What's it like to go 316 mph in 3.77 seconds?

[mjr]

From the cockpit, it looks a little like this (might wanna turn down the volume a bit). Start at about the 2:00 mark to save a little time...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWwhHt0yDIY

[Nunavut Pants]

The sound quality is because very nearly nothing can cope with the sheer amplitude of the sound levels that close. The loudness is absolutely staggering in person from over in the stands, inside the car it must be brain-melting!

Some cool and amusing factoids about top-fuel dragsters:

http://www.sccoia.org/articles/top-f...er-fast-facts/

[mjr]

The sound quality is because very nearly nothing can cope with the sheer amplitude of the sound levels that close. The loudness is absolutely staggering in person from over in the stands, inside the car it must be brain-melting!

Some cool and amusing factoids about top-fuel dragsters:

http://www.sccoia.org/articles/top-f...er-fast-facts/

Some of those are outdated, but still fascinating to read. I've been a drag racing fan for years! I usually watch on TV, but I've been to my share of Nationals events. Usually I'll watch from the stands, but for the finals (especially Nitro finals), I usually go down to the fence near the track.

I think the closed cockpits are quieter than the "open" style ones. I think they can probably soundproof them better.

But as far as the noise level, even high-end decibel meters can't handle it. I read an article where a guy brought one to the starting line, and it started blinking and beeping, meaning that the decibel level was louder than the meter could read. And it had a "peak" of 150dB.

I'm taking a friend of mine to a Nationals event this year. He's never been before. He's in for a real treat, I think.

And here's something cool from an article I read:

An NHRA media relations person says they once let ESPN bring some seismologists out to the starting line. Two Top Fuel dragsters off the line registered a 2.3 on the Richter scale.

http://www.espn.com/espn/news/story?id=5759488

[Nunavut Pants]

You can feel the pressure waves of the sound going through your abdominal cavity. It is quite extraordinary...

[mjr]

You can feel the pressure waves of the sound going through your abdominal cavity. It is quite extraordinary...

Most definitely!

I'm gonna be curious what my friend thinks the first time those cars fire up and head down the track.

I think he'll be hooked.

[Ophbalance]

Another plus is the top fuel cars really clear the sinuses with their fumes.

[mjr]

Another plus is the top fuel cars really clear the sinuses with their fumes.

I've seen some funny instances where you get people in the pits, watching the pit crews work. Then, they fire up the car to do the warm up in the pits, and people instantly reach for their ears (because they're not wearing earplugs because...reasons). Then, the nitro hits their nose, so they try to cover their mouth and nose, and start to get all contorted and such.

And then comes the throttle blip...which I've heard they don't really do anymore. I was looking forward to getting my buddy's reaction to THAT.

I saw a video of it, and I was like

[Nunavut Pants]

Evidently the Top Fuel dragsters inject a larger volume of fuel into the combustion chamber than the size of the chamber! The only reason it fits at all is because it gets lit off and starts burning, and that takes up less space.

And I am told that nitro-methane is really evil stuff. A chemist friend of mine was asked once to develop a test rig for funny-car fuel pumps. Because of the volumes and pressures that are required, and the fact that nitro can eat lots of materials rather quickly, he advised that it was not anything close to a DIY project and that the requester (his dad!) should have the pumps tested professionally.

[mjr]

Evidently the Top Fuel dragsters inject a larger volume of fuel into the combustion chamber than the size of the chamber! The only reason it fits at all is because it gets lit off and starts burning, and that takes up less space.

And I am told that nitro-methane is really evil stuff. A chemist friend of mine was asked once to develop a test rig for funny-car fuel pumps. Because of the volumes and pressures that are required, and the fact that nitro can eat lots of materials rather quickly, he advised that it was not anything close to a DIY project and that the requester (his dad!) should have the pumps tested professionally.

Well, considering that the supercharger provides 50 pounds of "boost" (50 psi above atmospheric pressure), you can just imagine how much air is forced into the cylinder, too...And with the 44 amp magnetos, it's been compared to an "arc welder" in each cylinder.

Nitro is some crazy stuff. The engines and components themselves are monsters. The supercharger is a 600 HP parasitic loss (i.e. it takes about 600HP just to run it), and the fuel pump and magnetos are their own beasts. I also saw that after each run, at least a couple of clutch plates are "welded" together...

[Argabarga]

It's worth it to go once, even if you aren't a race fan, for the pure experience. Me? I go back to Maple Grove every year.

Warm-ups in the pits require the 3 crew members standing closest to the car to wear GAS MASKS so they can keep working through the burning cloud of nitro around them..

Also, the downforce those cars create once up to speed exceeds the weight of the car itself, meaning that if it were possible, you could drive them upside down on the ceiling....

[mjr]

Also, the downforce those cars create once up to speed exceeds the weight of the car itself, meaning that if it were possible, you could drive them upside down on the ceiling....

Yeah, I think I read somewhere that for the engine, each cylinder produces about 800 pounds of downforce (x 8 = 6,400), and the rear wing produces about 10,000 pounds.

Something like that.

[wolfie]

600 HP to run the supercharger? The Peterbilt of Natural Selection has only 500 HP.

[mjr]

600 HP to run the supercharger? The Peterbilt of Natural Selection has only 500 HP.

That's correct, sir. The supercharger requires about 600HP to run, and produces about 50 pounds of boost.

A Top Fuel engine, in and of itself, produces around 11,000 horsepower.

[lordlundar]

600 HP to run the supercharger? The Peterbilt of Natural Selection has only 500 HP.

you have to remember that after only a few races (which last a few seconds at the most) the engines need to be rebuilt.

[CyberLurch]

To quote Terry McGinnis, "This is unbearably cool!"