If you are a funny car driver, this situation is not an “if” it is a “when”. The situation we speak of is a massive engine explosion followed by the body of the car taking flight into the afternoon breeze. For Blake Alexander and his Pronto Auto Service Center Mustang funny car, Sunday at the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals brought a concussive and flaming initiation to his funny car career.
It was the first time he has ever pitched a body off. Earlier this season Alexander made his first trip into the 3s with a run that also included an explosion but the body stayed on. The driver reaction to these situations definitely shows the fans and viewers who’s on top of their stuff and who is not. Alexander responded professionally and quickly to this conflagration. The car never left his lane despite the body being blown off, the supercharger sitting cockeyed on top of the engine, and the big Goodyear slicks trying to bounce their way down the drag strip.
As you’ll see, when racing Shawn Langdon first round, Alexander “legged it out” trying to get a round win and the result was what we see here. There were multiple cylinders misfiring and the engine had just been beaten too badly to continue on beyond the point of where it was at on the strip. When those holes are not working and the engine is beating itself to death trying to compress raw fuel, bad things are always on the horizon.
Alexander has the bodies, the parts, and the pieces needed to fix this and continue on. His next race will be Sonoma, California.
