3.701

As in elapsed time in 1000'. And we got to watch (and feel) it in person today.

Antron Brown making his national record setting run:

My wife and I had tickets for the NHRA Auto Plus Nationals at Maple Grove. The last few rounds got rained out yesterday so they finished everything but the Pro Stock Motorcycles before the rain hit today. The track honored yesterdays tickets today, and it was free parking today too.

I know not everybody here appreciates drag racing, but if you've never experienced a top fueler run in person, no words can describe it.

I can still smell the nitromethane. It's awesome.

I can't imagine. That picture is great!

The 1/4 mile was the first racing I fell in love with. Just can't watch it on TV anymore.

The fuel cars definitely have to be seen (and felt) in person. That's wicked!

Javelin wrote: The fuel cars *definitely* have to be seen (and felt) in person. That's wicked!

I can agree with that. I just can't take another minute of John Force TV in an attempt to watch NHRA on ESPN2 after the rain delayed indoor female underwater wiffle ball match.... And to avoid listening to that baffoon Paul Page too.

Lost interest when they lost 320'

z31maniac wrote: Lost interest when they lost 320'

Have I been living under a rock? When did that happen?

In reply to mazdeuce:

Like 2 or 3 yrs ago, it may be 5.

At least PS and PSM still get more then 5 minutes of air time in a 2hr show....

Just the big dogs lost it. They were getting "too fast"

Wait, what? It's not 1/4 mile anymore? WTF?! I must have been under the rock partying with Mazdaduce...

mazdeuce wrote:

z31maniac wrote: Lost interest when they lost 320'

Have I been living under a rock? When did that happen?

What the!? Same here...

You know, I would love to see this in person, but now the numbers don't mean anything to me, 'cause my (limited) mental database of "quick" was established many years ago, and I just don't have a notion of what the other 320 feet should add to times.

I know it's awesome, but trying to place it mentally is like trying to compare swiss cheese and pachinko machines...

EDIT: 328mph, OTOH, doesn't require mental gymnastics, and getting to it in well under a quarter mile is really freaking impressive.

They cut it down the 1320 to 1000' for the Top Fuel classes In 2008 after Scott Kalitta died.

I can't take credit for the photos above. Mine didn't turn out as nice at the official NHRA ones. They are here thought the wonderful world of hotlinking.

We were there rooting for V. Gaines in Pro Stock. He won.

In reply to ransom:

When they did the switch, they lost 1-2 tenths and nearly 30mph. But as they get the handle on a good clutch and tire tuneup, they will equal the old 1/4 mile times.

Conquest351 wrote: Wait, what? It's not 1/4 mile anymore? WTF?! I must have been under the rock partying with Mazdaduce...

Scott Kalitta's death in 08 in NJ prompted that change.

Did the fuel cars ever break the 4-second barrier in the 1/4? I understand the reasoning behind the change to 1000 feet, but the number seems unrelatable now. I feel as if I'm hearing the time in metric seconds or something.

National (USA) 1/4 mile Drag Racing records are: Top Fuel Dragster 4.42 seconds at 336 mph and Funny Car 4.65 at 333 mph.

the current 1000' ... TF 3.735 10/03/11 Del Worsham

                               TF       332.18  04/15/12    Spencer Massey

There have been two 3 second 1/4 mile times confirmed. They were both accomplished by rocket (not jet) powered race cars. The Rocket Funny Car record was set by the late "Slammin' " Sammy Miller at 3.583 seconds @ 386.26 mph in 2002. The all time quickest 1/4 mile ever recorded was by stunt woman Kitty O'Neill in 1977 at an incredible 3.235 seconds @ 412.50 mph. Still think that drag racing is stupid? Stupid fast maybe!

team SwissRocketman's car ran in the low to mid 3's also. Not the quickest time ever, but it did cross the finish line at 451.34 MPH

wbjones wrote: the current 1000' ... TF 3.735 10/03/11 Del Worsham TF 332.18 04/15/12 Spencer Massey

Until earlier today...

Well thanks for the update. I'd heard that some of the outlaw street car classes were limiting themselves to the 1/8 because their speeds in the 1/4 were far surpassing their ability to do it safely. The kids are getting old enough to go to the races some time. I should take them.

In reply to mazdeuce:

Plus it makes the program run faster.

But then you also get a class like Outlaw 8.5, that may "only" run 5.1x to 5.3x/5.4x@120-125 1/8th.... The 26x8.5 slick is already narrow enough sitting still. Can you imagine that contact patch at 150mph?

i've heard/read that if they were to take the gearing limits off and let them go nuts on the tuneup, the cars would be capable of 400mph in the 1/4.. the only real limiting factor on how fast/quick they can go is the tires- Goodyear just can't make a tire that can safely keep up.

Not that I question the wisdom of NHRA officials for trying to make it safer, I thought that Kalitta's death was a result of a track that for several years everyone said did not have sufficient run off, even with secondary safety measures, if a car's chutes failed to deploy.

I enjoy drag racing (as a fan, never done it), 11 seconds and under is still fun to watch, but it needs to be heads up racing. I can appreciate bracket racing for what it is and for getting involved in the sport, but when you go and they're bracketing a car that runs an 11.15 dial in against a guy with a 10.95 dial in, it's hard to maintain my love of the sport.

Anybody who's seen enough drag racing knows that a number of factors make that a heads up race. Guys will break out of their dial ins all the time, and some will never run close to their dial in in subsequent runs.

Finally, you've got to love it when the guys at Hot Rod call out a 700hp Lambo by saying "From a muscle car perspective, 700 hp is just starting to get your attention..."

I consider it the purest racing form. Line it up, wind it out, and the first guy through the traps wins. Done.

If you don't smile from feeling the top fuel shockwave for the first time, something is dead inside of you.

In reply to Rob_Mopar:

I saw that. Pretty awesome. There were in fact many great moments at Maple Grove this year.

Mitchell wrote: If you don't smile from feeling the top fuel shockwave for the first time, something is dead inside of you.

It IS one of those things that has to be experienced in person, and every car guy should do it at least once in their lives.

Rob_Mopar wrote: They cut it down the 1320 to 1000' for the Top Fuel classes In 2008 after Scott Kalitta died. I can't take credit for the photos above. Mine didn't turn out as nice at the official NHRA ones. They are here thought the wonderful world of hotlinking. We were there rooting for V. Gaines in Pro Stock. He won.

I love an underdog! Although he didn't look like one in that race!