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Top Fuel Dragster Facts.


DTM Brian

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Some interesting Top Fuel dragster facts:

* One dragster's 500-inch Hemi makes more horsepower then the first 8

rows at Daytona

* 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.

* The supercharger takes more power to drive then a stock hemi makes.

* 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

of

it's 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 blow the block in half.

* Dragsters twist the crank (torsionally) so far (20 degrees in the

big end of the track) that sometimes cam lobes are ground offset from

front

to rear to re-phase the valve timing somewhere closer to

synchronization

with the pistons.

* To exceed 300mph 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 read this

sentence.

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Your forgot:

The average blood alcohol content of the fans in the stands watching the dragster is .25 . has an IQ of a top fuel dragster piston and wares a hat by a major construction equipment manufacture.

:thefinger:

i kid, I only kid ya....

:lol:

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Your forgot:

The average blood alcohol content of the fans in the stands watching the dragster is .25 . has an IQ of a top fuel dragster piston and wares a hat by a major construction equipment manufacture.

:thefinger:

i kid, I only kid ya....

I think this may apply to some nascar fans as well. However, I have not done any scientific study to back this up. :D

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  • 2 years later...
I was actually talking to a guy today about these. I love taking 'first timers' to the drag strip when the fuelers are running.

TV does not do them justice.

I'm supposed to have tix to "Night Under Fire" @ Norwalk this weekend. :D

Night Under Fire is this weekend?! My Dad and I usually go, but our schedules butted heads this year.

Bob Motz better burn that goddamned sign down this time!

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Some interesting Top Fuel dragster facts: ...

Top Fuel Dragsters are the only thing faster than Chuck Norris.

Ashley Force is the only woman in the world to deny Chuck Norris. She did it by throwing nitromethane on Chuck and lighting him on fire. It is the only time in recorded history that Chuck Norris has ever felt pain.

Chuck Norris can catch a fly with chopsticks, but John Force can catch a fly with chopsticks and execute a perfect .5 second reaction time simultaneously.

John Force's burnouts cure asthma, pneumonia, and the black lung.

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They didn't let him the first time he was out this year :(

I was disappointed because it was his first run back with his new truck since the accident.

I was at that race! He biffed the run because he accidentally let go of the fuel button, and immediately copped to it.

I gotta tell you though, that announcer dude really annoys the hell out of me. I know he's one of the Bader kids, but jeez, get someone in there with a little skill. Maybe they can borrow Bob Uecker for a few runs. :D

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