[Lee Stewart]

Eddie Hill was qualifying for a 1997 event at Sonoma when his car suffered severe vibration as he crossed the finish line. The car went out of control and was completely destroyed.

Hill had two broken toes and a shoulder contusion, which were not serious injuries.

The run had been fast enough to make Hill the fastest qualifier, and Hill wanted to race his backup car in the first round on the day after the accident. The NHRA had a rule that the car used for qualifying had to be used in the event, so instead of doing something smart and keeping the racing going and making the fans happy, they said no.

The reaction was so bad to that botched call, the rule was changed to allow racers to race on race day even if they do not use the same car.