Raw Power

As we head into the 4th of July weekend, let me share a celebration of a uniquely American pastime, drag racing. What could be more ‘merican than putting the biggest engine you can think of on top of the lightest, spindly chassis that can hold this bundle of power just long enough to make it down the track? No need for finesse, no need for handling, just keep ‘er straight and don’t fly off the track.

Drag racing embodies the spirit of American automotive culture, where raw power and speed reign supreme. It’s the ultimate embodiment of American engineering prowess and a testament to the unrelenting pursuit of speed. The thunderous roar of the engines, the smell of burning rubber, and the adrenaline pumping through your veins – these are the sensations that define the drag racing experience. It’s an exhilarating display of sheer horsepower and a reminder of the boundless possibilities that await those brave enough to push the limits.

And for something even faster, there’s Top Fuel drag racing. The track is shorter, the speeds are faster, and the engines louder.

The engine of a Top Fuel dragster generates around 150 dB of sound at full throttle, enough to cause physical pain or even permanent damage. Before a run, race announcers usually advise spectators to cover or plug their ears. Ear plugs and even earmuffs are often handed out to fans at the entrance of a Top Fuel event.

Top Fuel, Wikipedia

Here’s some impressive data points from a Facebook post making the rounds.

• One Top Fuel dragster 500 cubic-inch Hemi engine makes more horsepower (11,000 HP) than the first 5 rows at the Daytona 500.
• Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1.2-1.5 gallons of nitromethane 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 nitromethane the flame front temperature measures 7050 degrees F.
• Nitromethane burns yellow. The spectacular white flame seen above the stacks at night is raw burning hydrogen, dissociated from atmospheric water vapor by the searing exhaust gasses.
• Dual magnetos supply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is the output of an arc welder in each cylinder.
• 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.0 to 100 MPH in .8 seconds (the first 60 feet of the run)
• 0 to 200 MPH in 2.2 seconds (the first 350 feet of the run)
• 6 g-forces at the starting line (nothing accelerates faster on land)
• 6 negative g-forces upon deployment of twin chutes at 300 MPH An NHRA Top Fuel
• Dragster accelerates quicker than any other land vehicle on earth . . quicker than a jet fighter plane . . . quicker than the space shuttle.
• 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.

Happy Fourth of July.