Mystery vehicle lifts skyward mid-race (7)
I believe the answer is:
miracle
'mystery' is the definition.
(thesaurus)
I can't explain the remainder of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for miracle that I've seen before include "something amazing" , "Saintly deed" , "Extraordinary event" , "God-inspired event" , "It's said to happen by the divine intervention" .)