NHRA - Worst Top Fuel Engine Explosion Ever

Doug Herbert has proberly the worst top fuel engine explosion in history at the 1999 NHRA Auto Club Finals at Pomona. As soon as Herbert gets on the throttle the engine goes into a HUGE fireball at the startline leaving no identifiable pieces of the motor left.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• NHRA
• top
• fuel
• engine
• explosion
• crash
• 1999
• Auto
• Club
• Finals
• pomona
• doug
• herbert
• fire

[bvwatcher2]

I was there that day sitting about half way up in the stands right in line with the 330 clocks. A piece of the manifold landed 20 feet away from me. And yes, there were spectators who got hit with shrapnel.

[68SSCAM]

@bvwatcher2 That is why on the back of all the tickets it tells you that motorsport is dangerous and that you are a spectator at your own risk (Well, it does here in Australia).

[Gimmieabreakffs]

I´d guess the blower is still in orbit around the world :)

[sackcheck]

sucks for the people around the track that get hot metal in their face.

[jamesmanortiz]

I have two pieces of the engine from when that blew up. Haha.

[JackScanlon04]

@bvwatcher2 I was there also in the 2nd row of the Top Eliminator seats. I saw that Herberts opponent was taking too long too stage(he was a relatively unknown driver) and thought, this isn't good... when all of a sudden, Kaboom!. I had to duck as the shrapnel flew over my head. Someone near us had a pretty good gash and I think he ended up getting stiches. It was quite an experience.

[WickedTornado]

@jaded16340 Scars in the old days...hell yes. And lots of flat-out deaths, too. You know, those guys back in the day really had to have big big ones or a screw loose...expecially fuel cars. The AA/Fuelers....the front-engined guys sat right over the differential, and the clutches continually exploded. Lots and lots of guys got maimed badly. Oh, just the horrific fires alone ruined more drivers. So much has changed for the better. All these safety items of today have been paid for in blood..

[ubtoby]

I smell shit...

[Polybun]

@sackcheck Fuck that, we were lucky to get some shrapnel! No blood no fowl! I took home a piece of piston about the size of a dime.

[AltRage]

The Motorsport angels were looking out for crew and spectators that day.

[ripwtc91101]

@MatsNorway they keep messing with it between 85 and 90 depending on how babyish theyre feeling right now its 90 percent and they only race 1000 feet instead of the usual 1320

[emercito]

it looks like a grenade without pin

[scott93257]

@68SSCAM

Yeah same here in the US...

[crazyfus78]

BOOM! bet those people felt the heat off that one!!!