The JJ’s Arm Drop no-prep event held at Tennessee’s Crossville Dragway this weekend was marred by a frightening incident involving one of race promoter Jonathan “JJ DaBoss” Day’s machines made famous on Discovery Channel’s Street Outlaws: Memphis program.

During the second day of competition in the big-tire no-prep event Saturday, Tennessee racer Lee Roberts was lined up alongside Mississippi’s David Cook. Roberts had borrowed Day’s “Ole Heavy” 1949 Chevrolet pickup for the weekend, while Cook was behind the wheel of his only recently-finished Fox body Mustang known as “Bloodhound.”

Roberts was out front early and stretching the lead to the 1/8-mile stripe when the big Chevrolet iron made an abrupt move out of the groove. Roberts’ correction sent the truck careening across the centerline onto its driver’s side, directly into the path of Cook’s charging Mustang. The two made significant contact as Ole Heavy impacted the front end and the entire length of the driver’s side of Cook’s brand new machine. The battered vehicles came to rest in the shutdown area and both drivers emerged without injury. 

The same, of course, could not be said for the cars — in addition to visible body damage, Ole Heavy’s suspension was noticeably damaged from the impact to its underside. Cook’s Mustang, however, fared much worse, with major damage to the front end, roof, and rear section that will render the body — if not the entire car — a write-off.

Roberts and Cook did not return messages for comment.