Ladies and Gentlemen, PLEASE, please, I know, I NOW know, it ISN'T jet fuel 😂 please please spare me 😂😂 P.s. Also, I now know that 8 seconds was also a social injustice on my part 😂
Another type of racing you might enjoy is sprint cars! 1400 lb (635 kg) winged cars with 800 hp V8s raced on dirt oval tracks. They are wild! No transmissions either…strictly push start. Many of the top NASCAR drivers come from this type of racing. Cheers…nice to see your reactions!
Television does NOT do it justice. You have to go to a National event here in the states if you ever get the chance. Hearing the cars is incredible. Feeling them rock your whole body is insane. If you can't make it to one in the states, I have a lot of friends from the U.K. that go to Santa Pod. Santa Pod Raceway, Airfield Road, Podington, Wellingborough, Northants, NN29 7XA, England. You'll never forget the experience! Hope you make it to one. And if you do have fun! I worked in both NHRA and NASCAR. Love both series but there is no rush like being at a drag race
NITRO! Thank you for watching and commenting, some others have also said that the video does absolutely NOTHING to showcase the ferocity of these monsters! Hoping to get to Santa Pod sooner rather than later! Glad you enjoyed
Forgot to mention bring ear plugs and sun glasses. Because you could get hit with rubber from almost anywhere in the stands. Should make them wear a light colored shirt and get close. Then at the end of the day you can have a good laugh at the speckled shirt. Some foreigners might even like to frame it at home. you never know.
I legit stood and watch the Fram team disassemble and reassemble between races at Atlanta Dragway and when they went to fire it up I hadn't noticed the crowd around me disappeared. I was enveloped in a cloud of green and immediately started crying, coughing gagging and everyone got a good laugh. At the time I was embarrassed, but now its one of my fondest memories from my teenage years.
As a child I used to run away from the starting cars. As an adult, I'm running to every car I hear fire up. At some point I do have to step away and get a few minutes of oxygen, but then it's right back into the trenches
2 of John Force's daughters have actually driven their cars faster than daddy. He gets the biggest grin on his face when they win. My favorite drag racer was Don Garlitz. My uncle built engines for his top fuel cars for 22 years.
Oh yeah, "Big Daddy" Don Garlitz was the one who got me interested in drag racing back in the 80's. I think The Big Bud Shootout was my introduction to his racing. Quite a racer, and I watched John Force as well.
The Force family is incredible. Brittany holds all 10 of the top 10 fastest runs in NHRA history. If you have the chance to go watch some of John’s interviews do it, he’s absolutely nuts and I love it. Side note, the best quote I ever heard about NHRA came from Funny Car driver Ron Capps: “I get the chance to go to a lot of other races with some great race car drivers, they’ll drive anything. But when I offer them to get into a 10,000 horsepower Funny Car like I drive they say ‘not a chance!’”
Holy Shit, I'm glad I saw this video then and had nothing but respect for her 😂😂 but seriously she is INCREDIBLE, braver than me by a LONG shot! Yeah 10,000 angry horses would make a lot of people think twice 😂 Thank you for watching
when i was 6-12 years old, we did all kind of fun with cars and stuff, we even played "robber and police" with airsoft guns and mopeds and light truck and we were shooting and jumping out from the truck's bed into snow from speed of like 60km/h XD afterwards in my current age and condition, i would not survive that play xD
At the track when these things take off, your vision goes blurry and you can literally feel your blood vibrating throughout your whole body lol these things are monsters to actual monsters!!
@@ExploringTheSmoke I was a kid in the 1960s when this kind of thing was first hitting its stride, watching racers like Danny Ongais find out how not to build funny cars by blowing them up. There’s no experience even remotely like it except witnessing a very large rocket launch. Nitromethane was first used as an additive to what was basically very high octane aviation gasoline because it gave a bit more power. Now it’s used almost pure because, while most of it isn’t actually burned during the run, it carries off the heat generated by the engine. Did you notice those ten to twelve thousand horsepower engines don’t have radiators? If they tried to run on plain gasoline they would melt. Why would anyone want to go that fast? Same reason Americans build monster trucks and land speed record “cars”. Because we can!
@@markfergerson2145 thank you for the comment Mark, and the kick arse knowledge! And for your "because we can"..... Is a bloody good enough reason to me 😂💪🏻
Messes with your equilibrium also. Ground shaking shockwave. Only in person for sure. I try and make the Gators every year. It don't always work out though. Grew up a mile from Speed World in Orlando.
Courtney was signing a tire because you can actually buy the old tires as souvenirs from some of the teams. The autograph shows where/who it came from. Sometimes they also sell spent engine parts for the same reason. It's yet another way that people feel a strong connection with the whole NHRA community...
David, Welcome! Thank you for watching, I'm glad you enjoyed and thank you for the information! I think that's a bloody brilliant way for fans to truly have a memory from the race and the day
I have a signed connecting rod from Cruz Pedregon, a melted piston from Don Prudhomme's Army Monza back in 1976, and a hunk of an exploded blower case from John Force's car from like 1988 I think it was.
@@ExploringTheSmoke I would have put a pic up, but when I moved 5 years ago, I put all that stuff in a box and it's in my spare bedroom and buried under a ton of other boxes. I just didn't want to mess with it. I bought the connecting rod, the others I got for free. My one friend got a signed tire from Force, but he gave it away, it smelled and was huge besides.
They gave us pistons and rods from a Barrell they were throwing them in , no charge. I have a J&E and a Child's and Albert sets. I think it was Doug Kalitta's pit. Didn't know that some charge $$$.
Back in the day, roughly 1970 or so, the dragsters did run close to 8 seconds down the track. Today they run 1000 feet, which started in 2008 after Scott Kalitta died in a crash. If they were still running the full quarter mile, they'd easily do so in 4 seconds at over 340 MPH.
And it was Kenny Bernstein's crewchief back in the day who had figured out that more nitro you can put in the motor the more power it makes hence why theses motors of today are producing such outragous amounts of horsepower and torque!!
John Force has been my favorite Driver for years in Funny Car in the NHRA. I was a fan of John back when he couldn't win a race to save his life, but he always gave 100%, and win or lose was always a great interview. When he finally started his winning it was so great that all his hard work was finally showing sucess, and winning never changed him. He still was great with the fans and gave everything he had in every race. His daughters are awesome as well.
Yeah, John always inspired us with hope, looking and sounded like he just fell off of a bar stool with the rest of us. One of my first Force family memories is of a 16 year old me on the lookout for John in the hopes of getting my ticket stub signed. I finally marshalled the nerve to ask his wife about his whereabouts. She looked around, annoyed, and from that look alone, I was ready to bolt, but she said: "Hell, I don't know, but knowing him, he's probably somewhere eating. If you find him tell him to get his ass back here." Admittedly I was so rattled that I didn't go looking for him, as I felt that I had just escaped with my life. After having grown up and put a few miles on my odometer, I can see she was just messing with me, but at the time, that 16 year old kid was terrified.
Yes, John came out of that big beautiful bus and talked to us fans like we were his neighbors over for a bbq. His love of racing always shined through.
When these things take off you think your heart is shaking. You feel you throat vibrating in your neck. There isn’t anyone whos first reaction was an almost panic at the noise and sensory overload. It’s addicting. Just think. By the time the rear wheels reach the starting line (they start with the front of the car on the line) it’s already doing over 100 mph.
Diver! Down? D.D? WELCOME! thank you for the comment and man! Heavy metal has screwed most of my hearing so far so I may as well see these beasts in person 😂
Forget the concert, it's louder than the Blue Angels. That's another show that shakes your chest and ear protection is mandatory, but Top Fuel is still on a whole different level.
Back in the late 70's, my best friend's father was a friend of Jim Dunn, a well known Funny car driver. He was known as the King of the Burn Outs. He would literally smoke the tires the entire length of the 1/4 mile, then turn around and smoke them back to the start. It was all just to impress the fans. One year my friend and I got to serve as a very small part of Jim's team, at an event called 64 Funny cars at the Seattle International Raceway. I stood 3 feet in front of the car when they fired it up. They didn't use the protective equipment they have now, so I had no ear or eye protection. When that motor fired up, it was like someone driving a hot needle into your ears. When the car launched at the start, I was within 20 feet of it. People have commented about the shock wave you feel from the car. Try it at 20 feet :) There is literally no experience like professional drag racing.
Welcome Michael and thank you for the awesome comment, the one thing I will say, everyone who's been too/been around a race, all have a brilliant memory that sticks out to them and that to me is the best part of the sport. Thanks for watching glad you enjoyed 💪🏻
When I was a kid, probably around 1970, these top-fuel eliminator car races were broadcast on a TV show called "The Wide World of Sports," a sports variety show that would show highlights of recent sports competitions. I saw several of the engines of those cars blow up on the track.
I have both been drag racing and watched many drag races. It's loud, I love burnouts, and now, the scent of toasted tires and exhaust fumes are smells that I now can't get enough of. It's an absolute experience to say the least. Controlled chaos for mere seconds.
Man my first time at winternationals I was blown away, being 5’ behind a top fuel car when it fires up is crazy, ground shaking, heart pounding, deafening, eyes burning! When they were racing we got to stand at the Jersey barriers by the starting line, after the first funny cars took off I looked at my brother in law and said “what’s all over your face?” He said “what’s all over yours?” Turns out it was a whole bunch of chunks of rubber from the tires! Lol. John Force broke 300 mph that day, I believe that was the first time a funny car had done that. It’s an incredible experience, and the racers and pit guys are so cool.
Everyone should experience top fuel drag racing at least once. The sonic shockwave rips through your body, then you feel a breeze move past that smells of burnt nitro. It leaves your eyes watering. It is crazy.
Scott Kalitta RIP th-cam.com/video/Yr-dK_o4lYA/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=FatalMotorsportChannel Blaine Johnson RIP th-cam.com/video/vaJYgOhQdps/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=FatalMotorsportChannel Amazing that no one was killed on this one th-cam.com/video/IiEv0j-SzlQ/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=LitbyNoonProductions
I used to work at a place a few buildings down from a machine shop that made engines for this type of racing occasionally. The guy who owned it used to build these engines full-time in the 70's and early 80's, but decided to step away from it and open up his own machine shop. He had a wall in his office covered in pictures of engines that he'd built for customers with a tag for the cost of the engine and the dyno'd horsepower it produced, and at the top was all top fuel engines ranging from about $50,000 to $90,000 producing 8,000+ horsepower. I remember being at work one day when he dyno'd one of them and it was the loudest sound I've ever heard and I could feel it in my bones from about 1/4 mile away. A truly terrifying amount of power.
when I was a kid, we lived about 5 miles from the Hallsville drag strip. Every saturday night, we could hear the cars racing even from 5 miles away. My Dad finally took us to the drag strip and man.... I mean man... there is nothing like it, and I mean nothing. It stinks, it's hot, it's noisy, and it is absolutely amazing. The ground and the grandstands literally rumble when the cars take off.
Those hot rods at the hot rod shows you've been to are where the NHRA started. Take a look back at it's origins in the 40's and 50's after WWII and you will easily see it's roots. It's "evolved" a bit since then.
Yeah the guy I went to shows with was heavily into restoration/resto-modding, the classics I've seen you could the years and the memories made in those metal boxes
Read a book called "They call me Mr. 500" by Andy grantelli, he is known mostly for his indy car ties (and the famouse turbine indy car he once fielded, but he talks about his ties to drag racing back in the 50's.
There's a hella nice dragstrip in Podington, Bedfordshire, England named Santa Pod Raceway. Many professional racers from the US and Australia race there at times.
Wow now that you've mentioned it it's like an alarm went off in my brain!! I've definitely heard of it, maybe I'll look into race days this year! Thank you for watching Z 💪🏻
@Exploring The Smoke I truly think it will blow your mind if you catch a weekend that Top Fuel and Funny cars run. The noise and vibration are like nothing you've ever experienced. Also, don't you sleep it's 4:30 AM there isn't it? 🤣
Definitely go to Santa Pod for a race meet. Try to choose one with top fuelers if you want to see what’s in this video. Walk around and talk to everyone who doesn’t look like they’re really busy, tell them it’s your first time and ask questions. You’ll find they’re the friendliest people you’ll ever meet. Most of the UK drag racers know each other. Sit in the stands and watch the cars, you can see the entire run beginning to end and a big scoreboard tells you the time and speed. It’s a great weekend and very addictive.
Greetings from America. Love reaction here. Just subscribed too. I been to a few here in America. The raw power to see them upclose on the strip, watching it on video is nothing! you feel the power, the heat, the smell, the vibrations rumbling through the ground, feel it in your chest, everything. It is amazing to witness in person! I could not imagine going 330 mph in 4 seconds and having to employ the parachute to stop my car. going from 5 G's to negative G's is insane.
Welcome Mikey and thank you commenting, the g force transfer if the part that impresses me the most and thank you for pointing it out, glad you enjoyed the video
I regularly attend the NHRA drag races in Sonoma, CA and the cars can be heard from about 10 miles away. When you're there, you can feel it in your bones.
Even knowing whats going to happen, the first time you hear one of these in person will scare you. They are unlike anything you've ever heard. You just don't hear these cars, you feel them. Like a punch in the chest as they blow past you. The starting line shakes enough to register on the richter scale. Having just a normal ticket grands you paddock access so you get to see all the hard work the mechanics put into the cars. oh and another tidbid. The NHRA also has drag bikes. Which end their runs at 260mph. Insanity.
Glad you enjoyed 💪🏻 I listened 😂 I can imagine the force you feel from these monsters! Well the next time I'm stateside I'll definitely be adding some NHRA to the trip for sure
@@ExploringTheSmoke If you set your carbonated drink down on the stands during a run, you may find it empty when it's over... the sound pressure alone is enough to shake water out of an open cup.
You described it exactly. I would only add that a spectator also smells burning rubber from the tires. Being at a top fuel drag race is a full sensory experience. There's nothing else like it in all the world of auto racing.
I've been going to NHRA and independent fuel races since 1973. I was hooked from the second I saw the first Funny Car race on TV around 1971 or so. You have to see them in person to really understand the appeal of them.
Grandpa was a drag racer in the fifties ans sixties. He never played with Nitro, but in class A Gas, he ran 12.9 with a 55 thunderbird, and later 10.91 in a 1962 Bocar prototype. Guess that's why two more generations of us kept racing. Once you get the "bug", it never leaves.
You simply MUST see this spectacle in person. It is a full on sensory assault. The sound level alone will cause your vision to blur. The smell of the nitromethane, blended with the aroma of burning rubber, the camaraderie between fans is as good as I've seen from ANY sports team, and topping it all off, the superstars of the sport are very approachable, and right there in the pits, meeting fans, taking pictures, signing autographs, it's truly a wholesome family outing, as well. I've never seen ANYONE that I've introduced to the sport that wasn't immediately ready to go back next time. My home track is located in Bristol TN, known as Thunder Valley(for obvious reasons) and we actually have our races at night, called "Night of Fire". It is beyond cool to see those six foot tall nitromethane flames burning hard on either side of the engine as they surpass 320mph. As vividly as you think I might have described the experience, I'm actually struggling for words good enough to frame said event, as this is one of those lifetime chapters that can only be experienced, because no hearsay or TV screen could EVER do it justice. BTW, check out the NHRA's motorcycle classes if you get the chance. They're not quite as fast as Top Fuel Funnycar/Dragster, they say this is due to a lack of horsepower, I say it's the weight of these guys' balls holding them back.
Larson!! Thank you for the amazing comment, I'm glad you enjoyed!! The top fuel bikes are something I'm going to be looking into for sure, and hopefully will get to have my bones rattled in person one day soon!
@@ExploringTheSmoke If you intend to make a vid to post up of your first NHRA event, if I could make a suggestion, I would urge you to have a second camera recording your reaction, as well as the on track excitement. I've been to so many races, that I just watch the faces of the newbie's go from apprehension to disbelief to awe, with their jaw hanging open, followed by a big goofy smile. I'm throwing you a sub so that I won't miss seeing you wearing that same grin. A word of warning, you'll be hooked for life, and there is no cure, just a yearly fix. Seriously though, I do have a REAL warning. Hearing protection is an ABSOLUTE MUST a Top Fuel, side by side race is simply the loudest goddamn thing I've ever heard in my life. There are usually jet powered dragsters doing exhibition runs at most events, and the jets don't come anywhere near the sound pressure levels of two fire breathing Top Fuel engines, each throwing down 12,000 horsepower. I will offer this story as my evidence. One particular race day, my crew and I were suffering a run of bad luck and we were running very late. So late that we hadn't yet made it to the track and the early Top Fuel qualifying session was underway. I knew this, because we had stopped to grab a burger and we could hear the Top Fuel cars making their qualifying passes a full 42 miles away from that particular McDonald's. That is 100% truth. As I said earlier, the force of the sound blurs your vision, because your eyeballs are literally rattling in their sockets.
@@LarsonPetty wow what a memory! Thank you for sharing and trust me if we do get to see these monsters in person you can be very VERY sure there will be multiple angles of my face looking like a baby that just crapped his pants 😂😂
I used to own a 1967 Camaro with a 762 cubic inch engine that develops 6,700 horsepower. My car did the quarter mile in 5.17 seconds at 267 miles per hour. It is the ride of your life! the only thing that gave me a biggerthrill was sitting in the rear seat of my uncles FA-18 fighter being launched by catapault from an aircraft carrier which he got special permission for 2 weeks before he retired from the U.S. Navy after a 30 year career.
From the USA, and I have been to NHRA events many times, and the one thing I can tell you is you must wear hearing protection. When they leave the starting line you can feel the bleachers shake. You should look for Z Max drag way because unlike most tracks they run four at a time, and the top two finishers of each race move on to the next round and two are eliminated.
Scrambler! Welcome! Thank you for the comment, many people have said about ear pro so I'm praying I still have hearing after we actually see these beasts 😂 glad you enjoyed
Been to 3 NHRA events in Las Vegas. It is unlike anything else. Top Fuel and Funny Car shake you to your core and even though Funny Cars are "slower" than Top Fuel dragsters, they are without a doubt louder. You must wear EP while watching Funny Cars and Top Fuel Dragsters live. Other than a major crash, the worst thing to happen watching live is a blown cylinder, which spills raw fuel all over the track or a part fails and blows the engine leaving pieces of metal on the track. Both take FOREVER to clean up lol The good thing is that when it does happen you can leave the stands and go to the back area close to other cars pit area. Watch them cleaning the car, reinstalling parts, start the engine up. There's only a rope between you and the car up close. It's unbelievable! And if you're ever lucky enough to be right next to the pit area when they start the car up and then blast (I forget the right term for it) the engine for a second, you'll never forget it. That nitro fuel will burn your eyes like crazy XD Why do I love this hahaha I'll tell you this, if you like NHRA even slightly, look up the best Holeshot wins in NHRA history. You won't be disappointed.
Thank you for taking time out to write this comment! I'm definitely intrigued with these vehicles that's for sure! Next time I'm stateside I'm gonna have to see some of these cars in action! Thank you for watching, I'm glad you enjoyed 💪🏻 and your request is added to the list 🙏🏻
Only NHRA race I saw we had to park a long way away, maybe close to a mile. When we pulled up to that parking lot, we could still clearly hear and FEEL the top fuelers from that distance. Awesome power is an understatement...you just have to experience for yourself if you ever get a chance. BTW, that was like 25 years ago...they are just faster, louder, and rowdier now lol.
Hey man enjoyed the video. I’m a member of speed girl racing out of Tucson Arizona in the US. The videos don’t do it justice when you stand near these cars you feel it in your chest and your eyes are burning from the fuel. It’s an unbelievable feeling. You have to go to a race it’s so much fun.
It only makes sense that these two ladies would drive that fast, in those cars. The Force name is legendary in the NHRA. If you get the time, and the opportunity, try to find a couple races from John Force (their father). You'll see where that talent comes from.
Jim! Thank you for the comment and for watching! Glad you enjoyed, as for racing here, we've been looking at going to Santa Pod this year for race days, fingers crossed we get there
@Exploring The Smoke I'm going next weekend to the main event and there is one in September, I'm taking my friends who basically have no idea what it is. I can't wait to scare the shit out of them 🤣
It's the loudest sport I've ever experienced...it was uncomfortably loud. But to see one of those cars go down the track in person is by far the most impressive thing I've ever seen
We go to the Gator National races every few years, here in Florida. The dragsters really do vibrate you as they go down the drag strip. In fact, the Top Fuel dragsters vibrate you so hard that you will see double. Top Fuel will make you feel the fillings in your teeth shake, your chest will rumble, and the vibrations are so brutal that it will make your beer go flat when you sit in the bleachers. Big Daddy Don Garlitts also has a great museum just down the road
That's pretty effin impressive that man, made such incredibly powerful monsters just for the entertainment of others! Thank you for watching Dee, glad you enjoyed
I grew up with drag racing. My dad started taking my brother and I when we were 6 years old. That was back in 1967. Awesome times, running around the pits as a kid. Collecting stickers from everyone we could. Growing up to race, stock category, when I was old enough. Then, working with NHRA on the certification team for Stock and Super Stock. Memories for a lifetime. I still remember my number, it was 7917 from Division 7, I ran a J/SA, 1965 Plymouth Barracuda.
I used to go to Memphis Motorsports Park in Memphis,Tennessee to watch NHRA back in the 00s. I can say that when it comes to Funny Cars and Top fuel dragsters. Watching it on TV does no justice. It is SO unbelievably LOUD, that your drink will vibrate out if your hand. You can actually feel you inner organs vibrating. Is a WEIRD feeling if you’ve never experienced it before. And they’re not lying, even up in the stands, your eyes and nose burns and the smell of nitromethane smells pretty different than any other fuel. If you are a car enthusiast and you like fast cars, you MUST!!! Go see a race at least once (in person). This is certainly a bucket list item. And it’s amazing how fast they get to the pistons. And anyone with a race ticket can go in the pits and watch the crew work and you may even get to see the driver.
You need to go see them live. Video does no justice on how fast and loud they are. Shakes you to the core for the 4 secs. I was raised at these races since I was 3. It’s a truly amazing experience.
Welcome Artus! Currently trying to see if we can get to the raceway here in the UK at some point to get our bones rattled! Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed 💪🏻
Glad to see someone appreciate one of our insane sports haha. The biggest race for the NHRA is in my state(Indiana). Worth the most points and starts the chase for the championship. That track isn’t far from where the Indy 500 and the brickyard for nascar so it gets crazy in the summertime here
The top speed record is over 338 mph from a dead stop on a 1000-ft race track. The young lady at the 2:50-3:05 segment of the video is Brittany Force, who has run all 10 of the fastest mph on record. The elapsed time record is 3.62 seconds for the full run. The initial 60-ft from a dead stop typically takes about 0.6 second. The record for an eighth mile (660-ft) is 299 mph, though typically they "only" go to 291-292 mph. The engines, for various reasons, cannot be tested on a dynamometer / engine testing machine, but mathematical simulations of horsepower required to achieve these performance parameters are that it takes 10,000 SAE gross horsepower to achieve those performance levels. THEN, its necessary to add in an additonal1,000 hp to compensate for the aerodynamic drag of the rear "wing" that keeps the tires loaded to avoid wheel spin. So, a top fuel engine really is putting out 11,000 SAE gross horsepower. The engines used are aftermarket adaptations of the 1964-1971 Chrysler 426 Hemi engines. oversized from 426 cubic inches to 500 cubic inches displacement (7.0 liters to 8.2 liters displacement. The supercharger pressurizes the engine to 60-lbs; superchargers are used instead of turbo chargers because the superchargers are pumping positive pressure at all times, whereas a turbocharger takes a few seconds to "spool up" by which time the race is over. Plus, the engine's exhaust is discharging white-hot heat (see pictures of the fuel dragsters throwing out enormous quantities of white-hot heat flames, which would melt a turbocharger nearly instantaneously.
Dude... It is the LOUDEST mechanical noise you will ever experience. You internal organs will feel the sounds. You must go to a drag race and experience it all. The pits, the starting line, the finish line and and all other aspects of drag racing. It's an amazing show. Bring ear plugs!
I was lucky to have seen the top fuel dragsters live in person at Las Vegas. I was seated at the starting position and quite literally blown away! Amazing stuff!
I have been to many NHRA National Events over decades of time. I am a an engineer and fan of any motorsport. Also been to many F1, NASCAR, and local short track racing. Of all of the forms of racing I have seen in person NHRA is the most intense on qualifying and race day. Impossible to get bored. The crews are amazing at dealing with adversity (e.g when the car wins the round, but has an engine explosion and the car needs much more than a 30 minute turn around. Those fires burn up everything). Because of deaths and danger the current NHRA Top Fuel Classes (Dragster and Funny Car) only run 1000 feet (the change was made ~10-15 years ago). Other classes run 1/4 mile. Ironically I was at Bristol TN last weekend and took a girl friend of mine to see it for the first time. She really enjoyed it and was blown away with the sound and intense full body vibration you feel as spectator. "Every ticket is a pit pass" is true. You often can get autographs and photos with most all of the drivers. On your next trip to the states, I encourage you to look at the NHRA schedule and add a trip to an NHRA national race as part of your visit here. First time viewer of your channel. Cheers from Virginia!
Back in the 1970s I was majoring in journalism at Arizona State University in Tempe. In one class, broadcast news production, I accompanied a reporter and film crew from a TV station in Phoenix to the Winter Nationals at Thunderbird Raceway (no longer around). We set up the camera and sound at the starting line to film the top fuelers. Before each race, the crews would douse the track with gallons of bleach to improve traction. I was wearing ear plugs, but when those cars came up to the stating line, it felt like an earthquake, and when they took off, I thought my brain was turning into Jello. Interesting experience.
John Force is a legend. I’ve always had an interest in these beasts but wouldn’t consider myself a fan in the know and even I know about John and his family. Great vid! 👍🏼
Drag racing is a rush. Cars, bikes, snow machines, golf carts and pretty much everything with wheels. The sensation of those monsters on the track. Going out and running a ten second pass is pretty wild too.
He stated a quarter mile. A few years ago, NHRA reduced the length of the race for the 2 nitro classes (Top Fuel and Funny Car), to 1000 feet, 304.8 meters (a quarter mile is 1320 feet 402.336 meters). This was done for safety reasons due to many of the tracks had short "shut down" areas and a couple of drivers were killed when they crashed into barriers at or near the end the shut down area. Most of the lower classes (Pro Stock, Pro Modified, Pro Stock Motorcycle) still use the 1/4 mile distance. However, some of lowest classes (I do not mean this as a put down) use an 1/8 mile track.
It's been awhile, but yes - I've seen the funny cars and top fuelers run in person. Step 1 - bring LOTS of ear protection; Step 2 - be prepared. More than hearing them, you will feel it coming up through the ground. It's a seismic experience that language can't capture. Unbelievable power. No film does it justice. Simply off the planet.
You can't possibly even begin to imagine it unless you're there in person. Imagine an 1800's railroad construction crew pounding you in the chest with bags of rice as fast as they can, dozens of times a second. That's at idle. When they go, the sound is just bonkers.
I was kid the first time I went. We had to walk about a quarter mile to get to the entrance. The closer we got, the vibrations could be felt deep inside your guts. Those cars are awesome
Some top fuel facts for you: *One Top Fuel dragster 500 cubic-inch Hemi engine makes more horsepower (10,000 HP) than the first 5 rows at the Daytona 500. * Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1.2-1.5 gallons of nitro methane per second; a fully loaded 747 consumes jet fuel at the same rate with 25% less energy being produced. * A stock Dodge Hemi V8 engine cannot produce enough power to merely drive the dragsters 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 air/fuel mixture for nitro methane the flame front temperature measures 7050 degrees F. * Nitromethane 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 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 exhaust valves at 1400 degrees F. The engine can only be shut down by cutting the fuel flow. * If spark momentarily fails early in the run, un-burned nitro builds up in the affected cylinders and then explodes with sufficient force to blow cylinder heads off the block in pieces or split the block in half. * Dragsters reach over 300 MPH before you have completed reading this sentence. * In order to exceed 300 MPH in 4.5 seconds, dragsters must accelerate an average of over 4 G's. In order to reach 200 MPH well before half-track, the launch acceleration approaches 8 G's. * Top Fuel engines turn approximately 540 revolutions from light to light! * Including the burnout, the engine must only survive 900 revolutions under load. * The redline is actually quite high at 9500 RPM. * THE BOTTOM LINE: Assuming all the equipment is paid off, the crew worked for free, & for once, NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs an estimated $1,000 per second. 0 to 100 MPH in .8 seconds (the first 60 feet of the run) 0 to 200 MPH in 2.2 seconds (the first 350 feet of the run) 6 g-forces at the starting line (nothing accelerates faster on land) 6 negative g-forces upon deployment of twin ‘chutes at 300 MPH
I grew up at the track in Portland Oregon. Whe I started going the cars we're running 5 second et's at around 245mph now they run 10k hp at 330+ mph. Back in the late 70's they had a race called the 32 funny car's. They would line up 16 car's per lane and fire them up all at once. You could taste the nitro methane in the air and your ears rang for day's. Best summers ever!!
16 per lane would be bone rattling!! Damn I'd love to have experienced that! Thank you for watching, glad you enjoyed, and more will be coming soon 🙏🏻💪🏻
I grew up in Portland, but they were already done with nitro. My dad says back in the day when they ran fuel at PIR, you could hear them all the way from Oaks Park.
@@JETZcorp your dad is telling the truth bud! The Kent neighborhood is what killed drag racing in Portland. So they moved it down to Woodburn and that didn't last long. Now we have to head up to Seattle to see the races.
I had the opportunity to go to a nhra show in Norwalk Ohio for the first time last year. I alway heard from friends that when top fuel and funny cars launch off the line it's registers on the rictor scale its absolutely true. When the drive past you after 60 foot you feel the power in your chest. If you get the opportunity to go and witness a a shoe like this Do it.
Most NHRA events are two wide events, with just two car’s racing one another. But there are two, in Concord, NC and Las Vegas that are 4-wide events (yes, 4 cars racing one another at the same time!). When you have 4 Nitromethane burning cars hitting that loud pedal at the Christmas tree, that is more horsepower (44K horsepower) than an entire NASCAR field.
I used to go to the NHRA track in Houston and have a press pass to be on the starting line - there is nothing like it - when the Funny cars or the Rails (Top Fuelies) stage and do their burnouts - the ground literally shakes under your feet - you can feel the vibration - and the noise is deafening (you have to wear ear protection - I always wore my shooting protection) - I am no more than 25 to 50 feet from them. Oh, and the smell - love it - burning rubber, nitro-methane, gasoline, nitrous, etc. I drove my uncle's Pro-Gas (it's Comp nowadays) '68 Vette in the early 80's - we pulled +/- 800hp - running nitrous - usually ran low 9's in the qtr. Most exciting run - pulled hole-shot (means perfect timing off the tree) - 1/2 way - hit the nitrous - I knew I had my opponent - then I felt the car nose over (basically you can feel the engine starting to come apart) - threw a rod and blew the left head off the engine - destroyed the engine - which blew the entire left front side of the car off - oil fire, the works - luckily deployed the chute, but still hit the guardrail... Racing may about competition and the like, but it's also a community... My opponent in that race used his car to keep me on the track and force me into the guardrail - to get it stopped - he's the guy that pulled me from the car - we both got a little singed, but all walked away - thanks John T...
Competition or not, we're still both here for the love of the sport and we don't want to see anyone actually injured, I love that, sportsmanship is great in any sport, and what a memory/story you have, thank you for sharing and I'm glad you enjoyed the video
For reference Force family runs under JFR (John Force Racing). As of 2023 team members are John Force (father and funnycar driver....16 time world champion) Courtney Force (daughter and former funnycar driver) BrittanyForce (top fuel dragster driver...2 time world champion) Ashley Force (daughter and former funnycar driver) son-in-law Robert Hight (funnycar driver...3 time world champion) and long time team member who served in many mechanic positions Austin Prock (top fuel dragster driver). Austin's father Jimmy Prock has been a crew chief on several of the JFR cars over the years.
My favorite drag racers are Don Garlits, because I met him and he's just a fellow gearhead, and Jungle Jim Liberman. Liberman lived around 20 miles from me and everyone loved his performances, and of course we all LOVED Jungle Pam.
John Force has 16 Funny Car championships, it is quite easy to see where his daughters get their drive from. And Dad loves it when his daughters win, I believe he is happier when they win over himself winning. One incredibly close knit family.
Bit of personal family anecdote. Dad used to race Jet Boats. Not the Hydroplanes but Jet Boats. Your talking a small one man boat thats no more than couple inches thick with a 350 small block engine strapped into it with a Jet Impeler connected to it. Dad actually at one time set the World Record for fastest speed in a unblown, meaning it had a normal carborator, gas jet engine. He was going do a river at about 167 miles an hour. About 3 months later a kid in Texas beat dads record, WITH DADS BOAT. Dad had sold the kid the boat and he took it and got it up to think was 169 or low 170s.
@@ExploringTheSmoke lets put it into perspective.... the roar of these things of the start can be picked up on a seismic scale. 10-11 THOUSAND horsepower will literally shake the earth
Dude when I was about 10 my dad brought my brother and I to a drag race up at Brainerd International Raceway. My brother and I wanted to sit by the start line and watch the cars launch down the track, Dad looks at us and just shakes his head and says no, we're going to the finish line. We sit and the first set of cars line up and we watch them take off, but you can't really hear anything... and all of a sudden the damn stands and ground are shaking and these cars go zipping by and then sound hits just after the cars and rattles your Fing bones!!! it was the most wicked thing EVER!!
A real variety in Drag racing. Was so lucky to witness Rocket car Racing which "I believe" is now banned. Can remember watching and talking to the American late great legend "Slammin" Sammy Miller who raced here in England at Santa Pod with the Lunar Module Hydrogen Peroxide "rocket" (not jet) powered "Vanishing Point" Cars. He was banned at the time for speeding on a Drag Strip in the USA and loved it over here. He has World records that still stands. 12G acceleration ¼ mile at 386mph. 0-100mph in 0.36 seconds. Sammy had a second Drag Rocket car made "Oxygen" here in the UK and watched both Rocket Cars race side by side with another late great legend "Bootsie" Herridge. Sammy then added skis to 'Oxygen' to claim another World record... on ice. If you've ever seen a shock wave when a bomb goes off one funny time was Vanishing point after the countdown blasts off. The white shock wave blew out and smashed the Windows of the Control Tower. Footage of that is on TH-cam. If you were standing at the 3/4 part of the strip you could hear the car on the Tannoy before the sound of the car reached you. French legend Eric Teboul in September 2022 finish on a Rocket powered bike World record at the Pod 4.976seconds at 290.51mph and he still never ran the Bike at full power. Chances of these records being broken is very slim.
White shirt, loose tie! Love the name and welcome! Thank you for the mind boggling information, it amazes me that more people don't talk about the G force these drivers have to endure over such short distances
I have grown up in Indiana, USA. The Indianapolis 500 and the NHRA Summer Nationals are in muh bones. The thing about the nitro cars is that they are SO LOUD that the fluid in your eyes jiggles and you can't REALLY see.
Drag racing in the top fuel dragster and funny car classes used to be through the full, 1320 foot, quarter mile. But the speeds were becoming insanely fast at just under 400 mph,and, not unexpectedly, a big-name competitor eventually died from a crash at those speeds. So, for the top fuel dragster and funny car classes only, the race distance was cut back to 1000 feet. That action cut the speeds down substantially, as you may imagine!
I meannn from everything I've seen and heard....1000 feet and around 330mph is still plenty exciting haha thank you for commenting William, glad you enjoyed
Note when she was talking about the engine blowing up she said “when it blows up” not “if it blows up”. That statement makes the whole sport a lot scarier knowing it’s just a matter at time till it blows in your lap.
NOTHING can prepare you for the visceral effect of being nearby (unless you launch jets from an aircraft carrier). I stood behind (way behind) a jet car and I think I left my body. Definitely a wild time.
So Im from Oklahoma United States of America and yessir I have been to NHRA Drags at Tulsa Raceway Park and I can tell you it's an out of this world experience your first time you feel the boom of each cylinder as the car is idle at the line and when they build a lauch and take up its so loud the ground stands and your entire body reverbs with the roar of them monster American V8 Engines I recommend it if you haven't been a year since you posted this so if you still haven't put it on the bucket list man you wont regret it
I am still yet to feel my bones rattle in my frame!! I need it! Thank you for answering and you are one lucky son of a gun to have seen it many times in your life! Thank you for finding my little plot on the world wide web
According to Google Earth, I live 12.3 Km (7.6 m) as the crow flies from Bandimere raceway outside Denver, Colorado. This weekend they are having the Mile High Nationals. When the top fuel and funny cars are leaving the line, we can easily hear them standing out in our yard.
YOU NEED TO SEE THESE RACE LIVE. the power coming off these things is absolutely insane- impossible to describe the full body experience you get. ear wax falls out of your ears, you can feel every cavity inside your body vibrate, you can feel your bones rattling. theres nothing else like it. id say listen to one without hearing protection just to establish the viciousness of those engines- but definitely plug your ears for the rest of the event lol. its an experience for sure.
@ExploringTheSmoke i have been to many NHRA events and the best way i can describe top fuel is that the cars are so loud the literally shake your eyeballs in your skull when the run, like a earthquake, like the sound is so absurd the jelly your eyes are made of vibrate at a higher frequency than your bones and it is AMAZING
I have been to the only (to my knowledge) 4-wide that event NHRA holds. The feel that you get in your chest when these machines launch is like nothing you've ever felt.
Even when NASCAR drivers are invited to this event to watch they are absolutely blown away at how loud these cars are not to mention how quickly they can go from a standstill and less than 4 seconds be doing over 300 MPH. When you impress drivers of cars with a 1000 plus horsepower as their race machine into thinking they’re slow is saying something. Simply put they are the fastest wheel driven cars in the world by a mile or 1000 feet in this case.
Their dad, John Force was an incredible guy. With all of his success, he stayed humble. He showed his kids where he grew up. He was poor. Nothing was handed to him. People didn't take his daughters seriously until they started kicking ass in competitions,
Back in the early 70's I took my Mom's 1965 Ford Falcon to Lyons Raceway (Long Beach, Ca) and took a run down the track. I won, but that's because I was the only car in that category 😁. In the mid 70's I dated a guy who ran a rail powered by a VW engine in the Comp Eliminator class. We raced at all the California tracks and the farthest east we went was to Denver. The highlight of each race were the top fuel and funny cars. As one person said, you don't "watch" these cars, you "feel" them. BTW, at the end of the races some tracks would run a jet car, which does indeed, use jet fuel. Back in the day no one wore masks to protect themselves from the affects of the fuel, which, in hindsight, was insane.
Judy! Welcome! Thank you for the incredible trip down memory lane I appreciated reading it! And boy oh boy, no masks back in the day is WILD! Thank you for watching I'm glad you enjoyed the reaction
40 yrs ago the two biggest weekends were summer and Winter nationals. Summer nationals was at Martin Dragway about 30 miles from where I grew up. Went every year for a long time
I personally have never been to an NHRA event YET. I plan to do that after I retire in the near future. The only advise I can give you is MAKE SURE you take ear protection with you if /when you go to one of these races, because those top fuel cars can put out 150 decibels. Same thing with tractor pull, and monster truck events, should you decide to take any of those in while you're here. I've been to many concerts in my days that afterwards my ears were ringing for 3 days. No clue what the Dbs were at those shows, but now I get tinnitus occasionally. So protect your hearing.
11000 hp. The blower (supercharger) takes 600 hp to run. Nitromethane has oxygen in the molecules. The clutch plates weld together during each run. The dual magnetos generate 40amps each.
The NHRA Fuel-Burning cars are restricted to fuel pumps with an output of 100 gallons per minute, which equates to 1.6 gallons per second under a full loading of the engine.. The blown fuel engines have (4) injectors per cylinder. 1). is before the air-fuel gets to the supercharger, another is just downstream from the supercharger, and two more are in the intake valve's intake port. If you would get a 1 1/2 gallon capacity bucket at a hardware store and fill it with water, then just turn it upside down so all the water flows out all at once, the water doesn't empty out of the bucket as fast as the top fuel engine burns the nitro methane fuel.
A top-fuel engine takes in so much nitro and air that it is almost at hydraulic lock at TDC. The life of the engine between rebuilds is about 1,000 revolutions - about 300 revolutions are used in a complete run to 330 mph. In most cases, the spark plugs are completely melted by the end of the run. You can often observe an engine begin firing due to heat rather than spark by mid-run. The most amazing thing about them is that they actually stay together for 4 seconds. And a miss on air humidity or temperature or track temperature can spell disaster.
"You could strap wings to it and take off." Look closer. They strap UPSIDE-DOWN wings to it to keep it on the ground! These cars will go flying even without wings, and some HAVE!
I loved going to the summer nationals with my dad in Indy. The saddest thing about the drag races today is it has become so unnecessarily expensive to go to, and what used to be included with your general admission is no longer included which was full access to the pit area. That's where you got autographs from men like Tony pedregon , Kenny Bernstein John Force and also got to watch mechanics rip the motors down to a bolt then rebuild them just to give the crowd a nice throttle whack. Now.... We want your money money money. My favorite was John Force however the nhra is pretty much controlled by the Force family.
Thank you Mike for the new perspective, I appreciate your honesty, it also makes me appreciate not everything is roses ALL the time, glad you enjoyed my man
@@ExploringTheSmoke most definitely. If you ever get a chance to go to a drag race, and I mean top fuel category stuff, go.... Not only will you enjoy the way the raw power sounds, you'll enjoy the way if feels too when it nearly collapses your chest.
"You could strap wings to that and it would take off." They have to strap upside-down wings to them to keep them on the ground. Look up Don Garlits' famous 'blowover' wheelstand.
![NHRA WILD RIDES 2023 A Year In Review [BRITISH REACTION]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/CRK4N1zMVw8/mqdefault.jpg)
![NHRA WILD RIDES 2023 A Year In Review [BRITISH REACTION]](/img/tr.png)
![How NASCAR was FASTER than a Ferrari at Le Mans [BRITISH REACTION]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/2nq5HlOfOmE/mqdefault.jpg)
![10,000 HORSEPOWER "BULLET" BOATS!! [British First Reaction]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/FqXb_nPuss4/mqdefault.jpg)
![ว้าว!ลุงบีมแบกทองมารับขวัญหลานกันยกบ้าน [cc] แดนแพทตี้ SS2 | EP.49 |](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Osihq1OAs-4/mqdefault.jpg)
Ladies and Gentlemen, PLEASE, please, I know, I NOW know, it ISN'T jet fuel 😂 please please spare me 😂😂
P.s. Also, I now know that 8 seconds was also a social injustice on my part 😂
FYI…they don’t shift gears either. The power is controlled by clutch slippage.
@@petedoug that's equally as terrifying as it is bloody impressive 😂
Another type of racing you might enjoy is sprint cars! 1400 lb (635 kg) winged cars with 800 hp V8s raced on dirt oval tracks. They are wild! No transmissions either…strictly push start. Many of the top NASCAR drivers come from this type of racing. Cheers…nice to see your reactions!
I'll have to give them a look, thank you for watching Pete, glad you enjoyed
@@ExploringTheSmoke *This is stupid, you should be telling us about the cave you were living in your whole life.*
Television does NOT do it justice. You have to go to a National event here in the states if you ever get the chance. Hearing the cars is incredible. Feeling them rock your whole body is insane. If you can't make it to one in the states, I have a lot of friends from the U.K. that go to Santa Pod. Santa Pod Raceway, Airfield Road, Podington, Wellingborough, Northants, NN29 7XA, England. You'll never forget the experience! Hope you make it to one. And if you do have fun! I worked in both NHRA and NASCAR. Love both series but there is no rush like being at a drag race
NITRO! Thank you for watching and commenting, some others have also said that the video does absolutely NOTHING to showcase the ferocity of these monsters! Hoping to get to Santa Pod sooner rather than later! Glad you enjoyed
YES.
100% correct, you can feel the power reverberate through your body when they run, it's amazing.
@@twillison8824 I seriously need to see a drag race again.
Forgot to mention bring ear plugs and sun glasses. Because you could get hit with rubber from almost anywhere in the stands.
Should make them wear a light colored shirt and get close. Then at the end of the day you can have a good laugh at the speckled shirt. Some foreigners might even like to frame it at home. you never know.
I legit stood and watch the Fram team disassemble and reassemble between races at Atlanta Dragway and when they went to fire it up I hadn't noticed the crowd around me disappeared. I was enveloped in a cloud of green and immediately started crying, coughing gagging and everyone got a good laugh. At the time I was embarrassed, but now its one of my fondest memories from my teenage years.
Nick, welcome!! And what a memory to have! Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed 💪🏻
As a child I used to run away from the starting cars. As an adult, I'm running to every car I hear fire up. At some point I do have to step away and get a few minutes of oxygen, but then it's right back into the trenches
@@jimmymarquez108 didn't Ivan Drago say it best...."if he dies....he dies" 😂😂
@@jimmymarquez108 Same here, theres nothing like the smell of nitromethane, eyes watering, ears destroyed, nose running😂😂😂
2 of John Force's daughters have actually driven their cars faster than daddy. He gets the biggest grin on his face when they win. My favorite drag racer was Don Garlitz. My uncle built engines for his top fuel cars for 22 years.
Your uncle sounds like a badass!
Oh yeah, "Big Daddy" Don Garlitz was the one who got me interested in drag racing back in the 80's. I think The Big Bud Shootout was my introduction to his racing. Quite a racer, and I watched John Force as well.
@@Uncultured_Barbarian465 thank you for the memory Barbarian, glad you enjoyed 💪🏻
The Force family is incredible. Brittany holds all 10 of the top 10 fastest runs in NHRA history. If you have the chance to go watch some of John’s interviews do it, he’s absolutely nuts and I love it. Side note, the best quote I ever heard about NHRA came from Funny Car driver Ron Capps: “I get the chance to go to a lot of other races with some great race car drivers, they’ll drive anything. But when I offer them to get into a 10,000 horsepower Funny Car like I drive they say ‘not a chance!’”
Holy Shit, I'm glad I saw this video then and had nothing but respect for her 😂😂 but seriously she is INCREDIBLE, braver than me by a LONG shot!
Yeah 10,000 angry horses would make a lot of people think twice 😂 Thank you for watching
@Matthew Harrup Boring comment, misdirected complaining.
@Matthew Harrup boring wanker. Sad life. Took time out of your day to be negative. Do better friend. And also, it's a REACTION channel 😂😂😂
when i was 6-12 years old, we did all kind of fun with cars and stuff, we even played "robber and police" with airsoft guns and mopeds and light truck and we were shooting and jumping out from the truck's bed into snow from speed of like 60km/h XD afterwards in my current age and condition, i would not survive that play xD
@@MrBanaanipommi crazy the shit you look back on as a child and think....how did I survive that 😂
At the track when these things take off, your vision goes blurry and you can literally feel your blood vibrating throughout your whole body lol these things are monsters to actual monsters!!
I'm gonna have to get myself to a strip to see these beasts 💪🏻 Thanks for watching glad you enjoyed
@@ExploringTheSmoke there are top fuel runs that happen in the uk too, obviously just not as widespread as in the us
@@ExploringTheSmoke I was a kid in the 1960s when this kind of thing was first hitting its stride, watching racers like Danny Ongais find out how not to build funny cars by blowing them up. There’s no experience even remotely like it except witnessing a very large rocket launch.
Nitromethane was first used as an additive to what was basically very high octane aviation gasoline because it gave a bit more power.
Now it’s used almost pure because, while most of it isn’t actually burned during the run, it carries off the heat generated by the engine. Did you notice those ten to twelve thousand horsepower engines don’t have radiators? If they tried to run on plain gasoline they would melt.
Why would anyone want to go that fast? Same reason Americans build monster trucks and land speed record “cars”.
Because we can!
@@markfergerson2145 thank you for the comment Mark, and the kick arse knowledge! And for your "because we can"..... Is a bloody good enough reason to me 😂💪🏻
Messes with your equilibrium also. Ground shaking shockwave. Only in person for sure. I try and make the Gators every year. It don't always work out though. Grew up a mile from Speed World in Orlando.
Courtney was signing a tire because you can actually buy the old tires as souvenirs from some of the teams. The autograph shows where/who it came from. Sometimes they also sell spent engine parts for the same reason. It's yet another way that people feel a strong connection with the whole NHRA community...
David, Welcome! Thank you for watching, I'm glad you enjoyed and thank you for the information! I think that's a bloody brilliant way for fans to truly have a memory from the race and the day
I have a signed connecting rod from Cruz Pedregon, a melted piston from Don Prudhomme's Army Monza back in 1976, and a hunk of an exploded blower case from John Force's car from like 1988 I think it was.
@@nrd515 damn!! You got a history of racers in your garage that's awesome! Thank you for the comment
@@ExploringTheSmoke I would have put a pic up, but when I moved 5 years ago, I put all that stuff in a box and it's in my spare bedroom and buried under a ton of other boxes. I just didn't want to mess with it. I bought the connecting rod, the others I got for free. My one friend got a signed tire from Force, but he gave it away, it smelled and was huge besides.
They gave us pistons and rods from a Barrell they were throwing them in , no charge. I have a J&E and a Child's and Albert sets. I think it was Doug Kalitta's pit. Didn't know that some charge $$$.
Back in the day, roughly 1970 or so, the dragsters did run close to 8 seconds down the track. Today they run 1000 feet, which started in 2008 after Scott Kalitta died in a crash. If they were still running the full quarter mile, they'd easily do so in 4 seconds at over 340 MPH.
As if the speed they already reach isn't fast enough haha, thank you for watching and commenting Jeff, glad you enjoyed
And it was Kenny Bernstein's crewchief back in the day who had figured out that more nitro you can put in the motor the more power it makes hence why theses motors of today are producing such outragous amounts of horsepower and torque!!
They probably couldn’t make the whole distance today.
John Force has been my favorite Driver for years in Funny Car in the NHRA. I was a fan of John back when he couldn't win a race to save his life, but he always gave 100%, and win or lose was always a great interview. When he finally started his winning it was so great that all his hard work was finally showing sucess, and winning never changed him. He still was great with the fans and gave everything he had in every race.
His daughters are awesome as well.
Living proof of, if you love something you never give up!
Yeah, John always inspired us with hope, looking and sounded like he just fell off of a bar stool with the rest of us.
One of my first Force family memories is of a 16 year old me on the lookout for John in the hopes of getting my ticket stub signed. I finally marshalled the nerve to ask his wife about his whereabouts. She looked around, annoyed, and from that look alone, I was ready to bolt, but she said: "Hell, I don't know, but knowing him, he's probably somewhere eating. If you find him tell him to get his ass back here." Admittedly I was so rattled that I didn't go looking for him, as I felt that I had just escaped with my life.
After having grown up and put a few miles on my odometer, I can see she was just messing with me, but at the time, that 16 year old kid was terrified.
@@LarsonPetty a great memory to have as well thank you Larson
Me too! Exact same story
Yes, John came out of that big beautiful bus and talked to us fans like we were his neighbors over for a bbq. His love of racing always shined through.
When these things take off you think your heart is shaking. You feel you throat vibrating in your neck. There isn’t anyone whos first reaction was an almost panic at the noise and sensory overload. It’s addicting. Just think. By the time the rear wheels reach the starting line (they start with the front of the car on the line) it’s already doing over 100 mph.
That's a bloody analogy Riley! I appreciate it and glad you're enjoying!
Being in the stands with two 12,000 hp top fuel is the loudest thing I've ever heard. It's like a rock concert in 3 seconds
Diver! Down? D.D? WELCOME! thank you for the comment and man! Heavy metal has screwed most of my hearing so far so I may as well see these beasts in person 😂
Ever been to a tractor pull where they run 4 massive 600ci Hemi engines on one machine at full tilt? It's even louder
@@TailgunnerATC I cannot say I have have 😂
@@ExploringTheSmoke I would argue it's probably the only thing louder. It's insane
@@ExploringTheSmoke and if 2 isn't enough, there are some tracks that race 4 at once. Thats over 40,000 horsepower in a single run.
Brittany Force has the national Top Fuel record of 338mph,3.66sec.,take ear protection if you go,its louder then a KISS concert.
That is absolutely insane!! Thank you for watching Jeff! Glad you enjoyed 💪🏻
Forget the concert, it's louder than the Blue Angels. That's another show that shakes your chest and ear protection is mandatory, but Top Fuel is still on a whole different level.
@@JETZcorp I've oddly seen the blue angels at British air show, showing off their capabilities and manoeuvres
Back in the late 70's, my best friend's father was a friend of Jim Dunn, a well known Funny car driver. He was known as the King of the Burn Outs. He would literally smoke the tires the entire length of the 1/4 mile, then turn around and smoke them back to the start. It was all just to impress the fans. One year my friend and I got to serve as a very small part of Jim's team, at an event called 64 Funny cars at the Seattle International Raceway. I stood 3 feet in front of the car when they fired it up. They didn't use the protective equipment they have now, so I had no ear or eye protection. When that motor fired up, it was like someone driving a hot needle into your ears. When the car launched at the start, I was within 20 feet of it. People have commented about the shock wave you feel from the car. Try it at 20 feet :) There is literally no experience like professional drag racing.
Welcome Michael and thank you for the awesome comment, the one thing I will say, everyone who's been too/been around a race, all have a brilliant memory that sticks out to them and that to me is the best part of the sport. Thanks for watching glad you enjoyed 💪🏻
When I was a kid, probably around 1970, these top-fuel eliminator car races were broadcast on a TV show called "The Wide World of Sports," a sports variety show that would show highlights of recent sports competitions. I saw several of the engines of those cars blow up on the track.
Crazy what people have always done for the entertainment of others
I have both been drag racing and watched many drag races. It's loud, I love burnouts, and now, the scent of toasted tires and exhaust fumes are smells that I now can't get enough of. It's an absolute experience to say the least. Controlled chaos for mere seconds.
Thank you WildMan, glad you enjoyed 💪🏻
An NHRA national event is the best show in motorsports by far. Most fan friendly, best access, most unforgettable. Great sensory experience!
I've been told I need to experience it once before I leave this earth 😂
Man my first time at winternationals I was blown away, being 5’ behind a top fuel car when it fires up is crazy, ground shaking, heart pounding, deafening, eyes burning! When they were racing we got to stand at the Jersey barriers by the starting line, after the first funny cars took off I looked at my brother in law and said “what’s all over your face?” He said “what’s all over yours?” Turns out it was a whole bunch of chunks of rubber from the tires! Lol. John Force broke 300 mph that day, I believe that was the first time a funny car had done that. It’s an incredible experience, and the racers and pit guys are so cool.
Musky, welcome!! What an incredible memory to share with people too! I'm glad you enjoyed the video and glad I could help with a little nostalgia
Everyone should experience top fuel drag racing at least once. The sonic shockwave rips through your body, then you feel a breeze move past that smells of burnt nitro. It leaves your eyes watering. It is crazy.
Thank you for the comment hang! Trying to see these monsters in real life as soooooon as I physically can, Glad you enjoyed
he should look up wrecks in this sport to see just how dangerous and safe this sport is
I can imagine equally as bloody terrifying as "how the fuck did they survive that" 😂
Scott Kalitta RIP th-cam.com/video/Yr-dK_o4lYA/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=FatalMotorsportChannel
Blaine Johnson RIP th-cam.com/video/vaJYgOhQdps/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=FatalMotorsportChannel
Amazing that no one was killed on this one th-cam.com/video/IiEv0j-SzlQ/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=LitbyNoonProductions
I used to work at a place a few buildings down from a machine shop that made engines for this type of racing occasionally. The guy who owned it used to build these engines full-time in the 70's and early 80's, but decided to step away from it and open up his own machine shop. He had a wall in his office covered in pictures of engines that he'd built for customers with a tag for the cost of the engine and the dyno'd horsepower it produced, and at the top was all top fuel engines ranging from about $50,000 to $90,000 producing 8,000+ horsepower. I remember being at work one day when he dyno'd one of them and it was the loudest sound I've ever heard and I could feel it in my bones from about 1/4 mile away. A truly terrifying amount of power.
Welcome Sammy! Truly a terrifying amount of power! And what a memory, thank you for sharing
when I was a kid, we lived about 5 miles from the Hallsville drag strip. Every saturday night, we could hear the cars racing even from 5 miles away. My Dad finally took us to the drag strip and man.... I mean man... there is nothing like it, and I mean nothing. It stinks, it's hot, it's noisy, and it is absolutely amazing. The ground and the grandstands literally rumble when the cars take off.
What an incredible memory thanks for sharing Dave, glad you enjoyed
Those hot rods at the hot rod shows you've been to are where the NHRA started. Take a look back at it's origins in the 40's and 50's after WWII and you will easily see it's roots. It's "evolved" a bit since then.
Yeah the guy I went to shows with was heavily into restoration/resto-modding, the classics I've seen you could the years and the memories made in those metal boxes
Read a book called "They call me Mr. 500" by Andy grantelli, he is known mostly for his indy car ties (and the famouse turbine indy car he once fielded, but he talks about his ties to drag racing back in the 50's.
@@BenjaminGearhart thank you Benjamin
There's a hella nice dragstrip in Podington, Bedfordshire, England named Santa Pod Raceway. Many professional racers from the US and Australia race there at times.
Wow now that you've mentioned it it's like an alarm went off in my brain!! I've definitely heard of it, maybe I'll look into race days this year! Thank you for watching Z 💪🏻
@Exploring The Smoke I truly think it will blow your mind if you catch a weekend that Top Fuel and Funny cars run. The noise and vibration are like nothing you've ever experienced. Also, don't you sleep it's 4:30 AM there isn't it? 🤣
@@Prozak63 Only some nights! 😂
Definitely go to Santa Pod for a race meet. Try to choose one with top fuelers if you want to see what’s in this video. Walk around and talk to everyone who doesn’t look like they’re really busy, tell them it’s your first time and ask questions. You’ll find they’re the friendliest people you’ll ever meet. Most of the UK drag racers know each other. Sit in the stands and watch the cars, you can see the entire run beginning to end and a big scoreboard tells you the time and speed. It’s a great weekend and very addictive.
Greetings from America. Love reaction here. Just subscribed too. I been to a few here in America. The raw power to see them upclose on the strip, watching it on video is nothing! you feel the power, the heat, the smell, the vibrations rumbling through the ground, feel it in your chest, everything. It is amazing to witness in person! I could not imagine going 330 mph in 4 seconds and having to employ the parachute to stop my car. going from 5 G's to negative G's is insane.
Welcome Mikey and thank you commenting, the g force transfer if the part that impresses me the most and thank you for pointing it out, glad you enjoyed the video
I regularly attend the NHRA drag races in Sonoma, CA and the cars can be heard from about 10 miles away. When you're there, you can feel it in your bones.
Maaaaaan I'm ready to have my bones rattled in my skin that's for sure!
Even knowing whats going to happen, the first time you hear one of these in person will scare you. They are unlike anything you've ever heard. You just don't hear these cars, you feel them. Like a punch in the chest as they blow past you. The starting line shakes enough to register on the richter scale. Having just a normal ticket grands you paddock access so you get to see all the hard work the mechanics put into the cars.
oh and another tidbid. The NHRA also has drag bikes. Which end their runs at 260mph. Insanity.
Glad you enjoyed 💪🏻 I listened 😂 I can imagine the force you feel from these monsters! Well the next time I'm stateside I'll definitely be adding some NHRA to the trip for sure
@@ExploringTheSmoke If you set your carbonated drink down on the stands during a run, you may find it empty when it's over... the sound pressure alone is enough to shake water out of an open cup.
@@mfree80286 Damn! I need to see this in person one day for sure!
You described it exactly. I would only add that a spectator also smells burning rubber from the tires. Being at a top fuel drag race is a full sensory experience. There's nothing else like it in all the world of auto racing.
Seeing it in person is the best way. The way the exhaust rattles your soul from a mile away….. nothing like it.
Hopefully one day! Thank you for watching, glad you enjoyed 💪🏻
You have to come to the states and see a major NHRA event in person. Watching videos is one thing, experiencing in person will rock your world!
Thank you Darbo! Trying to get to Santa pod in the UK to experience ourselves and get our bones rattled
I've been going to NHRA and independent fuel races since 1973. I was hooked from the second I saw the first Funny Car race on TV around 1971 or so. You have to see them in person to really understand the appeal of them.
Thank you NRD, glad you enjoyed 💪🏻
Grandpa was a drag racer in the fifties ans sixties. He never played with Nitro, but in class A Gas, he ran 12.9 with a 55 thunderbird, and later 10.91 in a 1962 Bocar prototype. Guess that's why two more generations of us kept racing. Once you get the "bug", it never leaves.
Mekanicus! Welcome, you're grandpa sounds like an awesome guy to grow up around! Glad you enjoyed, thank you for watching
You simply MUST see this spectacle in person. It is a full on sensory assault. The sound level alone will cause your vision to blur. The smell of the nitromethane, blended with the aroma of burning rubber, the camaraderie between fans is as good as I've seen from ANY sports team, and topping it all off, the superstars of the sport are very approachable, and right there in the pits, meeting fans, taking pictures, signing autographs, it's truly a wholesome family outing, as well. I've never seen ANYONE that I've introduced to the sport that wasn't immediately ready to go back next time. My home track is located in Bristol TN, known as Thunder Valley(for obvious reasons) and we actually have our races at night, called "Night of Fire". It is beyond cool to see those six foot tall nitromethane flames burning hard on either side of the engine as they surpass 320mph. As vividly as you think I might have described the experience, I'm actually struggling for words good enough to frame said event, as this is one of those lifetime chapters that can only be experienced, because no hearsay or TV screen could EVER do it justice. BTW, check out the NHRA's motorcycle classes if you get the chance. They're not quite as fast as Top Fuel Funnycar/Dragster, they say this is due to a lack of horsepower, I say it's the weight of these guys' balls holding them back.
Larson!! Thank you for the amazing comment, I'm glad you enjoyed!! The top fuel bikes are something I'm going to be looking into for sure, and hopefully will get to have my bones rattled in person one day soon!
@@ExploringTheSmoke If you intend to make a vid to post up of your first NHRA event, if I could make a suggestion, I would urge you to have a second camera recording your reaction, as well as the on track excitement. I've been to so many races, that I just watch the faces of the newbie's go from apprehension to disbelief to awe, with their jaw hanging open, followed by a big goofy smile. I'm throwing you a sub so that I won't miss seeing you wearing that same grin. A word of warning, you'll be hooked for life, and there is no cure, just a yearly fix. Seriously though, I do have a REAL warning. Hearing protection is an ABSOLUTE MUST a Top Fuel, side by side race is simply the loudest goddamn thing I've ever heard in my life. There are usually jet powered dragsters doing exhibition runs at most events, and the jets don't come anywhere near the sound pressure levels of two fire breathing Top Fuel engines, each throwing down 12,000 horsepower. I will offer this story as my evidence. One particular race day, my crew and I were suffering a run of bad luck and we were running very late. So late that we hadn't yet made it to the track and the early Top Fuel qualifying session was underway. I knew this, because we had stopped to grab a burger and we could hear the Top Fuel cars making their qualifying passes a full 42 miles away from that particular McDonald's. That is 100% truth. As I said earlier, the force of the sound blurs your vision, because your eyeballs are literally rattling in their sockets.
@@LarsonPetty wow what a memory! Thank you for sharing and trust me if we do get to see these monsters in person you can be very VERY sure there will be multiple angles of my face looking like a baby that just crapped his pants 😂😂
I used to own a 1967 Camaro with a 762 cubic inch engine that develops 6,700 horsepower. My car did the quarter mile in 5.17 seconds at 267 miles per hour. It is the ride of your life! the only thing that gave me a biggerthrill was sitting in the rear seat of my uncles FA-18 fighter being launched by catapault from an aircraft carrier which he got special permission for 2 weeks before he retired from the U.S. Navy after a 30 year career.
Well damn Jay! I don't think many can say they have experienced what you have in life! Thank you for watching, glad you enjoyed
From the USA, and I have been to NHRA events many times, and the one thing I can tell you is you must wear hearing protection. When they leave the starting line you can feel the bleachers shake. You should look for Z Max drag way because unlike most tracks they run four at a time, and the top two finishers of each race move on to the next round and two are eliminated.
Scrambler! Welcome! Thank you for the comment, many people have said about ear pro so I'm praying I still have hearing after we actually see these beasts 😂 glad you enjoyed
Been to 3 NHRA events in Las Vegas. It is unlike anything else. Top Fuel and Funny Car shake you to your core and even though Funny Cars are "slower" than Top Fuel dragsters, they are without a doubt louder. You must wear EP while watching Funny Cars and Top Fuel Dragsters live. Other than a major crash, the worst thing to happen watching live is a blown cylinder, which spills raw fuel all over the track or a part fails and blows the engine leaving pieces of metal on the track. Both take FOREVER to clean up lol The good thing is that when it does happen you can leave the stands and go to the back area close to other cars pit area. Watch them cleaning the car, reinstalling parts, start the engine up. There's only a rope between you and the car up close. It's unbelievable! And if you're ever lucky enough to be right next to the pit area when they start the car up and then blast (I forget the right term for it) the engine for a second, you'll never forget it. That nitro fuel will burn your eyes like crazy XD Why do I love this hahaha I'll tell you this, if you like NHRA even slightly, look up the best Holeshot wins in NHRA history. You won't be disappointed.
Thank you for taking time out to write this comment! I'm definitely intrigued with these vehicles that's for sure! Next time I'm stateside I'm gonna have to see some of these cars in action! Thank you for watching, I'm glad you enjoyed 💪🏻 and your request is added to the list 🙏🏻
Only NHRA race I saw we had to park a long way away, maybe close to a mile. When we pulled up to that parking lot, we could still clearly hear and FEEL the top fuelers from that distance. Awesome power is an understatement...you just have to experience for yourself if you ever get a chance.
BTW, that was like 25 years ago...they are just faster, louder, and rowdier now lol.
Pipty, welcome! That sounds insane...get it SOUNDS 😂 thank you for watching and commenting I'm glad you enjoyed
Hey man enjoyed the video. I’m a member of speed girl racing out of Tucson Arizona in the US. The videos don’t do it justice when you stand near these cars you feel it in your chest and your eyes are burning from the fuel. It’s an unbelievable feeling. You have to go to a race it’s so much fun.
Thank you for the comment Raid, I'm glad you enjoyed the reaction and welcome from Tucson! Hopefully I get to feel it for myself in person
It only makes sense that these two ladies would drive that fast, in those cars. The Force name is legendary in the NHRA. If you get the time, and the opportunity, try to find a couple races from John Force (their father). You'll see where that talent comes from.
I've already done quite the deep dive on the force family for my own viewing and mannnn what a family! Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed
And let's not forget the one lady who ushered women into drag dracing,the one and only Shirley Muldowney!!
@@kenbongaards554 thank you Ken!
You can come and watch this stuff in the uk, its a completely different experience watching it in person
Jim! Thank you for the comment and for watching! Glad you enjoyed, as for racing here, we've been looking at going to Santa Pod this year for race days, fingers crossed we get there
@Exploring The Smoke I'm going next weekend to the main event and there is one in September, I'm taking my friends who basically have no idea what it is. I can't wait to scare the shit out of them 🤣
@@jimbob1760 sounds like a bloody good time and kinda what we want to do! I hope they have the shock of their life....in the best way possible 😂💪🏻
It's the loudest sport I've ever experienced...it was uncomfortably loud. But to see one of those cars go down the track in person is by far the most impressive thing I've ever seen
Thank you Dee, I'm ready to have my bones rattled to the core
We go to the Gator National races every few years, here in Florida. The dragsters really do vibrate you as they go down the drag strip.
In fact, the Top Fuel dragsters vibrate you so hard that you will see double.
Top Fuel will make you feel the fillings in your teeth shake, your chest will rumble, and the vibrations are so brutal that it will make your beer go flat when you sit in the bleachers.
Big Daddy Don Garlitts also has a great museum just down the road
That's pretty effin impressive that man, made such incredibly powerful monsters just for the entertainment of others! Thank you for watching Dee, glad you enjoyed
I always found it fascinating that a top fuel dragster will actually shorten by 4-6 inches on a run.
That is bloody terrifying!! 😂 Thank you John, I appreciate the information 💪🏻 glad you're enjoying
That's not true.
@@timothywalsh1001 I should have searched it up, thank you Timothy 💪🏻
I grew up with drag racing. My dad started taking my brother and I when we were 6 years old. That was back in 1967. Awesome times, running around the pits as a kid. Collecting stickers from everyone we could. Growing up to race, stock category, when I was old enough. Then, working with NHRA on the certification team for Stock and Super Stock. Memories for a lifetime.
I still remember my number, it was 7917 from Division 7, I ran a J/SA, 1965 Plymouth Barracuda.
Alan! Welcome and thank you for the kick arse memory! Glad you enjoyed the video 💪🏻
I used to go to Memphis Motorsports Park in Memphis,Tennessee to watch NHRA back in the 00s. I can say that when it comes to Funny Cars and Top fuel dragsters. Watching it on TV does no justice. It is SO unbelievably LOUD, that your drink will vibrate out if your hand. You can actually feel you inner organs vibrating. Is a WEIRD feeling if you’ve never experienced it before. And they’re not lying, even up in the stands, your eyes and nose burns and the smell of nitromethane smells pretty different than any other fuel. If you are a car enthusiast and you like fast cars, you MUST!!! Go see a race at least once (in person). This is certainly a bucket list item. And it’s amazing how fast they get to the pistons. And anyone with a race ticket can go in the pits and watch the crew work and you may even get to see the driver.
Thank you Mike! Hoping to see these monsters rip up the earth in September! Thank you for watching, glad you enjoyed
Murica' baby, gotta go fast
also, bless you
Hahaha thank you!! And yeah I'm intrigued, as I'd always thought 270 was the fastest cars would go, looks like I'm in for some fun times ahead 😂
You need to go see them live. Video does no justice on how fast and loud they are. Shakes you to the core for the 4 secs. I was raised at these races since I was 3. It’s a truly amazing experience.
Welcome Artus! Currently trying to see if we can get to the raceway here in the UK at some point to get our bones rattled! Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed 💪🏻
Glad to see someone appreciate one of our insane sports haha. The biggest race for the NHRA is in my state(Indiana). Worth the most points and starts the chase for the championship. That track isn’t far from where the Indy 500 and the brickyard for nascar so it gets crazy in the summertime here
The top speed record is over 338 mph from a dead stop on a 1000-ft race track. The young lady at the 2:50-3:05 segment of the video is Brittany Force, who has run all 10 of the fastest mph on record. The elapsed time record is 3.62 seconds for the full run. The initial 60-ft from a dead stop typically takes about 0.6 second. The record for an eighth mile (660-ft) is 299 mph, though typically they "only" go to 291-292 mph. The engines, for various reasons, cannot be tested on a dynamometer / engine testing machine, but mathematical simulations of horsepower required to achieve these performance parameters are that it takes 10,000 SAE gross horsepower to achieve those performance levels. THEN, its necessary to add in an additonal1,000 hp to compensate for the aerodynamic drag of the rear "wing" that keeps the tires loaded to avoid wheel spin. So, a top fuel engine really is putting out 11,000 SAE gross horsepower. The engines used are aftermarket adaptations of the 1964-1971 Chrysler 426 Hemi engines. oversized from 426 cubic inches to 500 cubic inches displacement (7.0 liters to 8.2 liters displacement. The supercharger pressurizes the engine to 60-lbs; superchargers are used instead of turbo chargers because the superchargers are pumping positive pressure at all times, whereas a turbocharger takes a few seconds to "spool up" by which time the race is over. Plus, the engine's exhaust is discharging white-hot heat (see pictures of the fuel dragsters throwing out enormous quantities of white-hot heat flames, which would melt a turbocharger nearly instantaneously.
Well damn Bob, thank you for all the kick arse knowledge! I'm glad you enjoyed and thank you for commenting
Dude... It is the LOUDEST mechanical noise you will ever experience. You internal organs will feel the sounds. You must go to a drag race and experience it all. The pits, the starting line, the finish line and and all other aspects of drag racing. It's an amazing show. Bring ear plugs!
😂😂 thank you Byron, ear pro is a must! Glad you enjoyed the reaction
And eye drops!
@@muskyman1018 smart man 💪🏻
I was lucky to have seen the top fuel dragsters live in person at Las Vegas. I was seated at the starting position and quite literally blown away! Amazing stuff!
Thank you for the comment Jay! Glad you had a great experience, thank you for watching 💪🏻
I have been to many NHRA National Events over decades of time. I am a an engineer and fan of any motorsport. Also been to many F1, NASCAR, and local short track racing. Of all of the forms of racing I have seen in person NHRA is the most intense on qualifying and race day. Impossible to get bored. The crews are amazing at dealing with adversity (e.g when the car wins the round, but has an engine explosion and the car needs much more than a 30 minute turn around. Those fires burn up everything). Because of deaths and danger the current NHRA Top Fuel Classes (Dragster and Funny Car) only run 1000 feet (the change was made ~10-15 years ago). Other classes run 1/4 mile. Ironically I was at Bristol TN last weekend and took a girl friend of mine to see it for the first time. She really enjoyed it and was blown away with the sound and intense full body vibration you feel as spectator. "Every ticket is a pit pass" is true. You often can get autographs and photos with most all of the drivers. On your next trip to the states, I encourage you to look at the NHRA schedule and add a trip to an NHRA national race as part of your visit here. First time viewer of your channel. Cheers from Virginia!
Welcome from beautiful Virginia, thank you for the comment and knowledge and welcome to the channel, glad you enjoyed the reaction. Welcome Explorer
Back in the 1970s I was majoring in journalism at Arizona State University in Tempe. In one class, broadcast news production, I accompanied a reporter and film crew from a TV station in Phoenix to the Winter Nationals at Thunderbird Raceway (no longer around). We set up the camera and sound at the starting line to film the top fuelers. Before each race, the crews would douse the track with gallons of bleach to improve traction. I was wearing ear plugs, but when those cars came up to the stating line, it felt like an earthquake, and when they took off, I thought my brain was turning into Jello. Interesting experience.
John! Thank you for the incredible comment and the awesome history, I'm glad you enjoyed the reaction
John Force is a legend. I’ve always had an interest in these beasts but wouldn’t consider myself a fan in the know and even I know about John and his family. Great vid! 👍🏼
Thank you Mike! Glad you enjoyed 💪🏻
Drag racing is a rush. Cars, bikes, snow machines, golf carts and pretty much everything with wheels.
The sensation of those monsters on the track.
Going out and running a ten second pass is pretty wild too.
Sounds like damn good fun! Thank you Casey! Glad you enjoyed
He stated a quarter mile. A few years ago, NHRA reduced the length of the race for the 2 nitro classes (Top Fuel and Funny Car), to 1000 feet, 304.8 meters (a quarter mile is 1320 feet 402.336 meters). This was done for safety reasons due to many of the tracks had short "shut down" areas and a couple of drivers were killed when they crashed into barriers at or near the end the shut down area. Most of the lower classes (Pro Stock, Pro Modified, Pro Stock Motorcycle) still use the 1/4 mile distance. However, some of lowest classes (I do not mean this as a put down) use an 1/8 mile track.
Thank you Bus, for the amazing information, I appreciate you taking the time to write it out 💪🏻
It's been awhile, but yes - I've seen the funny cars and top fuelers run in person. Step 1 - bring LOTS of ear protection; Step 2 - be prepared. More than hearing them, you will feel it coming up through the ground. It's a seismic experience that language can't capture. Unbelievable power. No film does it justice. Simply off the planet.
Hoping to see it in the UK in September and the main warning we get is, bring ear protection 😂 thank you for watching, glad you enjoyed
Great video! Such an interesting sport that doesn't really seem so in depth but there's so much going on behind the scenes.
It's also pretty sweet that they allow spectators to visit the pits
You can't possibly even begin to imagine it unless you're there in person.
Imagine an 1800's railroad construction crew pounding you in the chest with bags of rice as fast as they can, dozens of times a second. That's at idle. When they go, the sound is just bonkers.
Hoping to have my bones rattled in their frame in September and the Santa Pod speedway in the UK, thanks for watching Alien, glad you enjoyed
I was kid the first time I went. We had to walk about a quarter mile to get to the entrance. The closer we got, the vibrations could be felt deep inside your guts. Those cars are awesome
Nelson, welcome! What a memory! It's seems like everybody who's been, ALWAYS remember the first time 😂 I'm glad you enjoyed
Some top fuel facts for you:
*One Top Fuel dragster 500 cubic-inch Hemi engine makes more horsepower (10,000 HP) than the first 5 rows at the Daytona 500.
* Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1.2-1.5 gallons of nitro methane per second; a fully loaded 747 consumes jet fuel at the same rate with 25% less energy being produced.
* A stock Dodge Hemi V8 engine cannot produce enough power to merely drive the dragsters 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 air/fuel mixture for nitro methane the flame front temperature measures 7050 degrees F.
* Nitromethane 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 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 exhaust valves at 1400 degrees F. The engine can only be shut down by cutting the fuel flow.
* If spark momentarily fails early in the run, un-burned nitro builds up in the affected cylinders and then explodes with sufficient force to blow cylinder heads off the block in pieces or split the block in half.
* Dragsters reach over 300 MPH before you have completed reading this sentence.
* In order to exceed 300 MPH in 4.5 seconds, dragsters must accelerate an average of over 4 G's. In order to reach 200 MPH well before half-track, the launch acceleration approaches 8 G's.
* Top Fuel engines turn approximately 540 revolutions from light to light!
* Including the burnout, the engine must only survive 900 revolutions under load.
* The redline is actually quite high at 9500 RPM.
* THE BOTTOM LINE: Assuming all the equipment is paid off, the crew worked for free, & for once, NOTHING BLOWS UP, each run costs an estimated $1,000 per second.
0 to 100 MPH in .8 seconds (the first 60 feet of the run)
0 to 200 MPH in 2.2 seconds (the first 350 feet of the run)
6 g-forces at the starting line (nothing accelerates faster on land)
6 negative g-forces upon deployment of twin ‘chutes at 300 MPH
Holy hell! Chad welcome and thank you for the amazing information
Those top fuel cars going by you in person is an experience. It's like a Shockwave going by you
💪🏻💪🏻
I grew up at the track in Portland Oregon. Whe I started going the cars we're running 5 second et's at around 245mph now they run 10k hp at 330+ mph. Back in the late 70's they had a race called the 32 funny car's. They would line up 16 car's per lane and fire them up all at once. You could taste the nitro methane in the air and your ears rang for day's. Best summers ever!!
16 per lane would be bone rattling!! Damn I'd love to have experienced that! Thank you for watching, glad you enjoyed, and more will be coming soon 🙏🏻💪🏻
I grew up in Portland, but they were already done with nitro. My dad says back in the day when they ran fuel at PIR, you could hear them all the way from Oaks Park.
@@JETZcorp your dad is telling the truth bud! The Kent neighborhood is what killed drag racing in Portland. So they moved it down to Woodburn and that didn't last long. Now we have to head up to Seattle to see the races.
I had the opportunity to go to a nhra show in Norwalk Ohio for the first time last year. I alway heard from friends that when top fuel and funny cars launch off the line it's registers on the rictor scale its absolutely true. When the drive past you after 60 foot you feel the power in your chest. If you get the opportunity to go and witness a a shoe like this Do it.
Nightbridge! Welcome, thank you for the comment, I feel like it'll be a memory in your mind that you'll never forget, glad you enjoyed the reaction
Most NHRA events are two wide events, with just two car’s racing one another. But there are two, in Concord, NC and Las Vegas that are 4-wide events (yes, 4 cars racing one another at the same time!). When you have 4 Nitromethane burning cars hitting that loud pedal at the Christmas tree, that is more horsepower (44K horsepower) than an entire NASCAR field.
Thank you Jedi, I am very much a padawan grateful for the knowledge! Thank you for commenting, glad you enjoyed 💪🏻
You feel it in every cell of your being, standing there is like you feel the violent vibration in your chest
And I am ready for it!
I used to go to the NHRA track in Houston and have a press pass to be on the starting line - there is nothing like it - when the Funny cars or the Rails (Top Fuelies) stage and do their burnouts - the ground literally shakes under your feet - you can feel the vibration - and the noise is deafening (you have to wear ear protection - I always wore my shooting protection) - I am no more than 25 to 50 feet from them. Oh, and the smell - love it - burning rubber, nitro-methane, gasoline, nitrous, etc.
I drove my uncle's Pro-Gas (it's Comp nowadays) '68 Vette in the early 80's - we pulled +/- 800hp - running nitrous - usually ran low 9's in the qtr.
Most exciting run - pulled hole-shot (means perfect timing off the tree) - 1/2 way - hit the nitrous - I knew I had my opponent - then I felt the car nose over (basically you can feel the engine starting to come apart) - threw a rod and blew the left head off the engine - destroyed the engine - which blew the entire left front side of the car off - oil fire, the works - luckily deployed the chute, but still hit the guardrail...
Racing may about competition and the like, but it's also a community...
My opponent in that race used his car to keep me on the track and force me into the guardrail - to get it stopped - he's the guy that pulled me from the car - we both got a little singed, but all walked away - thanks John T...
Competition or not, we're still both here for the love of the sport and we don't want to see anyone actually injured, I love that, sportsmanship is great in any sport, and what a memory/story you have, thank you for sharing and I'm glad you enjoyed the video
For reference Force family runs under JFR (John Force Racing). As of 2023 team members are John Force (father and funnycar driver....16 time world champion) Courtney Force (daughter and former funnycar driver) BrittanyForce (top fuel dragster driver...2 time world champion) Ashley Force (daughter and former funnycar driver) son-in-law Robert Hight (funnycar driver...3 time world champion) and long time team member who served in many mechanic positions Austin Prock (top fuel dragster driver). Austin's father Jimmy Prock has been a crew chief on several of the JFR cars over the years.
They are an INCREDIBLE family racing unit who are who very respected in the sport, thanks for watching LK, glad you enjoyed
My favorite drag racers are Don Garlits, because I met him and he's just a fellow gearhead, and Jungle Jim Liberman. Liberman lived around 20 miles from me and everyone loved his performances, and of course we all LOVED Jungle Pam.
Thank you for the comment and the memory Primal, glad you enjoyed 💪🏻
John Force has 16 Funny Car championships, it is quite easy to see where his daughters get their drive from. And Dad loves it when his daughters win, I believe he is happier when they win over himself winning. One incredibly close knit family.
Absolutely phenomenal drivers, what a talented family! Thank you for watching Corrai, glad you enjoyed
Bit of personal family anecdote. Dad used to race Jet Boats. Not the Hydroplanes but Jet Boats. Your talking a small one man boat thats no more than couple inches thick with a 350 small block engine strapped into it with a Jet Impeler connected to it. Dad actually at one time set the World Record for fastest speed in a unblown, meaning it had a normal carborator, gas jet engine. He was going do a river at about 167 miles an hour.
About 3 months later a kid in Texas beat dads record, WITH DADS BOAT. Dad had sold the kid the boat and he took it and got it up to think was 169 or low 170s.
Memnarch! Thank you for the anecdote! And what a memory to keep! Glad you enjoyed the reaction 💪🏻
One word....LOUD!!!!!!! These engines are INSANELY LOUD!!!!!!
I'm surprised they never mentioned a decibel level in the video but I can only imagine it's like a thunderclap on land 😂
@@ExploringTheSmoke lets put it into perspective.... the roar of these things of the start can be picked up on a seismic scale. 10-11 THOUSAND horsepower will literally shake the earth
@@TylerCarson-yy8eo and now I need my bones shaking from them 😂
@@ExploringTheSmoke I havent personally experienced real drag racing, but based on videos of people in the moment and word of mouth, its WILD
@@TylerCarson-yy8eo yeah from what I've heard to, I need to see it haha 💪🏻
There's nothing in the World like the sound, smell and feel of Top Fuel cars.
Thank you Scott 💪🏻 glad you enjoyed
Dude when I was about 10 my dad brought my brother and I to a drag race up at Brainerd International Raceway. My brother and I wanted to sit by the start line and watch the cars launch down the track, Dad looks at us and just shakes his head and says no, we're going to the finish line. We sit and the first set of cars line up and we watch them take off, but you can't really hear anything... and all of a sudden the damn stands and ground are shaking and these cars go zipping by and then sound hits just after the cars and rattles your Fing bones!!! it was the most wicked thing EVER!!
And what a memory it made! Thank you for sharing, I enjoyed reading, glad you enjoyed the reaction
Ohhh that great nhra feelings. Body shakes, eyes vibrate that your vision blurrs.
Bones rattled to the very core!
A real variety in Drag racing. Was so lucky to witness Rocket car Racing which "I believe" is now banned. Can remember watching and talking to the American late great legend "Slammin" Sammy Miller who raced here in England at Santa Pod with the Lunar Module Hydrogen Peroxide "rocket" (not jet) powered "Vanishing Point" Cars. He was banned at the time for speeding on a Drag Strip in the USA and loved it over here. He has World records that still stands. 12G acceleration ¼ mile at 386mph. 0-100mph in 0.36 seconds. Sammy had a second Drag Rocket car made "Oxygen" here in the UK and watched both Rocket Cars race side by side with another late great legend "Bootsie" Herridge. Sammy then added skis to 'Oxygen' to claim another World record... on ice. If you've ever seen a shock wave when a bomb goes off one funny time was Vanishing point after the countdown blasts off. The white shock wave blew out and smashed the Windows of the Control Tower. Footage of that is on TH-cam. If you were standing at the 3/4 part of the strip you could hear the car on the Tannoy before the sound of the car reached you. French legend Eric Teboul in September 2022 finish on a Rocket powered bike World record at the Pod 4.976seconds at 290.51mph and he still never ran the Bike at full power. Chances of these records being broken is very slim.
White shirt, loose tie! Love the name and welcome! Thank you for the mind boggling information, it amazes me that more people don't talk about the G force these drivers have to endure over such short distances
I have grown up in Indiana, USA.
The Indianapolis 500 and the NHRA Summer Nationals are in muh bones.
The thing about the nitro cars is that they are SO LOUD that the fluid in your eyes jiggles and you can't REALLY see.
Thank you for the knowledge Artemis, glad you enjoyed 💪🏻
It's really cool walking thru the pits in between runs watching them rebuild the engines in 30 after every run
Insane that the mechanics go to work fully knowing it's a day of speed building engines 😂
Drag racing in the top fuel dragster and funny car classes used to be through the full, 1320 foot, quarter mile. But the speeds were becoming insanely fast at just under 400 mph,and, not unexpectedly, a big-name competitor eventually died from a crash at those speeds. So, for the top fuel dragster and funny car classes only, the race distance was cut back to 1000 feet. That action cut the speeds down substantially, as you may imagine!
I meannn from everything I've seen and heard....1000 feet and around 330mph is still plenty exciting haha thank you for commenting William, glad you enjoyed
Note when she was talking about the engine blowing up she said “when it blows up” not “if it blows up”. That statement makes the whole sport a lot scarier knowing it’s just a matter at time till it blows in your lap.
And even more respect to the drivers, knowing that the engine WILL blow up 😂 thank you for watching, glad you enjoyed
"You could strap wings to that and it would take off." They already have wings on them to keep them on the ground. LOL
😂😂😂 a few have told me and man what a phenomenal piece of machinery/design, thank you for watching, glad you enjoyed
No amount of getting ready can prepare you for witnessing top fuel in person
I've been warned many many times and I still don't I'll be ready 😂 thank you Frankie, glad you enjoyed
NOTHING can prepare you for the visceral effect of being nearby (unless you launch jets from an aircraft carrier). I stood behind (way behind) a jet car and I think I left my body. Definitely a wild time.
What a memory! Thank you for the comment J, glad you enjoyed
So Im from Oklahoma United States of America and yessir I have been to NHRA Drags at Tulsa Raceway Park and I can tell you it's an out of this world experience your first time you feel the boom of each cylinder as the car is idle at the line and when they build a lauch and take up its so loud the ground stands and your entire body reverbs with the roar of them monster American V8 Engines I recommend it if you haven't been a year since you posted this so if you still haven't put it on the bucket list man you wont regret it
I am still yet to feel my bones rattle in my frame!! I need it! Thank you for answering and you are one lucky son of a gun to have seen it many times in your life! Thank you for finding my little plot on the world wide web
According to Google Earth, I live 12.3 Km (7.6 m) as the crow flies from Bandimere raceway outside Denver, Colorado. This weekend they are having the Mile High Nationals. When the top fuel and funny cars are leaving the line, we can easily hear them standing out in our yard.
That is absolutely incredible thank you Hardrock, glad you enjoyed 💪🏻
YOU NEED TO SEE THESE RACE LIVE.
the power coming off these things is absolutely insane- impossible to describe the full body experience you get. ear wax falls out of your ears, you can feel every cavity inside your body vibrate, you can feel your bones rattling. theres nothing else like it. id say listen to one without hearing protection just to establish the viciousness of those engines- but definitely plug your ears for the rest of the event lol. its an experience for sure.
Welcome Mr Jones! Glad you enjoyed the video! Believe me I'm trying to see them first hand! 😂
@ExploringTheSmoke i have been to many NHRA events and the best way i can describe top fuel is that the cars are so loud the literally shake your eyeballs in your skull when the run, like a earthquake, like the sound is so absurd the jelly your eyes are made of vibrate at a higher frequency than your bones and it is AMAZING
Heimdallllll, thank you for the visceral description, I look forward to feeling it myself one day
I have been to the only (to my knowledge) 4-wide that event NHRA holds. The feel that you get in your chest when these machines launch is like nothing you've ever felt.
One dayyyyyyyyyy!!! I WILL feel my bones rattle in my chest 😭, thank you for watching, I'm glad you enjoyed
There are two racetracks that run 4 wide. Zmax near Charlotte and Las Vegas.
@@sjsz06 4 wide?? Incredible
Even when NASCAR drivers are invited to this event to watch they are absolutely blown away at how loud these cars are not to mention how quickly they can go from a standstill and less than 4 seconds be doing over 300 MPH. When you impress drivers of cars with a 1000 plus horsepower as their race machine into thinking they’re slow is saying something. Simply put they are the fastest wheel driven cars in the world by a mile or 1000 feet in this case.
@@frankjohnson6342 absolutely incredible! Hoping to see these live in September here in the UK!
Their dad, John Force was an incredible guy. With all of his success, he stayed humble. He showed his kids where he grew up. He was poor. Nothing was handed to him. People didn't take his daughters seriously until they started kicking ass in competitions,
They are a FORCE to be reckoned with 😂
Great reaction!! "it takes me 30 minutes to get our of bed, man" -- I related to that
Thank you Dustin glad you enjoyed
As a kid, I was a huge fan of funny car legend Don "The Snake" Prudhomme.
Thank you Vegas, glad you enjoyed
Such a pleasant guy. I do love watching your reactions mate. ♣
Thank you for the kind words! Glad you enjoyed
Back in the early 70's I took my Mom's 1965 Ford Falcon to Lyons Raceway (Long Beach, Ca) and took a run down the track. I won, but that's because I was the only car in that category 😁. In the mid 70's I dated a guy who ran a rail powered by a VW engine in the Comp Eliminator class. We raced at all the California tracks and the farthest east we went was to Denver. The highlight of each race were the top fuel and funny cars. As one person said, you don't "watch" these cars, you "feel" them. BTW, at the end of the races some tracks would run a jet car, which does indeed, use jet fuel. Back in the day no one wore masks to protect themselves from the affects of the fuel, which, in hindsight, was insane.
Judy! Welcome! Thank you for the incredible trip down memory lane I appreciated reading it! And boy oh boy, no masks back in the day is WILD! Thank you for watching I'm glad you enjoyed the reaction
40 yrs ago the two biggest weekends were summer and Winter nationals. Summer nationals was at Martin Dragway about 30 miles from where I grew up. Went every year for a long time
Sounds like brilliant memories! Thank you for sharing Ken, glad you enjoyed 💪🏻
There's a sound and a feeling when you're involved in proper drag racing.
You'll never forget it.
One day I'll feel it! Thank you Magus
👍😎 NHRA, is something to see (and feel) in person. Grew up close to Pomona, saw Winter Nationals a few times. Been to the original Irwindale too.
That's incredible, thank you Kev, glad you enjoyed 💪🏻
I personally have never been to an NHRA event YET. I plan to do that after I retire in the near future. The only advise I can give you is MAKE SURE you take ear protection with you if /when you go to one of these races, because those top fuel cars can put out 150 decibels. Same thing with tractor pull, and monster truck events, should you decide to take any of those in while you're here. I've been to many concerts in my days that afterwards my ears were ringing for 3 days. No clue what the Dbs were at those shows, but now I get tinnitus occasionally. So protect your hearing.
Most rock concerts I've been at usually top out around 110 so that's absolutely insane!! Thank you Zippy, glad you enjoyed
11000 hp. The blower (supercharger) takes 600 hp to run. Nitromethane has oxygen in the molecules. The clutch plates weld together during each run. The dual magnetos generate 40amps each.
Thank you for the incredible knowledge Doug, glad you enjoyed
The NHRA Fuel-Burning cars are restricted to fuel pumps with an output of 100 gallons per minute, which equates to 1.6 gallons per second under a full loading of the engine.. The blown fuel engines have (4) injectors per cylinder. 1). is before the air-fuel gets to the supercharger, another is just downstream from the supercharger, and two more are in the intake valve's intake port. If you would get a 1 1/2 gallon capacity bucket at a hardware store and fill it with water, then just turn it upside down so all the water flows out all at once, the water doesn't empty out of the bucket as fast as the top fuel engine burns the nitro methane fuel.
Damn that's insane! Thank you for the new knowledge Bob, I appreciate ya! Glad you enjoyed the video 💪🏻
A top-fuel engine takes in so much nitro and air that it is almost at hydraulic lock at TDC. The life of the engine between rebuilds is about 1,000 revolutions - about 300 revolutions are used in a complete run to 330 mph. In most cases, the spark plugs are completely melted by the end of the run. You can often observe an engine begin firing due to heat rather than spark by mid-run. The most amazing thing about them is that they actually stay together for 4 seconds. And a miss on air humidity or temperature or track temperature can spell disaster.
William, thank you for the knowledge and information! Glad you enjoyed 💪🏻
You better redo your math. They do more than 10,000 revolutions just doing the burn out.
"You could strap wings to it and take off."
Look closer. They strap UPSIDE-DOWN wings to it to keep it on the ground! These cars will go flying even without wings, and some HAVE!
And that my friend is why I will stick to the conventional 4 on the floor kind of cars haha thanks for watching Dogges! glad you enjoyed
I loved going to the summer nationals with my dad in Indy. The saddest thing about the drag races today is it has become so unnecessarily expensive to go to, and what used to be included with your general admission is no longer included which was full access to the pit area. That's where you got autographs from men like Tony pedregon , Kenny Bernstein John Force and also got to watch mechanics rip the motors down to a bolt then rebuild them just to give the crowd a nice throttle whack. Now.... We want your money money money. My favorite was John Force however the nhra is pretty much controlled by the Force family.
Thank you Mike for the new perspective, I appreciate your honesty, it also makes me appreciate not everything is roses ALL the time, glad you enjoyed my man
@@ExploringTheSmoke most definitely. If you ever get a chance to go to a drag race, and I mean top fuel category stuff, go.... Not only will you enjoy the way the raw power sounds, you'll enjoy the way if feels too when it nearly collapses your chest.
"You could strap wings to that and it would take off." They have to strap upside-down wings to them to keep them on the ground. Look up Don Garlits' famous 'blowover' wheelstand.
Somebody recently commented something like this and it's actually insane!! Thanks for watching BDP glad you enjoyed 💪🏻