Anyone like NHRA?

BrettT1

Just wondering if any "hillbillies" like me like watching the dragsters?

b

zarrdoss

I do at the mile high nationals

leroyjr1

I'm a big drag racing fan and I'm at the track a couple times a month but last year was my first time going to a NHRA competition down in Joliet IL. Can you say loud as hell. Them top fuel dragsters are insane.

66chevyIISS

NHRA is all right

mmadden28

I'm a fan-not diehard, but I love to watch it, esp in person.
Used to go to Atco in NJ, been to a couple Keystone Nationals (in Reading, PA-Maple Grove rcwy), etc. I have a couple dozen autographs. :cool:

Its been a few years-just haven't had time lately, but I've been itching to bring (force) my wife to experience (endure) one in person. One day. I at least got her hooked into watching Driving Force while it lasted. At least from the show, she now knows what goes on behind the scenes (somewhat), and some of the rules, etc.

mmadden28

leroyjr1 wrote: »

I'm a big drag racing fan and I'm at the track a couple times a month but last year was my first time going to a NHRA competition down in Joliet IL. Can you say loud as hell. Them top fuel dragsters are insane.

Yeah boy!! Even up in the stands it vibrates the soul :cool:

I don't know if they allow it anymore, but at Atco in NJ you could go into the 'pit area' (I think thats what they called it) which is essentially behind and to the side of the starting line. Soooo much closer than when in the stands. And oh--Holy chit man-when the Jet Fuel cars are preparing for their run like 15-20 feet away? Wow can't even be uddered when you're ducking for cover to avoid being toasted. I swear I always came out of thier with a tan or sunburn :eek::cool: Simply something everybody has to experience at least once in thier lives. Its always fun to see how many hats get blown off sepctaors heads :cool:

F1nut

What's not to like?

comfortablycurt

NHRA is awesome! Drag racing has always been a big hobby of mine. My dad and I have an 87 Monte Carlo SS that we run at one of our local strips a few times a year. It runs high tens pretty consistently. That's with the stock rear end too, so you can't really bang through the gears with it. Once we upgrade the rear end, and suspension, we're anticipating high 9's hopefully.

Fongolio

10,000 HP and around 4 second quarter miles. Hell ya.

leroyjr1

It's pretty cool at night watching the flames coming out the exhaust

Jstas

I watch it sometimes but it just makes me wanna be down on that line again, eyes burning from the fumes, chest aching from coughing up that burnt rubber, lining my driver up for the next run.

Watching it on TV just doesn't compare to being there in person. I wasn't doing it for a top NHRA team but I was doing it with a top Drag Radial team pushing the envelope and setting records. Watching it on TV...yeah, Just don't follow it like I used to.

Now WRC, yeah, I gotta download the rounds off of torrents but I watch that religiously! It's about the only racing I follow anymore. Indy cars are crap since the merger and are getting like F1, too much drama. NASCAR is one big circle jerk whoring out for the sponsors and it's hard to get any kind of coverage on sports car racing or LeMans style racing anymore. Sometimes I get to see dirt track and CORR stuff and that's always a treat but Speed TV, ever since they got bought by FOX and turned in to NASCAR TV, I can't even watch swamp buggy racing or lawnmower racing anymore. And for get about drag boats, Formula boats or off-shore racing. Might get lucky and ABC decides to show the America's Cup but for the most part, racing is an abomination anymore.

messiah

Beats the **** out of that oval track NASCAR cr*p

Face

I used to race at Cecil, Atco, E-town, and Westhampton, and took part in the Corvette Challenge points series, GMHT race series, SLP day, and the American Iron Shootouts. I miss it.

leroyjr1

Face wrote: »

I used to race at Cecil, Atco, E-town, and Westhampton, and took part in the Corvette Challenge points series, GMHT race series, SLP day, and the American Iron Shootouts. I miss it.

Its never too late to go back.:)

mmadden28

Jstas wrote: »

...

Watching it on TV just doesn't compare to being there in person.....

Absolutely agree. I remember way back when seeing drag racing for the first time on TV. I never thought much of it. But when I saw my first race in person (at Atco)...the sound, the smell, the feel---well that's what got me. Then seeing Top Fuel and Jet--pheww. Its funny though that it was my former Step-Son that turned me on to the live races.

My wife has never seen a race in person, so she really doesn't understand the thrill. That's why I want to get her to a race sometime-so she too can experience it.

fossy

NHRA is cool in person. I've been to one race in Houston a few years ago.When the top fuelers leave the line, they suck so much air , it feels like they change the atmosphere or something.

I watch the races on tv on Sunday whenever I can , but I have to say , I'm not a fan of the TFer's racing to only 1000 ft instead of 1320.

greg2350

Dont watch it much on tv neither but try to go to the track every year.

Some Interesting Top Fuel dragster facts

* 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 11.2 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 merely drive the dragster's 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 top engine speed, the exhaust gases escaping from the open headers produce about 800-1000 pounds-force

* The massive wing over and behind the rear wheels produces much more downforce, peaking at around 12,000 lbf when the car reaches a speed of about 325 mph

* At the stoichiometric 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.

* 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.

* 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 9500 RPM.

* 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.

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 this all into perspective:

Lets say the 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 & ready to launch down a quarter-mile strip as you pass by it. You have the advantage of a flying start. You run the 'Vette hard up through the gears and blast across the starting line & pass the dragster at an honest 200 MPH. Just as you pass the Top Fuel Dragster the 'tree' goes green for both of you.

The dragster launches & starts after you. You keep your foot down hard, but you hear an incredibly brutal whine that sears your eardrums & within 3 seconds the dragster catches & 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 & not only caught, but nearly blasted you off the road when he passed you within a mere 1320 foot long race!

That's acceleration!

obieone

<embed src="http://videos.streetfire.net/vidiac.swf?video=1f7ff004-5599-4f90-b899-98dc009eb91b&quot; width="428" height="352" allowFullScreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br/><a href="http://videos.streetfire.net/video/The-Only-Jet-Semi-Truck_101598.htm">The+Only+Jet+Semi+Truck+Drag+Race+in+History!+AMAZ</a&gt;

kab

Just for jollies (unless it's your camaro in the video), this is a copy of an email recently sent in by Mike Bobelak, a Polk employee. The video is from Pinks "all outakes" last summer.

Mike states:

The show airs on SPEED, to date it has replayed ~20 times that I know of.
THe White VW runs low 10 second 1/4 mile in the 135mph range, it is a "Race car", no interior just a steering wheel ,seat, and cage..

THe BLK VW is my personal car, it runs low 11 second 1/4 mile in the 128mph range, car is street leagal, two seats,and cage..

The red VW is a buddy of ours from Chicago, his car runs high 11's in the 125 mph range, car is gutted , no cage yet( he's a little nuts)

If you watch the "race" they show of me running the Chevy, watch closely, just before they cut away, you'll see me lurch right. That was a ~$1500 clutch blowing apart; OUCH!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Vy6-YC2Fws

shadowofnight

Huge fan since I was really young, now my wife has become a fan as well.

When you are at the events, watching them get the engines ready for the next round is half the show...something not to be missed.

Also not a fan of this 1,000 foot crap for the nitro cars....fix the tracks NOW...not this band aid crap.

mmadden28

obieone wrote: »

<embed src="http://videos.streetfire.net/vidiac.swf?video=1f7ff004-5599-4f90-b899-98dc009eb91b&quot; width="428" height="352" allowFullScreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br/><a href="http://videos.streetfire.net/video/The-Only-Jet-Semi-Truck_101598.htm">The+Only+Jet+Semi+Truck+Drag+Race+in+History!+AMAZ</a&gt;

I wonder if they thought about the backdrop before that run? It got toasted, and it caused the fire/blast to spread outwards-I'm used to seeing it just go straight back---I wonder if there were any other unintended consequences (such as bystander injuries there)

That was intense just watching it! Oh man, I so did love watching the Jet's come out at night at Atco.

Now yall got me itching to go to an event!

obieone

I posted that video b4 I actually watched the whole thing. If you blow it up to full screen, and look at the right side of the black truck, you can see some sort of fuel being sprayed out, back at an angle, towards the exhaust.
I'm assuming it's alcohol, but...
I bet Sunoco wasn't TOO happy about seeing their billboard go up like THAT:D

mmadden28

obieone wrote: »

I posted that video b4 I actually watched the whole thing. If you blow it up to full screen, and look at the right side of the black truck, you can see some sort of fuel being sprayed out, back at an angle, towards the exhaust.
I'm assuming it's alcohol, but...
I bet Sunoco wasn't TOO happy about seeing their billboard go up like THAT:D

I saw that-I was also wondering what it was. I assumed it might be H2O perhaps to cool something down.

disneyjoe7

Consider me a Fan also.

Only seen the jets once but way cool. Think you need to be just a little of you rocker to bolt yourself to that much power but.....

noscivic

Im not really into the fuel cars, but like the pro stocks. I would like to drive one some day

Gary

Serendipity

Will be going to the 40th annual NHRA Super-Nationals at E-town tomorrow...

Was wondering if anybody from this forum is going to be there?

BrettT1

I'll be watching on tv. I've got tickets to the 50th annual Mopar Mile High Nationals in Denver. Going to Colorado for vacation and thought some dragsters would be cool. Hope you have a good time!

Brett

NJPOLKER

comfortablycurt wrote: »

NHRA is awesome! Drag racing has always been a big hobby of mine. My dad and I have an 87 Monte Carlo SS that we run at one of our local strips a few times a year. It runs high tens pretty consistently. That's with the stock rear end too, so you can't really bang through the gears with it. Once we upgrade the rear end, and suspension, we're anticipating high 9's hopefully.

Curt
When you drag race do you wear high heels and nylons or do you cheat?

Serendipity

BrettT1 wrote: »

I'll be watching on tv. I've got tickets to the 50th annual Mopar Mile High Nationals in Denver. Going to Colorado for vacation and thought some dragsters would be cool. Hope you have a good time!

Brett

Thanks, what channel is it on TV?

BrettT1

The qualifying is on ESPN2 right now. The finals won't be until tomorrow night. Englishtown, NJ is where Scott Kalitta died one year ago.

comfortablycurt

NJPOLKER wrote: »

Curt
When you drag race do you wear high heels and nylons or do you cheat?

I do sometimes...but I've found the high heels can kind of get in the way when I'm trying to feather the clutch out of the hole.

I typically just wear my Daisy Dukes.:p;)