Veteran Australian drag racer Peter Xiberras has piloted multiple cars over his career and currently calls the Top Fuel ranks home. This past weekend during the Gulf Western Oil Nitro Thunder event at Sydney Dragway Xiberras went for the kind of ride every Top Fuel pilot fears, and it ended his hopes to win a championship while landing him in the hospital with spinal injuries.

Xiberras’ experience as a driver has earned him many round and event wins in the seat of his 11,000 horsepower chariot. In 2018, Xiberras has been locked in an epic points battle for the 400 Thunder Top Fuel title with Kelly Bettes and Damien Harris that reached a fever pitch at the Gulf Western Oil Nitro Thunder event. Just 22 points out of the top spot, Xiberras planned on making his move until disaster struck on the famed Sydney Dragway surface.

Just past the 60-foot mark, Xiberras’ dragster struck the tires and as he began to pedal the car, it made a violent move towards the centerline. Before he could fully correct the car, it snapped even harder toward the left and went up on two wheels, turning Xiberras into a passenger on a terrifying ride. The car then impacted the wall with significant force directly on the bottom of the chassis, before it rolled slowly down the track. The force of the impact was so violent it caused multiple spinal fractures that will require surgery for Xiberras and effectively ending his 2018 season.

Check out this footage from LaunchTV and The Adventures of Captain Awesome that show just how violent this crash was.