brobradh77 Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 First, some useful info: * One Top Fuel dragster 500 cubic inch Hemi engine makes more horsepower than the first 4 rows at the Daytona 500. * Under full throttle, a Top Fuel dragster engine consumes 1= gallons of nitromethane per second; a fully loaded 747 consumes jet fuel at the same rate with 25% less energy being produced. * A stock Dodge 426 Hemi V8 engine cannot produce enough power to 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 nitromethane the flame front temperature measures 7050 degrees F. * 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. * 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. * In order to exceed 300 mph in 4.5 seconds dragsters must accelerate at 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 red-line is actually quite high at 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 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 riding the average $250,000 Honda MotoGP bike. 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 RC211V hard up through the gears and blast across the starting line and past the dragster at an honest 200 mph (293 ft/sec). The 'tree' goes green for both of you at that moment. The dragster launches and starts after you. You keep your wrist cranked 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 1320 foot long race course. That is hauling ass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRAD Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 Wow, that really interesting. I even learned some stuff I didnt know about T/F cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SS Silv Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 Nice find Brad. I have been going to NHRA races since I will little. EVERYONE should experience seeing a top fuel dragster fly down the track. It is freakin' amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
streatsboy Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 When my parents owned a speed shop... We sponsored a guy that ran high threes in the 1/8 mile at over 180 mph... I was to young to really know what he had... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zanis520 Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 thats really interesting, nice post brad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyrome Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 wow that is the most interesting thing ive read all day that was a great post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brobradh77 Posted November 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 Saw it on another forum and thought it was intersting. I would love to see a Top Fuel or Funny Car run down the track once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oo p0op oO Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 thats cool as hell. nice find Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gixxerrider Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 nice reading Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holty Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 Repost but cool nonetheless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usabodyguard Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 brad i dont care what people say about you... you have great threads... lol... awesome info... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoolBlueSS Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 Nice find Brad. I have been going to NHRA races since I will little. EVERYONE should experience seeing a top fuel dragster fly down the track. It is freakin' amazing. I love being in the pits when they fire one up. Saw it on another forum and thought it was intersting. I would love to see a Top Fuel or Funny Car run down the track once.It's an awesome experience. I went in the pits to look at one after it came apart. I don't think you could have done more damage with a grenade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brobradh77 Posted November 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 brad i dont care what people say about you... you have great threads... lol...awesome info... LOL..thanks Dave that brought a tear to my eye Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
packjh Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 good facts now if i could just get one pass in one that be awesome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireman31 Posted November 12, 2007 Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 good facts now if i could just get one pass in one that be awesome i'm next after you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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