JETT Racing is one of Australia’s most prolific drag racing teams, and team owner Collin Willshire one of the most regarded racers in the country in this sick Factory Xtreme Mitsubishi Eclipse. The car features a 2-liter 4G63 engine pumped up by a Garrett turbocharger, and holds the title of Australia’s fastest four-cylinder — in addition to the notoriety gained by being the first four-cylinder to run in the 7’s and in the 6’s in Australia. In addition, it’s the quickest four-cylinder in the world running on 10.5-inch tires — heady accomplishments all. The Jerry Bickel chassis underneath the car was debuted last year and so far has anchored the machine to an incredible 6.72 blast at 209 MPH, achieved at the 2014 APSA Pro Street Shootout. 

We found this video of Willshire racing at the FUCHS Winternationals at Willowbank Raceway over the weekend with the car, and — well, you just have to watch it. It’s every racer’s worst nightmare to have a transmission come apart under power, and that’s exactly what Willshire experiences here.

First gear and second gear brought some insane tire shake as the car drifts towards the centerline, and then just as Willshire manages to corral it and bang third, BOOM — the transmission explodes, sending parts flinging around the driver’s compartment. Thankfully, due to some stellar driving, he manages to keep the car off the wall and in its own lane, shutting down and coasting to a stop.

This is definitely must-see TV — watching the transmission case turn into shards of metal is something nobody ever wants to have happen to them. Tire shake can kill parts in a hurry; no matter how good the quality of the part is, the immense forces at work and high speeds experienced by the rotating tire assembly have been known to break teeth, wheelie bars, and even chassis parts.

Thanks to Jett Racing for the video.