RACER magazine

[CraigS]

Just picked up the Sept issue and am blown away. They call it "The Power Issue" and it has a bunch of articles about powerfull races cars. The turbo F1 cars from the mid 80s. The CanAm cars, and 1000hp Indy cars from the early 70s. But the one that really got my attention is a multi page article on Top Fuel dragsters w/ a breakdown of a 3.7 second 320 mph run. Here are a couple of tidbits.
1- as it passes the 60 foot clocks it's already over 100mph
2- at 2.0 seconds it passes 200 mph
3- at 3.1 seconds the clutch is now fully locked up (there is no trans, the clutch is an automaticcally controled slipper) the car is accelerating harder than when it left the line at ... 5.5 Gs !!!
4- at 3.7 seconds the car crosses the line w/ the 500 cube engine doing 8200 rpm.
The quality of this mag is near coffee table book level and I think I will be picking up the magazine every month from now on.
BTW, if you haven't been to a top fuel drag race where they are running nitro, you owe it to yourself to do this at least once in your life.

[accobra66]

Have subscribed for years. Very well written and I always look forward to it arriving. I think they also do a very good job of covering all classes of automotive racing in the first ten pages or so.

[Bullethole]

Had chance to "work/stand" in the water box at a NHRA event years ago. The sound, smells, and the kick in the gut of a top fuel leaving the line has to be much like standing next to a bomb going off without getting hurt.

[Idoxlr8]

Great video on the inner workings of a Top fuel car.
Dean

YouTube - How a Top Fuel Dragster Works

[raceral]

This year they are claiming 10 to 11,000 HP.

[CraigS]

The engine guy in the article said 8000-10000 hp. depending a lot on the weather. They can only estimate by the weight of the car and the 1/4 mile times as there is no dyno anywhere that can measure it.

[Cone Basher]

If you have never went to an NHRA event where the top fuel cars run put it on your bucket list. These things are incredible to watch and TV coverage does not do them justice. The power is amazing they spin the tiires going 200 MPH and they are so loud they shake the ground!!! Go to the pits and watch the crew rebuild and entire motor in the turn around time. Hand around for the motor start up. Neat storry, wife and I were at National Trails ,near Columbus Ohio, when they still ran there and we were in the pits and watched the motor start on a top fuel car. They start these cars on gas or alcohol and then turn the nitro on and the drive slips the clutch for a few seconds and then whacks the throttle, some guy in front of us dove on the ground and thought a bomb had gone off.
Now they are running 300+ mph in 1000 ft.
If you are are a car guy you have to see this once in your life;
CB

[Mike Forte]

Hi,
I don't know and I have never read the figure but subtract the burnout and decelleration revolutions the engine only spins about 546 revolutions and 2186 pulses (pops) or power strokes in 4 seconds...
It's hard to believe but when you do the math it is unbelieveable!!! Gotta love NITRO...

Originally Posted by CraigS

Just picked up the Sept issue and am blown away. They call it "The Power Issue" and it has a bunch of articles about powerfull races cars. The turbo F1 cars from the mid 80s. The CanAm cars, and 1000hp Indy cars from the early 70s. But the one that really got my attention is a multi page article on Top Fuel dragsters w/ a breakdown of a 3.7 second 320 mph run. Here are a couple of tidbits.
1- as it passes the 60 foot clocks it's already over 100mph
2- at 2.0 seconds it passes 200 mph
3- at 3.1 seconds the clutch is now fully locked up (there is no trans, the clutch is an automaticcally controled slipper) the car is accelerating harder than when it left the line at ... 5.5 Gs !!!
4- at 3.7 seconds the car crosses the line w/ the 500 cube engine doing 8200 rpm.
The quality of this mag is near coffee table book level and I think I will be picking up the magazine every month from now on.
BTW, if you haven't been to a top fuel drag race where they are running nitro, you owe it to yourself to do this at least once in your life.