Just how fast is a NHRA Top Fuel Dragster?

[Forge]

Food for thought:

If you owned a new $140,000 Lingenfelter twin-turbo Corvette Z06. Starting
more than a mile up the road, a Top Fuel Dragster is staged and ready to
launch down a measured 1/4 mile as you pass. You have the advantage of a
flying start. You run your Vette up through the gears and standing on the
gas pedal you blast across the starting line at an honest 200 MPH. The
tree goes green for both of you at that moment, you with your shinny ultra
performance Vette, running 200 MPH versus 0 MPH for the Top Fuel Car. The
Dragster launches and starts after you. You continue to stand on the
pedal, maintain your 200 MPH speed. Within 3 seconds the top fuel car has
passed you and beats you to the finish line. Spotting a car 200 MPH, and
he blew by you and beat you to a point 1320 feet away.

Now think about this,
the engine in the Top Fuel car only made 540 revolutions in that time
frame
Air intake is 3000 CFM
Nitro has a flame front temp of 7000 degree F
The 500 C.I.D engine makes more power than the front four rows of the
Daytona 500
The new Modern 5.7L Hemi with 345 HP could not spin the super charger on
the car
Dual Magnetos supply 44 AMP to each plug, enough to arc weld
In order to reach 200 MPH in less than 660 feet the car pulls 8 g's


Man, that has to be quite a rush riding in one of those.

 

[Y_lifter]

And after that 1320 ft run, the TF Engine must be torn down....

 

[Y_lifter]

Look up the info on a Steam Catapult on an Aircraft carrier..

0-200 MPH in less than 3 seconds, and then look how much a loaded jet weights that its tossing..

 

[Lumberg]

the engine in the Top Fuel car only made 540 revolutions in that time
frame
Air intake is 3000 CFM
The new Modern 5.7L Hemi with 345 HP could not spin the super charger on
the car

the first fact is the most amazing to me.

Also assuming the run takes 5 seconds, that is 1/12 of a minute or 3000/12 = 250 cubic feet of air that the dragster just used

 

[nsashbl01]

I get wood from the sound and smell of a top fuel event.

 

[Y_lifter]

I rode one of those amusement ride type dragster cars on a short track,
and the acceleration was pretty awesome even at that short distance and speed..

 

[Forge]

I rode one of those amusement ride type dragster cars on a short track,
and the acceleration was pretty awesome even at that short distance and speed..

Damn, I've never seen one of those, sounds fun. I'd have to say the most acceleration I've ever felt was probably in a roller coaster, or maybe in the freefall ride at Great Adventure.

 

[CAPNCRNCH]

Doug Kalitta hit 335 miles per hour in qualifiying on saturday, that bitch sounded like it was about to break the sound barrier