When we said it was a destructive weekend in drag racing, that statement unfortunately rang true for straight-liners both on land and water. But those that occurred in the water during the Lucas Oil Drag Boat Series World Finals in Phoenix may have taken the cake. You see, when drag boats crash at speed, they don’t just tumble and mangle the bodywork and suspension. Rather, they’re completely obliterated into tiny crumbs of what used to be a beuatifully-crafted hull floating in the water. The only thing left intact — and the only thing that’s even intended to or built to sustain a crash — is the driver capsule. Everything else, including the drivetrain, is secondary.

A series of very frightening incidents happened during the season finale at the Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, four of which involved Top Alcohol Flat (flat bottom) racers. Fortunately, each of the drivers emerged without life-threatening injuries.

Video credit: Gil Rebilas

Greg Jones, in his “Back in Black” machine, took a couple of wild hops during a pass down the thousand-foot liquid course, leaving him little more than a passenger as the supercharged, alcohol-burning boat hooked and tumbled into the water, disintegrating — as intended — everything but the cocoon that Jones was housed inside. The LODBRS safety crew was right on the spot and after a few tense moments, the all-clear signal was given that Jones was indeed alert and unharmed inside.

Fellow Alky Flat competitor Mike Martin suffered a nearly identical fate in his “Dazed and Confused” hydro as the boat began to hop uncontrollably on the surface of the water, sending it careening right out of Martin’s hands and hard into the water, likewise destroying the boat. According to local news media reports, Martin suffered a small kidney puncture and bruising, but is expected to fully recover.

Video credit: Noah Richardson

Marcus Kinsey, another of the flatbottom racers, broke a leg in a crash during Friday’s qualifying.

Glen Wilson, piloting the Toxic Rocket Top Fuel Hydroplane, was also involved in a crash at the conclusion of a 3.88-second, 288 mph lap during qualifying on Friday. Wilson emerged with injuries to his back and underwent surgery to repair injured vertebrae.