Top Fuel

Top Fuel Racing refers to a class of drag racing in which the cars are run on 85% nitromethane and about 15% methanol also known as racing alcohol, instead of gasoline. The nitromethane used to power the engines of top fuel dragsters costs about US$30 per U.S. gallon (US$8/L).

The engine makes about 3.4 times as much power as a similar displacement engine running gasoline. The engines are producing at least 8,000 horsepower (6 MW).

These cars compete in a 1/4 mile (0.4 km) race and complete it in less than 4.5 seconds at upwards of 330 MPH (530 km/h). While going down the track the motors are running on the verge of hydraulic lock (that is, the air-fuel mixture is compressed so much it is almost a liquid). The spark plug electrodes are completely consumed during a run, but spark ignition is not necessary after the first half of the pass, since the motor is dieseling (igniting the air-fuel mixture without the help of a spark) because of the compression and extremely hot exhaust valves. Top Fuel dragsters are the fastest accelerating vehicles in the world.

Before their run, they do a burn-out (spinning the rear tires in water to heat and clean them before a run for better traction) as long as an 1/8 mile.

After each pass, the whole engine is taken apart and gone through, and much of it is replaced. On average, each run costs about $2,000 - $3,000.

Facts about Top Fuel

Each of the eight cylinders of a Top Fuel dragster produces 750 horsepower, equaling the entire horsepower output of a NASCAR engine.

A Top Fuel dragster accelerates from 0 to 100 mph (160 km/h) in less than 0.8 second, almost 11 seconds quicker than it takes a production Porsche 911 Turbo to reach the same speed.

Top Fuel dragsters use between 10 and 12 U.S. gallons (38 to 45 L) of fuel for a complete pass, including the burnout, backup to the starting line, and quarter-mile run.

Top Fuel dragsters can exceed 280 mph (450 km/h) in just 660 feet (0.2 km).

At top engine speed, the exhaust gases escaping from the open headers produce about 800 pounds of downforce (although much more downforce is produced by the massive wing sitting over the rear wheels).

One Top Fuel dragster 500 cubic inch Hemi engine makes more horsepower than the first 4 rows at the Daytona 500.

Dual magnetos supply around 44 amps to each spark plug. This is the output of an arc welder in each cylinder.