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First Posted: 4/20/2013

(AP) Fans escaped serious injury Saturday when the body of Funny Car driver Robert Hight’s car blew off near the finish line after his engine exploded in the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals.


The carbon fiber body went high in the air and came down in a walkway in front of a grandstand at zMAX Dragway. As a precaution, two fans were evaluated at the track and released by paramedics.


Rookie Funny Car driver Chad Head raced to his first career No. 1 qualifying position with a run of 4.014 seconds at 315.19 mph Head is the son of longtime NHRA nitro racer Jim Head.


Shawn Langdon led the Top Fuel field, Mike Edwards topped the Pro Stock class, and Hector Arana Jr. led in Pro Stock Motorcycle in the unique event that features racing in a four-wide configuration.


Langdon had a run if 3.751 at 327.90, and Edwards had a national time record of 6.471 seconds at 213.64 mph.


Arana finished in 6.826 at 195.19.


Associated Press