In a first-round battle between DI 30 Under 30 honorees Daniel Wilkerson ( 2017 ) and Bobby Bode ( 2022 ), Wilkerson suffers a catastrophic engine explosion that destroys the SCAG Power Equipment Jackal-themed Ford Mustang Dark Horse body at the 70th annual NHRA U . S . Nationals . The engine wasn ’ t happy from the time Wilkerson smashed the throttle pedal , as it had a dead cylinder before the big boomer ended Wilkerson ’ s weekend at The Big Go . Wilkerson , running his first full season in Funny Car after taking over driving duties from his father , past U . S . Nationals winner Tim Wilkerson , would ’ ve needed a stout run to take down Bode , who threw down a 3.934-second pass at 323.58 MPH in the family-owned Ar-Bee Plastic Bags Ford Mustang .

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