Brett LaSala Breaks Stick-Shift Records, Crashes Snot Rocket At FL2K

Popular small-tire and street car drag racing star Brett LaSala’s second outing since his much-talked-about transition from Limited Drag Radial competition to the outlaw stick-shift ranks was one of heart-breaking contrasts.

LaSala, whose Coyote-powered “Snot Rocket” Ford Mustang established records in the radial-tire and drag-and-drive ranks on its way to becoming one of the sport’s most recognized, celebrated — and feared — machines, opened the annual FL2K event at Florida’s Bradenton Motorsports Park Friday with a new world record pass of 6.458 seconds at a booming 233.44 mph.

Two days later, though, the mood of the weekend turned a 180 in a matter of just 6.54 seconds. Racing alongside fellow stick-shift frontrunner Josh Manning and his Corvette in elimination, the Snot Rocket’s left rear 275 radial tire blew out, tearing the quarter panel, door, and rear bumper from the car, reportedly at over 220 mph. LaSala emerged from the car unhurt and immediately began assessing the damage, sharing in a statement on social media his goal to complete the necessary repairs in time for the World Cup Finals in Maryland, where qualifying begins 31 days from now.

“[I] had my first race car crash today. [Left rear] tire came apart at 228 mph,” Brett says. “Thankfully I am okay. The car needs a lot of body work but we will do everything in our power to have it fixed for World Cup.”

LaSala was unavailable by press time for comment on the cause of the incident, but astute observers of the online broadcast have noted the discovery of a potential foreign object that appeared to have entered the path of the left rear tire just before it was cut down.

On his record-setting lap on Friday, LaSala carded a 1.207-second short time, a 2.989 to the 330-foot mark, a 4.350 at 185.72 mph to the eighth mile, and gained an impressive 48 mph through the back half of the run — all from a 302 cubic inch Fast Forward Racing Engines mill that belts out over 3,000 horsepower.