OT - The Definition Of Acceleration

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don Tomás
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OT - The Definition Of Acceleration

Post by don Tomás »

Of course, look up the definition of "un-acceleration" and you'll find a picture of my 1985 Bronco II beater... :)
Tom


Definition of Acceleration
(link)

One top fuel dragster 500 cubic inch Hemi engine makes more horsepower than the first 4 rows of stock cars 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's supercharger.

With 3,000 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 of nitro methane, the flame front temperature measures 7,050 deg F.

Nitro methane burns yellow. The spectacular white flame seen above the stacks at night is raw burning bydrogen, 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.

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 halfway, the engine is dieseling from compression, plus the glow of exhaust valves at 1,400 deg 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 9,500 rpm.

Assuming all the equipment is paid off, the crew worked for free, and for once NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs an estimate $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 prespective:

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 pass 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 1,320 foot long race course.

... and that my friend, is ACCELERATION!
Tom

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J Miller
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Re: OT - The Definition Of Acceleration

Post by J Miller »

Strangely I've never been interested in drag racing. Stock cars and open wheels I like though.

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Re: OT - The Definition Of Acceleration

Post by KirkD »

Sounds like I'd better keep my wife out of that thing.
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Re: OT - The Definition Of Acceleration

Post by awp101 »

When it come to drag racing I'm more interested in the Nostalgia, Sportsman and ProStock classes (I wish the ProStock truck class was still around), but for sheer brute power the TF guys have it in spades. Impressive is an understatement.

Overall I'm more into the road racing (F1, SCCA, ALMS, etc plus the Superbikes) and Rally scenes but when ESPN2 runs their 3-4 hours of drag racing on Sunday nights it makes great "background music" to whatever I have going on.
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Nazgul
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Re: OT - The Definition Of Acceleration

Post by Nazgul »

Started with dragsters in the old C altered class when a neighbor was racing. That was 41 years ago.

Had a blast.

Don
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Re: OT - The Definition Of Acceleration

Post by Gun Smith »

Hey awp101, now I know why you used "The Stig" for your avatar. I was in SCCA from 1968 through 1999. I raced or Autocrossed open wheel and Corvettes. Formula A, B, C, Super V, Ford and V.
I miss it every day.
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Re: OT - The Definition Of Acceleration

Post by Kansas Ed »

Just sold mine this summer. It is going in for a total restoration, as it was a pretty famous fuel car from 1968-1970. I ran it with an injected SBC on alky. The amount of frame flexing that goes on during the run is pretty incredible, but what's more incredible is how durable those cars are. You can stand the front end 5' in the air and bring it down fairly hard without hurting anything...except the drivers back. Pictures from a couple of years ago....

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Re: OT - The Definition Of Acceleration

Post by klhill »

AS a teen ager I lived about 10 miles from National Trails Raceway and got to see a lot of drag racing.The TF and Fc cars could be heard 10-12 miles from the track! Been a member of SCCA for 30 years, mostly autocrossing.
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Re: OT - The Definition Of Acceleration

Post by 66GTO »

I've read that before. The most amazing thing is the comparison to the Corvette with a 200 mph head start and it still looses to the dragster.

One thing has changed since that was written. Because of some horrific accidents at 300+ mph, the NHRA has reduced the length of the races to 1000 ft. for top fuel dragsters and funny cars.
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TedH
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Re: OT - The Definition Of Acceleration

Post by TedH »

That is very impressive!

I used to drag race a 68 GTO back in my younger days. Sold out of that and started running a pulling tractor all over Missouri and Illinois during the summer months at County Fairs. Had a great deal of fun with both, but eventually decided that it was just getting too expensive to remain competitive. Good times though.
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Ysabel Kid
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Re: OT - The Definition Of Acceleration

Post by Ysabel Kid »

Heck, you've never seen my wife hit a sale with coupons in her hands. That dragster is a slow poke compared to her! :lol:
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Re: OT - The Definition Of Acceleration

Post by Buck Elliott »

I can beat that with my .45-70... Cheaper, too. :wink:
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Re: OT - The Definition Of Acceleration

Post by fordwannabe »

I was actually at the toyo tires nationals last weekend here in Reading. I have raced at that track but there is nothing like the top fuelers and Tffc. It is way louder than the whole pack coming out of turn four at Talladega. Tom
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Re: OT - The Definition Of Acceleration

Post by awp101 »

Gun Smith wrote:Hey awp101, now I know why you used "The Stig" for your avatar. I was in SCCA from 1968 through 1999. I raced or Autocrossed open wheel and Corvettes. Formula A, B, C, Super V, Ford and V.
I miss it every day.
That's one of those activities I'd love to get involved with but I'd have to lose several other hobbies and be single again... :lol:

Some say that the outline of his left nipple is exactly the same shape as the Nürburgring. And if you give him a really important job, he'll skive off and play croquet. All we know is...he's called the Stig. :lol:

I've seen a place with three different Stig t-shirts for sale and I may break down and buy at least one. They are:

I am The Stig
I am NOT The Stig
I am The Stig's American cousin

:lol:
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Re: OT - The Definition Of Acceleration

Post by Buck Elliott »

300 m.p.h is only 440 f.p.s. ...
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Re: OT - The Definition Of Acceleration

Post by Boreman »

Very interesting stats on the dragester. Thanks !!!
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Re: OT - The Definition Of Acceleration

Post by Griff »

Watched a show about this car yesterday... Pretty impressive.
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Re: OT - The Definition Of Acceleration

Post by piller »

About 15 or 20 years ago, I seem to remember Don Garlits racing a fighter jet, and I don't remember which one, and outrunning it until it clawed its way into the air. After that he was beaten, but for most of the quarter mile, he was in the lead. I don't remember any other details. Does anyone else remember the race?
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Re: OT - The Definition Of Acceleration

Post by Birdman »

I'm an old street racer from the 70's and had a ton of fun doing it. It was too expensive to go to the track. Of course I never considered what it would cost if I was caught drag racing on the streets. My dad was cool. He did a bunch of street racing in the 50' and 60's. He was the first one I ever raced. He was running a 69 Olds 442 with a 400 inch motor. I was in a 69 Chevelle with a hopped up 396, 4 spd and 5:13 gear. He taught me well because I whipped him. He always told us to get out of town, do our racing and get right back before a crowd showed up. His next peice of advice was to always make sure he knew about the race so he would be there to watch. How cool is that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Re: OT - The Definition Of Acceleration

Post by Old Savage »

But, can either of them get a refrigerator from here to Santa Clarita like this 2.4, four banger beast and get 25 mpg???? :D

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Re: OT - The Definition Of Acceleration

Post by fordwannabe »

Garlits raced a fighter that was attachted to the steam catapult on a aircraft carrier...and won. I think it was swamp rat 30 it had the enclosed canopy and small front wheels(the car not the fighter). That car eventually flipped over backwards(in seattle I think) and was destroyed. I went to the Garlits drag racing museum in Ocala several years ago and boy was it an experience. I didn't know Garlits never had a new dragster until the 80's all up til then were somebody elses first, including the chasis he used to make the rear engine dragster in 1970. It was funny after I left the museum BIG was tuning a dodge pickup out beside the building and would take it out for a pull, swear at it and then go back to work. He did this several times before he got it right. Tom
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Re: OT - The Definition Of Acceleration

Post by handyrandyrc »

http://www.nitromater.com/nhra-news/188 ... r-las.html

This is my father-in-law, Rex Pearmain. He was crew chief for the Iron Horse, got it into the 5-second club back in '73.
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