The Amazing Engineering of Top Fuel Dragsters

Ever wondered how top fuel dragsters can be the fastest accelerating vehicles in the world with up to 12,000 hp and make it from 0-330mph in 3.65 seconds well wonder no more as we look a the rather amazing engineering of top fuel dragsters.

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Written, researched and presented by Paul Shillito
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[CuriousDroid]

Why did I make a video on drag racing I hear you ask, well I did do drag racing about 30 years at Santa Pod, Avon Park and York Raceway but in the rather lower 9.90 bracket class of Supergas where I raced a road-legal 1968 Chevy Camero SS called "Coco Connection" running a 650 hp 462 ci big block + 100hp of nitrous oxide. The car is still around on youtube but I think it's red now while it was metallic yellow when I had it. It was actually a Custom Car magazine centre page spread back in the 80s when it had just come over from Florida.
Anyways, I always loved the Top Fuel cars and the staggering amount of speed and noise they created so I thought that I would revisit the fuelers to see what had changed over the past 30 years and its still extreme engineering like rockets, planes etc, hell maybe I should do Rocket/Jet cars sometime, their even more fun down the 1/4 mile :-)

[joepickles]

"If you want to become a millionare drag racing, just start with 10 million"
Best quote ever.

[DuckYou]

Everyone should go to a NHRA Top Fuel race once in their life. It’s sensory overload on all the senses. The exhaust makes your eyes burn, the noise is deafening and you can feel the exhaust pulse pounding against your chest. It truly is a very unique experience

[morganxl]

I do machining for a large aerospace company and as a 'thank you' I took six of the firms engineers to their first top fuel event.On the drive there I told them that whatever they are picturing, they are wrong, it will be much more extreme. On the drive home every one of them said they never imagined anything even close to what they just witnessed!!

[bldlv]

Dearest Paul
I have been a Drag Racing Announcer for 30 years and I have seen so many people explain the Top Fuel class.

You Sir, have gone above and beyond with your research and should stand proud! This IS the best video out there, Period.

[karlsangree]

My favorite Top Fuel story involved a fairly new owner who was concerned about the high cost of engines exploding. He asked the crew chief how to prevent it. The crew chief told him the only way to prevent a top fuel engine from exploding was to not start it.

[davidcarpenter]

Listening to a English gentleman talk about Top Fuel is very entertaining 👌

[willbrown]

There's a great story of Dario Franchitti testing an Indycar at Sonoma. He was pounding out the laps and was randomly feeling a bad vibration in his steering, severe enough to bring the car in to the pits. It turned out that there was also a top-fuel team running on the Sonoma drag strip and when they were doing burn outs they were shaking the ground to such an extent that Dario could feel it through the car.

[MrDlt]

I went to an NHRA drag race for the first time in my life a month ago. -The loudest sound Ive ever heard, without question. -and I was a jet maintainer in the Air Force.

[SBluesBrotherhood]

Some of the most exhilarating moments of my life have been attending an NHRA national event. We walked through the pits, and watched them rebuilding an engine. When they fired up the engine and blipped the throttle, it was just as if a HUGE explosion had happened right next to you. It was funny watching the crew motioning to the crowd to cover their ears just before starting up, and watching the "badasses" standing there with their arms crossed. But after the blip of the throttle, EVERYONE was covering their ears (and crying because of the nitro fumes burning their eyes!).
Watching them run at full throttle was like having Leon Spinks drumming on your chest with his boxing gloves on. It is the most incredibly LOUD thing that I have ever heard.
Even when they'd break, or spin coming off the line and back off the throttle they'd STILL run a 9 or 10 second time COASTING all the way down the track and through the lights after that millisecond long blip of the throttle. Unbelievable!!!

[theunprofessional]

One the greatest examples of "brute force" engineering out there.
"Whatcha doing?"
"Strapping a seat to a series of just barely controlled, highly volatile detonations."
"Is that a good idea?"
"Worked for NASA. And it sounds BRILLIANT!"

[dpNacho]

Two features that keep me coming back to Curious Droid:
1. The intro theme
2. The shirts

[michaelhorn]

I've been a mechanic for over 30 years and it's amazing to me how they get that much power from a V8 engine! There's absolutely nothing like it on earth!

[HoosierDaddy_]

I don't think I've heard a better explanation of what we few fans consider sacred! If you see these beasts in person once, you will be forever changed. It's an indescribable experience! No one ice EVER seen that's a newbie is prepared for the literal body shaking violence these things put out. Just a jaw that hits the ground! Well done!

[Larrych]

"Interesting car you've got there. What about its fuel consumption?"
"20 liters"
"...per 100 km?"
"... per second."

[harlanbaker]

Grew up watching Top fuel Dragsters. The in-person experience is mind blowing.

[Bobgolf]

Great video! I'm a sports photographer and over the years I've shot a lot of T/F dragsters and I can tell you, there is nothing more frightening than standing at the wall (about 4' from the car as it passes by) and feeling the force just from the noise which is in the range of 150db (a 747 produces about 120db) that tries to blow you off the wall - not to mention the thought of an engine exploding. SCARY! I always had a few moments of apprehension prior to agreeing to shoot a weekend of T/F dragsters. I was always amazed that many of the crew (and a lot of fans) did not wear hearing protection. I always wore the best "mickey mouse" ears I could find and it still made my ears ring. I know a few folks that are having hearing problems later in life. Thanks again!

[christopherhawkins]

This is easily the best overview of a top fuel dragster's operation that I have seen. Great job.

[StephenPayne-xslw]

This is the most accurate, detailed, informative and entertaining explanation of top fuel racing I have ever seen. Bravo. Thank you.

[brianchristie]

There are no words to explain what it is like or sounds like when you stand between 2 Top Fuel cars on the starting line. My dad is a 2 time world champion and I have been around this sport for over 50 years and can tell you the chills, goosebumps and burning eyes feels damm good each and every pass they make.