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George Carlin once joked that the only reason he watched auto racing was for the accidents, he “wanted to see some cars on fire”. Funny because it’s true. However, when they are as serious looking as this one, there isn’t much to laugh about.

Funny car drag racer Matt Hagen competed in the National Hot Rod Association’s Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, N.C. over the weekend and unfortunately, his car didn’t finish. That’s because it was ripped apart in an explosion like a wad of paper with a lit M-80 inside of it.

The 8000 bhp car exploded when it reached 260 mph during Hagen’s qualifying round. The explosion was caused by an intake valve that dropped into one of the engine’s cylinders. The force of the impact was so massive that, according to Top Gear Car News, it sent debris flying across three of the raceway’s four lanes.

Thankfully, Hagen emerged from the hellish looking crash without a scratch. It gets even more amazing when you realize that this is the THIRD explosion Hagen has been in at the very same event.

It’s only a matter of time before we have a mashup of his explosions set to the narrator’s commentary on NBA Jam – ‘he’s heating up!’ ‘he’s ON FIRE!’.

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