TireSmoke.org

The most surprising datum to me was the only 900 revolutions for a run!!!

Acceleration explained.
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>> *
>> One Top Fuel dragster outfitted with a 500 cubic-inch
>> replica Dodge (actually Keith Black, etc) Hemi engine
>> makes more horsepower (8,000 HP) than the first 4 rows at
>> NASCAR's Daytona 500.
>>
>> * Under full throttle, a dragster engine will consume 11.2
>> gallons of nitro methane per SECOND.. a fully loaded Boeing
>> 747 consumes jet fuel at the same rate but 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 lockup at full
>> throttle.
>>
>
>>
>> * At the stoichio
>> metric 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. Which is
>> typically the output of an electric arc welder in each
>> cylinder.
>>
>> * Spark plug electrodes are totally consumed during a pass.
>> After 1/2 way thru the run, the engine is
>> 'dieseling' from compression and the glow of the
>> 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 enough sufficient force to blow the 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, a dragster
>> must accelerate an average of over 4 G's. In order to
>> reach 200 MPH well before reaching half-track, at launch the
>> 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 for,
>> the pit crew is working for free, & NOTHING BLOWS UP,
>> each run will cost an estimated 20$1,000 per second.
>>
>> 0 to 100 MPH in .8 seconds (the first 60 feet of t he
>> run)
>> 0 to 200 MPH in 2.2 seconds (the first 350 feet of the
>> run)
>> 6 g-forces at the starting line (nothing accelerates faster
>> on land)
>> 6 negative g-forces upon deployment of twin 'chutes at
>> 300 MPH
>>
>>
>>
>> An NHRA Top Fuel
>> Dragster accelerates quicker than any other land vehicle on
>> earth . . quicker than a jet fighter plane . . . quicker
>> than the space shuttle....or snapping your fingers !!
>>
>> The current Top Fuel dragster elapsed time record is 4.420
>> seconds for the quarter-mile (2004, Doug Kalitta).
>> The top speed record is 337.58 MPH as measured over the last
>> 66' of the run (2005, Tony Schumacher).
>>
>> Let's now put this all into perspective:
>>
>> Imagine this...........You are driving a new $140,000
>> Lingenfelter twin-turbo powered Corvette Z-06. Over a mile
>> up the road, a Top Fuel dragster is staged & ready to
>> 'launch' down a quarter-mile s trip as you pass. You
>> have the advantage of a flying start. You run the 'Vette
>> hard, on up through the gears and blast across the
>> starting line & pass the dragster at an honest 200
>> MPH.... The 'tree' goes green for both of you at
>> that exact
>> moment.
>>
>>
>>
>> The dragster departs
>> & starts after you. You keep your foot buried hard to
>> the floor, and suddenly you hear an incredibly brutally
>> screaming whine that seares and pummels your eardrums &
>> within a mere 3 seconds the dragster effortlessly 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.....and it not only caught, but nearly blasted
>> you off the planet when he passed you within a mere 1320
>> foot long race !!!!
>>
>> That, my friends.....is
>> acceleration.

Here's acceleration in perspective, but the opposite extreme:

A guy sits in an easy chair watching tv. He hears a knock at the door. He opens up the door to find a snail on his front porch step. He picks up the snail and chucks him into the air as far as he can, and goes back into the house. A year later, the same guy sits in the same easy chair, and hears a knock on the door. He goes to the door, opens it up and the same snail is there. The snail looks up to the guy and says " What the hell did you do that for?!! "

GM