--- title: "Wrench Left in Mustang’s Engine Bay Causes 200-MPH Drag Racing Crash" date: "2026-10-09" modified: "2026-10-09" authors: - name: "Byron Hurd" job_title: "Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/byron-hurd.md" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/wrench-left-in-mustangs-engine-bay-causes-200-mph-drag-racing-crash" categories: - "Ford News" - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Racing" tags: - "Coupe" - "Ford" - "Mustang" - "race car" - "sports car" --- # Wrench Left in Mustang’s Engine Bay Causes 200-MPH Drag Racing Crash ![The Snot Rocket Mustang's left rear tire explodes after being struck by debris at Bradenton Motorsports Park.]() *\Billy Mack builds/YouTube\* In this business, debris can be deadly. Whether it's a chunk of detritus kicked up by the wheels of a passing semi truck or [actual pieces of the road surface being thrown at you by mother nature](), encountering a flying object at highway speeds is something a decent driver wouldn't wish on his or her worst enemy. Now, imagine what it's like to experience something like that while flying down the lanes at more than 200 MPH. That's precisely what happened to "Snot Rocket," a (Gotta Have It?) Green Mustang drag car, during the middle of a run at Bradenton Motorsports Park's drag strip this past weekend. Just a couple hundred feet short of the traps, Snot Rocket's left rear quarter simply exploded, and the culprit appears to be a tool (a ratchet handle or breaker bar, perhaps) that was left under the hood of the car during pre-run prep. The clip below begins with Snot Rocket and its opponent, a silver C5 Corvette, lined up to make their passes, and the incident takes place just seconds later. The Mustang is partially out of frame at approximately 1:24 when a chrome bar appears to drop from its engine bay and skitter along the pavement underneath the car, before being thrown into the wheel well by the left rear tire, at which point the entire quarter of the car disintegrates, taking the wheel, body work and door latch with it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8FaDQWqZyQ&t=77s The most impressive thing about this entire mess is that the driver, [Brett LaSala](). managed to keep the car out of the wall until he'd bled off most of its speed, limiting the damage to the left-rear corner and front bumper. More good news: The crash came late in the weekend, after [LaSala set a Stick Shift record with a 6.458-second pass at 233.44 mph](). LaSala's quick thinking also saved him from any harm; he got out of the car on his own immediately after the incident. Team co-owner Doug Cook confirmed in a Facebook post that the tool was the likely culprit, but declined to speculate as to who may have left it there. "That's a loser mentality to focus on that. We are a team," Cook said. The craziest part? The car still trapped over 212 miles per hour with LaSala sawing at the wheel to keep it in the lane. The team has about a month to get Snot Rocket back on the road in time for the World Cup Finals at Maryland International Raceway, and it sounds like they have every intention of doing so. You love to see it. *Got a news tip? Let us know at tips@thedrive.com!* ## Author Byron is an editor at The Drive with a keen eye for infrastructure, sales and regulatory stories. He brings a light, punchy style to all of his content, believing that there's plenty out there to be laughed at—himself included. Born and raised in Maryland but now based just a stone's throw from Detroit, Byron is an auto enthusiast and generalist who enjoys building and tinkering with things of all kinds, from cars, computers and digital cityscapes, to the new garage that will soon house his fleet (a CT4-V Blackwing, a JK Wrangler and an NA Miata). Inspired by an early love of rollercoasters, Byron quickly caught the high-performance driving itch. He's been tracking and auto-crossing his cars since 2007. In his downtime, Byron enjoys reading, playing city builders, and studying the history of the Motor City. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()