Video: Running Over The Christmas Tree In Brainerd


Video: Running Over The Christmas Tree In Brainerd

It’s time again for the Lucas Oil Northern Nationals. For all the drag races I have been to, reported from, and announced at, I had never actually seen someone crash into the Christmas Tree in person until the running of this race a few years back.

I have seen many of the same still photos that you have but to actually see the act itself, it threw me for a loop. Top sportsman racer Dr. Michael Freischel let go of the transbrake button in his Pontiac Firebird and things rapidly went south from there. More accurately they went left from there. Like dead left.

Thankfully in the other lane his competitor was having no problems whatsoever and made a quick escape from the scene as Dr. Freischel’s car wiped the tree out like a bowling pin. There was no damage done to the car aside from some scratched paint and believe it or not, we were only down for about 45 minutes for the starting line to be cleaned and the backup tree to be installed.

There was an obvious driveline failure in the car and that’s what cause it to do what it did. As many times as I have seen cars go out, spin the tires, and then whack the wall, to see one actually begin to change direction at the hit of the throttle was a new program entirely.

Drag racing. You literally never know what it going to happen next.

Watch what happens when things go way wrong on the starting line


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