Relive The NHRA’s Wildest Rides Of 2018

Two thousand eighteen will go down as one of the most explosive seasons in NHRA history. With new rules in place for nitro funny cars to try to keep top speeds in check, the class experienced more than its share of carnage, especially in the first half of the season.

Sixteen time world funny car champion John Force seemed to have the worst luck as his team faced a rash of top end explosions, if memory serves, in 5 of the first 6 races of the season. One of Force’s explosions was so bad that he crossed the track and got tangled up with our very own Jonnie Lindberg in the Jim Head Racing Camry, destroying both cars and leaving Lindberg’s brand new body and chassis destroyed.

There was also the spectacular side-by-side explosion experienced by Force’s teammate Robert Hight and Don Schumacher Racing rival Matt Hagan at Gainesville. Both cars grenades their engines and almost the exact same time, with the bodies of both cars flying high above the Florida facility.

Funny car wasn’t the only class with scary moments. Brittany Force entered the season as the reigning world champion in Top Fuel, but quite literally started off the year in the worst way possible. In the opening round of the opening race of the season, Force lined up alongside Terry Haddock for what should have been a relatively easy round win. However, Force’s car lost traction just off the starting line, prompting her to instinctively pedal the throttle. Her car got crossed up and shot across the track when she got back on the loud pedal, sending her into the opposite wall with a sickeningly hard impact. She crossed back into her lane, stuck that wall as well, before sliding to a stop just past the finish line. She would spend a couple of days in the hospital, and would return to action at the next event in Phoenix, although she was still dealing with some serious soreness.

Hit the play button below and watch as the awesome NHRA Slow Motion footage fills your screen with some of the highlight-reel moments from what was certainly an insane season!