yes, it did look that way, but that has now been ruled out. Fromthe NHRA website.
"John feels terrible that there are some people that are blaming Kenny,” said Dave Densmore, Public Relations Director of John Force Racing. “Kenny hit a cone, which every driver has done at some time or another. However, when given access to video from all angles, it's obvious that the cone goes behind John's car and is never a factor. The assumption, I suppose, is that the cone blew out our tire but that just isn't the case. We're still analyzing all the data. For reasons we don't understand, the chassis pulled apart. Kenny did a great job of driving for which John has complimented him and thanked him in a variety of interviews this week. After hitting the cones, Kenny muscled his Dodge back into his own lane. It was the front half of our car that actually came across the centerline and punched out the Monster Dodge. After the impact, Kenny somehow managed to steer his car back off the wall and get it stopped.”

I shouldn't have, but I just spent several minutes freeze framing all the video angles I could find. It appears I am wrong about the foam blocks hitting Force's car. I was sure wrong about Force's chute. He pulled it as the tire came apart (for whatever reason). At that moment there was yellow flame visible around the blower bug catcher. Right after that there was a huge cloud of white as the car separated. Only the body and front half of the chassis hit Bernstein's car. And at that point Force's body came off as did Bernstein's. No telling what happened, but that cloud was big and round and instant, suggesting some kind of explosion. It could have been Force's rear chassis digging into the track, but it happened as an explosion would appear.

Brew 66, I have to apologize to you, but I also have to ask what keeps those blocks in place when these cars go by with all that turbulence? Foam for safety, no doubt. Reflectors for the trap lights. But they have to be anchored somehow. One has to wonder if part of the assembly too small to see did go over into Force's car. Kenny was ahead at that point and they were only a few feet apart with Kenny over the line and John running in the center of the left lane.

It's all weird because the chutes come out on every run and jerk the car hard. Something in conjunction with that jerk allowed the car to break in half, in my now humble opinion.

Milt, accepted!
I also spent a long time watching the video and reading Force's website. It does appear that some level of metal fatigue combined with one of the many explosions that occur in T/F Funny Cars is at fault here.

The good news is the NHRA is all about safety (as strange as it seems going over 324MPH) and they will publish the findings so other teams and drivers don't end up in the same situation.

I believe the timing blocks have a flexible foam pole if you will that goes down in the ground, about 1 1/2" diameter.

Dave (cornpanzer), you should submit some of the cool/crazy VW video's for this crowd to see!

Sou you guys saw BOTH blocks miss Force's car? I saw the first one miss the car & go to the wall. I never saw the second block pass Force's car. If anybody has a link showing that please post it. If any of you think that the engine exploded with enough force to blow the chassis in 2 then how did the body stay in place? Metal fatigue when the chutes came out? How many times do you think a team like his runs the same pipe? NO CHANCE! After considering those points give shome thought to how bad a tire shakes when badly out of balance at 315 mph. That vibration is what broke the chassis in half! That vibration is what killed Eric Medlin. That vibration is what killed Darell Russel. That vibration is the most dangerous thing in drag racing. It is "the monster!"