Interesting Top Fuel Dragster Facts

KennyGS

How may I help?
11,644
5,513
Keystone State
1) One dragster's 500-inch Hemi makes more horsepower then the first 8 rows at Daytona
2) Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1 1/2 gallons of nitro per second, the same rate of fuel consumption as a fully loaded 747 but with 4 times the energy volume.
3) The supercharger takes more power to drive then a stock hemi makes.
4) Even with nearly 3000 CFM of air being rammed in by the supercharger on overdrive, the fuel mixture is compressed into nearly-solid form before ignition. Cylinders run on the verge of hydraulic lock.
5) Dual magnetos apply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is the output of an arc welder in each cylinder.
6) At stoichiometric (exact) 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture (for nitro), the flame front of nitromethane measures 7050 degrees F.
7) Nitromethane 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.
8) 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 of it's fuel flow.
9) If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro builds up in those cylinders and then explodes with a force that can blow cylinder heads off the block in pieces or blow the block in half.
10) Dragsters twist the crank (torsionally) so far (20 degrees in the big end of the track) that sometimes cam lobes are ground offset from front to rear to re-phase the valve timing somewhere closer to synchronization with the pistons.
11) To exceed 300mph in 4.5 seconds dragsters must accelerate at an average of over 4G's. But in reaching 200 mph well before 1/2 track, launch acceleration is closer to 8G's.
12) If all the equipment is paid off, the crew worked for free, and for once NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs $1000.00 per second.
13) Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have read this sentence
 
Last edited:

Dar-Dar

Mordorator
19,329
9,900
North NJ
Vehicle Model
Civic Si
Body Style
Fiji Blue Pearl Coupe Coolest Member Since: May 15, 2011
#4, #6, and #10 is crazy!
 

bobshur

Well-Known Member
1,300
485
Atlanta
Vehicle Model
2012 Civic si
Body Style
Coupe
They say there at 10,000 HP now( an increase of 2000, in the last 5 years). But most crew chiefs believe closer to 12,000. Also with the NHRA trying to offer "live" final broadcasts on finals day( Sunday) On tv,Teams are now just changing motors completely rather than the traditional tear down and rebuild that takes about 90 minutes.this has led to more un predictable racing though,so who knows what that holds in the future of TV broadcasts.
 

bobshur

Well-Known Member
1,300
485
Atlanta
Vehicle Model
2012 Civic si
Body Style
Coupe
Forgot to add that the TV turn around is 45 minutes! It is simply amazing that this can be done,the pits are like a well oiled machine,it's truly something to see,I've been to well over 100 events and can't get enough.
 

Nix

Jötunn Moderator
10,765
8,162
Lew-vul, KY
Body Style
It's A Fast Pig!
As far as I've heard... only pussies run nitromethane...







\


His ride was a nitro-methane fueled 1971 Ford Gran Torino
 

bobshur

Well-Known Member
1,300
485
Atlanta
Vehicle Model
2012 Civic si
Body Style
Coupe
It sucks that after Scott Kalitta died in Englishtown NJ they don't race the 1/4 mile in Top Fuel,it is a 1000 foot race,because some tracks don't have enough run off after shut down according to the NHRA ,that being said they still run TF dragsters around 3.80 320 mph and FC has run 3.98 at like 310 mph,still awesome,but someday hopefully the 1/4 will come back and they will run 350mph plus.if you have never seen it,you have to go.its a rush!
 
Top