A purpose-built C7 Corvette drag car driven by Daniel Pharris went airborne during a pass at Tulsa Raceway Park in 2017, after its nose lifted in a powerful launch wheelie. The car landed and slid to a stop; Pharris got out under his own power, and contemporary reports did not describe a serious injury.
The dramatic footage shows a racing incident, not a normal street Corvette flying over a road-course crest. Andrew Alepa owned the car, which was built for drag racing with a tube chassis and twin-turbo Hemi power.
What happened at Tulsa Raceway Park?
The incident occurred during the semifinal round of the Radial Revenge Tour on April 1, 2017. Video published the following day shows the Corvette launching beside a Camaro, lifting its front end, then pitching upward and traveling through the air before landing and sliding. The Camaro in the other lane also lifted at the front, but its driver backed out of the run.
DragZine reported that the Corvette’s nose lifted at about the 250-foot mark and estimated that it traveled roughly 300 feet through the air. Those are published estimates, not official telemetry measurements. The car’s front bodywork separated during the flight. Coverage suggested that losing the front clip may have helped the car descend, but no formal investigation finding establishes that explanation.
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The car: a racing C7, not a stock Corvette
The car used C7 Corvette bodywork over a purpose-built drag-racing chassis. It was described as a Pro Mod or radial-racing machine, not a road-going C7. Technical coverage has reported a 548-cubic-inch Hemi and twin 102-mm Precision turbochargers. Power estimates vary by source and configuration, so it is safest to describe it as a roughly 3,500-to-4,000-plus-horsepower twin-turbo drag Corvette.
| Detail | What the sources report |
|---|---|
| Owner and driver | Andrew Alepa owned the car; Daniel Pharris drove it. |
| Event | Radial Revenge Tour semifinal at Tulsa Raceway Park. |
| Configuration | C7-shaped body, purpose-built tube chassis, Hemi engine and twin turbochargers. |
| Power estimate | Approximately 3,500 to 4,000-plus horsepower, with reported figures varying. |
| Flight distance | DragZine estimated roughly 300 feet; this was not an official measurement. |
Why did the Corvette become airborne?
The available accounts support a sequence in which the extreme launch lifted the front wheels into a sustained wheelie, then airflow beneath the angled body increased the upward force and carried the car into full flight. The exact initiating factor has not been established in a publicly available technical investigation. It would be misleading to attribute the crash to a specific failed component or to say that excess power alone caused it.
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Published estimates of speed are inconsistent, and figures associated with the car’s overall pass should not be treated as a verified crash speed. The clearest account is that the car was moving at very high speed when the wheelie developed.
What happened to the driver?
Pharris exited the Corvette under his own power after it stopped. Fox Sports reported that he escaped unaided, and DragZine quoted him as saying he was “perfectly fine,” though sore, and planned to return to racing. Contemporary coverage did not report a serious injury.
This was a specialized race car with a purpose-built chassis and racing safety equipment. Coverage credits its safety construction, restraints and roll-cage structure, but no complete equipment inventory is available. The incident should not be used to claim that factory C7 safety systems alone explain the outcome.
What the footage does—and does not—show
- Visible in the footage: the Corvette lifted, became airborne, shed front bodywork, landed, slid and stopped.
- Reported by contemporary coverage: Pharris got out unaided, with no serious injury reported.
- Supported interpretation: the launch wheelie and airflow beneath the body contributed to sustained flight.
- Not established: an exact crash speed, a single failed part, a definitive aerodynamic calculation or a formal investigation conclusion.
FAQ
Where did the C7 Corvette take flight?
It happened at Tulsa Raceway Park in Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the Radial Revenge Tour in 2017.
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Who was driving the Corvette?
Daniel Pharris was driving the car, which was owned by Andrew Alepa.
Was it a stock C7 Corvette?
No. It had C7 bodywork but was a purpose-built drag car with a tube chassis and high-output twin-turbo Hemi setup.
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Was the driver seriously hurt?
Contemporary reports said Pharris got out under his own power and did not report a serious injury.
How far did the Corvette fly?
DragZine estimated roughly 300 feet, but that figure was event coverage’s estimate rather than an official measurement.
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