NHRA Star Miraculously Walks Away After Horrific Fireball Explosion

The SCAG Racing driver’s Funny Car had just exploded into a massive fireball during qualifying at the Mopar NHRA Las Vegas Nationals. Its body broke apart, flames rolled over the cockpit, and the car struck the guardwall. Yet Daniel Wilkerson managed to keep it from becoming an even worse accident. He escaped with singed firesuit sleeves and no serious injuries. But the wreckage left behind a difficult question for his team. A new safety system, approved by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) for the 2026 season, had just faced the kind of explosion it was designed to handle.