Pro Stock racer Fernando Cuadra Sr. crashed during Friday’s lone qualifying session; he just didn’t hit anything. 

Making a qualifying run alongside of Alan Prusiensky, Cuadra drifting towards the centerline and lifted. As the car was slowing in the shutdown following his aborted 7.39 elapsed time, the car apparently hit a bump in the shutdown area, upsetting the chassis and nearly taking the Mustang out of control. 

If not for Cuadra’s expertise in flying airplanes, the Mustang might have ended up on its roof. 

“In certain moments of your life, you’re a passenger,” Cuadra explained. “There’s nothing you can do. In this case, I was conscious to see what’s going on. I fly airplanes, and I fly with my fingertips. So I was driving the car with the fingertips.”

All the skidding and braking dead-spotted all four tires on Cuadra’s Mustang. 

“I have to say something important,” Cuadra added. “The NHRA guy’s Safety Safari was around me, helping me. That amazed me. I’m very thankful for these guys.”