Aussie Pro Mod Racer Unhurt In High-Flying Crash

Australian Pro Modified racer Adam Tassone walked away from the ride of a lifetime Sunday at the National Drag Racing Championship’s (NDRC) Gulf Western Oil Winternationals at Willowbank Raceway.

Tassone, the No. 1 qualifier (5.86 seconds at 241.97 mph) at what is the largest championship drag racing event held outside of North America, was racing against eventual race winner Lorenzo Gullotto in the semifinals of Pro Mod when he lost control of his supercharged 1968 Pontiac Firebird at speed and took flight. The car sailed across the shutdown area and struck the opposing retaining wall, erupting into a fireball. Tassone and his battered machine slid to a stop upside down, where he was helped by emergency medical personnel and evaluated.

“I’m alright. The car did its job — that’s the main thing,” Tassone said. “I remember it got out there close to the wall, and probably as a rookie I over-drove it a little bit and hit it when I shouldn’t have. I remember the car ran up against the wall and then I got off it at the end and the wind must have gotten underneath it or something and it just threw me upside down and around, and I thought ‘here we go, I’m along for the ride.’ I was hoping I wasn’t going over the wall, but I wasn’t — I was sliding down and hitting the wall on the other side, I think. I came to a stop and just thought ‘what have you done, Adam?’ “

“I’m alright, that’s the main thing. I’m bruised up a bit, but I’ll be alright. The muscles are just a bit tense — the safety devices, the harnesses, the HANS device, and all that stuff did its job. We’ll be out for a while, but I’ll come back,” Tassone added.

“We are incredibly grateful to report that Adam Tassone is doing well and has been cleared by doctors of any serious injuries,” the Generation-Y DRAG Racing team shared in a prepared statement. “Remarkably, Adam walked away from the incident with only a few bruises, and his head held high despite the circumstances.  While the Generation-Y DRAG Racing team is still processing everything that happened, our overwhelming feeling is one of gratitude. Seeing Adam alert, responsive, and completely himself only moments after his medical assessment was the best outcome we could have hoped for.”

“We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the emergency crews, medical staff, Willowbank Raceway personnel, and Winternationals officials for their professionalism, care, and support throughout the incident. Your quick actions and assistance meant the world to our team during an incredibly difficult moment. Thank you to everyone who has reached out with messages of support. We appreciate every call, message, and well-wish as we work through the next steps together as a team. We hope to see you trackside again soon.”