Sometimes fireworks will send a statement. Other times they serve as a pretty good eye opener.

Funny Car rookie Ashley Force exploded a motor near the top end on her third qualifying attempt, resulting in a huge fire. Force handled the situation like a veteran, keeping the car in the middle of the lane, putting the fire out and getting the car stopped without further incident.

Despite the unexpected conclusion, Ashley’s time was the fifth quickest in the session and she remained ninth in the provisional starting lineup.
Sometimes fireworks will send a statement. Other times they serve as a pretty good eye opener.

Funny Car rookie Ashley Force exploded a motor near the top end on her third qualifying attempt, resulting in a huge fire. Force handled the situation like a veteran, keeping the car in the middle of the lane, putting the fire out and getting the car stopped without further incident.

Despite the unexpected conclusion, Ashley’s time was the fifth quickest in the session and she remained ninth in the provisional starting lineup.
 
 “I remember thinking that we were getting down the track pretty well,” said the Funny Car rookie, “(especially) since everyone else was having trouble.  We were getting to the end and then ‘boom!’  I screamed because it scared me.  I wasn’t expecting it. 
 
 “There was some fire in the cockpit and I could feel the heat, but I also knew my helmet was sealing me off since I wasn’t getting any hotter.  My first instinct was to go for my radio, but then I got on the fire bottles. It was slowing down after that. It stayed in the middle the whole time.  There was a moment when I couldn’t see, but when I could see again, I was still right in the groove.
 
 “In Phoenix (where she first experienced an engine fire during pre-season testing), there was a lot more smoke,” she said.  “Today, there wasn’t as much smoke but a lot more fire. ‘Guido’ (crew chief Dean ‘Guido’ Antonelli) said it boomed and lifted the body and that let in more fire.  I’ll take the fire over the smoke, because with smoke it gets dark and you can’t see as well.  The fire was warm like, well, a sauna.” (ESPN2/Motel6)