Troy Buff described his Q-1 pass, as a “smooth run.”

Then all hell broke loose during Q-1 at the NHRA AAA Midwest Nationals outside of St. Louis.

Buff, who drive’s Bill Miller’s BME dragster, suffered a blowout of his left rear Goodyear tire. He was uninjured in the incident.

Troy Buff described his Q-1 pass, as a “smooth run.”

Then all hell broke loose during Q-1 at the NHRA AAA Midwest Nationals outside of St. Louis.

Buff, who drive’s Bill Miller’s BME dragster, suffered a blowout of his left rear Goodyear tire. He was uninjured in the incident.

“Right at the finish line, I heard a loud explosion – like a cannon going off,” explained Buff. “The car started to vibrate and then it dropped. I hit the Leahy device and it triggered everything to shutoff. I knew for sure when it was grinding on the ground there was a tire missing. I didn’t know it had taken the rear wing out.”

The damage to the wing was so extensive the unit had to be replaced.

“I don’t think we had any engine damage, so we probably ran over something on the track,” Buff speculated. “Or maybe, the tire just let go. I don’t know.”

Buff admitted he didn’t have time to get scared.

“I was more afraid of hitting the wall, or doing more damage to the car,” said Buff. “The main thing I was trying to do was keep the car straight. I just wanted to keep it straight, in my lane and off of the wall.”

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