Schumacher makes NHRA-record pass at 337.58 mph

Casper · 15-08-2005, 07:00 PM

Holy smoke, that it MOTORING!!!!! For the record, I happen to know his best ET is 4.441, I dont think there has ever been a faster ET than that. So he may actually hold fastest and quickest records at the moment.

And I remember when 4.999 and 300mph were considered the ultimate goals!

Quote:

Schumacher makes NHRA-record pass at 337.58 mph
BRAINERD, Minn. (AP) — Tony Schumacher had the fastest run in drag racing history Saturday, reaching 337.58 mph in qualifying for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway.

The two-time Top Fuel champion finished his run in 4.446 seconds. He can certify the performance as an NHRA national record by clocking a speed of at least 334.21 mph on any run during the remainder of the weekend.

Eric Medlen (Funny Car), Warren Johnson (Pro Stock), and G.T. Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also led their divisions in the $1.6 million event.

All eight of the track records set during Friday night's qualifying sessions were bettered Saturday. Medlen qualified at the top of his category with a 4.730 in 327.35 in his Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang.

Johnson, a Minnesota native, drove his new Pontiac GTO to a category-leading performance of 6.698 in 206.57, both track records. Johnson has 136 career No. 1 qualifying attempts — more than any other professional NHRA driver.

Tonglet clinched the top qualifying spot with a track-record time of 7.011 in 191.35 on his Screamin' Eagle Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Racecraft · 15-08-2005, 07:19 PM

I watched that on TV alittle while ago... FLYING!!!

Even the crew chief.. his name escapes me atm was shocked it pulled so hard considering it was still daylight

Casper · 15-08-2005, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Racecraft

I watched that on TV alittle while ago... FLYING!!!

Even the crew chief.. his name escapes me atm was shocked it pulled so hard considering it was still daylight

yeah, I was watching it too on ESPN.. then figured I'd find some info to post up. Thats a stunning speed. 543.27kph in 400 meters from a standing start. Most objects on the ground could never go that fast even with a 10 mile runup!

Racecraft · 15-08-2005, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Casper

Most objects on the ground could never go that fast even
with a 10 mile runup!

I got a reallly cool blurb about the top fuelers somewhere... I'll type it up and post it

The Mighty Red · 15-08-2005, 07:38 PM

Yep that really is Flying! Your face must look like a Disney cartoon caricature sitting in one of them there Rockets!!

Racecraft · 15-08-2005, 08:00 PM

"Putting it in perspective:-

You are riding a $250 000 Honda MotoGP bike... Over a mile up the road, a Top Fuel Dragster is staged and ready to launch down a quarter mile strip as you pass.
You have the advantage of a flying start. You run the RC211V hard thru the gears and blast across the starting line and past the stationary dragster at an honest 200mph. The tree goes green for both of you at that moment. The dragster launches and starts after you. You keep your wrist cranked hard, damn hard, but you hear an incredibly brutal whine that sears your eardrums and with 3 seconds the dragster catches and passes you.

He beats you to the finish line, a quarter mile away from where you just passed him. Think about it, the dragster had spotted you 200mph and not only caught you, but nearly blasted you off the road when he passed you within a 1320 foot long race course.

That, folks, is acceleration. "

302donk · 15-08-2005, 08:11 PM

thats fast and i ve also have hered that his crew chief will be at the east cost nationals at wsid next month to help out the lamattina guys

parawolf · 15-08-2005, 08:12 PM

Racecraft,

yeah I love that stat.... the other one I like is that because assume they spin the engine at max rpm - oh say for round figures at 10,000rpm for all of 5 seconds down the 1/4 mile.

10,000 revs per minute = 166.6 revs per second.
So that means there is a total of 833revs were churned down the 1/4 mile.

Imagine mad_kiwi's blistering SS commodore.
6000 rpm = 100revs per second
but it takes him about 12 seconds to do the quarter (I know it isn't that but still)
that means 1200revs down the 1/4 mile.

niko · 15-08-2005, 08:14 PM

wonder wat amount of fuel was used in that crazy spurt of pure power lol

Casper · 15-08-2005, 08:17 PM

To REALLY put it in perspective, his speed at the end of the 1/4 is fast enough to be measured as a provisional mach 0.44. Almost 1/2 the speed of sound based on a average speed of sound being 761 mph.

Casper · 15-08-2005, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by niko

wonder wat amount of fuel was used in that crazy spurt of pure power lol

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question642.htm

Quote:

A typical drag-racing engine has a displacement of 8.9 liters, is supercharged and produces about 6,000 horsepower. It can burn close to a gallon (4 liters) of nitromethane per second! To put that in perspective, there is something like 2 teaspoons (10 cc) of nitromethane being poured into each cylinder per intake stroke.

An interesting thing about nitromethane is that it does not burn as quickly as gasoline. In fact, there is not enough time to burn all of the nitromethane between when the spark plug fires and when the exhaust valve opens. So the engine is pumping still-burning nitromethane into the exhaust pipe. That's why you see flames shooting out of the exhaust of a drag-racing car.

So about 20 litres of fuel in 4.5 seconds!

The Mighty Red · 15-08-2005, 08:28 PM

Anyway you put it its pretty insane , they are mad numbers .....LOL

The funny thing is the driver gets out of the car at the other end and actually looks like he enjoyed the ride

Racecraft · 15-08-2005, 08:31 PM

Here's some more:-

One Top Fuel dragster 500 cubic inch Hemi makes more horsepower than the first 4 rows at the Daytona 500
Under full throttle, a Top Fuel dragsters engine consumes 51 litres of nitro methane per second. A fully loaded 747 consumes jet fuel at the same rate with 25% energy being produced
A stock Dodge 426 Hemi V8 engine cannot produce enough power to drive the dragster's supercharger
With 3000 CFM of air being rammed in by the supercharger on overdrive, the fuel mixture is compressed into a near solid form before ignition. Cylinders run on the verge of hydraulic lock at full throttle
At the stoichiometric 1.7:1 a/f mixture for nitro methane the flame front temperature measures 3900 degrees Celsius
Nitro methane burns yellow; the spectacular white flame seen above the stacks at night is raw burning hydrogen, dissociated from atmospheric water vapor by the searing exhaust gases.
Dual magnetos supply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is equal to the output of an arc welder in each cylinder
Spark plug electrodes are totally consumed during a pass, after 1/2 way, the engine is dieseling from compression plus the glow of the exhaust valves at 775 degrees C. The engine can only be shut down by cutting the fuel flow.
In order to exceed 300mph in 4.5 seconds dragsters must accelerate at an average of over 4 G's. In order to reach 200mph by 1/2 track the launch acceleration approaches 8 G's
Dragsters reach over 300mph by the time you have read this sentence
Top fuel engines turn approx. 540 RPM's from light to light
Including the burnout, the engine must only survive 900 revolutions under load.
The red-line is actually quite high at 9500 rpm.
The bottom line: Assuming all the equipment is paid off, the crew worked fro free, and for once NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs an estimated $1000 per second. On a good pass it costs you around $5000 a run.

niko · 15-08-2005, 08:39 PM

wow, some grouse facts there dont really mean anything until its compared to something

**Raptor** · 15-08-2005, 08:46 PM

Top Fuelers ROCK!

mk11tute · 15-08-2005, 08:58 PM

cant wait for end of the year david grubnic will be racing Connie Kalittas zantrax 3 sponsored fuel car at wsid boxing day this car has been purchased by jim read and mike dunn nhra commentator and world class nitro car driver will be driveing the car that ben marshal is currently driving also owned by connie kalitta it has been purchased by santo rapisarda after wsid they race willowbank cant wait

galaxy xr8 · 15-08-2005, 09:35 PM

Ah the old Top Fueler's, they are a magnifecient machine, I used to help out a lot with my mate's who ran the Penzoil Top Fueler, driven by Robin Kirby, but unfourntunetly the sport become to costly and he gave it in, I remember when he was trying to do a 4sec and 300mph pass but it eluded him, it was good taking this machine to sponsered event's and start it up and watch all the people themselve's in the process.

jd dad · 15-08-2005, 09:57 PM

Hey Galaxy you didnt come down to the Warrnambool drags with Robin did you? Put on a great smoke n noise show here he did

xdclevo · 15-08-2005, 10:33 PM

They ran 337mph, then had to run a 334?? to secure the record but only ran 330mph so missed out. bugger.
For those watching, did you see one run where the right lane accelerated, then slowed about 1/4 track and the left lane slingshotted instantly into the distance(just like fast forward

: ) Awsome!

Casper · 15-08-2005, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xdclevo

For those watching, did you see one run where the right lane accelerated, then slowed about 1/4 track and the left lane slingshotted instantly into the distance(just like fast forward

: ) Awsome!

Yeah, saw that, gave you a real impression of just how fast they are going when you consider the car carrying the camera was probably dong 100mph anyhow.

galaxy xr8 · 15-08-2005, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jd dad

Hey Galaxy you didnt come down to the Warrnambool drags with Robin did you? Put on a great smoke n noise show here he did

No, I didn't, when was that one, must have been a few yr's back.

DOC · 15-08-2005, 11:02 PM

[QUOTE]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Racecraft

[*]Dragsters reach over 300mph by the time you have read this sentence

That has to be one wild ride

paul7v7 · 15-08-2005, 11:25 PM

sh1t thats quick...well done to the team and the driver.

Walkinshaw · 16-08-2005, 12:28 AM

I watched this on ESPN today as well, amazing machines. EVERY record was broken that meet!

SpoolMan · 16-08-2005, 02:25 AM

Rip up the track, move over space shuttle thats hammering..
where will it end....how many years before we see a 3.99..

galaxy xr8 · 16-08-2005, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XRFPV8

Rip up the track, move over space shuttle thats hammering..
where will it end....how many years before we see a 3.99..

Yes it was not to long ago when they were trying to brake the 300mph barrier and into the 4's, the yank's were the 1st to do it though, won't be long and we will see a 3.

ratter · 16-08-2005, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XRFPV8

....how many years before we see a 3.99..

Whan it gets tuned by Bluepower ;)

xdclevo · 16-08-2005, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by galaxy xr8

Yes it was not to long ago when they were trying to brake the 300mph barrier and into the 4's, the yank's were the 1st to do it though, won't be long and we will see a 3.

I think the yanks have less restrictions on car setup/weight which gives them the advantage.

Paul735 · 17-08-2005, 01:34 AM

In fact the yanks have very strict rules in place and they are now only running 80% nitro fuel, which is supposed to slow them down but infact just makes for more explosions. Im a perfect run the engine should be melting as its crossing the finish line, and after each run the engine gets completly rebuilt top to bottom, its an expensive passtime. Ive seen a funny car up close an personal and the engineering is top notch. To do those speeds it has to be.

**ebxr8240** · 17-08-2005, 11:26 AM

Rep rebult after doing around 1000 rpm...
The clearances on the bottom end is large...
Yes I was in Di Filippo top fuel camp at eastern Creek..NOTHING compares to street driven engines!!! They say when one cylinder goes out as in pumping straight fuel out exhaust it looses 1000 h.p....On top of that they still run a sub 5 second run...