Certain tractor pulls are that way too. I went to a couple at our county fair, there were a few tractors that had jet engines, a few had helicopter turbines. It would vibrate everything...your pipcorn, your vision, everything lol.
And then, as an amusement, or, think of it as a 'halftime show', they bring out the JETCARS. Yup, that is exactly what it sounds like... I mean, its not a car with jet engine in it... its a jet engine with a car wrapped around it... for show they quite literally 'toast' cars parked behind them at the starting line... So that's a truth... you don't just watch... you feel it in your bones.
Have you read his book "I Saw Elvis At 1000 Feet"? 👍 👍 👍I saw John Forse at Enise Tx. Raceway the last year before the big Dallas track was built (back in the 90's😁)
YEAH this is my jam. NHRA stands for "National Hot Rod Association". My dad and grandpa hand-fabricated and welded top fuel and funny cars for over 50 years combined between the two of them. These cars can reach speeds exceeding 310 mph and can run 1/4 of a mile in less than 4 seconds. Also, nitro-methane (the fuel used by these top-end cars) is one of the sweetest smells in the world; it doesn't burn, it works on compression. Light it on fire? Nothing happens. Take a hammer to a few drops on the ground? Blow your arm off. Wild stuff!
Top fuel dragsters and funny cars can do 330+ today. The length of the track is only 1000 feet, not a 1/4 mile. They run in around 3.5 - 4 seconds. Typically, around 3.7 - 3.8 although that is from memory. The track length was shortened due to an accident a while back. Shortening the track caps the top speed and allows more breaking space. The motors generate about 10,000 horsepower from 500 cubic inches. Pretty freakin amazing. Also, the fact that tuning to conditions is so critical just shows how on the edge of performance these things are. I'm going to the Northwest Nationals coming up end of July. Can't wait for the noise! 😊
@@julioguardado I'd word that a bit different, the tracks most definitely aren't only 1000'. The RACING DISTANCE for the NHRA's top fuel and Funny car classes is only 1000' but the tracks are far longer than that because the shutdown is included in length. And every single one still has a stipe and timing system at 1320' for literally everything else except top fuel and funny cars. And I'm not meaning just the NHRA when I say "everything else"
@@YaM0MsAh03 Yes, I agree. The race length is probably what I should have written. The tracks are much longer including the braking area and the sand pit. And of course the timing equipment has to be at either 1000 or 1320 feet depending on the class. They all race from the same starting line too. I don't know what the kids race. Saw a 5 year old in a dragster Sunday. 🙂
If you two ever have a chance to see Top Fuel or Funny Cars in action, do it. They are so loud they shake your soul. Just thinking about it gives me the chills, and I love it.
@@johndeereman3363 Norwalk is a great track. My cousin and I were just talking today about how we should have been there for the event this weekend. One thing is for sure, there is never a bad day at the drag strip.
I saw the Top Fuel Dragsters at the Thunder Valley Nationals in 2018. Absolutely insane how loud they are. The sound waves shook the stands, literally. Experiencing a 10,000 horsepower pass was an experience like no other. And the track was inbetween 2 mountains lol. As if it couldnt be any louder.
Drag racers can’t be compared because there’s so many legends Big Daddy Don John Force Bill Maverick Golden Snake & Mongoose Each has done something different
Awesome video! I absolutely love the NHRA. I live in SC but I go to ZMax (the track featured in the video) near Charlotte every year. The power of those cars is indescribable. When they launch and you're in the stands, you can feel the power run through your whole body. Definitely a must for someone who's never experienced it.
I bet a lot of people think "Wow I would love to do that" up to the moment you are standing anywhere near 1 and it starts up its engine and you feel the power you would be dealing with and then it's " No I'm good right here "
From time to time a NASCAR driver will show up at the dragstrip, and they are offered a chance to drive one of these cars down the strip. Universally, they politely decline the offer. Going up to 200 mph on a long track is about the limits of their bravery. At the just-completed Summer Nationals at Indianapolis, the top fuel car weas timed @ dead stop to initial 60-ft in 0.8 seconds, initial 330-ft (a football field + end zones) in 2.5 seconds, initial 660-ft (2 football fields+ end zones) in 3.3 seconds @ 299.8 mph. and 1000-ft track length @ 3.63 seconds, 337.75 mph.
Gainesville. The Gator Nationals. Plus plenty of weekly racing. And one of the best schools for “elevated” sportsman classes that require specific licenses.
"Santa Pod Raceway, located in Podington, Bedfordshire, England, is Europe's first permanent drag racing venue for 1/4 and 1/8 mile racing. It was built on a disused Second World War air base, (RAF Podington), once used by the USAAF's 92nd Bomb Group. The drag racing venue opened at Easter in 1966, and it is now the home of European drag racing and hosts both the first and last round of the FIA and FIM/UEM European Drag Racing Championship, along with the British National Drag Racing Championships."
The official family of drag racing! John is a legend and his daughters are well on their way! A true Force of nature! Love them all! Watching Drag racing live there is simply nothing else like it, the feelings and sounds of those car going down the track is just amazing!
I was the EMS director at Raceway Park, E'town for 50 years. They've did a rough estimate of cost several years ago. Taking into account all costs, crew, salary, insurance etc. The cost was approximately $5,000.00 per run. That's if you don't hurt anything ! It's an incredible sport and I highly recommend going to an event.
FYI, the large digital sign you see near the finish line shows the Elapsed Time (start to finish) in seconds and essentially the speed in miles-per-hour at which a car crosses the finish line.
wait until you see them in person, i would suggest putting this on the top of your bucket list. i would try to describe what these cars will do to you as a spectator, but theres simply no words to describe it. its simply unlike anything youll ever experience in your life!
I grew up around the Pomona race track, which is where the museum is and where the drag racing season starts and ends. Two races a year where every few minutes you’d hear a massive roar, literally like Godzilla, and the windows would shake. We’d watch the races on TV, hear the race and wait for the delay on TV to see who won. Whenever I went, we sat at starting line, which is the loudest spot to sit in the stands. It’s so loud, you can feel your organs vibrating, your lungs shaking in your chest, and the vibration is so abrupt, you can’t focus your eyes so you technically go blind. That’s the power these have.
These were SO FUN. My stepdad was heavily into racing. We would go to these. You cannot even imagine. You FEEL the vibration from these motors. It’s CRAZY but great family fun!
you can "try" this very safely... but it may require some travel. in some very large theme parks where they have gokart racing and mini golf they have these V8 dragsters on rails that are propane powered and brake automatically at the end. its way too fun
It does you no justice watching it online, it's definitely something you have to experience in person at least once. Feeling the ground and your body vibrate and the sound, it's like nothing you've ever experienced before
John Force is a legend in the sport and it's amazing to see his daughters follow him into the sport. Walking through the pits (where they work on the cars) is extremely interesting, watching these guys work. Women have been driving in NHRA for decades starting out with Shirley Muldowney primarily.
It's one thing to watch videos of NHRA racing, but if you've never been to a race in person, you cannot even begin to imagine just how loud and powerful those cars are! Sitting in the stands next to the track, your still about 50 feet or more away from the cars, and even then when one of those cars launches down the track it shakes your whole body and rattles your eyeballs to the point of everything becoming blurry for a second or two!
I'd just like to say that there are absolutely NO words that can genuinely explain what it's like to see a real fuel car in person. I've been around it for most of my 51 years on this planet and damn if it doesn't still bring me chills every time I see one go down the track. I took my son to his first NHRA event when he was 11 and the look on his face when the first pair of fuel cars went down the track was worth a million dollars. It's not just something you hear, it's something you feel and something you experience. I'd also like to add that Courtney Force is one of the most sexy women to ever walk the earth!
I’ve watched lots of different motor sports including marshalling on the RAC rally for years with the top world rally drivers , but Top Fuel is the best
I think I've seen it in passing years ago. I mean, they're in Jr. dragsters with Briggs and Stratton lawnmower motors, yet they edit in V8 noises. It's kind of funny.
Seriously.... These guys are close enough they could they could organize a two day trip and drive Nurberdring on Novice day with a professional Co pilot semi pro driver for a little taste of the exhilaration
I've met the Force family and racing team, very nice people and very cool to watch the techs building cars in the pit. An NHRA event is truly an awesome experience.
When you’re sitting in those stands and those cars take off in the starting line you don’t hear anything else and their entire stance vibrate underneath you. I lived about 5 miles from Bendemere speedway and I could hear the cars all the way from my house.
I attended two top fuel events when I was younger, ill never forget it. First they run the lower slower classes of cars, but you know when its time for top fuel when you start hearing them thunder on startup in the pits it literally shakes the ground when they launch off the line.
I grew up in a drag racing family, my father, brother and my nephew. Our garage was used for building dragsters and they are still being built. If your really interested in drag racing I suggest you find a track and race your street/regular car first. It takes some money to put in a big engine. The old Mopar or Muscle cars from the 1960's with Horsepower starting around 350 & up.
Everyone seems to watch this or the Fire Breathing Dragons video. So many great NHRA videos on UA-cam and people pick the ones that don't focus on the actual races.
For decades they raced 1/4 mile (1320 feet) but as terminal velocities climbed past 300MPH they shortened the track until now it is 1000 feet. Extra FYI: the supercharged engine pressure is so high the fuel/air mixture is actually compressed into a gel like substance before the twin magneto powered spark plugs ignite it. An explosion more like plastic explosive than typical gas, diesel, or alcohol which burn relatively slow compared to nitromethane….
There’s nothing like drag racing …. The feel you get when those cars crank up …. I love standing at the starting line when they fire em up … rocks your soul … we go the Ennis Track in Texas twice a year
I miss going to drag races. Been about 15 years since I was last at one. Our last neighbor always worked on her dragster in her backyard. Sometimes she would turn the engine on and mess with it. So loud but fun. She only was about a soccer fields length away from our house. House would rumble, even your chest would shake. Felt great. Now our new neighbor where we moved also has a dragster! But its a fully body (funny) kind. If you go though, you may want to buy earplugs. It may sound cool but it can damage your hearing over time.
I live in minnesota so I get to go to brainerd international raceway to watch these cars. Been going since i was 4 years old with my dad. This will be my 35th year attending. Watch the drag races during the day, party in the "zoo" at night.
15 gallons is 56 liters and at their fuel price it cost $1300.00 US dollars just in fuel every time the car runs the track adn they'll do that sometimes 4 times in a day.. each run usually cost them $10,000 per run down the drag strip. Thats including tires, fuel , oil, rebuilding the engine...etc.
The power that hits you right in the chest the moment that light turns green is incredible. I’ve been as close as one can get without being a team member, it is hot, loud, and a hell of a sight to see up close. Bring your hearing protection.
The NHRA spring nationals in the city of Bristol Tennessee. On a drag strip called Thunder Valley is the start the racing season . And it has to be the best experience you can ever have if you want to have it.
I have always LOVED this description of a Top Fuel Dragster.... 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 and ready to launch down a quarter mile strip as you pass. You have the advantage of a flying start. You run the 'Vette hard up through the gears and blast across the starting line and past the dragster at an honest 200 mph. The 'tree' goes green for both of you at that moment. The dragster launches and starts after you. You keep your foot down hard, but you hear an incredibly brutal whine that sears your eardrums and within 3 seconds the dragster catches and 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 not only caught, but nearly blasted you off the road when he passed you within a mere 1320 foot long race course.
I've been to around 50 NHRA races. And they are great. It's a must for everybody to experience. There is nothing that even comes close to this experience.
National Hot Rod Association!!!!!!!! ( NHRA ) If you guy's ever see a drag racing event, live make sure that you guys, both wear earphones, to protect, your hearing, those cars, are seriously LOUD!!!!!!!!! Much love guys keep up the good work!!!! Stay safe in whatever you do on a daily basis!!!!!! God bless you and your family!!!!!!! Your friend Bob Compton from maryland, USA. Drag racing's, a true team/family, family-friendly activity!!!!!!!!!!
Top Fuel Dragsters started to have the engine behind the driver after "Big Daddy" Don Garlits lost part of his foot when a clutch/flywheel came apart. Safety 3rd. Now the NHRA also requires a titanium shield behind the roll bar to protect the driver.
My son watched John Force for his 8th birthday years ago. He got his pic with him and his autograph. He loved it! He had huge headphones because he was in the front row...loud and a lot of heat.
NHRA is one of those sports where at the highest level, no car is EVER mechanically at 100%. The blocks are basically dieseling most of the run, the pistons, valves, and rings will begin to melt more often than not, the exhaust actually creates REAL downforce, which can cause an actual issue if you have a misfire and lead the car to one side or the other, clutch packs can (and sometimes will) just vaporize, skipping the melting portion entirely, and oh, right, NITROMETHANE. It's insane that they even SOMEWHAT reliably get the power they do.
I was raised on this stuff. My dad was a huge fan so he had me watching this as far back as i can remember. we were always John Force fans he's awesome guy and funny as hell. I always like the fact he wore the same old dirty fire suit because he felt it was lucky because of the bad crashes he survived.
A competitive team costs about $100,000-200,000 to run one of these cars for a race weekend. An interesting fact I always tell people is this. A Top Fuel car has a wheelbase of 300 inches. From a standing start, by the time the rear wheels cross the starting line the car is already traveling at 100 mph.
I live two miles from NHRA track for the US Nationals that is held in Clermont Indiana. I live about four and a half miles from most of these drag racers shops that's in Brownsburg
15 gallons is the amount a not quite full size crossover/suv uses, google says it is 56 liters. In normal road fuel, non diesel that is about $55 on the low end 7/8/2022. This is in metro Atlanta area.
ZMax Raceway in Concord is my home state of North Carolina. Never went there, but have seen NHRA in action waaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in like 1998. Mechanicsville, Virginia, just outside of Richmond. This was back when Top Fuel dragsters ran 4.60s and THAT was considered hauling down the track, which was still a full quarter-mile at the time (they run 1000 feet now). You absolutely *HAVE* to go, and bring ear protection. You'll need it.
@@RichardinNC1 I live in Utah now, so if I want to see another drag race, then I'd have to go to either Phoenix or Denver. Definitely would like to go at some point though.
Watching it on screen is one thing. It has to be experienced in person. when 2 , 12K HP cars launch , It's an Explosion, equal to a 3.0 earth quake and the shock wave hits you like a punch in the chest.. vibrates through you. It has be felt
NHRA= National Hot Rod Association. When you come to the states you need to go to a national event. The smell of nitro will make you cry like a baby and when the cars go down the track you can definitely feel it in your chest.
For a good while the sport was dominated by men only. It wasn't until the mid 60's that the first female TF driver, named Shirley Muldowney took the stage. In fact if you ever get a chance to see the movie "Heart Like a Wheel" it is based on this woman. It was done in 1983; and I remember seeing it when I was probably 10 years old. It was amazing. Since then the sport has been mostly dominated by male drivers; but more and more female drivers are joining, and I think it is awesome.
I went to the zmax 4 wide nationals in concord a couple of months ago. Even the very best description can’t describe it. If you have the slightest idea how an internal combustion engine works these cars will blow your mind.
Women in the sport of Drag Racing was changed in the 1980's. It was one in the sport Shirley Muldowney. She Paved the way to show women can love the sport as much as men. Today there is alot more that drive for the NHRA top fuel and funny car.
Ear splitting roar, eyeball rattling launches, nitro fumes like you just got pepper sprayed, tire smoke, little rubber ash flecks on your clothes - what's not to love?! I've been a fan for 50+ years and it just never gets old!😎👍 P.S. in case you were wondering about fuel economy, that works out to 60 gallons per mile....
That brings back memories. Big fan of drag racing at English Town, New Jersey. They had the Summer Nationals there every year, it was a big 4 day event. I moved to florida in 85 and haven't seen a big event since then, I hear the race track closed a few years ago.
If you come to the US, there are some “Amusement Centers” (places with arcades, miniature golf, water rides, etc.) that have mini versions of hot rod racing like this. The vehicles are on tracks so you don’t have to steer, so you basically challenge the other driver to see who can launch the fastest off the start line without scaring the crap out of yourself. It isn’t as loud or as fast as the full size cars, but gives you a tiny taste of what it might be like.
hey Beesleys, NHRA= National Hot Rod Association and it is awesome as exciting as it is on screen in person it is one of the most exciting things you can witness in person, you need to see Friday night qualifying where you can see the header flames shooting about 8 to 10 feet from the pipes and when they launch it feels like getting hit in the chest just WOW!!!!!!! Brittany Force just ran her top fuel dragster her time for the 0-1000ft in 3.666 seconds at 330 mph absolutely have to love love love it
The National Hot Rod Association ..i used to race a few years ago and was invited to the Tennessee Nationals but couldnt make it because of a death in the family ..i did not race top fuel like these guys i raced pro street but that was a while back no longer race anymore ..love the vids keep them coming
I do not know how many drag strips there are in the UK, but it would be very easy to find a very cheap beater and go to a test and tune day and do some passes with the car in the 1/4 mile to see just what drag racing is all about. I have done it a few times and the best time was 17 secs with a very basic street car with nothing done to it. You can really run just about anything for fun from bar stooles to snowmobiles, to street cars to very built drag cars.
Remember when "Top Gear' presenter Richard Hammond was seriously injured while driving a Jet-Powered Dragster in 2006? He hit 319 MPH before crashing. He eventually returned to the show.
Fun fact. The connecting rods and pistons actually compress on a run. They will measure both and with other rods and pistons make a set of eight that match in height
John Force & Daughters are national treasures. John was an absolute madman back in the day. He crossed the finish line backwards and on fire, but he would win. If the car just exploded, give it more gas was his motto. lol
Top Fuel, long car, 28 feet, and Funny Cars are the ones that blowup the most. In the USA there's a school you can attend to learn how to drive a drag car. Likely there is one in the UK as well since you have that type of racing.
There is a top fuel dragster (rail, not funny car) that has a passenger pod. It doesn't usually run with a passenger on competition runs, but just as a novelty. It still runs fast (4.5-5 seconds) but it is not for times.
You would not believe how loud 12 thousand horsepower is. Nitromethane fuel is around 45-50 dollars a gallon, 15 gallons burned in 3.6-ish seconds is just something you have to see to believe. Your vision blurs due to the sound waves, your entire body vibrates!
Been around NHRA drag racing all of my life. Drove and still have my Sportsman racing license. Was wondering about the nitromethane fuel costs and found this online “paying $45 a gallon for nitromethane for a funny car-and burning 14 gallons on every single run” so the prices are more than traditional racing gasoline and way above traditional consumer gasoline.
Well worth a visit to Santa Pod raceway in Bedfordshire, go to one of the big events featuring Top Fuel and Nitro Funny Car to get a true feeling , the noise of these cars is stunning . Really good camping at Santa Pod so make a week end of it , plenty of food stalls and bar at venue , live bands most evenings . Big events attract 50K people but never seen any trouble at events usually only two policemen on duty if that , super family friendly
I've never been to an actual NHRA event but I would love to someday. The drag strip I used to go to never ran funny cars or top fuel dragsters and even then you could feel your chest vibrate. I can only imagine what top fuel is like. I just know that Nitro Methane is more powerful than rocket fuel and I'd part of the reason the engines are rebuilt after each run because it is so crazy.
when the cars launch your vision will blur from your eye balls shaking in your head. the warmup and burnout are loud, but nothing can prepare you for that first side by side launch, pure power
I just started watching you two and I enjoy you so much. I am from Texas and my ex mother-in-law was from Black Pool, England she met her husband in World War 2. I am 70yrs ya'll keep up the good work. By the way you want to live in the country come to Texas.
There is a restaurant here in the US where they have funny cars on tracks so you can experience what it's like to drag race one. I was crazy fast when I did it when I was a teen.
You don't watch an NHRA event, you FEEL an NHRA event.
Not on TV you font No sound system will do them justice
😂
Certain tractor pulls are that way too. I went to a couple at our county fair, there were a few tractors that had jet engines, a few had helicopter turbines. It would vibrate everything...your pipcorn, your vision, everything lol.
And then, as an amusement, or, think of it as a 'halftime show', they bring out the JETCARS.
Yup, that is exactly what it sounds like... I mean, its not a car with jet engine in it... its a jet engine with a car wrapped around it... for show they quite literally 'toast' cars parked behind them at the starting line... So that's a truth... you don't just watch... you feel it in your bones.
@@BorealisNights "It's a jet engine with a car wrapped around it."
*Such a perfect way of describing jet cars.*
Dad Force didn't just do it, he did it as well as anyone ever and he was at the very top of drivers and team owners for decades.
Have you read his book "I Saw Elvis At 1000 Feet"? 👍 👍 👍I saw John Forse at Enise Tx. Raceway the last year before the big Dallas track was built (back in the 90's😁)
@@skyjust828 I saw him race at Gatornationals a couple times.
It was explained in the video by his daughter Courtney.
One of if not only famous drag racer i know the name of. But with a name like John force and you drive a land rocket it sticks.
@@skyjust828 *Ennis, TX (I grew up there)
YEAH this is my jam. NHRA stands for "National Hot Rod Association". My dad and grandpa hand-fabricated and welded top fuel and funny cars for over 50 years combined between the two of them. These cars can reach speeds exceeding 310 mph and can run 1/4 of a mile in less than 4 seconds. Also, nitro-methane (the fuel used by these top-end cars) is one of the sweetest smells in the world; it doesn't burn, it works on compression. Light it on fire? Nothing happens. Take a hammer to a few drops on the ground? Blow your arm off. Wild stuff!
Top fuel dragsters and funny cars can do 330+ today. The length of the track is only 1000 feet, not a 1/4 mile. They run in around 3.5 - 4 seconds. Typically, around 3.7 - 3.8 although that is from memory. The track length was shortened due to an accident a while back. Shortening the track caps the top speed and allows more breaking space.
The motors generate about 10,000 horsepower from 500 cubic inches. Pretty freakin amazing. Also, the fact that tuning to conditions is so critical just shows how on the edge of performance these things are.
I'm going to the Northwest Nationals coming up end of July. Can't wait for the noise! 😊
@@julioguardado I'm old school. I still call it the 1/4 even though they've shortened it to 1k feet.
@@julioguardado Interesting! Wasn't aware of those changes.
@@julioguardado I'd word that a bit different, the tracks most definitely aren't only 1000'. The RACING DISTANCE for the NHRA's top fuel and Funny car classes is only 1000' but the tracks are far longer than that because the shutdown is included in length. And every single one still has a stipe and timing system at 1320' for literally everything else except top fuel and funny cars. And I'm not meaning just the NHRA when I say "everything else"
@@YaM0MsAh03 Yes, I agree. The race length is probably what I should have written. The tracks are much longer including the braking area and the sand pit.
And of course the timing equipment has to be at either 1000 or 1320 feet depending on the class. They all race from the same starting line too.
I don't know what the kids race. Saw a 5 year old in a dragster Sunday. 🙂
If you two ever have a chance to see Top Fuel or Funny Cars in action, do it. They are so loud they shake your soul. Just thinking about it gives me the chills, and I love it.
Bring very good ear protection.
I just went to summit up in norwalk today. Its definitely a new experience. The rumble in your chest after they pass is crazy
@@johndeereman3363 Norwalk is a great track. My cousin and I were just talking today about how we should have been there for the event this weekend.
One thing is for sure, there is never a bad day at the drag strip.
you actually FEEL the cars go. The noise and impact of the sound literally is felt to your bones.
I saw the Top Fuel Dragsters at the Thunder Valley Nationals in 2018. Absolutely insane how loud they are. The sound waves shook the stands, literally. Experiencing a 10,000 horsepower pass was an experience like no other.
And the track was inbetween 2 mountains lol. As if it couldnt be any louder.
John Force is a legend, he’s basically the Michael Jordan of drag racing 👍
Or Richard Petty.
Drag racers can’t be compared because there’s so many legends
Big Daddy Don
John Force
Bill Maverick Golden
Snake & Mongoose
Each has done something different
Brittney force is amazing too
Awesome video! I absolutely love the NHRA. I live in SC but I go to ZMax (the track featured in the video) near Charlotte every year. The power of those cars is indescribable. When they launch and you're in the stands, you can feel the power run through your whole body. Definitely a must for someone who's never experienced it.
I bet a lot of people think "Wow I would love to do that" up to the moment you are standing anywhere near 1 and it starts up its engine and you feel the power you would be dealing with and then it's " No I'm good right here "
They need to have a simulator that helps you feel the gs on both sides
@@dstamour625 they have a 2up top fuel car for demo rides.
@@Blackdog06019 ummm where how much and I need
@@dstamour625 I wanna say it's in Las Vegas.. but you'd have to look it up to be sure
From time to time a NASCAR driver will show up at the dragstrip, and they are offered a chance to drive one of these cars down the strip. Universally, they politely decline the offer. Going up to 200 mph on a long track is about the limits of their bravery. At the just-completed Summer Nationals at Indianapolis, the top fuel car weas timed @ dead stop to initial 60-ft in 0.8 seconds, initial 330-ft (a football field + end zones) in 2.5 seconds, initial 660-ft (2 football fields+ end zones) in 3.3 seconds @ 299.8 mph. and 1000-ft track length @ 3.63 seconds, 337.75 mph.
National Hot Rod Association. I see this in daytona every once in a while. Orlando does this once a year.
Gainesville. The Gator Nationals. Plus plenty of weekly racing. And one of the best schools for “elevated” sportsman classes that require specific licenses.
"Santa Pod Raceway, located in Podington, Bedfordshire, England, is Europe's first permanent drag racing venue for 1/4 and 1/8 mile racing. It was built on a disused Second World War air base, (RAF Podington), once used by the USAAF's 92nd Bomb Group. The drag racing venue opened at Easter in 1966, and it is now the home of European drag racing and hosts both the first and last round of the FIA and FIM/UEM European Drag Racing Championship, along with the British National Drag Racing Championships."
The official family of drag racing! John is a legend and his daughters are well on their way! A true Force of nature! Love them all! Watching Drag racing live there is simply nothing else like it, the feelings and sounds of those car going down the track is just amazing!
John Force has been racing in the NHRA since 1978. Started out with a Chevy Monza if I remember correctly.
I was the EMS director at Raceway Park, E'town for 50 years. They've did a rough estimate of cost several years ago. Taking into account all costs, crew, salary, insurance etc. The cost was approximately $5,000.00 per run. That's if you don't hurt anything ! It's an incredible sport and I highly recommend going to an event.
FYI, the large digital sign you see near the finish line shows the Elapsed Time (start to finish) in seconds and essentially the speed in miles-per-hour at which a car crosses the finish line.
I have seen NHRA drag racing in person and its awesome to watch
I personally attend the NHRA drags in Topeka, Kansas every year. You simply cannot imagine the noise these vehicles make coming off the starting line.
You have to see them in person. When you get close you can feel the ground shake and the sound pulses go thru your body
wait until you see them in person, i would suggest putting this on the top of your bucket list. i would try to describe what these cars will do to you as a spectator, but theres simply no words to describe it. its simply unlike anything youll ever experience in your life!
NHRA - National Hot Rod Association
Most people feel 120 mph is fast enough, imagine 333 mph!!!
SOUNDS LIKE A DATE NIGHT at the TRACK for you two!!!
I grew up around the Pomona race track, which is where the museum is and where the drag racing season starts and ends. Two races a year where every few minutes you’d hear a massive roar, literally like Godzilla, and the windows would shake. We’d watch the races on TV, hear the race and wait for the delay on TV to see who won. Whenever I went, we sat at starting line, which is the loudest spot to sit in the stands. It’s so loud, you can feel your organs vibrating, your lungs shaking in your chest, and the vibration is so abrupt, you can’t focus your eyes so you technically go blind. That’s the power these have.
I've always been amazed at how the rear tires go from like 30 inches wide to about 18 inches wide at take off just by the sheer inertia.
Loved that! When they spin them to heat them up to stick and they get HUGE!
The video cannot replicate the physical assault on your senses - Top Fuel/Funny Car is an extremely visceral experience that can only occur in person.
These were SO FUN. My stepdad was heavily into racing. We would go to these. You cannot even imagine. You FEEL the vibration from these motors. It’s CRAZY but great family fun!
I was right behind big daddy Don Garlits coming of the line it was like putting your head in a paint shaker.
you can "try" this very safely... but it may require some travel. in some very large theme parks where they have gokart racing and mini golf they have these V8 dragsters on rails that are propane powered and brake automatically at the end. its way too fun
I tried one of those in Daytona back in the day, and man, it was awesome. Highly recommend if you can find a place that offers it.
It does you no justice watching it online, it's definitely something you have to experience in person at least once. Feeling the ground and your body vibrate and the sound, it's like nothing you've ever experienced before
They have to experience it live . TV does no justice .
You have to see these in person to understand the power, it's almost indescribable.
Being there is like being in an earthquake. John Force is the man!
NHRA. Where a single car has more horsepower than an entire 43-car NASCAR starting field.
Top Fuel cars generate 29,000 horsepower?
John Force is a legend in the sport and it's amazing to see his daughters follow him into the sport. Walking through the pits (where they work on the cars) is extremely interesting, watching these guys work. Women have been driving in NHRA for decades starting out with Shirley Muldowney primarily.
It's one thing to watch videos of NHRA racing, but if you've never been to a race in person, you cannot even begin to imagine just how loud and powerful those cars are! Sitting in the stands next to the track, your still about 50 feet or more away from the cars, and even then when one of those cars launches down the track it shakes your whole body and rattles your eyeballs to the point of everything becoming blurry for a second or two!
I'd just like to say that there are absolutely NO words that can genuinely explain what it's like to see a real fuel car in person. I've been around it for most of my 51 years on this planet and damn if it doesn't still bring me chills every time I see one go down the track. I took my son to his first NHRA event when he was 11 and the look on his face when the first pair of fuel cars went down the track was worth a million dollars. It's not just something you hear, it's something you feel and something you experience. I'd also like to add that Courtney Force is one of the most sexy women to ever walk the earth!
I’ve watched lots of different motor sports including marshalling on the RAC rally for years with the top world rally drivers , but Top Fuel is the best
you need to see the Disney movie called Right on track. it about the 2 girls that are in the vid you just seen when they started. you will love it
I think I've seen it in passing years ago. I mean, they're in Jr. dragsters with Briggs and Stratton lawnmower motors, yet they edit in V8 noises. It's kind of funny.
people go to public dragstrip days all the time with their own cars...it's a lot of fun and you should check them out even in the uk
It's tonight here. Friday night "Test and Tune."
Santa Pod is THE dragstrip in the UK
Seriously.... These guys are close enough they could they could organize a two day trip and drive Nurberdring on Novice day with a professional Co pilot semi pro driver for a little taste of the exhilaration
you guys have a wicked bad ass race over there for bikes.....the "isle of man TT".......THE BADESTS BIKE RACE ON EARTH
Isle of Man is up towards Ireland, where they live is Jersey Island they're actually closer to mainland Europe than they are England
He needs to show her his old reaction video, the NHRA Crashes & Engine Explosions video from back in Mar. 21, 2021...
I've met the Force family and racing team, very nice people and very cool to watch the techs building cars in the pit. An NHRA event is truly an awesome experience.
When you’re sitting in those stands and those cars take off in the starting line you don’t hear anything else and their entire stance vibrate underneath you. I lived about 5 miles from Bendemere speedway and I could hear the cars all the way from my house.
Top fuels are so fast the engine needs to be entirely rebuilt after every race
I attended two top fuel events when I was younger, ill never forget it. First they run the lower slower classes of cars, but you know when its time for top fuel when you start hearing them thunder on startup in the pits it literally shakes the ground when they launch off the line.
You should watch Heart Like a Wheel, a movie about drag racer Shirley Muldowney.
Great movie with Hoyt Axton as her father doing a great version of "Built for Comfort".
I grew up in a drag racing family, my father, brother and my nephew. Our garage was used for building dragsters and they are still being built. If your really interested in drag racing I suggest you find a track and race your street/regular car first. It takes some money to put in a big engine. The old Mopar or Muscle cars from the 1960's with Horsepower starting around 350 & up.
These cars go from 0 to 100 mph ( 160.934kph) in 0.8 seconds. The actual top speed they are capable of is unknown.
Everyone seems to watch this or the Fire Breathing Dragons video. So many great NHRA videos on UA-cam and people pick the ones that don't focus on the actual races.
An NHRA Nitro event is one of the loudest things you can experience. It measures on the Richter scale. These cars are insane you feel them.
NHRA is National Hot Rod Association
For decades they raced 1/4 mile (1320 feet) but as terminal velocities climbed past 300MPH they shortened the track until now it is 1000 feet. Extra FYI: the supercharged engine pressure is so high the fuel/air mixture is actually compressed into a gel like substance before the twin magneto powered spark plugs ignite it. An explosion more like plastic explosive than typical gas, diesel, or alcohol which burn relatively slow compared to nitromethane….
There’s nothing like drag racing …. The feel you get when those cars crank up …. I love standing at the starting line when they fire em up … rocks your soul … we go the Ennis Track in Texas twice a year
You have to see first time top fuel reactions and warm up
I miss going to drag races. Been about 15 years since I was last at one. Our last neighbor always worked on her dragster in her backyard. Sometimes she would turn the engine on and mess with it. So loud but fun. She only was about a soccer fields length away from our house. House would rumble, even your chest would shake. Felt great. Now our new neighbor where we moved also has a dragster! But its a fully body (funny) kind. If you go though, you may want to buy earplugs. It may sound cool but it can damage your hearing over time.
I live in minnesota so I get to go to brainerd international raceway to watch these cars. Been going since i was 4 years old with my dad. This will be my 35th year attending. Watch the drag races during the day, party in the "zoo" at night.
15 gallons is 56 liters and at their fuel price it cost $1300.00 US dollars just in fuel every time the car runs the track adn they'll do that sometimes 4 times in a day.. each run usually cost them $10,000 per run down the drag strip. Thats including tires, fuel , oil, rebuilding the engine...etc.
It's an experience you will never forget...
to actually be at an NHRA event is an experience one will never forget and to get to meet the drivers watch then work on the cars yesssssssssssssss
The power that hits you right in the chest the moment that light turns green is incredible. I’ve been as close as one can get without being a team member, it is hot, loud, and a hell of a sight to see up close. Bring your hearing protection.
there are lesser classes of car, so everybody can race from regular stock cars to even slightly modified. thanks for the reaction from Colorado
The NHRA spring nationals in the city of Bristol Tennessee. On a drag strip called Thunder Valley is the start the racing season . And it has to be the best experience you can ever have if you want to have it.
I have always LOVED this description of a Top Fuel Dragster....
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 and ready to launch down a quarter mile strip as you pass. You have the advantage of a flying start. You run the 'Vette hard up through the gears and blast across the starting line and past the dragster at an honest 200 mph. The 'tree' goes green for both of you at that moment. The dragster launches and starts after you. You keep your foot down hard, but you
hear an incredibly brutal whine that sears your eardrums and within 3 seconds the dragster catches and 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 not only caught, but nearly blasted you off the road when he passed you within a mere 1320 foot long race course.
I've been to around 50 NHRA races.
And they are great.
It's a must for everybody to experience.
There is nothing that even comes close to this experience.
National Hot Rod Association!!!!!!!! ( NHRA ) If you guy's ever see a drag racing event, live make sure that you guys, both wear earphones, to protect, your hearing, those cars, are seriously LOUD!!!!!!!!! Much love guys keep up the good work!!!! Stay safe in whatever you do on a daily basis!!!!!! God bless you and your family!!!!!!! Your friend Bob Compton from maryland, USA. Drag racing's, a true team/family, family-friendly activity!!!!!!!!!!
Top Fuel Dragsters started to have the engine behind the driver after "Big Daddy" Don Garlits lost part of his foot when a clutch/flywheel came apart. Safety 3rd. Now the NHRA also requires a titanium shield behind the roll bar to protect the driver.
My son watched John Force for his 8th birthday years ago. He got his pic with him and his autograph. He loved it! He had huge headphones because he was in the front row...loud and a lot of heat.
National Hot Rod Association. If you go see it in real life, bring ear protection.
these things in real life shake your hearts and ear drums its insane to experience in real life
NHRA is one of those sports where at the highest level, no car is EVER mechanically at 100%. The blocks are basically dieseling most of the run, the pistons, valves, and rings will begin to melt more often than not, the exhaust actually creates REAL downforce, which can cause an actual issue if you have a misfire and lead the car to one side or the other, clutch packs can (and sometimes will) just vaporize, skipping the melting portion entirely, and oh, right, NITROMETHANE. It's insane that they even SOMEWHAT reliably get the power they do.
I was raised on this stuff. My dad was a huge fan so he had me watching this as far back as i can remember. we were always John Force fans he's awesome guy and funny as hell. I always like the fact he wore the same old dirty fire suit because he felt it was lucky because of the bad crashes he survived.
A competitive team costs about $100,000-200,000 to run one of these cars for a race weekend. An interesting fact I always tell people is this. A Top Fuel car has a wheelbase of 300 inches. From a standing start, by the time the rear wheels cross the starting line the car is already traveling at 100 mph.
I live two miles from NHRA track for the US Nationals that is held in Clermont Indiana. I live about four and a half miles from most of these drag racers shops that's in Brownsburg
15 gallons is the amount a not quite full size crossover/suv uses, google says it is 56 liters. In normal road fuel, non diesel that is about $55 on the low end 7/8/2022. This is in metro Atlanta area.
ZMax Raceway in Concord is my home state of North Carolina. Never went there, but have seen NHRA in action waaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in like 1998. Mechanicsville, Virginia, just outside of Richmond. This was back when Top Fuel dragsters ran 4.60s and THAT was considered hauling down the track, which was still a full quarter-mile at the time (they run 1000 feet now). You absolutely *HAVE* to go, and bring ear protection. You'll need it.
You need to attend Z-Max! Four wide is an experience like no other.
@@RichardinNC1 I live in Utah now, so if I want to see another drag race, then I'd have to go to either Phoenix or Denver. Definitely would like to go at some point though.
How often can you spend so much to have four seconds of fun !!
They use between 5 and 10 gallons of fuel for each pass. The fuel pumps move 250 gallons per minute.
Watching it on screen is one thing. It has to be experienced in person. when 2 , 12K HP cars launch , It's an Explosion, equal to a 3.0 earth quake and the shock wave hits you like a punch in the chest.. vibrates through you. It has be felt
Z-Max in Charlotte is 4 wide. I wonder what it measures there? I’ve been several times.
NHRA= National Hot Rod Association. When you come to the states you need to go to a national event. The smell of nitro will make you cry like a baby and when the cars go down the track you can definitely feel it in your chest.
For a good while the sport was dominated by men only. It wasn't until the mid 60's that the first female TF driver, named Shirley Muldowney took the stage. In fact if you ever get a chance to see the movie "Heart Like a Wheel" it is based on this woman. It was done in 1983; and I remember seeing it when I was probably 10 years old. It was amazing.
Since then the sport has been mostly dominated by male drivers; but more and more female drivers are joining, and I think it is awesome.
I went to the zmax 4 wide nationals in concord a couple of months ago. Even the very best description can’t describe it. If you have the slightest idea how an internal combustion engine works these cars will blow your mind.
Women in the sport of Drag Racing was changed in the 1980's. It was one in the sport Shirley Muldowney. She Paved the way to show women can love the sport as much as men. Today there is alot more that drive for the NHRA top fuel and funny car.
Ear splitting roar, eyeball rattling launches, nitro fumes like you just got pepper sprayed, tire smoke, little rubber ash flecks on your clothes - what's not to love?! I've been a fan for 50+ years and it just never gets old!😎👍
P.S. in case you were wondering about fuel economy, that works out to 60 gallons per mile....
a quick conversion from gallons to L 15 gallons is 56.7812 litres 3.785L per gallon
That brings back memories. Big fan of drag racing at English Town, New Jersey. They had the Summer Nationals there every year, it was a big 4 day event. I moved to florida in 85 and haven't seen a big event since then, I hear the race track closed a few years ago.
If you come to the US, there are some “Amusement Centers” (places with arcades, miniature golf, water rides, etc.) that have mini versions of hot rod racing like this. The vehicles are on tracks so you don’t have to steer, so you basically challenge the other driver to see who can launch the fastest off the start line without scaring the crap out of yourself. It isn’t as loud or as fast as the full size cars, but gives you a tiny taste of what it might be like.
you have to be there to feel the real thunder of the cars, it is crazy
I took a lesson years back at the track in Pomona, CA. in a entry level dragster. It was a blast.
Courtney Force’s father was probably the greatest NHRA driver in history. She’s following in his footsteps.
hey Beesleys, NHRA= National Hot Rod Association and it is awesome as exciting as it is on screen in person it is one of the most exciting things you can witness in person, you need to see Friday night qualifying where you can see the header flames shooting about 8 to 10 feet from the pipes and when they launch it feels like getting hit in the chest just WOW!!!!!!! Brittany Force just ran her top fuel dragster her time for the 0-1000ft in 3.666 seconds at 330 mph absolutely have to love love love it
The National Hot Rod Association ..i used to race a few years ago and was invited to the Tennessee Nationals but couldnt make it because of a death in the family ..i did not race top fuel like these guys i raced pro street but that was a while back no longer race anymore ..love the vids keep them coming
I do not know how many drag strips there are in the UK, but it would be very easy to find a very cheap beater and go to a test and tune day and do some passes with the car in the 1/4 mile to see just what drag racing is all about. I have done it a few times and the best time was 17 secs with a very basic street car with nothing done to it. You can really run just about anything for fun from bar stooles to snowmobiles, to street cars to very built drag cars.
BTW, both Top Fuel and Funny Cars are started first with gasoline, then switched to Nitro-Methane. FYI I'm in rural East Central Iowa, USA.
I live 2 mi from the US Nationals track in Clermont Indiana and every Labor Day weekend my windows rattle, it's awesome
Remember when "Top Gear' presenter Richard Hammond was seriously injured while driving a Jet-Powered Dragster in 2006? He hit 319 MPH before crashing. He eventually returned to the show.
Fun fact. The connecting rods and pistons actually compress on a run. They will measure both and with other rods and pistons make a set of eight that match in height
John Force & Daughters are national treasures. John was an absolute madman back in the day. He crossed the finish line backwards and on fire, but he would win. If the car just exploded, give it more gas was his motto. lol
Top Fuel, long car, 28 feet, and Funny Cars are the ones that blowup the most. In the USA there's a school you can attend to learn how to drive a drag car. Likely there is one in the UK as well since you have that type of racing.
There is a top fuel dragster (rail, not funny car) that has a passenger pod. It doesn't usually run with a passenger on competition runs, but just as a novelty. It still runs fast (4.5-5 seconds) but it is not for times.
You would not believe how loud 12 thousand horsepower is. Nitromethane fuel is around 45-50 dollars a gallon, 15 gallons burned in 3.6-ish seconds is just something you have to see to believe. Your vision blurs due to the sound waves, your entire body vibrates!
Been around NHRA drag racing all of my life. Drove and still have my Sportsman racing license. Was wondering about the nitromethane fuel costs and found this online “paying $45 a gallon for nitromethane for a funny car-and burning 14 gallons on every single run” so the prices are more than traditional racing gasoline and way above traditional consumer gasoline.
This track is like 30 mins from my house. People love it here in North Carolina.
I remember back in the early 90's John Force crashed his funny car and it engulfed in flames with him in it. He lived with barely any burns.
Well worth a visit to Santa Pod raceway in Bedfordshire, go to one of the big events featuring Top Fuel and Nitro Funny Car to get a true feeling , the noise of these cars is stunning . Really good camping at Santa Pod so make a week end of it , plenty of food stalls and bar at venue , live bands most evenings . Big events attract 50K people but never seen any trouble at events usually only two policemen on duty if that , super family friendly
I've never been to an actual NHRA event but I would love to someday. The drag strip I used to go to never ran funny cars or top fuel dragsters and even then you could feel your chest vibrate. I can only imagine what top fuel is like. I just know that Nitro Methane is more powerful than rocket fuel and I'd part of the reason the engines are rebuilt after each run because it is so crazy.
when the cars launch your vision will blur from your eye balls shaking in your head. the warmup and burnout are loud, but nothing can prepare you for that first side by side launch, pure power
I just started watching you two and I enjoy you so much. I am from Texas and my ex mother-in-law was from Black Pool, England she met her husband in World War 2. I am 70yrs ya'll keep up the good work. By the way you want to live in the country come to Texas.
There is a restaurant here in the US where they have funny cars on tracks so you can experience what it's like to drag race one. I was crazy fast when I did it when I was a teen.