GILA RIVER RESERVATION, Ariz., Feb. 21 (UPI) -- A fan was seriously hurt by flying debris Sunday during a drag racing event at Arizona's Firebird International Raceway, witnesses said.
The fan was stuck by debris from Antron Brown's National Hot Rod Association Top Fuel car during the Arizona Nationals and was transported from the track to Good Samaritan Medical Center in Phoenix, The Arizona Republic reported.
The newspaper said it appeared Brown's 8,000-horsepower dragster lost power from a cylinder shortly after leaving the starting line during a first-round race, threw a left-rear tire, flipped onto its right side and slid across the track, climbing a retaining wall.
At that point, the Republic said, there was a flash of flame and the car came to a stop. Brown climbed out and was checked by NHRA safety personnel.
"It felt like the back end just dropped out and the car started pitching end-over-end," Brown told the newspaper after being examined and released from Chandler Regional Medical Center. "At that point, I was upside down, and in my mind, things were going crazy."
