Robert Hight came out of the NHRA AAA Insurance Midwest Nationals with his 44th national event win and the Countdown points lead despite taking of the wildest rides of his career. In the final round against hometown favorite Tim Wilkerson, Hight’s AAA-backed Camaro suffered a massive engine explosion at the finish line at over 276 mph.

Hight’s raceday began on a high note as he found himself in the number one qualifying spot. Hight and his team began their methodical march to the final round by sending Dale Creasy, team owner John Force, and Tommy Johnson, Jr. all home during the early rounds, setting the table for his matchup with Wilkerson.

In the final, Hight gained an advantage on the starting line with an .057 reaction time and pulled away from Wilkerson the entire length of the track. Right before the finish line, Hight’s car began to drop cylinders before the engine expired in catastrophic fashion. The force of the blast sent the Camaro body sailing over the wall where it struck the Sunoco Vision screen and landed near a trackside spectator camping area. The car forcefully impacted the wall before Hight was able to bring it to a stop and exit under his own power

“First, we are happy Robert is okay. He went to a local hospital to be checked out and after being x-rayed and evaluated he was scheduled to be released tonight. I’m glad Robert has the points lead and now we are going to rest and get ready for Dallas,” said team owner John Force.