Although Antron Brown, who survived a harrowing 300-plus mile per hour crash on Friday during qualifying for the NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta may beg to differ, Pro Modified racer Dan Stevenson just might be the luckiest guy in the whole state of Georgia.

Stevenson, who qualified No. 12 in the tight field with a 5.94 best from his nitrous oxide-aided 2013 Chevrolet Camaro, lost control of his racer near the half track mark during the opening round of eliminations on Saturday while racing alongside of Steven Whiteley, crossing in front of the second-generation racer and swiping one wall before turning back across the race track and striking the opposite wall nose-first. 

Both Stevenson and Whitely got out of shape early in the run, and the instant the right rear tire of the Bolingbrook, Illinois natives’ Camaro lost traction, it sent him careening across the centerline into the path of Whiteley’s supercharged Camaro. Unaware that Whiteley had lifted, Stevenson swiped the passenger side quarter panel on the wall in the lane opposite of that in which he started the run, then fought valiantly to get back into his own lane, only to smack the wall again, damaging the nose and the driver’s side of the Jerry Haas-built car.

Stevenson’s luck (and Whiteley’s as well) rested in that Whiteley had lifted early after getting out of shape, keeping the pair from getting tangled up in a worst-case-scenario incident. But that he was able to slide — and tire-hop several times — completely sideways across the tacky racing surface at such a high rate of speed without turning onto his roof and making this a far more vicious crash was truly miraculous. The damage to the car might say otherwise, but there’s no question that Lady Luck was on Stevenson’s side on this ill-fated run, with an outcome far short of what it could’ve been given the circumstances. Thankfully, Stevenson was A-ok and after some cosmetic repairs, will be back to fight again another day.