26 replies to this topic

[TheBearAk]

Anyone watch these races?   Every time they come to Alaska, I make sure I get to the race.    Love watching them on FS1.

 

Two questions I've wondered about:

 

How are the funny-cars faster than the rails?   Top fuel funny car is hitting 320+ MPH, where the top-fuel rails hit 310.   I always figured the top-fuel rails would be the fastest thing on the track.

 

 

They'll say these funny-cars are "Mustangs" or "Chevy" or whatever.   Really, these funny-cars have no factory parts in them and even the body style only vaguely resembles their named model.

[tcnomad]

Reach out to Paul, he set up this web site with cam allover up this way. That's his winter gig. I in the spring and summer he's the Crew Chief  of  a Top Fuel Drag team. He builds the motors in his spare time. They where racing in the Northeast and down to Texas way. He's great guy, i haven't talked to him in quite awhile( I host one of the Cams,Turin #2)

 

 

http://www.northernc...hernchateau.htm

[krm]

Anyone watch these races?   Every time they come to Alaska, I make sure I get to the race.    Love watching them on FS1.

 

Two questions I've wondered about:

 

How are the funny-cars faster than the rails?   Top fuel funny car is hitting 320+ MPH, where the top-fuel rails hit 310.   I always figured the top-fuel rails would be the fastest thing on the track.

 

 

They'll say these funny-cars are "Mustangs" or "Chevy" or whatever.   Really, these funny-cars have no factory parts in them and even the body style only vaguely resembles their named model.

I believe the Funny Cars make more down force ,that equals more power to the ground and more MPH.Just look at the slow mo of the rear tires you'll see the FC  tires don't grow like the TF cars tires .

Edited by krm, 13 July 2020 - 09:12 AM.

[Powder dave]

Top fuel is typically 1 to 2 tenths quicker than funny cars, they also hold the record for top speed but only by 1 mph. So in terms of speed they are pretty equal. And no there is absolutely no factory parts on them, engines are billet aluminum, chromoly frames etc. I could not find the downforce a funny makes but a top fuel car makes about 10,000 lbs with the rear wing alone.

[MX-Z Man]

Reach out to Paul, he set up this web site with cam allover up this way. That's his winter gig. I in the spring and summer he's the Crew Chief  of  a Top Fuel Drag team. He builds the motors in his spare time. They where racing in the Northeast and down to Texas way. He's great guy, i haven't talked to him in quite awhile( I host one of the Cams,Turin #2)

 

 

http://www.northernc...hernchateau.htm

 

I did not know that about Paul - good info!

 

We tried getting to a race a few years ago and for whatever reason never made it. Wifey & I were watching this past weekend and discussed it again. This one needs to get higher up the priority list, for sure. Get the darn Covid crap over so we can get the the camper out and make a weekend out of it.  

[Ski Dog]

I've been to the NHRA races in Brainard, MN for 13 years in a row up until 2002. These races are a must-see for any motorsport enthusiast at least once and trust me, TV does these cars no justice. The power these cars create is indescribable and when they fire them up in the pits it's almost scary to be standing literally 10 feet away from them. They start the cars on alcohol and when they turn on the nitro it sounds like the engines are going to explode...truly unbelievable, it makes the hair on my arms stand up just typing this, lol!

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[T190]

I believe the Funny Cars make more down force ,that equals more power to the ground and more MPH.Just look at the slow mo of the rear tires you'll see the FC  tires don't grow like the TF cars tires .

The rear wing of the dragsters is roughly 10,000 pounds plus of down force adjusted for traction to the track for that day ,hands down more than a Flopper for sure.

Funny car has what is known as spill plates in there rear spoiler that are adjusted up and down for the track.

Obviously the lower the spill plates the more MPH will be generated if all the rest of the equation is happy.

There are races when some of the funny cars MPH better ,but that wont win the race its all ET.

there was a time when the Funny Cars had 400 more  RPM to rev limit than the dragsters which would explain MPH also.

Not that familiar with the 2020 rules.

Its a passion sport You like it or You Dont.

If You like it You'll travel great distances to enjoy.

[Ski Dog]

I believe l read one time in the National Dragster magazine that the front cunards (wing) on a Top Fuel dragster can produce upwards of 2,000 pounds of down force (at a given 300mph) depending on the angle of attack to which it's set.

I remember seeing a picture of a Top Fuel car going through the lights and it looked like a banana from the enormous amount of down force these cars generate on each end of the chassis.

Also, I think l recall reading that a Top Fuel car can accelerate to 100mph by the time the rear wheels cross the starting line which is approximately 300 inches, which used to be the maximum allowed wheelbase when l followed the sport more closely. Amazing!!!!!



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Edited by Ski Dog, 15 July 2020 - 11:33 AM.

[1Evil55]

The rear wing of the dragsters is roughly 10,000 pounds plus of down force adjusted for traction to the track for that day ,hands down more than a Flopper for sure.

Funny car has what is known as spill plates in there rear spoiler that are adjusted up and down for the track.

Obviously the lower the spill plates the more MPH will be generated if all the rest of the equation is happy.

There are races when some of the funny cars MPH better ,but that wont win the race its all ET.

there was a time when the Funny Cars had 400 more  RPM to rev limit than the dragsters which would explain MPH also.

Not that familiar with the 2020 rules.

Its a passion sport You like it or You Dont.

If You like it You'll travel great distances to enjoy.

Pretty good summary^^

 

We ran a TF/FC in the early 90's with a former Wally champ in the drivers seat.  It was short lived and too f'n expensive at the time.  If you appreciate motorsports in any way, this is hands down the loudest.  Sitting behind the tree with two of these side by side at idle could make the timid "edit for bad language" themselves.  .400 seconds pass and 10's of thousands of horsepower are side by side trying to get to 1000' first.  Experience of a lifetime that your insides will feel.

[TheBearAk]

I wish I could get out to the races.   Living in the middle of Alaska is rough when it comes to professional live sports (meaning at the game/track).

 

We used to have 4th of July drag races down one of the main roads (usually selected by how new they are).

 

I'm pretty sure that John Force did an exhibition about 30 years ago up here.  Didn't race against anyone, just took a trip down the "track".  Otherwise it was all local racers and if any of them hit 200 MPH, I would be surprised.

 

Down in the Anchorage area they do have an active drag race community.

 

Last weeks NHRA in Illinois had some races decided by .001-.004 seconds.  And oddly enough, there were a lot of races not decided by reaction time.  I think the quicker RTs were getting to much power to early and smoking the tires early.   Slower RT was more of a product of building up the speed slowly to keep the tires from spinning.

[1Evil55]

I think you meant Indy, not Illinois.  Temps were hotter than you know what making tires and motors a little more unpredictable.

[cetaneaddict]

I've seen the FC and top fuel cars in person. I can back 1Evil55's claim. When they light the candles you can feel the power pass through your body. We had a family friend that use to run promod back in the late 90's through early 00's those car are further down the food chain but still are/were very fast. Now that I'm older and somewhat wiser I don't know how he was able to afford to run his promod car. Stupid money on just trying to make one pass down the track.

[T190]

  Experience of a lifetime that your insides will feel.

 

 

 

 

A Good experience if one can make it happen is the Vegas 4 wide

Get a seat under the canopy at about 300' down the track (Mid West folks don't do well in Desert Sun after a few days)

When all 4 stay lit, and they will once they figure the track out

it will have an effect on a seismograph 

 

Vegas fall race is Cool to when the ProMods decide to Join in 

 

Been to many a test secession and that's an experience also standing next to a Long car when it leaves, it ell get You right for sure.

[TheBearAk]

Isn't Charlotte 4 wide now as well?   Remember watching the 4 wide on TV.  Great racing.

 

Every once in a while, I'll turn up the sound system with the subwoofer just to get a taste of what it would be like to be there. 

[T190]

Charlotte is 4 wide also.

Have not been to that track personally.

Under The Canopy in Vegas it resembles a large Echo chamber that's a pretty cool experience

and never gets Old for watching Fuel cars.