First, some useful info:
> > >
> > > * 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 Top Fuel dragster engine consumes
> > > 1½ 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 426 Hemi V8 engine cannot produce enough
> > > power to 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 the stoichiometric 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture for nitro
> > > methane the flame front temperature measures 7050 degrees F.
> > >
> > > * Nitromethane 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 at 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 red-line is actually quite high at 9500 rpm.
> > >
> > > * 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 riding the average $250,000 Honda MotoGP bike. 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 RC211V hard up
> > > through the gears and blast across the starting line and
> > > past the dragster at an honest 200 mph (293 ft/sec). The
> > > 'tree' goes green for both of you at that moment. The
> > > dragster launches and starts after you.
> > > You keep your wrist cranked 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.
> > >
> > >
