Interesting Drag Racing Stats | FerrariChat

Interesting Drag Racing Stats

Discussion in 'Other Off Topic Forum' started by V-10 Nut, Jan 9, 2004.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. V-10 Nut

    V-10 Nut Rookie

    Dec 1, 2003
    45
    Missouri
    Full Name:
    Steve
    Just received this in an email from a buddy...WOW!

    * One Top Fuel dragster 500 cubic inch Hemi engine makes more
    horsepower than the first 4 rows at the Daytona 500.


    * Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1-1/2 gallons of
    nitro methane per second; a fully loaded 747 consumes jet fuel at the
    same rate with 25% less energy being produced.


    * A stock Dodge Hemi V8 engine cannot produce enough power to
    drive the dragster supercharger.


    * 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 (stoichiometry: methodology and technology
    by which quantities of reactants and products in chemical reactions
    are determined) 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture for nitro methane the flame
    front temperature measures 7050 degrees F.

    * Nitro methane 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 gases.

    * Dual magnetos supply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is the
    output of an arc welder in each cylinder.


    * Spark plug electrodes are totally consumed during a pass. After
    1/2 way, the engine is dieseling from compression plus the glow of
    exhaust valves at 1400 degrees F. The engine can only be shut down
    by cutting the fuel flow.

    * 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.

    * In order to exceed 300 mph in 4.5 seconds dragsters must
    accelerate an average of over 4G's. In order to reach 200 mph well
    before half-track, the launch acceleration approaches 8G's.

    * Dragsters reach over 300 miles per hour before you have
    completed reading this sentence.


    * Top Fuel Engines turn approximately 540 revolutions from light
    to light!


    * Including the burnout the engine must only survive 900
    revolutions under load.


    * The redline is actually quite high at 9500rpm.


    * The Bottom Line; Assuming all the equipment is paid off, the
    crew worked for free, and for once NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs
    an estimated $1,000.00 per second.

    The current Top Fuel dragster elapsed time record is 4.441 seconds
    for the quarter mile (10/05/03, Tony Schumacher). The top speed
    record is 333.00 mph. (533 km/h) as measured over the last 66' of
    the run (09/28/03 Doug Kalitta).

    Putting all of this into perspective: 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.

    That folks, is acceleration
     
  2. 96impalaSS

    96impalaSS F1 Rookie

    Dec 8, 2003
    3,524
    Hell
    Full Name:
    Chris
    those are some insane stats
     
  3. AnotherDunneDeal

    AnotherDunneDeal F1 Veteran

    Jun 2, 2003
    6,109
    N.Richland Hills, Tx
    Full Name:
    James Dunne
    They are definitely real. A friend of mine built engines for Eddie Hill in top fuel (the first man in the 4's) until Eddie retired. I have driven drag cars a lot and had a slow high 8 second 168 mph altered roadster that was a slug compared to the top fuel and funny cars. It ran well in its class.....................
     
  4. Mule

    Mule F1 Rookie
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Jun 25, 2003
    3,750
    Alaska
    Full Name:
    Mule
    There was a similar article in the back of one of the auto magazines a while back that added two others:

    - A dragster launches off the starting line faster under its own power than an F-14 off of an aircraft carrier.

    - A dragster is still accelerating through the finish line at a higher rate than a Porsche 0-60.

    And the statement about driving the supercharger was something like 2000 horsepower just to drive the supercharger itself. Not sure of the exact number, but it is a huge percentage of total horsepower.
     
  5. rodsky

    rodsky Formula 3

    Mar 24, 2003
    1,601
    Los Angeles
    Thats insane - especially the last part about the Corvette whizzing by at 200MPH while the dragster is standing still. That really puts it in perspective.
     
  6. Mule

    Mule F1 Rookie
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Jun 25, 2003
    3,750
    Alaska
    Full Name:
    Mule
    I am told by my office drag racing expert, that the quickest elapsed time is now 4.42 done by Doug Kalitta in Oct 03.
     
  7. 134282

    134282 Four Time F1 World Champ
    BANNED

    Aug 3, 2002
    40,647
    California
    Full Name:
    Carbon McCoy
    That's really awesome... i would love to know what it feels like to go 300+ mph on the ground... It must be awesome...
     
  8. Matt LaMotte

    Matt LaMotte Formula 3

    Oct 30, 2002
    1,874
    Totally amazing what those engines can do!!! I imagine a quarter mile pass is almost painful to endure.
     
  9. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
    The unrestricted F1 turbo engines from the later 1980s had almost as much HP/litre performance and had to last 2 hours in operation!

    1.5 litres 1000 HP or 666 HP/litre life: 210. miles 1.2 million revolutions
    8.3 litres 6000 HP or 800 HP/litre life: 0.25 miles 0.9 thousand revolutions
     
  10. Mule

    Mule F1 Rookie
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Jun 25, 2003
    3,750
    Alaska
    Full Name:
    Mule
    Not me...if you are going that fast on the ground, something is wrong!

    I picture the old videos of the rocket sled testing out in the desert. Or Chevy Chase and Dan Ackroyd in "Spies Like Us" after the G-testing with their faces all pressed back. ("Want some coffee? Sure sounds good")
     
  11. YellowMaranello

    Jan 7, 2004
    39
    Mount Holly, NJ
    Full Name:
    Pete Gold
    I swear, just being named Schumacher makes you fast.
     
  12. Skelter

    Skelter Rookie

    Nov 1, 2003
    48
    How long do they take to lap Suzuka? ;)
     
  13. SRT-10

    SRT-10 Rookie

    Dec 16, 2003
    47
    Greater Boston
  14. Prugna 328

    Prugna 328 Formula 3

    Sep 10, 2003
    1,233
    L.I.N.Y.
    Full Name:
    Gregory
    Geez, does anybody remember when the T/F cars were running 6s. I do. Now full body cars hit 6s.
     
  15. PSk

    PSk F1 World Champ

    Nov 20, 2002
    17,673
    Tauranga, NZ
    Full Name:
    Pete
    A hell of a lot faster than it would take a dragster to turn the first couple of corners at Suzuka!!!! ;)

    While I am sure it is amazing to watch I cannot be impressed with an engine that is designed to turn over less than 1000 times, or basically to self destruct everytime it runs. I guess it is the same as F1, as the engines only last that 1 race ... just that their race is a little longer.

    You do not need an engineering background more like explosives.

    PLUS anything can beat a dragster when you introduce corners (even a moped :)) ... and I've always found corners the more challenging part ... but then I've never drive 3000 hp!

    Pete
     
  16. wax

    wax Five Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa

    Jul 20, 2003
    51,459
    SFPD
    Full Name:
    Dirty Harry
    Rocket Sleds RULE - some oddball facts and common threads:
    The Sonic Wind was the rocket powered sled that Col. John Stapp rode in December 1954 at Holloman Air Force Base. The sled's rocket motors generated 40,000 lbs. of thrust and he reached a speed of 632 mph in five seconds. At the end of the ride Stapp was stopped in 1.25 seconds which subjected him to 40 Gs. It was the equivalent of hitting a brick wall in a car traveling at 120 mph. Stapp personally made 27 of the 73 manned sled tests conducted as part of the deceleration project. This Mutha lived for speed.

    Murphy's Law: Whatever Possibly Can Go Wrong, Will
    Few know that this famous precept began with USAF engineer, Capt. Ed Murphy. In 1949, he was working at the Aero Medical Research Lab at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, in support of Col. John P. Stapp's experimental crash research testing at Edwards AFB, California. Frustrated with a malfunctioning piece of equipment, Murphy remarked concerning a technician who had wired it, "If there is any way to do it wrong, he will." The term "Murphy's Law" soon was assigned to the statement.

    Later, Col. Stapp at a press conference stated that the test project's fine safety record was the result of the firm belief in Murphy's Law and their constant effort to preclude the inevitable.

    - First man in space (technically) and first to go Mach 1 all by his lonesome - achieved when he jumped out of plane at 102,800 feet(!!!) Captured during Vietnam War - achieved dreams he thought of during incarceration - to keep his sanity. Even through all that - thinks of Stapp as the bravest man he ever knew.
    http://www.avweb.com/news/profiles/183671-1.html]Joe Kittinger

    Hey, kids! Skydive through the stratosphere!
     
  17. AnotherDunneDeal

    AnotherDunneDeal F1 Veteran

    Jun 2, 2003
    6,109
    N.Richland Hills, Tx
    Full Name:
    James Dunne
    Still remember when T/F cars ran in the 6's. Sure do. I remember watching Don Garlits, Connie Kalitta and other early pioneers running in the 8's and then into the 7's in the 60's. And now pro stock is turning 6's , just like you said.............. 1962 409 S/S, Don Nicholson and Dave Stricker--12.3 and won the National championship.......

    Now, just how old am I?? I cannot remember.........
     
  18. Matt LaMotte

    Matt LaMotte Formula 3

    Oct 30, 2002
    1,874
    Wax,
    I believe I saw a special on the Discovery chanel about that Stapp guy. It showed him being thown forward as the sled was stopped by I believe water. After they unstrapped him they showed a closeup of his face. Both his eyes were blood red from the amount of force throwing all the blood in his body forward. It looked so painful but I guess that's why he got paid the big bucks. I doubt you ever get used to 40G's
     

Share This Page