I think I've posted one of these pics before but figured I would share the blurred sequence along with my memories of the event. It was the first round of a typical New England nighttime show. Hanna, Burgin, Hawley (Chi Town), Etchells, Segrini (Super Brut Omni), Tom Anderson (Wemett's Arrow), Rick Johnson (Custom Body Omni) were in attendance. Second pairing of the first round had Al Hanna matched up against Gary Burgin.

After hellacious side by side burnouts that brought the crowd screaming to their feet, the pair staged up for battle. At the launch, both cars steamed away from the start line and looked good, then about 300 feet out, in an instant Hanna took a hard right (almost like something broke) and contacted the rail hard.

The back end of the car went up in the air as the speed was scrubbed from about 100 to zero in an instant. The car made a slow spin while depositing pieces on the track and stopped with the front end facing towards the spectator stands near the starting line. Al sat in the car for a few seconds and seemed pretty animated in his disgust at the incident.

Then without warning, woomph, the car lit up. Well anyone who doubted "Big" Al Hanna couldn't get out of the small escape hatch in a hurry had their doubts removed. In an instant of flurried activity, Al extricated himself from the burning car. The Safety crew arrived to douse the flames and after a lengthy cleanup the show continued. That's how I remember it anyway.