At ground level approximately 50 feet away from an idling TF car we got anywhere from 85-96 Db. Burnout was slightly louder, just topping 100 Db on average. Launch was alot more than everyone's estimating. I was standing in the short-chute at the Motorplex when I took these readings. On a single pass at launch the needle hit 150+ Db but quickly went down as the car sped away. When a pair ran it got close to 160 Db.
These cars have reached 180 on some occasions with high end measurement equipment The sound makes vision go blurry and gray, luckily it’s only 4 seconds of it But you’d still want to use ear protection due to the risk of tinnitus
EVERYONE needs to go to a top fuel drag race at least once in the lives. The thunderous shock-wave and noise from a 10000 horsepower engine is something to behold!
@L J Hell yeah! Love that kind of power with these dragsters and funny cars. Love that you can hear and feel the power. It's really exciting to be there in person and there's nothing like it. The jet cars are really cool to see also. People are really missing out if they never go to the drag races.
My wife is from Thailand. Had no idea anything like these even existed. Loved every second of it. People behind us had as much fun watching her as the cars!
@@Anarchy-Is-Liberty Tiger Woods' mom is from Thailand. America never invaded Thailand. Tiger's dad fucked Tiger's mom in Thailand while he was on vacation there from the war in Vietnam even though he already had a wife and three children back in America.
You should check out thai riverboat racing lol they take super turnocharged rb32s weld a stick to it as a handle and put the crankshaft onto a propeller they dip into the water, not the same thing at all but pretty cool
First time I took my wife I warned her to be ready. She didn't take me too serious. The first Nitro pass she jumped, knocked her earplugs out and bit her lip pretty badly. I on the other hand was laughing my ass off.
LMAO! I think it’s truly because there is no humanly way to explain or describe just how loud they are. I think the closest expression I’ve heard was by a lady a couple years ago in Indy say “The first couple races I honestly thought my heart was skipping beats.” That and “it briefly seems to suck all the oxygen from your body.” That’s about as good as one can describe it and every first timer will still jump and possibly bite their lip. Lol!
@@BoilerBloodline I haven't experienced it yet but I can promise you I won't jump nor will I bite my lip. I don't jump from something I knows about to happen that's how I've always been and how I'll will always be.
@@BenaresDarkness Yea well, there's a first time for everything. You may not bite your lip, but you will jump because your body has no choice because it has never happened.
@@mickeygarlock4611 stood just rear of the exhaust once in the pits got a raw dose of nitromethan pass through me cause that's what it felt like nose started burning then my eyes scary at first but then you live for the sound.
Yup. You FEEL these monsters just shake every atom in your body. This and being up close to a NASCAR track when they all come by at full speed are insane. NASCAR is beyond boring on TV but legit incredible to watch in person. Every sense is just overwhelmed. The sound of the cars, the smell of the race gas, feeling not just the engines when they run by but also the wind that gets whipped up behind them.
@@Backyardmech1 Yep, walk next to the track at Daytona or Talladega while they're going 200mph and you're thinking, "They're people in those cars?....and they have to turn yet?"
I’ve worked security at NASCAR tracks, your back is to the fence and you get rubber all over you. One car isn’t loud but 42 of ‘em sure is. I’d rather watch NHRA, the experience is all about the fans and the racers are about sportsmanship . In other words, NASCAR sucks.
In the 70's, the stands were closer to the track. At OCIR (now closed) I was able to stand ~15' from the inside lane. When the cars launched, you didn't just hear it; you felt it. I'll never forget the feeling of having my entire body vibrate. It was hard to breathe. Awesome experience. My friend and I would go on Friday night fox hunts (ladies night). If I remember correctly the tickets were under $5 and for a couple more bucks, we got a pit pass. Good times.
That reaction is no joke! When the hair on your arms and back of your neck stand up, the air and ground around you vibrate, and car alarms are being set off in the parking lot, you know you're on to something. This looks like it may have been filmed from the pit-side grandstands at Maple Grove??? Had the good fortune of watching the all-time greats like Garlits, Muldowney. Bernstein, Amato, Kalitta, Hill, etc. race there over the years, going back to the Slingshot days...
@@jeffcon123 You mustn't've been yet. Monster trucks are loud but not remotely as loud as this. Not remotely. How do I know you've never been? You'd never have made this comment it if you had seen nitro burning Top Fuel Dragsters of Funny Cars. At least once in your life go. You'll be deeply shocked at how loud they are. It is unbelievable. The infrasound (so subsonic bass) resonates with your body cavity and vibrates your organs - that's how loud. It is almost impossible to describe how loud. It is almost impossible to not put your fingers in your ears - I know I've tried. Just go. The adrenaline rush is intense. Find a seat about 50m down track from the chrismas tree. I really like that spot because you get to see the burnout, the staging and the start. After dark takes it to another level. Just go.
I remember the first time I took this girl with me I handed her a pair of ear plugs and she said no that’s alright I’ve been to concerts before and there really loud I said it’s more then loud she looked at me really funny then they lit off the top fuel cars and she literally fell off the bench She couldn’t put the ear plugs in fast enough after that
I'll give him this , it took him by surprise , but he kept his eyes on the cars and followed them down the track . I bet he was ready for the next heat !! LOL!!!
@@captaincouldverc I wonder about these videos though. If you are sitting through the pass you sat through the burnout. You can't be that surprised about how loud they are.
@@hawki5120 I respectfully disagree. Totally different sounds and experience. Allow me to explain. Top fuel cars do not engage the fuel pump to full tilt open until after the burnout on the starting line. I.e. less power, less fuel, less explosive noise for a less length of time that isn't under full throttle operation as it passes by under stress as it hopes for traction while the clutches slowly clamp down just pass the 1/8th mile. Also I've had the pleasure of seeing these things alot in person so I'm familiar with not only the sound, the smell but also the tears they bring to your eyes as they burn that nitro.
My son took me to the Gator Nationals several years ago. I'd never been to an NHRA race before. We stood very close to the start line. My son had a huge grin on his face and was watching me to see my reaction. It's so loud it literally vibrates your eyes in your head and takes your breath away...He laughed uncontrollably for several minutes...Watching it on TV doesn't do it justice...I'm pretty sure I pee'd my pants a little too..
I'm from the Netherlands, this is the only way to truly see it unfortunately... but goddamn I'm in love with the violence... in my eyes one of America's finest creations 🙏
From an American, I agree. One of the few good things about America. Healthcare is a joke, government is corrupt, but NHRA drags are a slice of paradise.
I always enjoy watching the reaction of 20 somethings their first time at a drag meet. They grew up with four-cylinder engines and it’s so much fun to watch them with their jaws dropped.🙂
I remember taking photos 15 ft directly behind the top fuel cars at Bandemier CO Nationals. Choking on fumes, eyes burning, ears hurting, blew my hat off. FUN. 👍👍👍👍👍
My dad and I jumped the first time we heard a top fuel pass. I was paying attention and I had earplugs. Like another person said, its so violent and extreme your brain just cant understand it the first time.
My dad liked to tell the story about how a physicist calculated it was impossible for a car to go over about 180mph in a quarter mile. The day that happened was crazy, and of course now the top fuel guys do over 300mph. Can only really be appreciated live.
That was in the days before sticky tracks and yard-wide, low pressure slicks. 180 was nearly impossible with eight inch Bruce's retreaded car tire slicks on untreated asphalt. Plus, nobody knew how to get enough nitro into the engine back in the day.
Been a drag race fans for decades. First time reactions to top fuel are always good. There’s just nothing else in the world that can prepare you for that sound. Thanks for posting.
I was in the 1970s when Jerry Ruth won both the rail and the funny car championships . The only man in NHRA history to win both classes in the same year . Nobody has done that since. This year he was inducted into the NHRA hall of fame in Arizona.
1985 U.S. Nationals is when Top Fuel got my attention just like this. Although I was only 10 years old...it left a lifelong impression. There’s simply no way to describe how loud they are. You simply have to go feel it for yourself.
I been going to Atlanta dragway NHRA SOUTHERN NATIONAL'S Since 1987 I was 17 years old I couldn't believe how much POWER these cars make.Especially in the pits.the power comes out the header pipes and hits your chest and your eyes and nose starts to drain and your ears goes deaf.It's something everyone that loves drag racing should go and see!
I remember my first NHRA event. I don't remember the year but it was the Gator Nationals ( I grew up in Ocala FL just a mile or two away from Don Garlits museum ) and Don Garlits was racing still then and so was Shirley Muldowny. Even then those older cars would just rock your senses but these cars today are just beasts. It's almost so violent your brain just can't handle it the first time lol
Seriously these cars are so loud and there's a concussion wave that emits from them. It will literally take the wind out of your lungs. My father took us to see the funny cars and Dragsters back in 1971 for the first time and told us to plug our ears and open our mouths to equalize the pressure. And we did! Anybody who goes to see these cars without ear protection is asking to have their eardrums blown out. Watching Nitro virgins never gets old some of the best times of my life were spent at the Dragway it's definitely a family treat.
Reminds me of the first time me and a friend went to a Nascar race. The guy next to us was all gidddy about how nothing compared to the start of a Nascar race. After they went by we looked at each other then told the guy to go see NHRA TF dragsters if he wanted to be impressed. He looked at us like we were nuts. LOL
Back in 1970 my grandfather took me to the drags. I had never been before. When we got there, two "top fuel" rails had just staged. I ran up to the chain link fence and grabbed it with both hands. I couldn't have been more than 30 feet from both of them. When the green hit, if felt like someone was pushing two sharpened pencils in my ears. They rang the rest of the day.
I always look around in the stands for the folks who have never seen top fuel in person and watch them on the first qualifying run. It never gets old watching their reactions.
Nice! Its good to see how new fans react. Its the sound, smell and feeling like an earthquake is slapping you in the face. Love all forms of racing but NHRA is all that in a few seconds. Stay safe and race hard people!!!
Thanks Rick you have great videos ( cute kids too) give us some new clips. Your reactions are too good to keep for yourself. The world needs more Rick and his family!
I think the shockwave you feel is more terrifying that first timers think, nevermind the actual sound... Earth shattering, mind blowing... Everything to knock your senses for a loop... And the smell! Aaah life in the nitro lane is GOOD 👍🏻
I've been an nhra fan for as long as I can remember. Also I've been watching a lot of reaction videos just like THIS one. This past summer (2019) I went to new england dragway to see them live. I was STILL not ready.🤯🤯🤯 I had no idea... I'm a fan of 30+ years and I knew what to expect. STILL HAD NO IDEA. Now I know, NOTHING compares to seeing them live.
BSoBadd87 I could have told you that... even with me telling you I promise u still wouldn’t have been ready for live action until you experienced it. I told my friend in the video for days what to expect and it still got him
You remember the days when they were warming em up in the pits and the crew chief would blip the throttle and the whole crowd would jump back about three feet. I loved that, I used to stand their and watch everybody’s reaction when I seen it coming.
Until you have physically experienced the heart pounding and soul stirring power that these cars let loose then you can't even begin to understand. Once you have you will never forget it and you will be hooked.
Years ago I took my brother to his first drag race. The first time a funny car lit up he jumped like this Dude ! Then when the first ones went down the track, he asked me "WHERE DID THEY GO: !!! I said DOWN THERE ! IT'S ALREADY OVER ! They were just ready to break into the 5's back then .... yup, loooong ago !!
My pa took me to Topeka when I was 4 years old for the drags, my nitro virginity was about to be wrecked lol. i vividly remember us standing by john force's pit as they warmed up. The nitro had me crying, snot streaming out of my nose, and when force "whacked" the throttle it literally bounced me a few inches in the air! I took off running, pa had to chase me down! Dont know where I was going, just knew I had to get outta there lol. I think this was '93, I've loved nitro ever since. Twas an experience not forgotten.
I took my sons to see Robosaurus years ago. They had various car races and monster trucks. The sounds from the race cars, monster trucks and jet cars definitely impressed my sons. My youngest said he could feel the sounds in his heart.
Taking my dad to see top-fuel dragsters next weekend for his first ever time seeing any sort of drag racing let alone top-fuel. Can’t wait for his reaction! 😁
You have never experienced anything until you are in a porta potty next to a funny car pit. I think I was laughing as much as I was crying from the nitro.
When I was married, she had never been to a drag race before. Friday during evening qualifying, I drove down Fairplex Drive alongside Pomona Raceway. If you're not familiar with the layout, go to Google Maps, or whatever you use; it's RIGHT there alongside it. As pure dumb luck would have it, Top Fuelers were running. She jumped so hard, she banged her head into the roof of my truck! She DEMANDED we go watch Saturday and Sunday. We sat with the 1000' Club all day Sunday! She was hooked!
We drag racing fans love watching newbies with top fuel cars😂😂 my mom didn't like to go to the races. Then she saw top fuel. Now we say we're going to the races her first question, is top fuel there?? These cars cause a sensation to your body that can't be described.
Watching at the finish line is another experience all together. The cars are coming at you so fast your mind had trouble believing it cause there's nothing else to compare it to, lol.
LOL nothing prepares you for that sort of intensity, good times... The best part is going in the pits and seeing all the crews rebuilding the engines after every pass.
First time at a NHRA top fuel race when those cars blasted off. I felt it from the top of my head to the bottoms of my feet. I had a huge smile on my face and I had a craving for a cigarette and I don't even smoke.
That really made me laugh. The first time My wife went with me and they brought out top fuel. When they made a pass and I looked at her she told me that she thought she was going to have a heart attack ! Really got her attention !
My first time at Englishtown I was lucky enough to have VIP seats by the starting line. The noise was amazing not to mention the melted rubber on our faces.
Years ago I went to the drags and had gotten there very early so that I could walk the pits, pick up catalogs, take them out to my car and find a good set for the first round of eliminations. before heading out to my car one of the top fuel car was warming up it’s engine in the pits. I saw the car being pushed out from under the awning on the side of its trailer and being put on a stand for the warm up. Next to me was a father and his son, the first time at the drags for his sin. Ordinarily that fun enough to watch, like this guy! But the mans son was deaf. But the nerves for his ears were still intact, there was another problem with his hearing. When the car fired up the young mans bones must have carried the vibrations to the nerves he would have been able to beware with. The young man jumped out of his skin.the look on his face was pure shock and surprise.his dad smiled from ear to ear, and it was one of the best things I’d ever seen! This gentleman’s reaction to the dragster launching paled in comparison to that young man on so many levels! The next time you go to the races keep your eyes peeled for someone else’s first time at the drags
Love it!! But for a real initiation, I really get a kick outta' making a noob stand with the others watching the turn around engine build and make sure they are up front, close when the engine fires. You can tell the noobs... they jump about 3 feet from the racket of a fuel motor firing and cough, wipe their eyes from the nitro fumes. Hilarious!!.
Yep. That's exactly what is like. The first time I went to a professional class NHRA race and the top fuel cars took off I literally thought I was having a stroke. It's that powerful a feeling.
I remember as a teenager going to the old green valley drag strip up by Dallas, feeling it in your chest when they hit the green light. Awesome memories
My first time at a race the Milwaukee mile. My cousin took me to the side of the track and we watched the cars go by at 160+ probably closer to 180. Unbelievable to watch it live. Deafening sounds and sights loved it
Rick Ayres Jr Glad you enjoyed it Rick. My first professional drag race was over forty years ago. I am hoping to be going to the NHRA Carolina Nationals in Charlotte in September. I am in bad need of a nose full of nitro.
My 1st experience at any drag event was I think his name Dixon for Miller Lite, top fuel practice run. Standing in burn out box at Indianapolis. It's 10 feet from the track. I was set up perfect, and with no warning Whammm! My buddies laughed for years. It damn near thumped the life outta me. The concussive force of them taking off was staggering. Thank God I stuck my fingers in my ears. I said "it was like a bomb" , The crew chief confirmed to me afterwards, "it literally was a bomb going off" as he couldn't wipe the smile from his face. It was AMAZING. Great joke fellas
Drags are an awesome experience…nothing like it. I’m 63, a woman, and Love It. Looking forward to Thunder Valley in Bristol in June. When they light it up on the line, it feels like the air is being sucked out of your chest.
Took a black bud to the Popular Hot Rod Championships at US 131 Dragway. Top Fuel & Funny Car Qualifying 'bout blew him away. All he could say is, "Man, I got to get me one of them things."
Lol my first time was at Willowbank Raceway when Jim Read had his beast running....and WOW what a kick start to your system...went straight back to the pits once I heard we had access so off I went to watch a tear down and restart for a warm up....BOY it was worth the fumes and watery eyes just to hear that BLAP BLAP BLAP from the good old Hemi....😱😱😯😯
At ground level approximately 50 feet away from an idling TF car we got anywhere from 85-96 Db. Burnout was slightly louder, just topping 100 Db on average. Launch was alot more than everyone's estimating. I was standing in the short-chute at the Motorplex when I took these readings. On a single pass at launch the needle hit 150+ Db but quickly went down as the car sped away. When a pair ran it got close to 160 Db.
I hope you were wearing hearing protection. For many people, 130dB is the threshold of pain.
These cars have reached 180 on some occasions with high end measurement equipment
The sound makes vision go blurry and gray, luckily it’s only 4 seconds of it
But you’d still want to use ear protection due to the risk of tinnitus
EVERYONE needs to go to a top fuel drag race at least once in the lives. The thunderous shock-wave and noise from a 10000 horsepower engine is something to behold!
Sitting in a bunkhouse 50' from a 12,000 lb thrust rocket motor being static tested will give this a run for the money. But yeah it is insane.
Now it's a 11,000 hp
I’ve been to drag races where I could feel the rumble in my chest, I’ve never watched an NHRA race in person though.
Does she have a sister ?
@L J Hell yeah! Love that kind of power with these dragsters and funny cars. Love that you can hear and feel the power. It's really exciting to be there in person and there's nothing like it. The jet cars are really cool to see also. People are really missing out if they never go to the drag races.
My wife is from Thailand. Had no idea anything like these even existed. Loved every second of it. People behind us had as much fun watching her as the cars!
Video would be epic.
How did you meet your 'wife'? Like Tiger Woods' dad met Tiger's mom?
@@drServitis Invading their country!
@@Anarchy-Is-Liberty Tiger Woods' mom is from Thailand. America never invaded Thailand. Tiger's dad fucked Tiger's mom in Thailand while he was on vacation there from the war in Vietnam even though he already had a wife and three children back in America.
You should check out thai riverboat racing lol they take super turnocharged rb32s weld a stick to it as a handle and put the crankshaft onto a propeller they dip into the water, not the same thing at all but pretty cool
we were all nitro virgins once.
I was in 1980 when Shirley Muldowney won
Aint that the truth,I remember going when I was 5. scraired two years off my lil ass.And some of the letters.
This was the actual race. How was he not there for the burn out? It’s just as loud.
I still am
First time I took my wife I warned her to be ready. She didn't take me too serious. The first Nitro pass she jumped, knocked her earplugs out and bit her lip pretty badly. I on the other hand was laughing my ass off.
LMAO! I think it’s truly because there is no humanly way to explain or describe just how loud they are. I think the closest expression I’ve heard was by a lady a couple years ago in Indy say “The first couple races I honestly thought my heart was skipping beats.” That and “it briefly seems to suck all the oxygen from your body.” That’s about as good as one can describe it and every first timer will still jump and possibly bite their lip. Lol!
@@BoilerBloodline I haven't experienced it yet but I can promise you I won't jump nor will I bite my lip.
I don't jump from something I knows about to happen that's how I've always been and how I'll will always be.
@@BenaresDarkness Yea well, there's a first time for everything. You may not bite your lip, but you will jump because your body has no choice because it has never happened.
@@da324 Not everyone is the same so don't assume I will react the same way you did.
@@BenaresDarkness The type that doesn't get scared easily? I wish I was that type.
You feel your rib cage vibrate as they takeoff, it’s like adrenaline junkies. You know he will be back.
I like how the dragsters are still moving fast as hell in the slow-mo😂
they go so fast that they look like they are teleporting
Until you hear it, you haven't experienced it.
And felt it and tasted it.
@@mickeygarlock4611 ikr
Been a fan for over 35+ years. "I love the smell of Nitro in the morning" lol
and once you have experienced it, videos like this have so much more meaning...
@@mickeygarlock4611 stood just rear of the exhaust once in the pits got a raw dose of nitromethan pass through me cause that's what it felt like nose started burning then my eyes scary at first but then you live for the sound.
It is hard to believe you feel the ground tremble!! Everyone needs to see it at least once>
4 wide will take your breath away
Yup. You FEEL these monsters just shake every atom in your body. This and being up close to a NASCAR track when they all come by at full speed are insane. NASCAR is beyond boring on TV but legit incredible to watch in person. Every sense is just overwhelmed. The sound of the cars, the smell of the race gas, feeling not just the engines when they run by but also the wind that gets whipped up behind them.
And those are top fuel dragsters too. Don't know if the funny cars are so explosive with their sound
@Ukraine2011 oh hell yeah...the funny cars are just as good and as fast as dragsters. Both are equally really cool to see in person.
Same with unlimited modified tractors. They same the seat your sitting on vibrate lol
It’s not just an experience, it’s a full body experience. Same applies to NASCAR if you’re close enough to the track.
NASCAR aint sh tt !!!!! compaired to Nitro
@@catdakman1273 It’s not as intense with the body rumbling, but it’s still a great experience with cars shooting past you at 200mph.
@@Backyardmech1 Yep, walk next to the track at Daytona or Talladega while they're going 200mph and you're thinking, "They're people in those cars?....and they have to turn yet?"
Except in nascar you get to date your sister
I’ve worked security at NASCAR tracks, your back is to the fence and you get rubber all over you. One car isn’t loud but 42 of ‘em sure is. I’d rather watch NHRA, the experience is all about the fans and the racers are about sportsmanship . In other words, NASCAR sucks.
In the 70's, the stands were closer to the track. At OCIR (now closed) I was able to stand ~15' from the inside lane. When the cars launched, you didn't just hear it; you felt it. I'll never forget the feeling of having my entire body vibrate. It was hard to breathe. Awesome experience. My friend and I would go on Friday night fox hunts (ladies night). If I remember correctly the tickets were under $5 and for a couple more bucks, we got a pit pass. Good times.
Oh man, the way back machine Mr. Peabody. Thanks for the grin.
As Archie Bunker would sing “Those were the day’s”. i recall late 60’s drag race events very fondly.
OCIR for me too in the early 80s. Visceral experience.
Oh....and don’t forget how it makes your eyes water and nose runny from a healthy whiff of nitro!
I loved Orange County International Raceway. Went there many times in the 70s for the Funny Car Nationals, it was AWESOME! 👍🏻✌🏻
That reaction is no joke! When the hair on your arms and back of your neck stand up, the air and ground around you vibrate, and car alarms are being set off in the parking lot, you know you're on to something. This looks like it may have been filmed from the pit-side grandstands at Maple Grove??? Had the good fortune of watching the all-time greats like Garlits, Muldowney. Bernstein, Amato, Kalitta, Hill, etc. race there over the years, going back to the Slingshot days...
It's like a mobile earthquake when they go by
Like monster trucks! They r so loud
Forget when they go by, standing at the starting line? It’s damn near a religious experience lol
@@jeffcon123 You mustn't've been yet. Monster trucks are loud but not remotely as loud as this. Not remotely. How do I know you've never been? You'd never have made this comment it if you had seen nitro burning Top Fuel Dragsters of Funny Cars.
At least once in your life go. You'll be deeply shocked at how loud they are. It is unbelievable. The infrasound (so subsonic bass) resonates with your body cavity and vibrates your organs - that's how loud. It is almost impossible to describe how loud. It is almost impossible to not put your fingers in your ears - I know I've tried. Just go.
The adrenaline rush is intense. Find a seat about 50m down track from the chrismas tree. I really like that spot because you get to see the burnout, the staging and the start. After dark takes it to another level. Just go.
@@ThePaulv12 okay expert, calm down.
@@jeffcon123 I've never had the sound from a monster truck blur my vision. Seriously, you need to go to an event!
I remember the first time I took this girl with me I handed her a pair of ear plugs and she said no that’s alright I’ve been to concerts before and there really loud I said it’s more then loud she looked at me really funny then they lit off the top fuel cars and she literally fell off the bench
She couldn’t put the ear plugs in fast enough after that
this dude wasnt ready loll
Sure did reach for his headphone after the run though :)
I'll give him this , it took him by surprise , but he kept his eyes on the cars and followed them down the track . I bet he was ready for the next heat !! LOL!!!
Nobody is every ready for their NHRA nitro experience. Lol
@@captaincouldverc I wonder about these videos though. If you are sitting through the pass you sat through the burnout. You can't be that surprised about how loud they are.
@@hawki5120
I respectfully disagree. Totally different sounds and experience.
Allow me to explain.
Top fuel cars do not engage the fuel pump to full tilt open until after the burnout on the starting line.
I.e. less power, less fuel, less explosive noise for a less length of time that isn't under full throttle operation as it passes by under stress as it hopes for traction while the clutches slowly clamp down just pass the 1/8th mile.
Also I've had the pleasure of seeing these things alot in person so I'm familiar with not only the sound, the smell but also the tears they bring to your eyes as they burn that nitro.
My son took me to the Gator Nationals several years ago. I'd never been to an NHRA race before. We stood very close to the start line. My son had a huge grin on his face and was watching me to see my reaction. It's so loud it literally vibrates your eyes in your head and takes your breath away...He laughed uncontrollably for several minutes...Watching it on TV doesn't do it justice...I'm pretty sure I pee'd my pants a little too..
the guy in the back looks like he was laughing his ass off lol
I'm from the Netherlands, this is the only way to truly see it unfortunately... but goddamn I'm in love with the violence... in my eyes one of America's finest creations 🙏
From an American, I agree. One of the few good things about America. Healthcare is a joke, government is corrupt, but NHRA drags are a slice of paradise.
@@redrhino1911 NHRA drags suck... the only thing the did was take the fun out of drag racing.
There's some whining bitches in the comments. Just ignore them.
NL is the best
@@konnerkramer329 why?
🤣🤣🤣 I work for NHRA and when this reaction happens its soooo funny!! #priceless
I'm not ashamed to say I use both ear plugs and over-the-ear muffs for protection.
I always enjoy watching the reaction of 20 somethings their first time at a drag meet. They grew up with four-cylinder engines and it’s so much fun to watch them with their jaws dropped.🙂
When you feel the power hitting your chest you know that's some serious horsepower.
That is something else,the power hits your chest.
Even after all these years the mighty Hemi still scares and frightens people.
That sound right there is like rock and roll music to a motor head 😁😁😁
😈☠👍✌✌
I remember taking photos 15 ft directly behind the top fuel cars at Bandemier CO Nationals.
Choking on fumes, eyes burning, ears hurting, blew my hat off.
FUN. 👍👍👍👍👍
My dad and I jumped the first time we heard a top fuel pass. I was paying attention and I had earplugs. Like another person said, its so violent and extreme your brain just cant understand it the first time.
lol....funny!!.....it's something you can never forget....that hemi on nitro is a bomb going down the track....I LOVE IT!
One of the greatest sounds ever
That nitro sound will get you even when you think you're ready for it. 🤣
Hahahahaha will never get old seeing peoples first experience.
My dad liked to tell the story about how a physicist calculated it was impossible for a car to go over about 180mph in a quarter mile. The day that happened was crazy, and of course now the top fuel guys do over 300mph. Can only really be appreciated live.
That was in the days before sticky tracks and yard-wide, low pressure slicks. 180 was nearly impossible with eight inch Bruce's retreaded car tire slicks on untreated asphalt. Plus, nobody knew how to get enough nitro into the engine back in the day.
I’ve never experienced anything like seeing the power of those things. You can feel the energy of them on your face and in your chest
These first timers are priceless, that was good, it looked like he was screaming to let out the power coming into him.
Been a drag race fans for decades.
First time reactions to top fuel are always good. There’s just nothing else in the world that can prepare you for that sound. Thanks for posting.
I was in the 1970s when Jerry Ruth won both the rail and the funny car championships . The only man in NHRA history to win both classes in the same year . Nobody has done that since.
This year he was inducted into the NHRA hall of fame in Arizona.
1985 U.S. Nationals is when Top Fuel got my attention just like this. Although I was only 10 years old...it left a lifelong impression. There’s simply no way to describe how loud they are. You simply have to go feel it for yourself.
I been going to Atlanta dragway NHRA SOUTHERN NATIONAL'S Since 1987 I was 17 years old I couldn't believe how much POWER these cars make.Especially in the pits.the power comes out the header pipes and hits your chest and your eyes and nose starts to drain and your ears goes deaf.It's something everyone that loves drag racing should go and see!
I remember my first NHRA event. I don't remember the year but it was the Gator Nationals ( I grew up in Ocala FL just a mile or two away from Don Garlits museum ) and Don Garlits was racing still then and so was Shirley Muldowny. Even then those older cars would just rock your senses but these cars today are just beasts. It's almost so violent your brain just can't handle it the first time lol
I get chills everytime I watch them. In a good way though. That's a lot of power you're not only watching but also feeling as they go by.
It's amazing to watch. And I been watching it for 25 years.
Seriously these cars are so loud and there's a concussion wave that emits from them. It will literally take the wind out of your lungs.
My father took us to see the funny cars and Dragsters back in 1971 for the first time and told us to plug our ears and open our mouths to equalize the pressure. And we did!
Anybody who goes to see these cars without ear protection is asking to have their eardrums blown out. Watching Nitro virgins never gets old some of the best times of my life were spent at the Dragway it's definitely a family treat.
Reminds me of the first time me and a friend went to a Nascar race. The guy next to us was all gidddy about how nothing compared to the start of a Nascar race. After they went by we looked at each other then told the guy to go see NHRA TF dragsters if he wanted to be impressed. He looked at us like we were nuts. LOL
That's why you need to go and see it for yourself it's something that will change you forever especially when you see the top fuel dragsters
Mackk McPhaul , I think what gets them if the feeling that comes with the sound.
I went to the NHRA Route 66 Nationals in Joliet last year and never will forget the look on my face
Especially when I watched and heard nitro Funny Cars for the first time
Back in 1970 my grandfather took me to the drags. I had never been before. When we got there, two "top fuel" rails had just staged. I ran up to the chain link fence and grabbed it with both hands. I couldn't have been more than 30 feet from both of them. When the green hit, if felt like someone was pushing two sharpened pencils in my ears. They rang the rest of the day.
That's how my wife reacted the first time she ever heard me snoring . . .
Lol
Don't swallow nitro before you go to bed
THIS is why I love taking people to their first top fuel race!😁
I always look around in the stands for the folks who have never seen top fuel in person and watch them on the first qualifying run. It never gets old watching their reactions.
These never get old!! Great reaction to the most awesome sound and feeling a person can experience in life!!
Nice! Its good to see how new fans react. Its the sound, smell and feeling like an earthquake is slapping you in the face. Love all forms of racing but NHRA is all that in a few seconds. Stay safe and race hard people!!!
Thanks Rick you have great videos ( cute kids too) give us some new clips. Your reactions are too good to keep for yourself. The world needs more Rick and his family!
I think the shockwave you feel is more terrifying that first timers think, nevermind the actual sound... Earth shattering, mind blowing... Everything to knock your senses for a loop... And the smell! Aaah life in the nitro lane is GOOD 👍🏻
That's how i reacted the first time my dad took me. I was like " I don't need earplugs!"
5 seconds later, i was wrong..
I've been an nhra fan for as long as I can remember. Also I've been watching a lot of reaction videos just like THIS one. This past summer (2019) I went to new england dragway to see them live. I was STILL not ready.🤯🤯🤯 I had no idea... I'm a fan of 30+ years and I knew what to expect. STILL HAD NO IDEA. Now I know, NOTHING compares to seeing them live.
BSoBadd87 I could have told you that... even with me telling you I promise u still wouldn’t have been ready for live action until you experienced it. I told my friend in the video for days what to expect and it still got him
You remember the days when they were warming em up in the pits and the crew chief would blip the throttle and the whole crowd would jump back about three feet. I loved that, I used to stand their and watch everybody’s reaction when I seen it coming.
They still do that
His next experience;
METALLICA!
Until you have physically experienced the heart pounding and soul stirring power that these cars let loose then you can't even begin to understand. Once you have you will never forget it and you will be hooked.
Years ago I took my brother to his first drag race. The first time a funny car lit up he jumped like this Dude ! Then when the first ones went down the track, he asked me "WHERE DID THEY GO: !!! I said DOWN THERE ! IT'S ALREADY OVER ! They were just ready to break into the 5's back then .... yup, loooong ago !!
I love that the cars look fast even in slow mo. Top fuel for ya ;)
This guy is having a good time. And he's obviously interested, that's why he's there. Hats off to you brother..
Been going for 60 years and I still can’t get enough
My pa took me to Topeka when I was 4 years old for the drags, my nitro virginity was about to be wrecked lol. i vividly remember us standing by john force's pit as they warmed up. The nitro had me crying, snot streaming out of my nose, and when force "whacked" the throttle it literally bounced me a few inches in the air! I took off running, pa had to chase me down! Dont know where I was going, just knew I had to get outta there lol. I think this was '93, I've loved nitro ever since. Twas an experience not forgotten.
Only recently did my first NHRA video pop into my recommended. Now they are popping up each and every day in droves XD
my eyeballs were shaking my first experience, Sonoma Raceway late 90's
I took my sons to see Robosaurus years ago. They had various car races and monster trucks. The sounds from the race cars, monster trucks and jet cars definitely impressed my sons. My youngest said he could feel the sounds in his heart.
It’s an amazing experience
Taking my dad to see top-fuel dragsters next weekend for his first ever time seeing any sort of drag racing let alone top-fuel. Can’t wait for his reaction! 😁
@Justin how was it?
You have never experienced anything until you are in a porta potty next to a funny car pit. I think I was laughing as much as I was crying from the nitro.
When I was married, she had never been to a drag race before. Friday during evening qualifying, I drove down Fairplex Drive alongside Pomona Raceway. If you're not familiar with the layout, go to Google Maps, or whatever you use; it's RIGHT there alongside it. As pure dumb luck would have it, Top Fuelers were running. She jumped so hard, she banged her head into the roof of my truck! She DEMANDED we go watch Saturday and Sunday. We sat with the 1000' Club all day Sunday! She was hooked!
You got him he's hooked on drag racing, iv'e seen that look and reaction b4. Your vid made my day thanks.
We drag racing fans love watching newbies with top fuel cars😂😂 my mom didn't like to go to the races. Then she saw top fuel. Now we say we're going to the races her first question, is top fuel there?? These cars cause a sensation to your body that can't be described.
Not only does the sound engulf you, the force of the sound waves hits you right in the chest. You FEEL the sound.
Watching at the finish line is another experience all together. The cars are coming at you so fast your mind had trouble believing it cause there's nothing else to compare it to, lol.
That blast just brought-out the little girl in him.
TV does it no justice. The live experience gives you the full effect.
Slowed down those cars sound like a volcano erupting lol.
LOL nothing prepares you for that sort of intensity, good times... The best part is going in the pits and seeing all the crews rebuilding the engines after every pass.
First time at a NHRA top fuel race when those cars blasted off. I felt it from the top of my head to the bottoms of my feet. I had a huge smile on my face and I had a craving for a cigarette and I don't even smoke.
That really made me laugh. The first time My wife went with me and they brought out top fuel. When they made a pass and I looked at her she told me that she thought she was going to have a heart attack ! Really got her attention !
My first time at Englishtown I was lucky enough to have VIP seats by the starting line. The noise was amazing not to mention the melted rubber on our faces.
Years ago I went to the drags and had gotten there very early so that I could walk the pits, pick up catalogs, take them out to my car and find a good set for the first round of eliminations. before heading out to my car one of the top fuel car was warming up it’s engine in the pits. I saw the car being pushed out from under the awning on the side of its trailer and being put on a stand for the warm up. Next to me was a father and his son, the first time at the drags for his sin. Ordinarily that fun enough to watch, like this guy! But the mans son was deaf. But the nerves for his ears were still intact, there was another problem with his hearing. When the car fired up the young mans bones must have carried the vibrations to the nerves he would have been able to beware with. The young man jumped out of his skin.the look on his face was pure shock and surprise.his dad smiled from ear to ear, and it was one of the best things I’d ever seen! This gentleman’s reaction to the dragster launching paled in comparison to that young man on so many levels! The next time you go to the races keep your eyes peeled for someone else’s first time at the drags
Love it!! But for a real initiation, I really get a kick outta' making a noob stand with the others watching the turn around engine build and make sure they are up front, close when the engine fires. You can tell the noobs... they jump about 3 feet from the racket of a fuel motor firing and cough, wipe their eyes from the nitro fumes. Hilarious!!.
Yep. That's exactly what is like. The first time I went to a professional class NHRA race and the top fuel cars took off I literally thought I was having a stroke. It's that powerful a feeling.
I remember as a teenager going to the old green valley drag strip up by Dallas, feeling it in your chest when they hit the green light. Awesome memories
It's too bad they don't do the throttle "blip" to set the clutch anymore. Always got applause.
My first time at a race the Milwaukee mile. My cousin took me to the side of the track and we watched the cars go by at 160+ probably closer to 180. Unbelievable to watch it live. Deafening sounds and sights loved it
I can only imagine how it feels to be inside one of those beasts when they do what they do!
Holy moly I felt that down to my atoms!
I'm sure I did the same thing the first time I watched Top Fuel Dragsters!
SOOO awesome!
NHRA First Time !!!
Rick Ayres Jr Glad you enjoyed it Rick. My first professional drag race was over forty years ago. I am hoping to be going to the NHRA Carolina Nationals in Charlotte in September. I am in bad need of a nose full of nitro.
welcome to the family,, the thunder is insane and addicting!!
Yes, we know you're a piece of shit.
The T.V. does not do these cars justice. You just found out the hard way. Lol
Bet he's addicted like US now, huh!?
i think the dude in the red with the bandana who stood and cheered the driver is the funniest lololol
die hard fan right there
My 1st experience at any drag event was I think his name Dixon for Miller Lite, top fuel practice run. Standing in burn out box at Indianapolis. It's 10 feet from the track. I was set up perfect, and with no warning Whammm! My buddies laughed for years. It damn near thumped the life outta me. The concussive force of them taking off was staggering. Thank God I stuck my fingers in my ears. I said "it was like a bomb" , The crew chief confirmed to me afterwards, "it literally was a bomb going off" as he couldn't wipe the smile from his face. It was AMAZING. Great joke fellas
You just don’t hear it...you feel it too ! Exciting as hell...
Drags are an awesome experience…nothing like it. I’m 63, a woman, and Love It. Looking forward to Thunder Valley in Bristol in June. When they light it up on the line, it feels like the air is being sucked out of your chest.
Yes I want to see them at night breathing fire
That guy that jumped up out of his seat deserves academy award he is just too funny
Why would he get that??? He’s not an actor…
@@godsfavoriterick no but he is a comedian
@@godsfavoriterick the guy should be on TV he is funny
@@godsfavoriterick I'll pick you up a good potential to do well
Oh brother. It's so fast,loud and fun. I'm glad that you got to experience that.
Great experience!!!
The man behind to the left in the hat smiling at the reaction was the best. He got to witness the reaction and the race. 2FER!
I remember my first time, and I was standing along the fence.
Temporarily lost his man card 😂
Took a black bud to the Popular Hot Rod Championships at US 131 Dragway. Top Fuel & Funny Car Qualifying 'bout blew him away. All he could say is, "Man, I got to get me one of them things."
Lol my first time was at Willowbank Raceway when Jim Read had his beast running....and WOW what a kick start to your system...went straight
back to the pits once I heard we had access so off I went to watch a tear down and restart for a warm up....BOY it was worth the fumes and watery eyes just to hear that BLAP BLAP BLAP from the good old Hemi....😱😱😯😯
Gota love people’s reactions to pure power love it lol
That sound hits you right in the chest every time