interesting!

[I am Technoman]

more good reading from twinturbo.net

I can't vouch for the accuracy of all these statements, but they have to be true if they're written down, right?

* One dragster's 500-inch Hemi makes more horsepower then the first 8 rows at Daytona.

* 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 4times the energy volume.

* The supercharger takes more power to drive then a stock hemi makes.

* 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.

* Dual magnetos apply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is the output of an arc welder in each cylinder.

* At stoichiometric (exact) 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture (for nitro), the flame front of nitro methane 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.

* 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 at1400 degrees F. The engine can only be shut down by cutting off it's fuel flow

* 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.

* 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.

* 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.

* 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.

* Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have read this sentence

* Top Fuel Engines ONLY turn 540 revolutions from light to light!

* The redline is actually quite high at 9500rpm.

* To give you an idea of this acceleration, the current TF dragster elapsed time record is 4.477 seconds for the quarter mile. This means that you could be coming across the starting line in your Stage IX + 300ZX Twin Turbo at 200 mph (on a FLYING START) and the dragster would BEAT you to the finish line FROM A DEAD STOP in a quarter mile distance!

[MainEvent212]

awesome

[Rockenreno]

I know that at least some of that is true. It's amazing what those beasts do, but can they take a turn at that speed?I think not.

[I am Technoman]

I'm thinking about a dragster drifting.:crazy

[s14kaibigan]

Seeing what you can do in the 1/4 going sideways?*in a whispering omniscient voice*"If you can do it, they will come."

[S13Ka24e]

Most of that stuff sounds true, but i know that $1000 per second is wrong, the term i usually hear is with parts/fuel/tires (no labor) it cost about $4k per run. It only cost about $400 for fuel per run.

[Tino]

I'm thinking about a dragster drifting.:crazy

It woudln't be called drifting. More like the high rise roll and tumble.

[96_S14_SE]

Most of that stuff sounds true, but i know that $1000 per second is wrong, the term i usually hear is with parts/fuel/tires (no labor) it cost about $4k per run. It only cost about $400 for fuel per run.

Fine, it costs 895$ per second of the run then.

[Gregariousgreg]

That's why I love going to SIR.

[Onizuka]

the shock of the parachutes opening up cause retinal damage (it meens you go blind if you do it enough)It like taking off in a space shuttle horizontally. the ultimate rush basically.

[pgt892]

* The supercharger takes more power to drive then a stock hemi makes.

I know this is true. Of the 3000HP a top-fuel dragster makes, it takes about 1000HP to drive the supercharger. Those cars are so insane!

[driftaholic]

i wish my 240 had 3000 hp.

[SmithSR]

anybody seen what happens when the rear wing breaks off of a TF dragster???

amazing... a vehicle that actually needs a wing, and for *gasp* downforce.......? wowsers.

[Kaioshin1982]

anyone got a pic of this "dragster" or a video?

[I am Technoman]

anyone got a pic of this "dragster" or a video?

This is all "Top fuel" dragsters.

[NIGHTfall_240sx]

i love the rush of speed man, but hitting 300mph within 5seconds... i would just sh1t myself

[SmithSR]

anyone got a pic of this "dragster" or a video?

yeah man, this is usually in a highlight reel, or some car documentary, or some similar show. i thought it was widely known that a TF "dragster" will lift off when the rear wing breaks. downforce is cool.