If you can read between the lines, the explanation is clear regarding Doug Kalitta’s Reading incident during Saturday’s Top Fuel qualifying at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway.

“The tire did not fault – there was nothing wrong with the tire,” Kalitta Motorsports general manager Chad Head. “The car did not have any malfunctions on the run, but something caused the tire to explode; we do not know what caused the tire explosion.”

Kalitta will head into Sunday’s eliminations with his backup dragster, a conventional (non-canopy) car. The damaged car is en route to Michigan for repairs, and it is unclear whether it will be ready for next weekend’s NHRA Carolina Nationals.

As the Mac Tools dragster completed its 3.748-second qualifying run at 332.10 mph Saturday afternoon, the right-rear tire shredded, damaging the rear wing and the chassis.