One of the best amateur video's of a Top Fueler warming up in the pits. It really does capture the experience of a general admission ticket at any National NHRA event. Raw fuel lofting heavy in the air, "wet" pipes, crew chief previewing the engine, crew working hard. You can even seen the camera jump when they "bark" it. Now you just need to duplicate the smell and you got the full Monty!!!
Been there. You would have no choice but to back away. Your nose and throat start to burn. It gets hard to breathe. Your eyes burn like mad. I took goggles and a wet towel to breath thru the 2nd time I watched.
Years ago (back in the mid-80s I think), I took a friend of mine to his first NHRA drag race at Rockingham Int. Dragway. Back then, they didn't have the ribbon barricades they do these days and you could get a lot closer to the cars while they were working on and warming them up. I don't remember which T/F car it was, but my friend was standing about 10 feet directly behind the headers. I told him that he had better move but he didn't take my advice. When they started the car, it spit out some raw nitro and splashed him right in the face. Off to the small medical center in the tower we went. He was, and for all I know, is still a dumb-ass. Needless to say, I never took him with me to another race.
Yup, at 3:1 a/f, you're gonna get wet. I remember having to wipe my windshield off continually, as they would park the rest of the field behind the bleach boxes and run the T/Fs in from the side.
If you've ever stood by one of them or even in the general vicinity, this audio obviously doesn't do it justice. Every cylinder firing sounds like a goddamn M-80.
This is a totally different kind of loud, this is a loud you hear with your whole body, it shakes your insides puts a lot of pressure on your ears, and makes you smile for the rest of the day... =)
The first drag race I went to, I stood behind a Top Fuel dragster when they fired it on gasoline. I was taking a picture and did not cover my ears as the switched it over to Nitro, they barked that baby one time and I could not hear for the rest of the day! Lesson learned!
The Real Jesus Yea, I remember the burning eyes! Lol I also remember coming back from the concession stands with an arm full, and as I'm walking under the bleachers, the funny cars made a pass..i could not hold my ears, and that was the loudest thing ever, especially with me being in a sort of tunnel that multiplied it
I have been going to the nationals since 1984 in Columbus. I miss the good old days of drag racing before it became so corporate. Now a days nobody "seats" the clutch in their nitro cars,which sucks! I really hate it when they turn the top fuel cars around from facing the crowds. I find it hard to believe you have to worry that much about what technology you have in your car with todays rules. Everyone pretty much is on the same playing field. does anyone remember when the nitro cars in the mid 90's used to powerbrake their cars to seat the clutch? Totally awesome experience!
It's between 7-8000 Horsepower. I wish I knew how they figure it out. These are the MOST RADICAL machines in the universe. 0-298 mph in a lil'over 2 seconds....UNBELIEVABLE ! ! !
Love that sound! Even muted i have take some distance . Seen twice Top Fuel monsters alive. It´s amazing! Something everyone should feel.People say bands play loud .Seen many concerts by Metallica, Iron maiden, AC/DC (16 times). Yes, they were loud. But never so loud like this. It kicks your whole body and hopefully you have your plugs on. Fuc**ing awesome!!
120 prius fans didn't like this video...i didn't see any at norwalk last saturday either.....sooo i guess top fuel is prius repellent..... well that and the bob motz truck.....
Standing by a fuel car when they seat the clutch is definitely something to behold. If you can deal with the effects from the exhaust, it's worth it to get close! 8K from 500 cu in.... crazy stuff!
This was just rebuilt and the start was completely cold from a rebuilt engine, they start in on regular gas (maybe alcohol) and you can hear the change when the Nitro Methane is switch on, it is pretty awesome live!!
@mobilpelan: what you heard at the end was Doug switching the fuel pressure over for a throttle hit. The cars do burn outs and all prep at half pressure. You'll notice the same tune change after they pre-stage and right before they stage
All top fuel dragsters are fed by mechanical fuel injection. They normally have a set of injectors in the injector hat above the supercharger and then another set in the intake runners and one more set inside the heads that shoot right at the back of the intake valve.
A person that never seen one of these cars run in person could never begin to understand the thunderousness that that thing produces. Soo freakin' loud. Unreal. Cannot be near one without ear plugs or ear muffs.
Yep you know it, I just was at Gateway International Raceway. I had a really good tome. They did not have Friday night qualifying but the Saturday and Sunday shows were great.
HEEEEEEELL YEAAAAH!! I got my first face-shot of nitro a few summers ago. My stepdad took me the Summer Nationals in topeka. Nothing like a face full of nitro to wake you up!!
I second that. You feel like you are part of the run every run. On the runs where both cars make it to the back door.... I can't discribe it. It's a feeling not expressed by words.
I have been to Brainerd, and in Brainerd it was mostly the 'party', but I guess there isn't much else to do in Brainerd. and it seemed like also in Brainerd that the stands were the furthest away from the starting line. My goal is to attend all the events that NHRA goes to, and I am down to 5 left, and I should get to knock off Kansas and Seattle this year!!
the smoke you see is the nitromethane it runs on..at the end the smoke dissapears and the engine revs up just before shutdown..that´s the result from shutting of the nitromethanol fuel.. just love it.. :)
Nitro cars are something everyone who's a car lover need to experience once in their life. The pressure coming out of those headers is intense. Last time I was at an event, when they were warming up Forces car, they cracked the throttle and 5 or 6 people just fell over.. Your pants glue to the front of your leg, and equillibrium becomes skewed.. And your balling your eyes out from the nitro.. It's pretty surreal
I used to get VIP Passes when Clay Millican was driving with Warner Enterprises. Those Top Fuels are loud as hell and the burned Nitro-Methane burns my eyes. But on the bleachers, when they hit that gas, the whole stands and such rumble like crazy. It was fun knowing him though. He knew my Uncle really well.
@bigk033106 They change the clutch packs in the transmission after every run so after they install the new ones they must be broken in. This is what the fuel team call seating the clutch. As a side note when they blip the throttle you can see the camera move a little, the blast pressure and sound is so intense that it's virtually impossible to not move. It's so loud that it effects the bones in your ears that control balance then the pressure of the exhaust pushes you over a little.
NO preheaters. The warm up is used to seat the clutch and put some heat into the engine. The nitro fuel ruins the oil very quickly. They change the oil even after the warm up.
i remember one day being really young standing really close to the headers when they started up and that nitro making me almost pass out ....... i was addicted ever since
@darn808pinoy In person it is insane, you feel it in your chest just when its idling, when she revs, or goes full throttle even when 1000 feet away you cover ur ears and it feels like your heart is about to explode. It is absolutely insane.
@CrisR964 what you might not now, is that nitromethane has actually alot less energy per gallon than normal gasoline, they only use it because it need 8,5 times less fuel to burn than gasoline
@wilsonhill12 Depends on the speed of the car, the exhaust gasses produce about 3.6kN of downforce. The rear wing peaks at around 53 kN of downforce (at ~520km/h)
@Ham549 Answer.... those motors use exotic fuels plus Lots of air.. the smoke ure seeing is unspent fuel and those cars run multiple fuel pumps when they test run these motors between runs they only use 1-2 fuel pumps. when these cars really run the track they can leave a 15 foot fire ball in their wake.also as stated they dont get miles per gallon like normal cars these do gallons per mile..
Please, explain how the wheels could spin if it's not in gear. The driver lets the clutch out to make sure reverse and forward gears work, and does it again when he burps the engine.
Top Fuel Dragsters are estimated to be producing between 8000 and 10000 horsepower the next level down would be Alcohol motors which are now making up to 3500 HP or so
yeah they do we used to run them on our late models and sprint cars when we raced it saves time that way you can go straight into a race and not have to make laps and wait on it to warm up.
@xripperx898 the only way you can really experience this is if u capture the sound in HQ and plug it into a big ass sterio and turn it up all the way. u gotta do it outside too. it sounds different when when the sound resonates in a small room
@jferjason i've read about them, and damn... what would you think of this? top fuel dragsters engine attached to a 7 speed gearbox which is set to do more then 1000kph... make an extremely streamlined body around it, put some 4 specially designed wheels unde it, and then floor it! :P
ahh that makes sense..and ive only been to 2 drag racing events in my life.. and they were both brainerd minnesota.. but it was when i was a young kid. i wanna go back so bad but always seem to be busy. ive been to local tracks but they arent as exciting...thanks for the reply
@MikeEE12246 You could be right, it seems like that device you are describing would be used to measure torque.if they get a torque figure and rpm, hp can be very easily calculated.
more like an on and off switch rather than a throttle. YAAAHHP!!, YAAAHHP. no way to describe it unless you see, hear and feel it in person. If you never have it will be the best money you ever spent. what a trip. been going to events since 1980. It never gets old/
i just got back from the races in St. louis an actually watch them start this car! those exhuast fumes burnt my eyes! they had the fuel mixture wrong (im guessin) an i was diretcly behind the car when they fired it up. instant pain.
man i wish that kinda motor was street legal LOL!!!!!!!!!!!! gotta love that sound. man that's sounds like a 1.7 in. lift on that cam lol. does anybody actually know what size cam those top fuel cars run
@slingblade1991 No it is not by the fuel usage, it how many pounds can be moved a foot, that is where they get foot pounds. Horsepower is see wikipedia reference
I love it every time when there is a newbee we always put them in front. My wfe didnt talk to me for a week when I said she was a newbee we opened up a line so she can get to the front.
I did some research on this a couple days ago and I read that according to nhra rules, engine size is limited to 500 ci. I find that hard to believe though.
They are way way louder. I've been to both fuel races and Nascar races. Top Fuel cars will blur your vision and make your ears crack they are so loud. Opening your mouth a little seems to help as this eases the pressure in your head. No joke, fuel cars fricken hurt to be around when they are running. Its almost unbelievable that man could create something so violent and yet so awesome at the same time.
Dont they use preheaters for the oil and water to bring it up to operating temps before its fired up? I used to work on certain engines that carried the preheaters onboard as part of the dry sump set up?
I love top fuel racing. I've learned so much since going to my first race as a small child. I always thought the crewmen were nuts for waving their hands over the exhaust...until I learned that nitro burns cold. Which is also why you see them spraying something onto the intake butterflys, and on the throttle linkage. It's SO cold, that what they're spraying is anti-freeze so the intake doesn't freeze shut; or open for that matter.
I don't know the exact science but nitro has a higher flash point than gasoline, meaning it needs more spark to ignite than pump gas but produces a MUCH more energy during ignition, which is why it is used. NHRA has changed the volume of nitro back and forth over the years. It's been anywhere from 90/10 nitro/alchol to 98/2 nitro/alchol, but the amount of air depends on air density and water molecules - or air quality. Finding that perfect mix is where tuning and qualifying begin.
@MikeEE12246 It is a guess, they don't have any actual power numbers from these engines.Only close approximations.Also, i dont think they would even dyno these engines due to the very short lives of them.I'll search for this device that is attached to the hubs and if i find it,then i guess im wrong.
If the horsepower measurement was from fuel comsumption the engine will sometimes pour fuel out and the car will not do as well as with when the car is "firing on all 8 cylinders"
god i love that!!!! didn t know they did this anymore..and that was a long time to be running that 'short lived' engine. must have/had a serious problem. Back in my days of going to the drags...(early 70,s)everyone did this to be sure it would fire/run at the line...it was SOOOO impressive! havent been back since 'they' upped the tickets to 50.00+ ea. and, to think that engine only turns over about 500 times down the strip, and its wasted/$pent...
The spinning backwards, you need to ask one of the crew that is involved, the crew at the races are usually very assessable and will answer any questions. I think it was to make sure that the clutch is not locked up, but that is a guess, and for the excitement part, you need to attend this event in person to really get excited, it is mind blowing experience!!!
Wow. That is just frickin wicked. 8,000 mother frickin horsepower. Jesus frickin Christ. God Bless America. Does the exhaust burn the eyes and nasal passages of the people standing around while it's idling as seen in the video?
I love how they crank on gasoline and then after a couple of seconds the nitro methane kicks in and fuel starts spewing out of the pipes!!!!!!! Car sounds totally different when the nitro starts!
Just to clarify a point. That fuel is nitromethane. Not race gas. Octane rating is something over 200, yes 200. Way more than race gas (110 to 120), alcohol is 140. The run is now 1000 ft not quarter mile. Had to change due to limitations of shutdown areas at race facilities. It's great to go fast but you have to get em stopped too, even if there is catastrophic failure. RIP Scott
i think what hes trying to say is whats the compression ratio of a naturally aspirated nitro motor ? because the fuel is already oxidized. i still think race teams arent going to hold anything back. as much power as they can get without the block exploding is what they want. even with the oxidizer, they can pack more combustable air with the blower, forced induction, and put out more power. cuz they rebuild the engines or replace them after each race.
The clutch plates weld to each other because of the heat produced in the run. By the end of the run all spark plugs are melted off. It crosses the finish line as a diesel :)
..I just love the smell of nitro in the morning... and the stinging eyes and burning lungs... Cant get enough!!! LOVE IT!!
One of the best amateur video's of a Top Fueler warming up in the pits. It really does capture the experience of a general admission ticket at any National NHRA event. Raw fuel lofting heavy in the air, "wet" pipes, crew chief previewing the engine, crew working hard. You can even seen the camera jump when they "bark" it. Now you just need to duplicate the smell and you got the full Monty!!!
Man, your eyes would be burning with it running that rich. Still, I wouldn't back away - how can you resist Top Fuel!!
Been there. You would have no choice but to back away. Your nose and throat start to burn. It gets hard to breathe. Your eyes burn like mad. I took goggles and a wet towel to breath thru the 2nd time I watched.
It's also cold outside
Cacklefest. 'Nuff said!
What a freaken BEAST!!
I have mad respect for any one brave enough to sit in there and try to control that monster.
Years ago (back in the mid-80s I think), I took a friend of mine to his first NHRA drag race at Rockingham Int. Dragway. Back then, they didn't have the ribbon barricades they do these days and you could get a lot closer to the cars while they were working on and warming them up. I don't remember which T/F car it was, but my friend was standing about 10 feet directly behind the headers. I told him that he had better move but he didn't take my advice. When they started the car, it spit out some raw nitro and splashed him right in the face. Off to the small medical center in the tower we went. He was, and for all I know, is still a dumb-ass. Needless to say, I never took him with me to another race.
Yup, at 3:1 a/f, you're gonna get wet. I remember having to wipe my windshield off continually, as they would park the rest of the field behind the bleach boxes and run the T/Fs in from the side.
Christopher Buck wow they never would let me on the track during a race
I blew up my truck at rockingham on open track night
Most beautiful music on earth. Thanks.
If you've ever stood by one of them or even in the general vicinity, this audio obviously doesn't do it justice. Every cylinder firing sounds like a goddamn M-80.
Exactly
I thinks it more like someone using your shoulder as a human bipod and firing a .308 in your ear
sliehgtofhand the nitro burns but at least I know I can go faster cuz I got nitro in me if that's how it actually worked
sliehgtofhand 8 M-80 firing tohether 😱😱😱
sliehgtofhand. It,s misci too my ears. Iike. Sound.
This is a totally different kind of loud, this is a loud you hear with your whole body, it shakes your insides puts a lot of pressure on your ears, and makes you smile for the rest of the day... =)
The first drag race I went to, I stood behind a Top Fuel dragster when they fired it on gasoline. I was taking a picture and did not cover my ears as the switched it over to Nitro, they barked that baby one time and I could not hear for the rest of the day! Lesson learned!
surprised you can still hear at all lmao.
I couldn't breathe the first time I was around a Nitro Car, best day ever..lol
GroddOfWar 777 Well said , and the the burning eyes made it hard to see what they were doing after it coughed in my face.
GroddOfWar 777 Well said , and the the burning eyes made it hard to see what they were doing after it coughed in my face.
The Real Jesus Yea, I remember the burning eyes! Lol
I also remember coming back from the concession stands with an arm full, and as I'm walking under the bleachers, the funny cars made a pass..i could not hold my ears, and that was the loudest thing ever, especially with me being in a sort of tunnel that multiplied it
i've have gone to route 66 for NHRA and standing next to these beasts are incredible and i think its like 0 to 100 in like 0.9 seconds.
never get tired of this when I go to the U S nationals in indy
Thanks for your reply. I live about 10 miles from Firebird raceway in Phoenix and one of these days I plan on going.
Sounded like he cut off the nitro and was running on just the alcohol at the end
I will NEVER FORGET the first time I was where you are with NO EAR plugs !!!
WOW rocked me to the core !
I have been going to the nationals since 1984 in Columbus. I miss the good old days of drag racing before it became so corporate. Now a days nobody "seats" the clutch in their nitro cars,which sucks! I really hate it when they turn the top fuel cars around from facing the crowds. I find it hard to believe you have to worry that much about what technology you have in your car with todays rules. Everyone pretty much is on the same playing field. does anyone remember when the nitro cars in the mid 90's used to powerbrake their cars to seat the clutch? Totally awesome experience!
You have to be there in person or you will never understand the volume and power of these beasts ! This should be on your bucket list .
You can literally see the firing order. Too cool man.
It's between 7-8000 Horsepower. I wish I knew how they figure it out.
These are the MOST RADICAL machines in the universe.
0-298 mph in a lil'over 2 seconds....UNBELIEVABLE ! ! !
i think i am getting a chub.
yep, its a chub.
bignitalian2 yup we are chub bros these bad boys are insane on every level
Love that sound! Even muted i have take some distance . Seen twice Top Fuel monsters alive. It´s amazing! Something everyone should feel.People say bands play loud .Seen many concerts by Metallica, Iron maiden, AC/DC (16 times). Yes, they were loud. But never so loud like this. It kicks your whole body and hopefully you have your plugs on. Fuc**ing awesome!!
120 prius fans didn't like this video...i didn't see any at norwalk last saturday either.....sooo i guess top fuel is prius repellent..... well that and the bob motz truck.....
Standing by a fuel car when they seat the clutch is definitely something to behold. If you can deal with the effects from the exhaust, it's worth it to get close! 8K from 500 cu in.... crazy stuff!
This was just rebuilt and the start was completely cold from a rebuilt engine, they start in on regular gas (maybe alcohol) and you can hear the change when the Nitro Methane is switch on, it is pretty awesome live!!
@mobilpelan: what you heard at the end was Doug switching the fuel pressure over for a throttle hit. The cars do burn outs and all prep at half pressure. You'll notice the same tune change after they pre-stage and right before they stage
i never realized they are up to 8000hp now. good lord. thats amazing
Being by one of these monsters during a warm up session is one of the coolest things to experience.
@lovehemi2much in australia topfuel are still running the quarter mile,hope it stays that way
All top fuel dragsters are fed by mechanical fuel injection. They normally have a set of injectors in the injector hat above the supercharger and then another set in the intake runners and one more set inside the heads that shoot right at the back of the intake valve.
Choking, coughing, crying with tears down your face, how good is that....
A person that never seen one of these cars run in person could never begin to understand the thunderousness that that thing produces. Soo freakin' loud. Unreal. Cannot be near one without ear plugs or ear muffs.
Yep you know it, I just was at Gateway International Raceway. I had a really good tome. They did not have Friday night qualifying but the Saturday and Sunday shows were great.
Amazing how later they improved the motors and now top fuels run at 10,000 horsepower. Absolute ass kicker.
HEEEEEEELL YEAAAAH!! I got my first face-shot of nitro a few summers ago. My stepdad took me the Summer Nationals in topeka. Nothing like a face full of nitro to wake you up!!
I second that. You feel like you are part of the run every run. On the runs where both cars make it to the back door.... I can't discribe it. It's a feeling not expressed by words.
I have been to Brainerd, and in Brainerd it was mostly the 'party', but I guess there isn't much else to do in Brainerd. and it seemed like also in Brainerd that the stands were the furthest away from the starting line. My goal is to attend all the events that NHRA goes to, and I am down to 5 left, and I should get to knock off Kansas and Seattle this year!!
the smoke you see is the nitromethane it runs on..at the end the smoke dissapears and the engine revs up just before shutdown..that´s the result from shutting of the nitromethanol fuel.. just love it.. :)
Nitro cars are something everyone who's a car lover need to experience once in their life. The pressure coming out of those headers is intense. Last time I was at an event, when they were warming up Forces car, they cracked the throttle and 5 or 6 people just fell over.. Your pants glue to the front of your leg, and equillibrium becomes skewed.. And your balling your eyes out from the nitro.. It's pretty surreal
I used to get VIP Passes when Clay Millican was driving with Warner Enterprises. Those Top Fuels are loud as hell and the burned Nitro-Methane burns my eyes. But on the bleachers, when they hit that gas, the whole stands and such rumble like crazy. It was fun knowing him though. He knew my Uncle really well.
This is how the universe was created-with a BANG!Wonderful music!
@bigk033106 They change the clutch packs in the transmission after every run so after they install the new ones they must be broken in. This is what the fuel team call seating the clutch. As a side note when they blip the throttle you can see the camera move a little, the blast pressure and sound is so intense that it's virtually impossible to not move. It's so loud that it effects the bones in your ears that control balance then the pressure of the exhaust pushes you over a little.
NO preheaters. The warm up is used to seat the clutch and put some heat into the engine. The nitro fuel ruins the oil very quickly. They change the oil even after the warm up.
@skater4nater
They use 15 gallons of fuel during a run, which is now 1000 ft so that is about 100 feet per gallon or 1/52 miles per gallon
i remember one day being really young standing really close to the headers when they started up and that nitro making me almost pass out ....... i was addicted ever since
@darn808pinoy In person it is insane, you feel it in your chest just when its idling, when she revs, or goes full throttle even when 1000 feet away you cover ur ears and it feels like your heart is about to explode. It is absolutely insane.
@CrisR964 what you might not now, is that nitromethane has actually alot less energy per gallon than normal gasoline, they only use it because it need 8,5 times less fuel to burn than gasoline
@4Flaming2 They start the engines on alcohol but switch to Nitromethane 8 or 10 secs after startup.
Burnout is made on Nitro.
@wilsonhill12 Depends on the speed of the car, the exhaust gasses produce about 3.6kN of downforce. The rear wing peaks at around 53 kN of downforce (at ~520km/h)
@Ham549 Answer.... those motors use exotic fuels plus Lots of air.. the smoke ure seeing is unspent fuel and those cars run multiple fuel pumps when they test run these motors between runs they only use 1-2 fuel pumps. when these cars really run the track they can leave a 15 foot fire ball in their wake.also as stated they dont get miles per gallon like normal cars these do gallons per mile..
I love this video because you can tell instantly when they switch the engine to nitro methane after starting it on alcohol.
I wouldnt stand any closer than this cameraman. those guys standing right beside the engine are nuts!
This is music in it's very purest form. Some people just don't get it and probably never will....What a shame........
i have just never heard of a number like that before.... it is amazing.
I bow to you, all sacred Doug, your dragster puts shame to all us others, my car has about 1/8th the horse of yours
That would be sweet!! 1970 Chevelles are my all time favorite car.!!! Going to a car show with that would turn some heads!!! Haha
Please, explain how the wheels could spin if it's not in gear. The driver lets the clutch out to make sure reverse and forward gears work, and does it again when he burps the engine.
Top Fuel Dragsters are estimated to be producing between 8000 and 10000 horsepower the next level down would be Alcohol motors which are now making up to 3500 HP or so
@dahiteman Not nitrous oxide, but Nitromethane. BIG difference!
yeah they do we used to run them on our late models and sprint cars when we raced it saves time that way you can go straight into a race and not have to make laps and wait on it to warm up.
That beast puts out 2000 HP at idle. Love it!
its cool just after it starts up you can see which cylinder is firing from the exhaust. :)
@xripperx898 the only way you can really experience this is if u capture the sound in HQ and plug it into a big ass sterio and turn it up all the way. u gotta do it outside too. it sounds different when when the sound resonates in a small room
yup, and i love every minute of it!! I went to zMax last year plain on going again this year.
@jferjason i've read about them, and damn... what would you think of this?
top fuel dragsters engine attached to a 7 speed gearbox which is set to do more then 1000kph... make an extremely streamlined body around it, put some 4 specially designed wheels unde it, and then floor it! :P
ahh that makes sense..and ive only been to 2 drag racing events in my life.. and they were both brainerd minnesota.. but it was when i was a young kid. i wanna go back so bad but always seem to be busy. ive been to local tracks but they arent as exciting...thanks for the reply
sweet, yer over here in Australia with v8 supercars it takes them an hour to heat the block etc and get them started
@MikeEE12246 You could be right, it seems like that device you are describing would be used to measure torque.if they get a torque figure and rpm, hp can be very easily calculated.
its not boring. you just have to appreciate that its 8000 horsepower idling and it sounds like a normal car floored almost. just enjoy the noise
@MrWilliamSandoval Yeah, its about 30-50 gallons for a run i think?
more like an on and off switch rather than a throttle. YAAAHHP!!, YAAAHHP. no way to describe it unless you see, hear and feel it in person. If you never have it will be the best money you ever spent. what a trip. been going to events since 1980. It never gets old/
@roflex2 They have an on board computer that tells them how it is running, they adjust for the next run from that.
i just got back from the races in St. louis an actually watch them start this car! those exhuast fumes burnt my eyes! they had the fuel mixture wrong (im guessin) an i was diretcly behind the car when they fired it up. instant pain.
ive heard that the fumes from the exhaust produce more downforce then the rear wing
Sweet music to my ears. Pure heaven.
@TheFuggedaboutit its a nitrometh topfuel dragracer
The fuel cells only hold about 25 gal. and the fuel pumps flow around 120 gal per min at full throttle
the adjustments you see being made at the line before the run are to get the engine at about 2250.
Thank you thank you, and it has been a great run almost 2 million hits !!! more than any other of my videos!!
damn cant wait for the vegas races in april cant wait!!!
snap-on are more expensive to lol but their both lifetime warrentied so you jsut take them back and get new ones if they break.
man i wish that kinda motor was street legal LOL!!!!!!!!!!!! gotta love that sound. man that's sounds like a 1.7 in. lift on that cam lol. does anybody actually know what size cam those top fuel cars run
@slingblade1991 No it is not by the fuel usage, it how many pounds can be moved a foot, that is where they get foot pounds. Horsepower is see wikipedia reference
i love how they were holdin it down like it was helping hold it in place
I love it every time when there is a newbee we always put them in front.
My wfe didnt talk to me for a week when I said she was a newbee we opened up a line so she can get to the front.
I did some research on this a couple days ago and I read that according to nhra rules, engine size is limited to 500 ci. I find that hard to believe though.
They are way way louder. I've been to both fuel races and Nascar races. Top Fuel cars will blur your vision and make your ears crack they are so loud. Opening your mouth a little seems to help as this eases the pressure in your head. No joke, fuel cars fricken hurt to be around when they are running. Its almost unbelievable that man could create something so violent and yet so awesome at the same time.
Dont they use preheaters for the oil and water to bring it up to operating temps before its fired up?
I used to work on certain engines that carried the preheaters onboard as part of the dry sump set up?
I love top fuel racing. I've learned so much since going to my first race as a small child. I always thought the crewmen were nuts for waving their hands over the exhaust...until I learned that nitro burns cold. Which is also why you see them spraying something onto the intake butterflys, and on the throttle linkage. It's SO cold, that what they're spraying is anti-freeze so the intake doesn't freeze shut; or open for that matter.
I don't know the exact science but nitro has a higher flash point than gasoline, meaning it needs more spark to ignite than pump gas but produces a MUCH more energy during ignition, which is why it is used.
NHRA has changed the volume of nitro back and forth over the years. It's been anywhere from 90/10 nitro/alchol to 98/2 nitro/alchol, but the amount of air depends on air density and water molecules - or air quality. Finding that perfect mix is where tuning and qualifying begin.
@MikeEE12246 It is a guess, they don't have any actual power numbers from these engines.Only close approximations.Also, i dont think they would even dyno these engines due to the very short lives of them.I'll search for this device that is attached to the hubs and if i find it,then i guess im wrong.
If the horsepower measurement was from fuel comsumption the engine will sometimes pour fuel out and the car will not do as well as with when the car is "firing on all 8 cylinders"
god i love that!!!! didn t know they did this anymore..and that was a long time to be running that 'short lived' engine. must have/had a serious problem. Back in my days of going to the drags...(early 70,s)everyone did this to be sure it would fire/run at the line...it was SOOOO impressive!
havent been back since 'they' upped the tickets to 50.00+ ea. and, to think that engine only turns over about 500 times down the strip, and its wasted/$pent...
@MikeEE12246 theres still a possibility of discovering a new material light and strong enough to last long and handle that much power in the same size
The spinning backwards, you need to ask one of the crew that is involved, the crew at the races are usually very assessable and will answer any questions. I think it was to make sure that the clutch is not locked up, but that is a guess, and for the excitement part, you need to attend this event in person to really get excited, it is mind blowing experience!!!
Wow. That is just frickin wicked. 8,000 mother frickin horsepower. Jesus frickin Christ. God Bless America.
Does the exhaust burn the eyes and nasal passages of the people standing around while it's idling as seen in the video?
I love how they crank on gasoline and then after a couple of seconds the nitro methane kicks in and fuel starts spewing out of the pipes!!!!!!! Car sounds totally different when the nitro starts!
Just to clarify a point. That fuel is nitromethane. Not race gas. Octane rating is something over 200, yes 200. Way more than race gas (110 to 120), alcohol is 140. The run is now 1000 ft not quarter mile. Had to change due to limitations of shutdown areas at race facilities. It's great to go fast but you have to get em stopped too, even if there is catastrophic failure. RIP Scott
i think what hes trying to say is whats the compression ratio of a naturally aspirated nitro motor ? because the fuel is already oxidized. i still think race teams arent going to hold anything back. as much power as they can get without the block exploding is what they want. even with the oxidizer, they can pack more combustable air with the blower, forced induction, and put out more power. cuz they rebuild the engines or replace them after each race.
The clutch plates weld to each other because of the heat produced in the run. By the end of the run all spark plugs are melted off. It crosses the finish line as a diesel :)
@monkeyBoner773 chuck noris uses this engine on his tooth brush, he uses a 7 cylinder marine diesel engine for the coffee
The screenname was just to damn tempting ;)