ACCELERATION PUT INTO PERSPECTIVE

* One Top Fuel dragster outfitted with a 500 cubic-inch Hemi engine makes more horsepower (8,000 HP) than the first
4 rows at NASCAR's Daytona 500...

* Under full throttle, a dragster engine will consume 11.2 gallons of nitro methane per second; a fully loaded Boeing
747 consumes jet fuel at the same rate but with 25% less energy being produced.

* A stock Dodge Hemi V8 engine cannot produce enough power to merely drive the dragster's supercharger. (Note: the new Chrysler Hemi is not a true hemi. It is only a "Hemi" because Chrysler has the trademark on the name and chooses to call this engine a "Hemi")

* 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 lockup 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 sparkplug, which is typically the output of an electric arc welder in each cylinder.

* Spark plug electrodes are totally consumed during a pass.

*After 1/2 way thru the run, the engine is 'dieseling' from compression and the glow of the 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 enough force sufficient to blow the cylinder heads off the block in pieces or split the block in half!!

* Top fuel dragsters reach over 300 MPH +... before you have completed reading this sentence.

* In order to exceed 300 MPH in 4.5 seconds, a dragster must accelerate an average of over 4 G's. In order to reach 200 MPH well before reaching half-track, at launch the acceleration approaches 8 G's.

* Top Fuel engines turn approximately 675 revolutions from light to light!

* Including the burnout, the engine must only survive 9000 revolutions under load.

* The red line is actually quite high at 9500 RPM.

* THE BOTTOM LINE: Assuming all the equipment is paid for, the pit crew is working for free, & NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run will cost an estimated $1000 per second.

0 to 100 MPH in .8 seconds (the first 60 feet of the run)

0 to 200 MPH in 2.2 seconds (the first 350 feet of the run)

6 g-forces at the starting line (nothing accelerates faster on land)

6 negative g-forces upon deployment of twin 'chutes at 300 MPH

An NHRA Top Fuel Dragster accelerates quicker than any other land vehicle on earth. . Quicker than a jet fighter plane.... quicker than the space shuttle.... or snapping your fingers!!

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' of the run (2005, Tony Schumacher).

So, in summary... Let's now put this all into perspective: Imagine this.... You are driving a new $140,000 Lingenfelter twin-turbo powered Corvette Z-06. 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, on up through the gears and blast across the starting line, and pass the dragster at an honest 200 MPH.... The 'tree' goes green for both of you at that exact moment. The dragster departs & starts after you. You keep your foot buried hard to the floor, and suddenly you hear an incredibly brutally screaming whine that sears and pummels your eardrums & within a mere 3 seconds the dragster effortlessly 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.... and it not only caught, but nearly blasted you off the planet when he passed you within a mere 1320 foot long race !!!!

That my friend..... is acceleration!

 

I like, I like alot

 

Crap ... here I was thinking that my XF was kind-of quick!!!

 

Stogey,

Absolutely fabulous description. One minor note...


Some crazy fool is actually riding in that monster! On purpose!



roadster with a stick

 

Oh yeah...... well I'll put my wimpy little Crossfire Limited up against that Top Fuel dragster any day of the week.





On a road course. Ha!! I'd love to see that thing try and take the esses at Buttonwillow at 100mph and then brake hard and downshift a couple of gears before hitting the apex at Sunset Corner. Or better yet, nail the right-left-right over the hill complex at Cotton Corners and then blast the Grapevine/Club Corner/Bus Stop complex that follows. I'd kick that long skinny dragsters butt!!

 

That was awesome Stogey!
Im gonna miss seeing the Budweiser team next yr.
Cant believe they're dropping out.

 

Yep, it's a sign of the times and I don't think they're big into Drag Racing over in Holland, Germany, Belgium ....... where ever those folks are from.

 

All I can say is DUDE !!!!

 

That one's not true, we've pulled a few that have a little bit left.

 

Thank YOu !!!! THat was absolutely a badass perspective description!

 

Yeah, but how does it handle?

 

Like a wild cat with it's a$$ lit on fire !

 

Pulling 4g's and 8 at launch ...to hell with handling....that **** better be on a rail!

 

Thanks, Stogey, that was an awesome breakdown!

And he doesn't even where a helmet!

 

Well, at least my old 69 Super Bee had a "REAL" Hemi.

 

in Chicago at the races every year they take a car off the show room floor. Last year it was a sat sky. They sky lines up with a rail. both lights light, then green. The rail hits it for half a second and shuts her down the sky is going all out. THEY DAMN NEAR TIE every year lol I love it.

 

I'm new to watching drag racing and this post adds a whole new dimension. Thanks!

Actually, I see Pass Time on TV more than I see actual races, but it's pretty entertaining,too.