Acceleration
 

I got this in an email from my buddy Eric this morning and just wow is all I can think of...

> >>> Actual Records are 3.70 Elapsed
> >>> time and top speed is 337 mph and that folks, is quick and
> >>> Fast!
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Ever wonder why a Top Fuel
> >>> dragster gets a rebuilt engine after each
> >>> run?
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> Stay with this - even if you
> >>> aren't a 'car nut', this is
> >>> stunning.
> >>>
> >>> *
> >>> One Top Fuel dragster outfitted with a 500 cubic-inch
> >>> replica Dodge (actually Keith Black, etc.) Hemi engine makes
> >>> more horsepower (8,000 HP) than the first 4 rows of cars 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.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> * 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 stoichio metric
> >>> 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 spark plug. Which is typically the output of a small
> >>> 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 to blow the
> >>> cylinder heads off the block in pieces or split the block in
> >>> half !!
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> * 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 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 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 $1,000 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). (I think the time is now
> >>> closer to 4 seconds, M.)
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> The top speed record is 337.58 MPH
> >>> as measured over the last 66' of the run (2005,
> >>> Tony Schumacher).
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> 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 & 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
> >>> friends.....is acceleration

Wow! That's incredible! Thanks for sharing.

Yup.

Been around top fuel cars since I was a kid (uncle was on a crew).

They are just insane, only thing stopping them from going faster at this time is the tire is actually trying to overlap its self.

Always been a fan and even got my tix already for the Gator Nations in Gainesville next month.

Watched top fuel in New Hampshire last summer, had pit passes to Mac Tools team (Doug Kalitta). It was AWESOME. Loved watching them rebuild the blower, heads etc. and then firing the engine in the pits. The half burned fuel is hard on the eye balls!!!

Thats always cool to read. I always found it fascinating the engine onle makes nine hundred revs during its burnout and run, heck only five hundred forty of it on the actual run. All the other stats are staggeringly huge and that seems staggeringly small (but purely based on numbers it makes perfect sense) :cool:

The 337 mph being referenced is the old quarter mile record. The new record for mph in the 1000 ft era is 332.18. The 3.70 is the correct ET time for the 1000 ft era.

Thats amazing!

I find it hard to believe the 540 revs per light to light run # but the math works out. at 9500 the crank is turning 158 times per second. 3 seconds is only 474 revs. Amazing, I thought it would be many many times that......

Just awesome, I need to get to a race.

PS- most impressive thing I've ever seen is at an air show, when the F18 does a high speed pass not that high up, and it's coming at you right at the sound barrier an it is dead SILENT, until it gets to you, oh man now that's awesome. And it's got another 600+ mph to go! Lol

Wow

I remember my first run in with a nitro car. I was sitting in the staging lane with a trans am I had, but they stopped us all to let a nitro dragster move ahead. I rolled my windows part way down because I was positive that the vibration was going to shatter them. Everything shook. Granted I was sitting about 40ft back of the car, so fairly close.

This is the video those stats were taken from, very interesting stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VF0JwxQqcA

No GPS or Heated seat? What a piece of crap!

Those jets are impressive, but anyone who's ever been within half a mile of a top fueler lighting up never forgets it. Brute force.

The Spring Nationals in Houston are coming up, I try to make it every year for at least one day. I stay with a family that has been there every year since the first one. Addictive stuff.

Ok big deal

But can they back a boat up at a launch- with everyone watching?

This really was a great article

3pointstar

Did you know you can spot that fighter damn near a second from a steam powered catapult on an aircraft carrier with dual full afterburners and the TF dragster will beat him in the same distance and that if you walk down to the finish lights that the dragsters pass you at top speed that the sound follows a second or two after the car passes you just like the planes do.
It's always AWESOME!!!

You cant help but love the sound and speed of these wicked cars. Now in the pits for their warming of the blocks start up be prepared with ear protection and get ready for the unburned fumes of the fuel mix to water your eyes and clear out your sinus's
Most people have no idea of just how awesome these tuners really are.
In spite of raising their rearend ratio to lower number, cutting back on the pop (nitromethane) and shortening the track length 25 percent these men have almost gotten the trap speeds they had before.
We NEVER miss the local NHRA nationals in Dallas and Houston and used to always go the the Nat's in Baton Rouge too.
People that Baton Rouge facility was an intense track for the drivers as the speeds went way up and the elapsed times went way down.
The sport has come a long way since Big Daddy and Shirley were running at Houston Int'l and and State Capitol Dragways many decades ago.
All of our newer dragways are much safer than these were.

If you ever get a chance to go to a National don't miss the opportunity.

See ya,
Kelly

Here you go boys,

Not quite as fast but take a ride with my buddy in his nitro funny car, to bad they don't have the cubic money it takes to make all the events. You'll see many local racers competing against the sponsored teams that chase the points circuit nationally. Seldomly do they win a Wally but at many events they help fill the field of competitors to make the eliminations possible on Sunday.
You want a real good time go on Friday evening, hopefully before time change and catch them running after dark, it's UNREAL !!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JhxkG7AxcA
See ya,
Kelly

Plug in Kenny Hubbard into you tube search and check out some of his new and old race car videos.
Look for the no wheely bars 8.1/2" tires Nova and the old supercharged alcohol Monte Carlo riding on a modified factory frame in the "run what you brung class" 1/8th mile races.
In one race he carried the wheely on the Nove all the way to the finish and got the win light

Well the plane is much farther away up in the air and 600 mph is double the TF and only HALF the capability of the jet.

I LOVE going to the airshow at Ellington AFB every year too!!!

Now If I could just figure out how to purchase a ride in 1 of those birds I'd glady pay in full and give the pilot an awesome tip for the ride, LOL!!!

See ya,
Kelly

That's awesome! What's the guy spraying into the butterflies?

Unfortunately I have no idea, LOL!!!
In his shop behind the house they'll shoot fuel in them immediately before start up to avoid lean A/F
You should hear how loud the superchrged exotic fueled engines are inside of a metal building, you'd think it was WW3 with the explosive sound of straight exhaust pipes.

See ya,
Kelly

I'll be at the Chicago race in June. Been going to the strip since I was 7 years old. I love it.

In an alcohol car they are spraying de-icer so the butterflies don't freeze closed, in regards to what they are shooting into a nitro car prior to starting it is most likely alcohol or gas to help get the motor fired.

Thanks. Never would have thought of that. I knew prior to starting they'd spray nitro but on the line like that really had me stumped!

That's what I call havin some real kahuna's to drive that thing!

I've been to the NHRA nationals a few time in Indianapolis and my god those are some bad a$$ machines. Nothing like the burn in your eyes from the nitro and the bone rattling vibrations these monsters put out. If you are a horsepower junkie and have never been do yourself a favor and go check it out.

Going to the Indy Nationals is a wish list race for me to attend.
You'll see the deepest fields in all classes of qualifying races.
Unfortunately due to how many stops that there are now the promotors occasionally have a hard time at some events to completely fill the grids for the Eliminations on Sunday.
I'd bet that during the Fri/Sat quailifiers at Indy you'll see 15 heads up races in Top Fuel and Funny Car and probably 20+ in the Pro Stock cars. Only 16 make it, many racers will not make the Sunday show. That area of the country has lots and lots of race teams which just compete locally year round waiting for the Nationals to come to town

See ya,
Kelly

Used to go to Indy a lot, loved the Friday night runs.

And there is nothing like it in the Pitts when they fire one of those and blip the throttle what a rush!

I used to be able to here them from my old house,,,,,,, just wild.