Some interesting facts on top fuel dragsters December 05, 2008, 10:35:35 AM (not sure who's seen this before, but it's mind-boggling!)One Top Fuel dragster 500 cubic inch Hemi engine makes more horsepower than the first 4 rows of stock cars at the Daytona 500.Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1-1/2 gallons of nitro methane per second; 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 drive the dragster's supercharger. With 3,000 CFM (cubic feet per minute) 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 (stoichiometry: methodology and technology by which quantities of reactants and products in chemical reactions aredetermined) 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture for nitro methane, the flame front temperature measures 7,050 deg 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 halfway, the engine is dieseling from compression, plus the glow of exhaust valves at 1,400 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.In order to exceed 300 mph in 4.5 seconds, dragsters must accelerate an average of over 4G's. In order to reach 200 mph (well before half-track), the launch acceleration approaches 8G's.Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have completed reading this sentence.Top Fuel engines turn approximately 540 revolutions from light to light! Including the burnout, the engine must only survive 900 revolutions under load. The redline is actually quite high at 9,500 rpm.Assuming all the equipment is paid off, the crew worked for free, and for once NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs an estimated $1,000.00 per second.The current Top Fuel dragster elapsed time record is 4.441 seconds for the quarter mile (10/05/03, Tony Schumacher). The top speed record is 333.00 mph. (533 km/h) as measured over the last 66' of the run (09/28/03 Doug Kalitta).Putting all of this into perspective:You are driving the average $140,000 Lingenfelter "twin-turbo" powered Corvette Z06. Over a mile up the road, a Top Fuel dragster is staged and 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 and past the dragster at an honest 200 mph. The 'tree' goes green for both of you at that moment.The dragster launches and 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 and 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 not only caught, but nearly blasted you off the road when he passed you within a mere 1,320 foot long race course......and that my friend, is ACCELERATION! Quote Selected
Some interesting facts on top fuel dragsters Reply #1 – December 05, 2008, 11:41:51 AM Seen it many times...I'm in awe every time I read it...:burnout:Actually, I was looking for this info to read to my Automotive class but couldn't find it...so, now I have it! Thanks!! Quote Selected
Some interesting facts on top fuel dragsters Reply #2 – December 05, 2008, 01:34:36 PM Quote from: Cougar5.0;246262Top Fuel engines turn approximately 540 revolutions from light to light! Including the burnout, the engine must only survive 900 revolutions under load. The redline is actually quite high at 9,500 rpm. Engine only has to live for 900 revolutions??? BS... Maybe IF one doesn't account for tire spin & clutch slippage... The clutch engagement is how traction is maintained, it slips like Hell till the car is at past track... Everyone has seen one blow the tires off in the first 100ft, due to too much clutch... BTW clutches are replaced after every run... Quote Selected
Some interesting facts on top fuel dragsters Reply #3 – December 05, 2008, 01:40:06 PM I guess it's a lie then. I don't know the final drive ratio with those ginormous tires - I guess you do. I've also never seen one spin on launch when I've seen Top Fuel, though I've seen it happen on TV and it can be very dangerous.Oh, and don't forget the key words there "under load". Quote Selected
Some interesting facts on top fuel dragsters Reply #4 – December 05, 2008, 01:44:32 PM Quote from: TurboCoupe50;246280Engine only has to live for 900 revolutions??? BS... Maybe IF one doesn't account for tire spin & clutch slippage... The clutch engagement is how traction is maintained, it slips like Hell till the car is at past track... Assuming:9500 rpm redling (158 rev/sec)5 second runWorst case, the engine turns just under 800 revolution during the run. 540 would also be feasible due to clutch slip keeping it under the redline. The 900 revolution number is possible. Quote Selected
Some interesting facts on top fuel dragsters Reply #5 – December 05, 2008, 02:38:32 PM I guess that doesn't count the idling the engine briefly does while waiting for the tree to come down...?Then again.."under load..." Quote Selected
Some interesting facts on top fuel dragsters Reply #6 – December 05, 2008, 02:40:54 PM What about the time @ the tree and lining up in the staging area? Quote Selected
Some interesting facts on top fuel dragsters Reply #7 – December 05, 2008, 05:40:25 PM I believe they are restricted to nothing lower than a 3.23 gear. What you'd need to know in order to figure this out is what the diameter of the slick is when it "grows". Then divide that in to the distance (now 1000 ft rather than 1320). Then multiply that number by 3.23 and I think that will give the number of RPMs for the distance traveledthat right?.....I have a headache Quote Selected
Some interesting facts on top fuel dragsters Reply #8 – December 05, 2008, 10:30:03 PM well, i think the estimation is well within reason. heck, what differance does it make if its twice that. you cant deny that its impressive as hell. if you havnt seen one launch in real life, you havnt seen it. Quote Selected
Some interesting facts on top fuel dragsters Reply #9 – December 05, 2008, 11:02:52 PM The first time I saw top fuel I was standing at the fence right close to the starting line, not knowing what was about to happen. When the dragster(s) launched (besides my eyes burning already from the nitro), I could feel my heart and brain resonating in my body as the massive pressure waves made me numb to where I was feeling disoriented. Even sitting in the stands the next year didn't compare to standing up at the fence - that was incredible. Perhaps some clever person at a top fuel event realized that high energy, low frequency pulses can immobilize a person. QuoteHigh-intensity low-frequency sound may cause other organs to resonate, causing a number of physiological results, possibly including death. Acoustic weapons pose the hazard of being indiscriminate weapons, potentially imposing the same damage on friendly forces and noncombatants as on enemy combatants or other targets. Quote Selected
Some interesting facts on top fuel dragsters Reply #10 – December 05, 2008, 11:41:54 PM Seen them many times. Saw Gene Snow crash at the lights. Also saw a digger blow over right in front of me @ half track.Texas Motorplex is about 60 miles away Quote Selected
Some interesting facts on top fuel dragsters Reply #11 – December 06, 2008, 01:18:10 AM the best time to watch them is at a night show. Quote Selected
Some interesting facts on top fuel dragsters Reply #12 – December 06, 2008, 02:24:30 AM Quote The first time I saw top fuel I was standing at the fence right close to the starting line, not knowing what was about to happen. When the dragster(s) launched (besides my eyes burning already from the nitro), I could feel my heart and brain resonating in my body as the massive pressure waves made me numb to where I was feeling disoriented. Even sitting in the stands the next year didn't compare to standing up at the fence - that was incredible. My experiance was pretty much identicle. i was on the "far" side of the track at epping a hand full of years ago. off topic, but i guess fun ford weekend is all done? Quote Selected
Some interesting facts on top fuel dragsters Reply #13 – December 06, 2008, 02:59:28 PM Quote from: rancheronut;246401the best time to watch them is at a night show.It's called the "Night of Fire" up here :flame: Quote Selected
Some interesting facts on top fuel dragsters Reply #14 – December 06, 2008, 03:08:41 PM Quote15th Annual New England Battle Of The Brands, presented by FFWAugust 15-16, 2009??:bricks1: Quote Selected
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