Very cool Scott. It takes a team in professional racing. I'd like to ask my mechanic why it takes him week+ to rebuild my motor, these guys do it in two hours!! 😜
A Top fuel run is actually 1/8 mile, only Pro Stock and Funny Cars go the 1/4 mile. I Top Fuel cars did the 1/4 mile, they'd probably going north of 450 mph at the finish line.
@@GradyPhilpott While engineers are exceedingly important in the world of motorsports they aren't the ones who win or lose races and as such don't get as much recognition. The engineer couldn't do the crew chief, mechanics or the drivers job as efficiently as they do. Everybody plays a role.
I'm not doing this to correct you, so don't get the wrong idea, but they are so small because they don't need to withstand massive amounts of hrsprs and torque.
Been to a top fuel event and I have to say, it’s amazing. It’s much, much less exclusive than something like formula 1 (my favorite motorsport), you can walk right up to the team areas and watch them rebuild the engine, the smell of the fuel is like tear gas (you’ll choke and tear up), it’s like a whole festival but you can meet the teams and drivers pretty easily! The different venues you can visit are amazing, I won a signed piston from one of these things. So not just are the cars amazing, but the atmosphere is something to admire as well.
I've been to the Blancpain GT event at Zandvoort last year and I experienced a very similar vibe. You could get very close to the cars, the racing was awesome and you can visit the event at a fraction of the cost of an F1 race. I also visit the Historic Grand Prix every year with my dad and it's just as awesome. Going to events like these really makes you realize just how inaccessible F1 weekends are these days. Of course there's nothing wrong with that in my opinion, but if you're looking for great racing and you also want to see the cars from so up close that you can touch them, you might want to go to one of these events
@@SuperCod141 I've been to a NHRA event and you are spot on. The 12 hour of Sebring IMSA race is similar, paddock is open 24 hours. Well, pre Covid 19.
The V10 era F1 cars had a very similar "tear gas" effect, I often watch F1 at Interlagos on the last corner before the pit entry and it gets a little boxed out there between the stands and the pit wall, during the early 00s the cars spewed a lot of unburnt fuel on the straight that lingered around in the air, enough to irritate your eyes and throat. Not to mention the deafening noise and the vibrations harsh enough to shake one's teeth out.
I tell this to everyone. Go to a top fuel race at least once in your life. The sound is simply awe inspiring. It didn't even seem uncomfortable, it was just this rumble that turns into a roar you could feel all the way through your chest.
@Will Sure it does. It's just that this low a number means little compared to a higher number during a real earthquake. Because of the exponential nature of the Richter scale, the difference between a 2 and an 8 is somewhat dramatic.
@Will Well actually i know quite a bit about it. i guess it doesnt mean too much but the engines are so powerful they literally shake the ground so hard a seismometer can read it which is pretty darn impressive
You cannot describe to someone the experience of seeing them in person, it shakes your vision dramatically when they go by and feels like a rolling earthquake.
I would go see Night Under Fire at Norwalk Raceway Park and they would have fuel cars doing exhibitions at night. Watching them thrash to rebuild is unbelievable and when they would run the track with the candles lit it's something you can't forget. It's an absolute insane experience.
I used to live about 10 miles from a drag strip and I could hear the roar of the top fuel dragsters while inside my apartment, even with the windows closed and the air conditioner on. I went to a race event at the drag strip one year and watched them run up close. You just can't describe with words how awe inspiring it is to see them rocket down the track.
You forgot to add this is done in only a 1,000 feet. NHRA officals shortened the quarter mile here in America because they were reaching speeds of 330+ mph. Now they're doing it in just a 1,000 ft.
The one that blew up at the end was at the New England Nationals a few years ago. It blew up maybe 1000ft into the run, right in front of us. We had to have been 150+ft away and the heat was unbelievable. On a side note, the experience of seeing a vehicle go 330mph in 3.5 seconds is something everyone who has a chance should take. Its mind bending.
Fun fact: The burnout is controlled by a throttle stop in the linkage, only allowing the throttle to open a very small amount. When the dragster is staging, you'll notice one of the crew members pull the throttle stop and show it to the driver, letting them know they now have full power available.
the average ticket is 60$, sponsor the champions prices, make it a bit, If you never been to an event like this, you should bring ear protection, those suckers will shake the bleaches, start with small dragster, up to this big one, then they bring fans personal dragster to compete,
@@filipolofsson Yeah but these are big companies like Ferrari that have the money and it's badically advertisment. I have never heard of a drag racing team and neither have most people.
@@mojaverc1585 yea, in my automachanics class in highschool our "educational" trip was to the drag race every year so we got to watch the teams tear down the engines and learn what they had to replace every run and what kind of damages and wear they were looking for to make sure everything was perfect
Drag trivia: early dragsters were actually front engined, until Don Garlits had a nasty accident, where the trans exploded, folding his rail frame like a wallet and chopping his foot (there's an iconic still of this event). When he recovered he came up with the rear engine design, for which he was deemed crazy at the beginning, but proved winning.
The first man to build a rear engined car was Tony Nancy ( 22 JR) although it was a short wheelbase car and not very successful. When Don Garlits debuted the car, which had an extremely long wheelbase for those years, fellow racers asked him why build it so long. Garlits reply was, " They don't build short missiles at Cape Canaveral"
@@red2theelectricboogaloo961 there are videos of this happening - I think they call it a blowover. Eddie Hill was one such driver who experienced this.
@@ShawFujikawayeh but they have virtually zero steering angle to play with. Short wheelbase cars are always twitchy and easy to spin out. Longer wheelbase = more stability in that sense.
@@UmVtCg I keep going back to that guys story to figure out if he was the single bravest soul that ever lived or just really, really, wanted to die in the name of science. I still have no answer, and it haunts me sometimes.
Stolen: * Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 11.2 gallons of nitro methane per second; a fully loaded 747 consumes jet fuel at the same rate with 25% less energy being produced. * 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 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. 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. * Dragsters reach over 300 MPH before you have completed reading this sentence. * In order to exceed 300 MPH in 4.5 seconds, dragsters must accelerate an average of over 4 G’s. In order to reach 200 MPH well before half-track, the launch 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 off, the crew worked for free, & for once, NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs an estimated $1,000 per second. Putting this all into perspective: Lets say the you are driving the average $140,000 Lingenfelter twin-turbo powered Corvette Z06. Over a mile up the road, a Top Fuel dragster is staged & ready to launch down a quarter-mile strip as you pass by it. You have the advantage of a flying start. You run the ‘Vette hard up through the gears and blast across the starting line & pass the dragster at an honest 200 MPH. Just as you pass the Top Fuel Dragster the ‘tree’ goes green for both of you. The dragster launches & starts after you. You keep your foot down hard, but you hear an incredibly brutal whine that sears your eardrums & within 3 seconds the dragster 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 & not only caught, but nearly blasted you off the road when he passed you within a mere 1320 foot long race!
Ballooning was first noticed by Malcolm Campbell in his record setting runs. He commented that he saw the tires doing something odd above about 250 or so. The team went out to look at the tracks, and saw that they narrowed from the normal width to a small razor edge beyond a certain point. They were worried, but the tires never blew, so they figured it would be okay. I read this in the book "Record Breakers" written by his (and his son's) mechanic Leo Villa.
To be fair, in an engine rebuild they wouldnt be replacing the entire engine every time. They will mostly be checking for damage or stress, parts needing to be replaced
@@facepalm7345 Pistons, crankshaft, sparkplugs, etc etc. The block itself isnt replaced, but most of the inside is. It's like tearing apart a house on the inside and redoing it. Its still technically the "same house" but they are totally different from the inside
@@teddymills1 I mean he did say that they rebuild the engine between every single run, and each run is definitely less than 10 seconds so I believe it.
This was awesome to watch! My dad raced top fuel dragsters back when I was a kid in the early 90s. Actually it might have been top alcohol, I think that was a cheaper series. Either way, I remember growing up in the pits and playing with other kids as we used to climb inside those tires and roll down the trailer ramp lol. I always say it's because of those dragsters that I sleep so heavy because I would sleep at the track as a baby. I miss those days. If my dad would have kept racing I might have gotten into the Jr series at 12 years old. It was fun to ride in the truck with my mom to tow him back to the pits and to sit in the car back in the shop. Lot of fond memories. Grew up around Bucky Austin who raced funny cars and I think he still runs a team, but I haven't followed the sport for years.
I've always wondered, if you had a track long enough, fuel wasn't an issue, and the engine could hold together, and the transmission would allow for it. What would be the fastest possible speed these things could reach. EDIT: It seems as though many people don't understand what hypothetical means, nor how to identify when an idea is a hypothetical idea. This isn't a "Hey, lets take one of these out and see what it's top speed is!". It's a "If physics wasn't a thing, and it had the proper gearing, how fast could these really go". Purely, 100% hypothetical. Yes I know these engines experience insane stress, requiring them to be rebuilt every run. I know the tires won't hold up long enough for a top speed run, let alone hold together well enough to do one. Same goes with the transmission, I know it's not geared for top speed. I know all the issues the the real world has with these vehicles that make a top speed run impossible. That's what makes my thought a hypothetical, because it's just a "What if" idea that could never happen. So you can save yourself some time, and not feel the need to be all "Well ecthually, these cars couldn't do a top speed run blablabla" no shit sherlock, now stfu.
For the nomenclature of drag racing it is a "rear-engine dragster." There are front-engined dragster. That's why you have the distinction though in the automobile industry overall you'd say that it's a mid-engine design.
In drag racing, it's the engine position in relation to the driver. If the driver is behind the engine, it's a front engine dragster. If it's behind him, it's a rear engine.
@@jd3455 That's where you're wrong fam, that's why time and space itself contort at such high speeds. Unsiverse rather breaks itself and our rational perception of reality than it's own laws as to not end up in universe jail
@@exploranator Plenty Tech in the Data logger and therefore Tuning of both engine management and clutch management in milli seconds for each run. Also requires assessment of Atmospheric Pressure, Air Moisture & Density plus Track temp and track bite (traction) at time of run.
Not just racing, either. You'll find that - with a lot of man-made objects - people tend to only build a thing if they need to, so you might be surprised at just how much stuff out there was purpose built but youd never notice it. Say, for example, how lighters have 2 holes punched out of the metal protector at the top. The metal protective piece is there to ensure the lighter lights in windy conditions, but without the two slits being cut out, the hole for the flame would not allow enough oxygen to guarantee combustion and so they made more inlets. Or another example: how every biro pen lid these days is built with little holes punched in the top of the lid so people dont choke to death if they inadvertently swallow one. There's literally little design intricacies like this almost everywhere you look...
For those that have never seen these machines race in person, it should be a bucket list item for you. You are best off bringing hearing protection but the best part is how you feel the sound on your chest. It is an amazing experience.
It's insane that in order to measure how loud these are you have to use a scale devised for earthquakes, and the fact that there have been less powerful earthquakes is even more insane
@Driver61. Thanks heaps for this vid. I've been in the thick of drag racing for over thirty years, and have spent hundreds upon hundreds of hours doing track prep, working on crash crews, along with racing myself and my kids in junior dragsters. This has to be one of the most down to earth explanations I have seen on YT, absolutely brilliant job. Was interesting to hear you mentioning about header downforce. If anyone is interested, search YT for Top Fuel funny cars that hit the wall and crack off the headers. That side of the car suddenly launches skyward. No bull.
Great content and delivery. My one counter point would be that early dragsters were front engine/ RW drive. 1970 Don Garlits clutch explosion--that took part of his foot-- inspired him to build a rear engine slingshot which he unveiled in 1971. Hot oil and burning nitro were another scary aspect of the early front engine rails pre-1971. Fires claimed many lives and injured even more; Shirley Muldoney was burned badly, as shown in the movie "Heart Like A Wheel" (1983) I subscribed, keep it up!
Great video. I know a fair bit about top fuel dragsters and still learned a few things. For those who haven’t, try to see these cars race in person just once in you life. It is utterly amazing.
Great video! Incredibly informative. I've been a drag racing fan since I've known what cars are. To anybody who's never experienced Top Fuel, you should try an event. There's no describing what these cars do to you in the stands when they roar past at 300 mph. It really is sensory overload. It's incredible.
Great vid. I love all racing and sim racing really helped me get a respect for all types of racing. F1. Rally. NASCAR. Drag racing drivers are all awesome in their own rights. Love this
Yeah, because of the nature of drag racing they just throw in a straight line in racing games. If there was a dedicated dragster game it would probably have a car mechanic sim as its primary setting and put some emphasis on resource management. Drag racing itself isn’t that entertaining of a game, but building and maintaining a dragster would make for a good one and seeing what kinds of builds you can run without blowing up your car
And yeah sim racing helped me understand all the nuances, gave me more respect for nascar drivers when I had to drive door to door with someone at 200 mph while not trying to cause a massive accident
Yes I know what you mean. And also I wish iracing or some other sim title took drag racing on. Down side would be the lower series might feel boring in a sim. But the top stuff would be pretty tough to hang on to. Maybe someday
Great video! Quite interesting, I just figured the tires were designed that way to not only help with the instant torque but to also provide a “elastic band” effect where the tire with a certain amount of stored energy would release and propel the drag car to insane speeds in a short time
this is one of the most insane videos I've ever seen "the engines are under such huge stress that the team have to completely rebuild them for each run..."
That was a very well done and explained video, straight to the point and covered pretty much all the essentials to understanding these impressive beasts. Great video to introduce this sport to newcomers.
I still remember one of my Engineering Professors stating that it's IMPOSSIBLE for a wheeled vehicle to accelerate that fast from a standing start. Physically impossible he said. Like the saying goes, those who can't do, ....... teach.
@@guyperson6567 Only trying to clarify, if they weren't thinking outside of *normal* wheeled vehicles than wheeled vehicles wouldn't encompass what it *should* mean if being literal
To stand between two of these during a burnout is huge, when they stage for the run and turn on both fuel pumps and the stand on it...... Life changing.
These car's are insane. I've been to a few top fuel event's and it's an experience you won't forget. Even up in the bleachers you feel the power when they fly by. It rumbles your entire body. Don't forget the ear protection. You'll need it after a couple of passes.
Can you believe those tyres?!
➤ Subscribe for more incredible motorsport: goo.gl/AbD2f9
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I wish someone would make a true drag racing sim game.
That was thoroughly interesting scott, thank you.
Very cool Scott. It takes a team in professional racing. I'd like to ask my mechanic why it takes him week+ to rebuild my motor, these guys do it in two hours!! 😜
A Top fuel run is actually 1/8 mile, only Pro Stock and Funny Cars go the 1/4 mile. I Top Fuel cars did the 1/4 mile, they'd probably going north of 450 mph at the finish line.
500kg downforce from exhaust only, that's the most insane motorsport fact I've ever heard
Wei Wang wait till you hear of F1
Man at that point it's not force, it's thrust.
Downthrust
@@ramiabouchakra2726 he was talking about the fact that they get 500 kg of downthrust just from the exhaust
Astrophobia I just want to admire that we are all saying downthrust now lol
And the fuel pumps can pump 10gallons/50 litres a second!!! IDK but it sounds a lot to me.
You know it’s next level when car noise is being measured on the Richter scale
When you're there you can SEE the sound waves distorting the air
Oh fuck its so damn cool!!! And the vibrations damn near suffocate you from shaking your diaphragm so much 😂
Some day I am going to try to make the 4 wides. a couple races every year it is 4 cars at once.
Nipe
Hello me
I'm suprised the tires last that many runs, I thought thy were one and done.
The key thing is that the tyres aren't made by Pirelli.
@@armands3153 pirelli makes the f1 tires degrade on purpose
Not exactly related but tires from 747 plane only last 2 landings I believe.
@@captinzatch8181 noooo
@@captinzatch8181 That is not true at all
The engineers never get enough recognition man
Engineers? The crew chief sets the clutch and wins the race.
@@AB-80X It's the engineers who give the crew chief something to work with.
@@AB-80X dumbo spotted
@@ayushichaudhary3021
Be quiet you.
@@GradyPhilpott While engineers are exceedingly important in the world of motorsports they aren't the ones who win or lose races and as such don't get as much recognition. The engineer couldn't do the crew chief, mechanics or the drivers job as efficiently as they do. Everybody plays a role.
Rear tires: O
Front tires: |
I guess
Lol
Meanwhile: front tires :O
front tires: X))
(I mean their facial expressions)
more like
rear: [ ]
front: |
@@john-vg9lg damn you quick
nice username btw
That tire crinkling is extremely satisfying.
that's what 1,000+ horsepower per cylinder will do
no kizzy
Inr how it doesn't pop?
@@goofyahhkidnammedrayme4188 I think it’s because the rubber is just so insanely thick and compacted that the rubber will burn for almost forever
oh yeah
“3.6 seconds!”
“For 0-60?”
“No. 0-335”
subie fam
my Civic goes 0-335 at 3.5 v-tec man!
Jimmys Subaru is disappointed
Ur comment as of now has 335 likes
How much kmph in 335Mph??
Dragster Wheel
Back: Unique
Front: Wheel of Bicycle
I'm not doing this to correct you, so don't get the wrong idea, but they are so small because they don't need to withstand massive amounts of hrsprs and torque.
Lolol
chuck wagon wheels
Fuck me I just posted the same comment and then seen this 😭 thought I was being uniquely funny. Got damn it
Back: BIG F1 wheel
Been to a top fuel event and I have to say, it’s amazing. It’s much, much less exclusive than something like formula 1 (my favorite motorsport), you can walk right up to the team areas and watch them rebuild the engine, the smell of the fuel is like tear gas (you’ll choke and tear up), it’s like a whole festival but you can meet the teams and drivers pretty easily! The different venues you can visit are amazing, I won a signed piston from one of these things. So not just are the cars amazing, but the atmosphere is something to admire as well.
I should add, I’ve never had the pleasure to go to more high profile racing events so I’m only assuming.
I've been to the Blancpain GT event at Zandvoort last year and I experienced a very similar vibe. You could get very close to the cars, the racing was awesome and you can visit the event at a fraction of the cost of an F1 race. I also visit the Historic Grand Prix every year with my dad and it's just as awesome. Going to events like these really makes you realize just how inaccessible F1 weekends are these days. Of course there's nothing wrong with that in my opinion, but if you're looking for great racing and you also want to see the cars from so up close that you can touch them, you might want to go to one of these events
@@SuperCod141 I've been to a NHRA event and you are spot on. The 12 hour of Sebring IMSA race is similar, paddock is open 24 hours. Well, pre Covid 19.
Justin899 a couple of years ago I got John force’s autograph, such a great experience
The V10 era F1 cars had a very similar "tear gas" effect, I often watch F1 at Interlagos on the last corner before the pit entry and it gets a little boxed out there between the stands and the pit wall, during the early 00s the cars spewed a lot of unburnt fuel on the straight that lingered around in the air, enough to irritate your eyes and throat. Not to mention the deafening noise and the vibrations harsh enough to shake one's teeth out.
My favorite fact about these cars is that the supercharger require over 1000 horsepower to spin. That's an absurd amount of air compression
When your hypercar can only power the supercharger lol
@@yourerightmybad7363 😂😂😂😂
It's because of the fact the engines are practically hydrolocked because of the stupid amount of compression
matt hill Compression Ratio is about 6.5:1
@@Amsinckster holy shit,its like,like not even comparable to normal or even normal racecars
when you stop using decibels and now have to use Richter scale
I tell this to everyone. Go to a top fuel race at least once in your life. The sound is simply awe inspiring. It didn't even seem uncomfortable, it was just this rumble that turns into a roar you could feel all the way through your chest.
@Will Sure it does. It's just that this low a number means little compared to a higher number during a real earthquake. Because of the exponential nature of the Richter scale, the difference between a 2 and an 8 is somewhat dramatic.
@Will Well actually i know quite a bit about it. i guess it doesnt mean too much but the engines are so powerful they literally shake the ground so hard a seismometer can read it which is pretty darn impressive
@@Elthenar i have a sensory disorder with sound. I'd rather not
@@ballsquid4135 ok
You cannot describe to someone the experience of seeing them in person, it shakes your vision dramatically when they go by and feels like a rolling earthquake.
You can describe, but it does it no justice, it has to be experienced in person.
I've experienced it many times, and I still get startled when they launch.
@@yorkeoldfather3146 Ive never had the experience, but the first time I experienced nascar was wild.
I suspect the rumble is greater
I haven't had the pleasure of seeing on do a run, but I did get to see one start up and run for about 30 seconds. Insane.
I would go see Night Under Fire at Norwalk Raceway Park and they would have fuel cars doing exhibitions at night. Watching them thrash to rebuild is unbelievable and when they would run the track with the candles lit it's something you can't forget. It's an absolute insane experience.
I’ve been watching Top Fuel cars for almost 30 years, and this is the most comprehensive video I’ve ever seen on the subject. Great video.
You should know how dangerous it is and how you basically roll a die every time you take off
There's a third purpose to burnouts: to get the crowd excited.
4th purpose....to give ME wood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
They warm up the slicks
@@Benyesno85 it was a joke.....
Thats the first
Go away with your maskslave profile picture.
I used to live about 10 miles from a drag strip and I could hear the roar of the top fuel dragsters while inside my apartment, even with the windows closed and the air conditioner on. I went to a race event at the drag strip one year and watched them run up close. You just can't describe with words how awe inspiring it is to see them rocket down the track.
Yeah, I used to live 12-ish miles away and the chandelier would move. Downright scary
The most insane thing to me is that the tires are basically CVTs on these cars. That’s some incredible engineering and physics at work.
Yes, just what I thought. The simplest CVT ever...
You forgot to add this is done in only a 1,000 feet. NHRA officals shortened the quarter mile here in America because they were reaching speeds of 330+ mph. Now they're doing it in just a 1,000 ft.
I thought they shortened it because of what happened in 2008 with scott?
@@MPal24 all NHRA sanctioned events race to 1000ft in America ever since that crash, im not sure about europe tho
Yeah the reduction to 1000 ft was due to insufficient length of run off for the higher speeds.
Are you Americans still using feet? Jesus Christ
@@fermignano89 yep. Thank you for the laugh.
"Yes officer, it is stock"
Lmfao
This comment has been copied so many times that i don't even know the original one
🤣🤣🤣
Lmao
and go bye bye officer see u never
I don’t know-$900 per tire seems cheap to me, considering their specific purpose. No “economy of scale “.
everybody uses the same tires so there is some scale. they go through a lot of tires
@@ronblack7870 considering they are only used for two miles. id say they pretty expensive. 8 1/4 mile runs is all they used for.
@@kevinchisholm6899 considering the entire engine gets replaced after each run I'd say the cost of wheels are the least of their worries
@@SeleniumBalls I believe we were referring to tires. I know they are tore down and rebuilt every run.
$900 is less than pennies compared to all the other costs involved
The one that blew up at the end was at the New England Nationals a few years ago. It blew up maybe 1000ft into the run, right in front of us. We had to have been 150+ft away and the heat was unbelievable.
On a side note, the experience of seeing a vehicle go 330mph in 3.5 seconds is something everyone who has a chance should take. Its mind bending.
i believe it, year ago our neighbors house across the street burned down. You could feel the heat from so far away. Was insane.
50 liters a second? It's almost as thirsty as my Dodge Viper.
50 liters a run
@Michael Fritsche I'm saying what they said in the video, also replying to Marco not to You
@@timsonins He said the fuel pumps are able to pump 50 liters a second, not that the car consumes that. I just used it to make a joke.
Got a Viper? I'm jelly
@@kresimircosic9035 A Viper costs twice as much as my house in my country, so I don't really.
and just think, all this started back when a couple dudes in their model T's were like "I bet I can get across that field faster than you"
I believe the first race was 2 cave men seeing who was faster, but back then the loser got eaten by the saber tooth tiger
Then horse racing
im sure it started with people on foot racing, bicycles, horses etc. there were cars before the model t
@@chadw8272 isnt that the thing though: the first car race probably happened just after there were two cars in the world.....
@@henrydorsetcase absolutely agree, humans will try to race everything
Wow, the amount of information per minute is incredible! I love it.
9 minute video felt like 3 minutes. No nonsense. Great stuff, love the channel
Wish classes could be like this without all the interruptions
@@nuclear_turtle Really UA-cam has immense and impressive content then our schools❤️
@@nuclear_turtle after the video starts, test forward all the way to the end. Restart the video and There's no ads
Fun fact:
The burnout is controlled by a throttle stop in the linkage, only allowing the throttle to open a very small amount. When the dragster is staging, you'll notice one of the crew members pull the throttle stop and show it to the driver, letting them know they now have full power available.
How the hell is this profitable. The costs to run these teams must be immense!
the average ticket is 60$, sponsor the champions prices, make it a bit, If you never been to an event like this, you should bring ear protection, those suckers will shake the bleaches, start with small dragster, up to this big one, then they bring fans personal dragster to compete,
F1 cost so much more though, also profitable
@@filipolofsson Yeah but these are big companies like Ferrari that have the money and it's badically advertisment. I have never heard of a drag racing team and neither have most people.
@@JoeMaranophotography True
@@JoeMaranophotography not to mention how much more valuable sponsorship and prize money is in comparison to drag
You missed a good one: the clutch welds itself together around half track.
wyanSS thats a cool fun fact😂
The spark plugs also melt away, by the end of the run the car is deiseling from the heat of the engine alone
Polybotes holy crap really
@@mojaverc1585 yea, in my automachanics class in highschool our "educational" trip was to the drag race every year so we got to watch the teams tear down the engines and learn what they had to replace every run and what kind of damages and wear they were looking for to make sure everything was perfect
Polybotes wow thats amazing!
Drag trivia: early dragsters were actually front engined, until Don Garlits had a nasty accident, where the trans exploded, folding his rail frame like a wallet and chopping his foot (there's an iconic still of this event). When he recovered he came up with the rear engine design, for which he was deemed crazy at the beginning, but proved winning.
Wow, amazing picture. Thanks!
Actually Garlits didn't come up with the design he just figured it out. He tells that in one of his interviews.
The first man to build a rear engined car was Tony Nancy ( 22 JR) although it was a short wheelbase car and not very successful. When Don Garlits debuted the car, which had an extremely long wheelbase for those years, fellow racers asked him why build it so long. Garlits reply was, " They don't build short missiles at Cape Canaveral"
everyone should know about big daddy don garlits. i got strange looks when i did a report on his accident in elementary school.
Funny Cars are still not rear engine. The engine is pretty much in the drivers lap from what I can tell.
6:34 The length of the top fuel dragsters is also to stop the rear end ‘coming around’ which is where the rear end tries to overtake the front end.
i.e. the dragster flipping over
@@red2theelectricboogaloo961 there are videos of this happening - I think they call it a blowover. Eddie Hill was one such driver who experienced this.
Isn’t that just oversteer?
@@ShawFujikawayeh but they have virtually zero steering angle to play with.
Short wheelbase cars are always twitchy and easy to spin out. Longer wheelbase = more stability in that sense.
When you choose the ultra soft tyres in gran turismo:
Ikr
True tho
Lok
Lol*
tires ?
I drove a ten second car and my eyeballs were stuck to my skull..
I can’t even imagine this.
@@Eisnschwein He tried to make a comparrison. Hes not saying a 10 second car is the fastest you could ever drive.
@@Eisnschwein Are you completely dumb?? 10 second car means 10 seconds for a quarter mile
Tss, this is nothing. Try a rocket sled 632Mph in 5 seconds and a complete stop in one second. ua-cam.com/video/HV4JzoeaWTQ/v-deo.html
Its a hell of a ride.
@@UmVtCg I keep going back to that guys story to figure out if he was the single bravest soul that ever lived or just really, really, wanted to die in the name of science. I still have no answer, and it haunts me sometimes.
Stolen:
* Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 11.2 gallons of nitro methane per second; a fully loaded 747 consumes jet fuel at the same rate with 25% less energy being produced.
* 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 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. 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.
* Dragsters reach over 300 MPH before you have completed reading this sentence.
* In order to exceed 300 MPH in 4.5 seconds, dragsters must accelerate an average of over 4 G’s. In order to reach 200 MPH well before half-track, the launch 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 off, the crew worked for free, & for once, NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs an estimated $1,000 per second.
Putting this all into perspective:
Lets say the you are driving the average $140,000 Lingenfelter twin-turbo powered Corvette Z06.
Over a mile up the road, a Top Fuel dragster is staged & ready to launch down a quarter-mile strip as you pass by it. You have the advantage of a flying start. You run the ‘Vette hard up through the gears and blast across the starting line & pass the dragster at an honest 200 MPH. Just as you pass the Top Fuel Dragster the ‘tree’ goes green for both of you.
The dragster launches & starts after you. You keep your foot down hard, but you hear an incredibly brutal whine that sears your eardrums & within 3 seconds the dragster 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 & not only caught, but nearly blasted you off the road when he passed you within a mere 1320 foot long race!
Great comment!
@@Perceptence yup, thats why it says stolen. It is dated though, hp is up from then, and they only run 1,000' now
14x71 cubic inch blower overdriven 25 percent at 7500RPM is trying to stuff 5,392 cfm into the engine.
@@exploranator if it flowed 5392 cfm, there would be 0 psi boost. The restriction in flow is what creates pressure..
I need to know more about that 'near solid state' of the fuel. Don't think this can pass a rocket scientists bullshit test
Ballooning was first noticed by Malcolm Campbell in his record setting runs. He commented that he saw the tires doing something odd above about 250 or so. The team went out to look at the tracks, and saw that they narrowed from the normal width to a small razor edge beyond a certain point. They were worried, but the tires never blew, so they figured it would be okay.
I read this in the book "Record Breakers" written by his (and his son's) mechanic Leo Villa.
Should have tested the whole thing before.
Okay, but have you heard about VTEC? Now that’s some real hardcore stuff
A jet dragster with vtec
First jet dragster in space and moon
And yes jet dragsters exist
Too much power, they had to ban it.
it's always the normies and kids who talk shit on Honda and vtec
@@kindbud Honda weeaboo spotted, lol
noa dafuck i was going to buy an s2000 as my first car dude :/
5:27 - Name a motorsport where the tyres last 900% longer than the engine per stint.
You wouldn't have guessed Top Fuel.
To be fair, in an engine rebuild they wouldnt be replacing the entire engine every time. They will mostly be checking for damage or stress, parts needing to be replaced
@@facepalm7345 Understood
@@facepalm7345 Pistons, crankshaft, sparkplugs, etc etc. The block itself isnt replaced, but most of the inside is.
It's like tearing apart a house on the inside and redoing it. Its still technically the "same house" but they are totally different from the inside
Jack The Ripper sounds a bit like Grandpa s old axe....had 7 new handles,and is currently on its fourth head... still Grandpas axe!🤣🤣
@Rod - sounds like a Theseus' ship to me
Rear tires when doing a burnout: 0
Rear tires when sitting still: o
?
@@e4phantom157 the o is the profile of the tire
@@engineergaming4295 ohh ty
I was gonna like this but it's at exactly 335
Edit: I returned months later to fulfill my duty
@@HokeyBugle lol ur right tho
The agony the entire car goes through is pretty amazing.
Not sure if it's true but these engines have a 10 second lifespan.
@@teddymills1 If you stayed in it, sounds about right. God only knows what the mph would be with the right gearing.
@@teddymills1 I mean he did say that they rebuild the engine between every single run, and each run is definitely less than 10 seconds so I believe it.
@@teddymills1 They barely make 3.5 seconds
This was awesome to watch! My dad raced top fuel dragsters back when I was a kid in the early 90s. Actually it might have been top alcohol, I think that was a cheaper series. Either way, I remember growing up in the pits and playing with other kids as we used to climb inside those tires and roll down the trailer ramp lol. I always say it's because of those dragsters that I sleep so heavy because I would sleep at the track as a baby. I miss those days. If my dad would have kept racing I might have gotten into the Jr series at 12 years old. It was fun to ride in the truck with my mom to tow him back to the pits and to sit in the car back in the shop. Lot of fond memories. Grew up around Bucky Austin who raced funny cars and I think he still runs a team, but I haven't followed the sport for years.
The best explanation I’ve seen for this amazing sport‼️
Honda civic drivers:
I can do 335 in 2.5
So glad that fad is just about dead. I rarely see civics with mufflers or huge spoilers anymore.
Mate u forgot hours
I think he means 35mph
2.5 in 335
Suzuki escudo in gran turismo 3
I can do 0-1500 in 0000.1
Me: watches one video about vehicles.
UA-cam: Ya like Cars?
name every car ever made.
Nice one
@@reikia vw beetle and the mini Cooper
Hamilton driving on these tires after 1 lap be like:
*_bOnO mY tYrEs aRe gOnE_*
While been ahead for like 20 seconds ._.
@B00G3Y M4N
Managed to miss the race.
Max probably would've won if Hamilton had his puncture a lap earlier.
@@serubyne57 probably? You think? Lol
Jeremy driving on these tires after 1 lap:
*THE POWER IS TOO IMMENSE*
@LordGroyper
And having nothing interesting about him and possibly being one of the dullest F1 drivers to ever be at the forefront of the sport.
I've always wondered, if you had a track long enough, fuel wasn't an issue, and the engine could hold together, and the transmission would allow for it. What would be the fastest possible speed these things could reach.
EDIT: It seems as though many people don't understand what hypothetical means, nor how to identify when an idea is a hypothetical idea. This isn't a "Hey, lets take one of these out and see what it's top speed is!". It's a "If physics wasn't a thing, and it had the proper gearing, how fast could these really go". Purely, 100% hypothetical. Yes I know these engines experience insane stress, requiring them to be rebuilt every run. I know the tires won't hold up long enough for a top speed run, let alone hold together well enough to do one. Same goes with the transmission, I know it's not geared for top speed. I know all the issues the the real world has with these vehicles that make a top speed run impossible. That's what makes my thought a hypothetical, because it's just a "What if" idea that could never happen. So you can save yourself some time, and not feel the need to be all "Well ecthually, these cars couldn't do a top speed run blablabla" no shit sherlock, now stfu.
Yes like if they were on the salt flats. I've always wondered that too
ive done some math and if im correct probably close to 550mph or 885 kph
@@idek6652 Aerodynamic drag would sheer off that rear wing long before 550mph.
@@MultiWalrus1 Well, that would just mean less drag and more speed then :D
@@wombat4191 it would mean “beware low-flying aircraft” 🙄
Since the engine is sitting in front of the rear axle, the dragsters are technically speaking mid-engined and not rear-engined.
For the nomenclature of drag racing it is a "rear-engine dragster." There are front-engined dragster. That's why you have the distinction though in the automobile industry overall you'd say that it's a mid-engine design.
In drag racing, it's the engine position in relation to the driver. If the driver is behind the engine, it's a front engine dragster. If it's behind him, it's a rear engine.
Details, details..... ;)
The problem of being faster that light is that you always live in darkness
@Just Looking ? If the observer is moving at the speed of light. It will appear stationary
@@jd3455 That's where you're wrong fam, that's why time and space itself contort at such high speeds. Unsiverse rather breaks itself and our rational perception of reality than it's own laws as to not end up in universe jail
@@NuclearTopSpot you provide me sources for this . I will check after wards. I need to sleep. Do provide them
@@jd3455 special relativity - you are simply wrong.
dude !!!!!!
I have to say I'm not a fan of the sport, but the technology is amazing
Same
But its so interresting
Low technology high awesome
@@exploranator Plenty Tech in the Data logger and therefore Tuning of both engine management and clutch management in milli seconds for each run. Also requires assessment of Atmospheric Pressure, Air Moisture & Density plus Track temp and track bite (traction) at time of run.
Dude I’ve learned SO much about tires from such a simple video
5:35 those guys don't flinch a muscle
They wear ear protection that blocks the frequency damaging to your ears so they don't go deaf!
Also they are by that point 200% immune to the actual shock of a drag launch like that since they do it multiple times a week
Bruh how though??
@@karelpgbr It's like shooting a gun you get numb to it over time ;p
You can see some people wearing an ear protection and some that wear it over the head
Always wondered about this tire flex on dragsters. You explained it beyond expectations, including about the vehicles themselves. Fascinating.
PERFECT 10/10! I was already asking myself how the rims don't just break free and spin inside the tires when you answered. Very thorough bro!
so funny that the tyre is basically a cvt gearbox
A hell of a scooter.
And more reliable than Nissan's CVT.
I was thinking along those lines as he described the height of the tires at various times.
Underrated comment lmfao
LoL
The best explanation of how it works I've seen from a "non drag racer" well done 👍
I had never given any thought to the placement and angle of the exhaust headers. 500kg of downforce is impressive. Thanks for the upload 👍
Guy: Explains drag cars
Me as a child: But how?
Guy: Explains drag cars
Me as an adult: But why?
why *_not_*
@@Crunkmaster exactly
Because AMERICA
Because car go brrrrr
Honestly
And i thought the exhaust angle was more about looking cool! Goes to show that in racing everything has a purpose.
Not just racing, either. You'll find that - with a lot of man-made objects - people tend to only build a thing if they need to, so you might be surprised at just how much stuff out there was purpose built but youd never notice it. Say, for example, how lighters have 2 holes punched out of the metal protector at the top. The metal protective piece is there to ensure the lighter lights in windy conditions, but without the two slits being cut out, the hole for the flame would not allow enough oxygen to guarantee combustion and so they made more inlets. Or another example: how every biro pen lid these days is built with little holes punched in the top of the lid so people dont choke to death if they inadvertently swallow one. There's literally little design intricacies like this almost everywhere you look...
Downforce would be higher pointing straight up.
@@mcplutt Its too much would over bend the chassis forcing the engine into the track.
The Video went from "How the Tyres work" to "Welcome to Dragster Preview" Where you learn all about Drag Racing.
For those that have never seen these machines race in person, it should be a bucket list item for you. You are best off bringing hearing protection but the best part is how you feel the sound on your chest. It is an amazing experience.
Well that was unexpected,
But enlightening!
And also FAST-cinating 👌
"Uses angle of the exhaust as down force due to the pressures expelled" so epic! and legendary! Wow!
Top fuel dragsters should be on the list of “Wonders of the World”
And on the list of most polluting machines ever made
@@UmVtCg no that goes to the mines that mine batteries for electric cars😂
@@UmVtCg if you don't know your facts then pls don't talk. If you drive an electric car your actually doing the environment more harm than dino juice.
@@Vincetagram correct !!
@@EattingMeatSince82 I love running cars on coal power.
And that's why it's green energy.
Pffft. Couldn't keep a straight comment.
1:50 i love with the long range shot with slowdown and how the dragster has moved like half its length but the photographer might as well be frozen
It's insane that in order to measure how loud these are you have to use a scale devised for earthquakes, and the fact that there have been less powerful earthquakes is even more insane
and than at 3:52 you see plenty of people without earprotection, I guess they re all from Alabama and each others brothers and sisiters
@@GriderTornado Earplugs are a thing.
@Driver61. Thanks heaps for this vid. I've been in the thick of drag racing for over thirty years, and have spent hundreds upon hundreds of hours doing track prep, working on crash crews, along with racing myself and my kids in junior dragsters. This has to be one of the most down to earth explanations I have seen on YT, absolutely brilliant job. Was interesting to hear you mentioning about header downforce. If anyone is interested, search YT for Top Fuel funny cars that hit the wall and crack off the headers. That side of the car suddenly launches skyward. No bull.
I couldn't help but shed a tear when that engine exploded. Heartbreaking.
Wuss
It happens very often
They're rebuilt after every run
Great content and delivery. My one counter point would be that early dragsters were front engine/ RW drive. 1970 Don Garlits clutch explosion--that took part of his foot-- inspired him to build a rear engine slingshot which he unveiled in 1971. Hot oil and burning nitro were another scary aspect of the early front engine rails pre-1971. Fires claimed many lives and injured even more; Shirley Muldoney was burned badly, as shown in the movie "Heart Like A Wheel" (1983)
I subscribed, keep it up!
Great video. I know a fair bit about top fuel dragsters and still learned a few things.
For those who haven’t, try to see these cars race in person just once in you life. It is utterly amazing.
Great video! Incredibly informative. I've been a drag racing fan since I've known what cars are. To anybody who's never experienced Top Fuel, you should try an event. There's no describing what these cars do to you in the stands when they roar past at 300 mph. It really is sensory overload. It's incredible.
Even more standing at the fence. An indescribable experience. Always enjoy the first timers-reaction.
Great vid. I love all racing and sim racing really helped me get a respect for all types of racing. F1. Rally. NASCAR. Drag racing drivers are all awesome in their own rights. Love this
Yeah, because of the nature of drag racing they just throw in a straight line in racing games. If there was a dedicated dragster game it would probably have a car mechanic sim as its primary setting and put some emphasis on resource management. Drag racing itself isn’t that entertaining of a game, but building and maintaining a dragster would make for a good one and seeing what kinds of builds you can run without blowing up your car
And yeah sim racing helped me understand all the nuances, gave me more respect for nascar drivers when I had to drive door to door with someone at 200 mph while not trying to cause a massive accident
Yes I know what you mean. And also I wish iracing or some other sim title took drag racing on. Down side would be the lower series might feel boring in a sim. But the top stuff would be pretty tough to hang on to. Maybe someday
Great video! Quite interesting, I just figured the tires were designed that way to not only help with the instant torque but to also provide a “elastic band” effect where the tire with a certain amount of stored energy would release and propel the drag car to insane speeds in a short time
11.000hp... that's quite a bit. like the first 6 rows of the formula1 starting field combined.
Or just 11 F1 Renaults!
Sideways101 How many F1 McLaren Hondas?
@@ankjaers All of them x 2
@@ankjaers around twice the grid
The term we use for broken engine block, we call that "grenading the engine"
We call it "putting a leg out of bed"
6:24 those... those are condensation trails off the rear wing like in an AEROPLANE 0_o
CHEMTRAILS!!!
@@flowjoe23 5G CORONAVIRUS!!!!!!!!!!!BILL GATES!!!!!!VACCINE MICROCHIPS!!!!!!!! lol
I mean, "like an airplane" isn't always the most impressive comparison, many planes can trail vortices like this scooting along at 60 mph
At 335mph a comercial plane would have had it's landing gear ripped off by aerodynamic forces. It fast boi
@@flowjoe23 it's called chemtrails of conrtrails
The best, most concise explanation of top fuel basics. Well written and spoken.
This is why i love youtube. This is how it's done ! All the credits to the maker of the video!
Great explanation! You covered everything extremely well!
You know your car is insane when you have to rebuild the engine every time you race
You know your are insane when you BUY a car, that have to rebuild the engine every time you raced it . . . ; )
Wow, now that’s some extreme engineering! Very complicated and very precise with many variables and best guesstimating. Impressive indeed.
Never had much of an interest in drag racing but the performance specs are pretty incredible.
I used to be really into it, but grew out of it as I aged and I honestly hadn't even thought about them for over a decade before I saw this video 😅
It's worth going to a race in person! Watching those things tear down a track is impressive
This is a good breakdown, I love it! I can't imagine how much it costs them to make those cars AND to keep them going between races, it's incredible.
In Australia I worked for a TF Dragster team it averaged out at $16k AUD ($12k USD) per pass.
About 500 thousand dollars
Watching this alone I think I said "Wow!" out loud at least 3 times. Nice work.
“Hello sir, you were going 325 in a 55 MPH zone. License and registration please?”
I would sooooo do that
In a school zone
"Sir do you know how fast you were going"
"No"
"Good neither do i, you broke my radar gun"
@@chrisward3161 Good one. Radars only go up to 200.
this is one of the most insane videos I've ever seen
"the engines are under such huge stress that the team have to completely rebuild them for each run..."
That was a very well done and explained video, straight to the point and covered pretty much all the essentials to understanding these impressive beasts. Great video to introduce this sport to newcomers.
Man, your channel just gets better and better with each video. Thanks
Nobody:
Drag car: hey guys watch me show this aircraft whos boss. (Chugs 10 gallons of fuel in 1 second)
@Funtime Florian nitromethane isn't a fossilfuel
@Funtime Florian plants also produce fuel
Corvette with a running 200 mph start "Wanna go?"
Dragster: "Hold my beer."
The Fuel PIPE is almost 4 inch in Diameter and force feed by the dragsters acceleration to the fuel pumps attached to the motor feeding 42 injectors.
The science and engineering behind these rocket's is amazing, never knew.
I still remember one of my Engineering Professors stating that it's IMPOSSIBLE for a wheeled vehicle to accelerate that fast from a standing start. Physically impossible he said.
Like the saying goes, those who can't do, ....... teach.
Were they referring to normal cars though, or were these uber specific machines brought up in that conversation?
@@Antiganos "wheeled vehicle"
@@guyperson6567 Only trying to clarify, if they weren't thinking outside of *normal* wheeled vehicles than wheeled vehicles wouldn't encompass what it *should* mean if being literal
Very informative! Thank you very much. This is one sport where TV has a huge effect on your experience. Not only do you hear it, but you also feel it.
Really interesting as always, and really cool to see the tires work in slow motion!👌👍
First time I have ever noise be measured on the Richter Scale. Epic!
5:36 makes the roadster sound like a boss
Really enjoy your technical explanations. Treating your audience as intelligent, sentient beings means a lot. Thank you.
Been in my recommends for months. I caved, worth a watch.
I have no clue why this came up on my recommendations...... I watched it all though, didn’t understand anything. Happy holidays everyone.
Superb 🔥🔥🔥
Your comment is on fire, dude.
Truly!
This was excellent. Very informative and fascinating.
To stand between two of these during a burnout is huge, when they stage for the run and turn on both fuel pumps and the stand on it...... Life changing.
you know that engine is insane when its power is measured on the richter scale 💀
youtube has recommended me this vid 11 times
And how many times have you watched it?
And how many times before you noticed it? ;)
me watching a recommended UA-cam video on Cars while I've never thought of racing
These car's are insane. I've been to a few top fuel event's and it's an experience you won't forget. Even up in the bleachers you feel the power when they fly by. It rumbles your entire body. Don't forget the ear protection. You'll need it after a couple of passes.