I've been to the NHRA Winter Nationals and the World Finals a few times, most recently this past year. In terms of the spectacle of the Top Fuel Dragsters and Funny cars, I've never experienced anything like it - ever. It has been described very well here so I won't try to rehash it too much but I will add that this year our seats in the stands were lined up dead even with the starting line, which are probably the best seats in the event. When those cars launch, the noise is literally instantaneous and you can actually feel it right through seemingly every fiber in your body. It literally makes your hair stand up, it's such an unnatural, immensely powerful sound. The instant those guys hit the throttle there seems to be ZERO lag from idle to max RPM. It seems nearly instantaneous. The wheels begin to rotate within the tires, which causes both cars to take a very quick "set" and squat together, and then they are just GONE!! The first few times you witness it you literally cannot come to terms with what you just saw. It seems almost impossible. I remember thinking last time I went that these guys have to be some of the bravest, most unflappable humans on the planet. I would never step foot into one of those monsters and drive one in anger. I am simply not brave enough for it.
And the beating those guys must take!! Not only do they experience 5 to 8 G's during the run, they experience something like 5+ G's of deceleration when they pull the chute. This is how some of them get detached retinas.