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A green Mustang called Snot Rocket was badly damaged during a high-speed run at Bradenton Motorsports Park after a chrome tool apparently fell from its engine bay and was thrown into the car’s left rear wheel area. Driver Brett LaSala kept the car off the wall and exited unhurt, according to The Drive’s report. The team said it planned to repair the car for the World Cup Finals, but the exact cause and repair status are not confirmed in the source material.
A chrome tool apparently fell from the engine bay of Brett LaSala’s Mustang during a high-speed run at Bradenton Motorsports Park, leading to severe damage to the car’s left rear quarter, according to a report by The Drive. LaSala kept the car from hitting the wall and got out on his own; the source reports that he was not injured.
The Mustang, known as Snot Rocket, was racing alongside a silver C5 Corvette when the incident occurred. Video described by The Drive appears to show a chrome bar dropping from the engine bay, bouncing along the track and then being thrown toward the left rear wheel by the tire. The tool may have been a ratchet handle or breaker bar, but its exact type was not established in the report.
The impact caused the Mustang’s left rear quarter to break apart, taking the wheel, bodywork and door latch with it. The car also sustained damage to its front bumper. The Drive reported that LaSala steered through the incident while slowing the car, which it said continued through the timing area at more than 212 mph. No independent crash investigation or technical account is included in the source material.
Team co-owner Doug Cook said in a Facebook post that the tool was the likely cause, while declining to identify who might have left it in the engine bay. The crash happened late in the event weekend, after LaSala had recorded a 6.458-second pass at 233.44 mph, described in the report as a stick-shift record. The team said it intended to repair the car for the World Cup Finals at Maryland International Raceway, scheduled about a month later, according to the report.
A Tool Became a Track Hazard
The reported sequence highlights how a loose object in a race car can become a serious hazard at high speed. In this case, the tool appears to have fallen onto the track and then been caught by the Mustang’s rear tire, producing extensive damage in a matter of seconds. The event also affected the car’s driver, crew and any work planned around the next race.
LaSala’s ability to keep the car out of the wall limited the damage described in the report and helped him exit the vehicle without reported injury. The source does not establish what inspections or team procedures were used before the run, whether those procedures will change, or whether the car was cleared for another event. The incident’s broader safety implications should not be overstated without those details.
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Snot Rocket’s Race Weekend
The crash took place during a run at Bradenton Motorsports Park, with Snot Rocket lined up against a silver C5 Corvette. The Drive’s account places the Mustang only a few hundred feet from the timing area when the rear-quarter failure occurred. The video reportedly shows the object fall and move beneath the car before the damage, though the source does not provide a formal examination of the footage or the vehicle.
Before the crash, LaSala had set a reported 6.458-second, 233.44-mph pass in the stick-shift category. The team’s next stated goal was the World Cup Finals at Maryland International Raceway. The report said the team had roughly a month to prepare the car, but it did not confirm whether the repairs were completed or whether the Mustang ultimately competed.
““That’s a loser mentality to focus on that. We are a team.””
— Doug Cook, team co-owner, in a Facebook post
mechanic tool set with breaker bar
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Cause and Repairs Still Unverified
The source identifies a tool as the likely cause, not a confirmed finding from an independent investigation. It does not establish who left the object in the engine bay, exactly what kind of tool it was, or whether another mechanical failure contributed to the crash. The complete inspection results and the team’s pre-run checks are also not provided.
The report says LaSala exited the car on his own and indicates that he was unharmed, but it does not cite a medical evaluation. It also describes the team’s plan to repair Snot Rocket for the next event without confirming the car’s later condition, its eligibility to race or whether that plan was met.
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Team Aimed for Maryland Finals
The next development identified in the report is the team’s intended effort to repair Snot Rocket for the World Cup Finals at Maryland International Raceway, about a month after the crash. No repair timetable, parts assessment or later race result is supplied in the source material.
Confirmation of the car’s return would clarify whether the team met that target. Further information from the team or track about the damage assessment, the suspected tool and any changes to inspection practices would also help establish what caused the incident and how the crew plans to prevent a repeat.
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Key Questions
What caused the Mustang’s damage?
The Drive reported that a chrome tool apparently fell from the engine bay and was thrown into the left rear wheel area. Team co-owner Doug Cook called the tool the likely culprit, but the source does not describe a formal investigation confirming the cause.
Was Brett LaSala injured?
The report says LaSala got out of the car on his own immediately after the crash and was not harmed. It does not cite a medical assessment.
How fast was the car going?
The Drive reported that the Mustang still crossed the timing area at more than 212 mph during the incident. Earlier in the weekend, LaSala recorded a reported 6.458-second pass at 233.44 mph.
Will Snot Rocket race again?
The team said it intended to repair the Mustang for the World Cup Finals at Maryland International Raceway. The source material does not confirm whether the repairs were completed or whether the car competed.
Source: rss
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