Top Fuel drag racer Larry Dixon went for a wild ride at NHRA Gatornationals in Florida Saturday, and miraculously walked away from the crash and waved to the stunned crowd. At a speed of more than 280 miles per hour, Dixon’s dragster broke in half and whipped through the air, eventually landing back on its wheels and crashing into the wall.

Dixon compared the crash to riding a roller coaster.

“It’s like a roller-coaster ride that flies off the track. Now what are you going to do? You just have to wait to land and hope everything does its job for you.”

Photographer Mark J. Rebilas captured the violent crash in a breathtaking series of photos.