Top Fuel Cars

[AstroGman]

Measuring the power output of a top fuel engine directly is not always feasible. Certain models use a torque sensor incorporated as part the RacePak data system. Dynamometers that can measure the output of a Top Fuel engine exist; however, the main limitation is that a Top Fuel engine cannot be run at its maximum power output for more than 10 seconds without overheating or possibly destroying itself explosively. The engine power output can also be calculated based upon the car's weight and its performance. The calculated Power output of these engines is most likely somewhere between 8500 and 10,000 horsepower (approximately 4500-6000 kilowatts), with a torque output of 8135 N·m (ca. 6000 lbf·ft) and a brake mean effective pressure of 80–100 bar (8.0-10 MPa).

How many of you have ever seen a Top Fuel dragster before????

[novaderrik]

i saw them at Brainerd back in 2000. they were only going about 310 at the finish line back then.
they are the most insane machines on the planet.
i'm thinking that it takes somewhere in the area of 2500hp just to turn the supercharger. i've read the exact number somewhere, but i'm feeling to lazy to look it up right now.
after about the first 300 feet of track, the sparkplugs are melted away and it's running on detonation like a diesel engine, and they are right on the ragged edge of hydrolocking the engine. that's why they make such a mess when they blow up..

[LotusExcelle]

I witnessed top fuel from about about 50 feet away at the starting line. It is breathtaking in a number of ways. I'll touch briefly on the noise... which is simply the loudest thing I've ever heard in my life. But it isn't just *loud*. They pump rather a lot of air and you can feel that air pulsing around you rapidly. From that distance it shakes you enough to blur your vision.

The next thing that is disconcerting is the sheer acceleration off the line. You are staring at it. Then its *gone*. I mean its just freaking GONE. There's the sense that it has torn through space-time. And certainly the noise and shaking of the world seem to uphold that view. If you've never seen them up close in person... video simply does no justice.

[AstroGman]

They are extremely LOUD!!!!Drag races and air shows are the loudest things I have EVER heard.

[Kaptain K]

It'a amazing the amount of down force the upturned headers generate. I saw one blow the headers off one sideof the engine. It immediately rolled over!

[redshifter]

I witnessed top fuel from about about 50 feet away at the starting line. It is breathtaking in a number of ways. I'll touch briefly on the noise... which is simply the loudest thing I've ever heard in my life. But it isn't just *loud*. They pump rather a lot of air and you can feel that air pulsing around you rapidly. From that distance it shakes you enough to blur your vision.

The next thing that is disconcerting is the sheer acceleration off the line. You are staring at it. Then its *gone*. I mean its just freaking GONE. There's the sense that it has torn through space-time. And certainly the noise and shaking of the world seem to uphold that view. If you've never seen them up close in person... video simply does no justice.

Ditto the incredible noise of top fuel dragsters. Loudest thing I've ever heard, and I spent 3 years active duty in a field artillery unit. Not to mention attended many rock concerts.

[Trebuchet]

I've only seen them on TV but pretty impressive anyhow. Which leads me to a question: From my occasional TV watching, it appears they have shortened the track from 1/4 mile (1320 feet) to 1000 feet. Is that correct? When did it happen? Does it apply to all classes or just the really fast ones? Presumably it was to hold the top speeds down, which would seem to be necessary only for the top fuelers and funny cars.

[Kaptain K]

I've only seen them on TV but pretty impressive anyhow. Which leads me to a question: From my occasional TV watching, it appears they have shortened the track from 1/4 mile (1320 feet) to 1000 feet. Is that correct? When did it happen? Does it apply to all classes or just the really fast ones? Presumably it was to hold the top speeds down, which would seem to be necessary only for the top fuelers and funny cars.

Yes, it only applies to Top Fuel and Funny Cars. It went into effect this year, and you're right, it is to keep top speeds down.

[AstroGman]

i saw them at Brainerd back in 2000. they were only going about 310 at the finish line back then.
they are the most insane machines on the planet.
i'm thinking that it takes somewhere in the area of 2500hp just to turn the supercharger. i've read the exact number somewhere, but i'm feeling to lazy to look it up right now.
after about the first 300 feet of track, the sparkplugs are melted away and it's running on detonation like a diesel engine, and they are right on the ragged edge of hydrolocking the engine. that's why they make such a mess when they blow up..
Actually they were going faster than 310 even back then.They were around 324

[pantaz]

I witnessed top fuel from about about 50 feet away at the starting line. It is breathtaking in a number of ways. I'll touch briefly on the noise... which is simply the loudest thing I've ever heard in my life. But it isn't just *loud*. They pump rather a lot of air and you can feel that air pulsing around you rapidly. From that distance it shakes you enough to blur your vision.

The next thing that is disconcerting is the sheer acceleration off the line. You are staring at it. Then its *gone*. I mean its just freaking GONE. There's the sense that it has torn through space-time. And certainly the noise and shaking of the world seem to uphold that view. If you've never seen them up close in person... video simply does no justice.

Absolutely! And the smell of nitromethane is something you'll never forget.

[LotusExcelle]

Absolutely! And the smell of nitromethane is something you'll never forget.

I had nearly forgotten about the smell. Yeah that lingers in your nose a while. It really is a kind of sensory overload to see one in real life.

[jlhredshift]

I drag raced for thirty years and toured the national circuit for ten. I was standing at the finish line for the first 300 mph run by K Bernstein. I had a fuel funny blow the body off and it landed three feet from our car, you cant move quite fast enough when they are coming at you. Being a competitor I got to stand right next to them many times waiting for our turn at the track. I am glad I did those things when I did rather than than wait till later in life as the family always suggested. Reading this thread even brought the smell memory back of the fuelers. Ahh... the stories, get a couple beers into me and well......

[LotusExcelle]

I'd love to work on drag cars. Well any race car to be honest. But there's a 'so wrong its right' quality to top fuel.

[jlhredshift]

I'd love to work on drag cars. Well any race car to be honest. But there's a 'so wrong its right' quality to top fuel.

The racing was a life style. Working on the cars is what we did. To use an aircraft term they were all "EXPERIMENTAL". I saw a lot of teams doing what everyone else was doing and the best that would get you was parity and that might carry you through some rounds and maybe win a race every now and then, but consistently win you had to take risks and try new things and be constantly looking for better solutions.

[geonuc]

How many of you have ever seen a Top Fuel dragster before????

I've seen them at Pomona and at a race track near Reading, Pennsylvania, whose name I've forgotten. The sound is awesome!

[AstroGman]

I've seen them at Pomona and at a race track near Reading, Pennsylvania, whose name I've forgotten. The sound is awesome!Yes it is.I think it's about as close to a Saturn V's noise output as I'll ever want to get!!!!!

[Trebuchet]

And only slightly off-topic, I'd like to mention how impressed I am with Pro Stock cars -- 500 in3, naturally aspirated, carburetted, and minimal aero modifications running under 7 sec. That was top fuel time when I first heard of drag racing.

[novaderrik]

I've only seen them on TV but pretty impressive anyhow. Which leads me to a question: From my occasional TV watching, it appears they have shortened the track from 1/4 mile (1320 feet) to 1000 feet. Is that correct? When did it happen? Does it apply to all classes or just the really fast ones? Presumably it was to hold the top speeds down, which would seem to be necessary only for the top fuelers and funny cars.


Yes, it only applies to Top Fuel and Funny Cars. It went into effect this year, and you're right, it is to keep top speeds down.

they shortened it down to 1000 feet in the 2 Top Fuel classes- dragsters and funny cars- feet after Scott Kalitta died in a crash a couple of years ago. he went 300+ mph into the sand trap at the end of the track that was there to stop the out of control cars. that particular track had a relatively short shutdown area compared to other tracks, and they think the driver was dead as soon as his car exploded and his foot pegged the throttle down, anyways, which means that nothing could have really prevented the crash once the engine blew. they shortened the track for those two classes to not only slow the cars down, but also to shorten the time that the cars are under full power and lower the odds of the engines blowing up at the fastest part of the run.


I'd love to work on drag cars. Well any race car to be honest. But there's a 'so wrong its right' quality to top fuel.

if you want to work on race cars, then start hanging out with racers. find someone that races locally and offer to help them out- even if it's just some guy that bracket races at the local track every weekend. i know that road race teams are always looking for help- if there is a local ChumpCar (http://www.chumpcar.com/) or LeMons (http://www.24hoursoflemons.com/) team near you, then seek them out and offer to help. that's about as entry level as you can get for "real" racing. it might not be Top Fuel, but racing is racing and both Chumpcar and LeMons have a "so wrong it's right" kind of a vibe to them, too.