You may have seen the video that has been circulating through the news media showing the massive wreck at the drag boat finals in Arizona last weekend.
In short, James Ray, the driver of a Top Fuel hydroplane, essentially the liquid equivalent of a Top Fuel dragster, suffered a top end crash at 240-plus mph. The video is being shown everywhere. It’s on CNN.com and MSNBC.com–hell, they even showed it on the local Boston news.
While the video is intense, it is literally nothing compared to these photos by Mark Rebilas. Mark is the son of legendary photog Gil Rebilas. Gil always had a knack for being in the right place at the wrong time, catching drag racing carnage from the ’60s and ’70s with seemingly magical aplomb. His kiddo has the same gift.
Luckily for us, Mark’s got a blog and is sharing the photos with the world. There are also a ton of great photos of the rest of the weekend’s less frightening action. Drag boats are a hoot to watch and if you get the chance to see them, do not pass it up.
You’ll need to scroll half way down the page for the crash sequence, but it is one of the most amazing that we have ever seen.
When you see this insanity, you will be wondering how the hell James Ray made it out with just a strongly rung bell. Safety is good.
