Top Fuel By The Numbers

[BULLITT]

IT TAKES 900 HP JUST TO DRIVE THE SUPERCHARGER ON THIS ENGINE. WELCOME TO THE WORLD'S MOST BRUTALLY POWERFUL MOTORSPORT

7500
approximate peek output, in horsepower, of a competitive 2005 top fuel engine. that's almost 1000 horsepower per cylinder

500
engine capacity, in cubic inches. the block and heads are CNC-milled from solid billets of aluminum, and the oil pan is titanium.

45.5
maximum boost, in psi, produced by the supercharger at WOT. that's more then 3.0 bar, twice the boost achieved by a mitsubishi evo VIII.

12,654
rpm the supercharger spins at maximum engine speed. with the engine at 8500 rpm, just turning the supercharger soaks up 900 horsepower.

165
temperature in fahrenheit of the 14-71-type supercharger after just 4.5 secounds of maximum boost.

569
number of times the engine's crankshaft turns during the entire quarter mile. each intake valve opens 284 times.


16
spark plugs per engine. the twin MSD magnetos produce 88 amps. you need just 12 more to power your MIG welder.

77
gallons per minute the fuel system can pump at WOT. the engine wil consume 22.75 gallons of fuel during warmup, burnout, staging, and the quarter-mile run.

900
cost, in dollars, of a 55-gallon drum of nitromethane fuel. current regulations allow a maximum of 85% nitromethane in the fuel mix. the rest is alcohol.

58,700
about what you'll pay, in dollars, for a new, ready-to-run top fuel engine.

29
minutes it takes to tear down and rebuild a top fuel engine between rounds. each engine is rebuilt 184 times a year (if the driver goes to the final round at every race).

28
quarts of oil used during warm-up and quarter-mile run. the oil pan holds 70-weight oil mixed with special thickener.

6
the maximum number of clutch discs in a top fuel car. the multistage clutch is timed to progressively lock up during the run. each $115 disc lasts a maximum of three runs.

[BULLITT]

HERE'S WHAT IT DRIVES

2225
minimum weight, in pounds, of a top fuel dragster. that's power-to-weight ratio of 3.37 horsepower per pound, about 20 times better than the new Z06 corvette's

300
wheelbase, in inches, of a top fuel dragster. about 3000 inches of chroome-moly tubing is needed to build the frame, which is left umpainted because of the need to constantly weld cracks.

1082
greenbacks you'll need to buy a pair of new goodyear R36x17.5 rear slicks. if your lucky, they'll last you a bit over a mile---four runs.

58
bead lock bolts used to retain each rear tire to the wheel. tire pressures are set between 6.5 and 7.5 psi.

AND HERE'S WHAT IT DOES

0.84
seconds it takes for a top fueler to accelerate to 100 mph from a standstill. at launch, drivers are subjected to up to 4.75 G's more then a space shuttle astronaut.

333.08
top speed, in mph, of the 2004 NHRA top fuel championship-winning U.S. army dragster. when he pops the parachute at the end of his run, driver Tony Schumacher experiences peak deceleration of 6 G's.

12,000
downforce, in pounds, generated by the rear wing at 325 mph. the downward thrust made by the exhaust gasses escaping the headers alone generates 800 pounds of downforce.

85
distance in inches, you'll need to be above the header pipes to avoid getting toasted by the nitro flames exiting those pipes.

8.5
number of inches the rolling diamiter of the rear tires grows during a 325 mph run, reaching a maximum of 44.5 inches.

IT'S SHORT BUT SWEET

4,441
world-record elapsed time, in seconds, it took Tony Schumacher's army dragster to cover a quarter mile.

18
seconds of racing completed if Tony makes the final. if he makes the final in every race, his total racing time for the season will be less than seven minutes.

[Bloody Fork]

nice, but tone down the GIGANTIC ****ing font.

[24VR666]

I don't know....I kinda like it...it lets your brain process the numbers faster. Anyway, that is some pretty remarkable and amazing stuff!! 900hp to keep the s/c blowin, 800lbs of downforce just from the exhaust gases expelling from the pipes, that's mindblowing!! Thanks for the factoids......need___ more___ input....

[DarrylB]

Mind blowing stuff! Any one got any pics of Tony's car?

[dragracingdemon]

Here is some more info. If all the plugs wash out by the end of the race the motor can and will run on compression alone.

The fuel tank is in front cause this is no fuel pump powerfull enough to get fuel to the motor during launch.

The motor will not start on Nitro alone they have to use alcohol/gas mix to start the motor.

At the top end of the track the tires make a backwards D shape for reasons I can't remember.

[BULLITT]

[DarrylB]

Anyone crazy enough to drive one of those must have balls of steel.

Awesome pictures.

[BULLITT]

Originally Posted by DarrylB

Anyone crazy enough to drive one of those must have balls of steel.

Awesome pictures.

if i had the money to build one i would race it no questions asked i would stare at it for like a good minute and then jump in it and go lol

[dragracingdemon]

Great pics! The 5th pic from the top you can see that the rear wheel is making a reverse D shape. I would so drive one, probably crash it rightaway but I would try and drive one.

[aznflick]

Now i know where the american army spends their tax payer money.

[Bald0]

did u get all this from the latest motor trend magazine? cuz i think it is exactly the same stuff

[Calichick88]

Originally Posted by smokeshobullitt

29
minutes it takes to tear down and rebuild a top fuel engine between rounds. each engine is rebuilt 184 times a year (if the driver goes to the final round at every race).

yeah but we all know that that will never happen. every race, yeah right.

[Mach70]

How much throttle is needed for the burnout they do?

[JGT8229]

all that info was in my motortrend like a year ago lol with that airforce car