As a drag car racer, there can be nothing more exhilarating than accelerating from 0 to 170 miles per hour in under five seconds.

However, the sensation you get when your speeding vehicle lifts off the track and flips through the air before smashing into the ground? Probably not so good. Dennis Bailey can atest to that.

The professional drag racer says he's lucky to be alive after being involved in a chilling accident at an event in Georgia, during his last race of the season.

After getting a good start in his modified $200,000 Ford Mustang, everything was going well, until the front end of his red speedster lifted off the ground while traveling at 169 mph.

The car briefly returned to the track -- looking like Bailey had it under control. But, then the front of the car quickly rose again, causing it to flip over a concrete safety wall and crash. This sent a cloud of dust skyward, and fans must have feared the worst for the driver when they saw parts of the car, including a wheel, thrown some 50 feet into the air.

But, amazingly, Bailey only suffered bruising and, thanks to the safety equipment installed in his car, didn't break a single bone. Keep reading to see the action.