Just when you think you have seen it all. This video, taken several years back at the NHRA Rt 66 Nationals in Joliet, Illinois shows the effect of a funny car losing a header during a run. While there’s no definitive answer given as to how the header was compromised on Jeff Diehl’s car, it sure seems like a situation where the studs or nuts were not properly secured before the car left the pits. We suppose that there’s a possibility that something failing at the flange could transform into a mess like this but that does not seem as likely.
We often talk about the thrust effect of cars losing fire in a cylinder as they head down the strip. We talk about the effect of laying the headers back and how they helped to rocket funny cars to new performance realms over the last few years, but rarely do we get to see the raw and unbridled power one of these engines has demonstrated like this.
As you’ll see from multiple angles and at multiple speeds, as soon as that header folded under and basically fell off, the car was quickly literally launched into the air by the redirected thrust of the failed header. Given another half second on the gas the flying car would have likely barrel rolled over on its roof! This is one of the craziest incidents we have seen in years and years. As you’d expect, Jeff Diehl does not have a lot of love for Chicago. This is some voodoo doll level of weirdness here.
