Video: Watched a Top Fuel dragster grenade its motor at 270mph
06-02-2012 | 09:47 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Three Wheelin'
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,959
Likes: 1
From: NH
Video: Watched a Top Fuel dragster grenade its motor at 270mph
...and it was fantastic
I have never been too intrigued by drag racing, but my friend was insistent that watching Top Fuel cars would change my mind.
He was right... between the surprisingly complex engineering and downright scary acceleration of these cars, it was easily worth the $40 ticket price.
Specs:
8000hp
2000lbs
anyway, here are a couple videos I took
I have never been too intrigued by drag racing, but my friend was insistent that watching Top Fuel cars would change my mind.
He was right... between the surprisingly complex engineering and downright scary acceleration of these cars, it was easily worth the $40 ticket price.
Specs:
8000hp
2000lbs
anyway, here are a couple videos I took
06-04-2012 | 09:23 AM
#6
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 199
Likes: 0
From: Bucks County PA
I see you shot those videos from the spectator side. Next time you go to a race go across to the pits and watch them rebuild the engine after they run. Then of course you have to stay for the startup.
I hope you don't mind me posting a few photo's....
I hope you don't mind me posting a few photo's....
06-04-2012 | 06:21 PM
#7
Thread Starter
Three Wheelin'
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,959
Likes: 1
From: NH
nice pics, camera phones can only do so much 
I didnt get to see the motor rebuild but I watched a few of the Dragsters do the whole start up procedure in the pits... I never thought a motor could make your innards shake from 20ft away.
Next time you go to a race go across to the pits and watch them rebuild the engine after they run. Then of course you have to stay for the startup.
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06-04-2012 | 09:15 PM
#9
Thread Starter
Three Wheelin'
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,959
Likes: 1
From: NH
having the motor in front of the driver would scare the bejeezus out of me... If the trans/clutch gives up then say goodbye to your legs and feet
If that were me, I would want a scattershield the size of a manhole cover
case and point:
If that were me, I would want a scattershield the size of a manhole cover
case and point:
06-05-2012 | 02:41 AM
#13
Wordsmith
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Joined: Feb 2003
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The Reality of Top Fuel Drag Racing
- One Top Fuel dragster 500 cubic-inch Hemi engine makes more horsepower (8,000 HP) than the first 4 rows at the Daytona 500.
- Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 11.2 gallons of nitro methane per 1/4 mile run; a fully loaded 747 consumes jet fuel at the same rate with 25% less energy being produced.
- A stock Dodge Hemi V8 engine cannot produce enough power to merely drive the dragster's supercharger.
- With 3000 CFM of air being rammed in by the supercharger on overdrive, the fuel mixture is compressed into a near-solid form before ignition. Cylinders run on the verge of hydraulic lock at full throttle.
- At the stoichiometric 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture for nitro methane the flame front temperature measures 7050 degrees F.
- Nitro methane burns yellow. The spectacular white flame seen above the stacks at night is raw burning hydrogen, dissociated from atmospheric water vapor by the searing exhaust gases.
- Dual magnetos supply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is the output of an arc welder in each cylinder.
- Spark plug electrodes are totally consumed during a pass. After 1/2 way, the engine is dieseling from compression plus the glow of exhaust valves at 1400 degrees F. The engine can only be shut down by cutting the fuel flow.
- If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro builds up in the affected cylinders and then explodes with sufficient force to blow cylinder heads off the block in pieces or split the block in half.
- Dragsters reach over 300 MPH before you have completed reading this sentence.
- In order to exceed 300 MPH in 4.5 seconds, dragsters accelerate at an average of over 4 G's. In order to reach 200 MPH well before half-track, the launch acceleration approaches 8 G's.
- Top Fuel engines turn approximately 540 revolutions from ! light to light!
- Including the burnout, the engine need only survive 900 revolutions under load.
- The redline is around 9500 RPM.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Assuming all the equipment is paid off, the crew worked for free, and for once, NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs approximately $1,000 per second.
0 to 100 MPH in 0.8 seconds (the first 60 feet of the run)
0 to 200 MPH in 2.2 seconds (the first 350 feet of the run)
6G forces at the starting line
6G negative forces upon deployment of twin 'chutes at 300 MPH
An NHRA Top Fuel Dragster accelerates faster than any other land vehicle on Earth ... faster than a jet fighter ... faster than the Space Shuttle.
The current Top Fuel Dragster elapsed time record is 4.420 seconds for the quarter-mile (2004, Doug Kalitta.) The top speed record is 337.58 MPH as measured over the last 66 feet of the run (2005, Tony Schumacher.)
Putting this all into perspective:
You are driving the average $140,000 Lingenfelter twin-turbo Corvette Z06. Over a mile up the road, a Top Fuel dragster is staged & ready to launch down a quarter-mile strip as you pass. You have the advantage of a flying start. You run the Vette hard up through the gears and blast across the starting line & pass the dragster at an honest 200 MPH. The 'tree' goes green for both of you at that moment.
The dragster launches & starts after you. You keep your foot down hard, but you hear an incredibly brutal whine that sears your eardrums and within 3 seconds the dragster catches & passes you. He beats you to the finish line, a quarter-mile away from where you just passed him. Think about it - from a standing start, the dragster had spotted you 200 MPH & not only caught, but nearly blasted you off the road when he passed you within a mere 1320 foot long race!
NOW THAT'S ACCELERATION!
