Interesting Top Fuel Dragster Facts

[nascarchuck]

EDIT: Check out this slow motion video. Wow! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O0b90G8Yhg


I saw this on a Ford Diesel forum, it's pretty cool if you're into drag racing.

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

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. By the way, while the Top Fuel engine and a Boeing 747 consume about the same 1.5 gallons per second, the 747 needs four engines to suck down that much fuel - the Top Fuel engine actually consumes fuel at four times the rate of a 747 engine.

A stock hemi will not produce enough power to drive the dragster's supercharger.

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 nitromethane 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.

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 those cylinders and then explodes with a force that can blow cylinder heads off the block in pieces or split the block in half.

To exceed 300 mph 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 completed reading this sentence.

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

The redline is actually quite high at 9500rpm.

Top fuel dragsters go 0 to 100 MPH in .8 seconds...yes, eight tengths of a second.

Putting all of this in perspective:

You are driving an average Lingenfelter powered "twin-turbo" Corvette. 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, but you still run the 'Vette hard up through the gears and blast across the starting line and past the dragster at an honest 200 mph.
At this moment, the dragster launches and starts after you. You keep your foot hard down, but you hear an incredibly brutal whine that sears your eardrums and within seconds the dragster catches and passes you. He beats you to the finish line, a quarter mile away from where you passed him.

[Big Mike]

Very interesting, thanks chuck.

[smokin]

Proof positive NHRA is better than NASCAR!!

[nascarchuck]

My main problem with NHRA is that when I go to the Nationals, I am bored until the Pro Stocks, Funny Cars and TF race. Other than that, I am bored... When I am bored, I spend money. I am married with a child now, so I don't have money!

Actually, I love any type of motorsports!

[Puff]

I know this is about cars but I go down to Norwalk, Ohio every year for the Harley drags. Those top fuel guys really tear it up