Check out the incredible video from Jack Beckman’s first-round qualifying hit from yesterday’s Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona. Right off the hit, his NextGen Dodge Charger Funny Car appears to be making a nice clean run, while opponent Ron Capps hazes the tires about two seconds in. As Beckman is charging to the finish line, you see a tiny wiggle, and then BOOM – right after the first set of timing blocks the body disintegrates, blowing into a million bits and pieces high above the track, and he’s stuck driving through a wall of fire at nearly 300 mph with no protection other than his safety suit and the ruined pieces of body still hanging on for the ride.

The carbon-fiber bodies used on these cars aren’t cheap, as they can cost as much if not more than a complete chassis. Beckman did a hell of a driving job, as the car spent what seemed like an eternity to come to a stop. Through all of the chaos he managed to cross the finish line with a 4.11 at 273 MPH hit.

Perhaps the best part of the video is when he hops out of the car like it was a regular old Sunday drive. That speaks volumes to the safety equipment that has been mandated for these cars over the years, mostly due to injuries sustained by other drivers who came before him. Despite a bit of fluid that evacuated the engine in spectacular fashion, Beckman hung on and managed to bring the whole demolished works to a stop in an orderly fashion. The NHRA’s slo-mo cams catch the entire episode in full HD for your enjoyment. We’re glad to see Jack is OK and survived the incident with no injuries other than a reported missing eyebrow. While the outcome could have been much worse, it’s good to see one of the heroes of the sport suffer no greater indignity other than a surefire spot in the next “And They Walked Away…” video.