Quote:
Originally Posted by trekkor
Now I'm really sorry I skipped the event 
I was BBQing for some friends this evening and heard a few more passes.
How loud is it at the track in decibels to send the sound 15 miles?
Must be deafening.
KT |
Everyone has heard strings of firecrackers going off. Replace those little fellers with sticks of dynamite going off at the same rate. You are still less than halfway there... I know that sounds like an exageration, but it quite honestly is not.
Almost eight gallons of fuel in 4.5 seconds. The motor actually only makes 900 revolutions or so in
an entire pass. To burn
eight gallons of fuel - imagine the the force generated in just one ignition cycle in one cylinder. They run very close to full hydraulic lock when at full throttle. A Dodge Viper does not generate enough horsepower to run the blower and the fuel pump on one of these motors.
They have no way to reliably measure what one really puts out, but they have extrapolated by running the same motors on pure methanol on a dyno. Latest estimates claim they are close to 8,000 horsepower. Watching one run leaves little doubt as to the veracity of that estimate.
Your average GT3 could pass one at full speed while it is sitting on the starting line. The top fuel car's que to go is the GT3 passing it at 180-ish mph. The top fuel car will catch the GT3 at about 3/4 track and beat is easily to the finish line.
Yes, the sheer violence of the whole thing kind of leaves you a bit stunned; every time you see it. I've been watching since I was a kid and still find myself a bit surprised by it when I first return to a drag race. And to think there is a man or a woman sitting in that damn thing... wow...