.

For more information about the class and sponsorship opportunities, please follow the Small Tire Pro Stock Facebook page or email Mary Lendzion at xx98@sbcglobal.net.

(Photos by Mary Lendzion)