torquemonkey
Dedicated LVC Member
NHRA Fun Facts For Fellow Gearheads
1. Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1-1/2 gallons of nitro fuel per second. To put that into
perspective, that is the same rate of fuel consumption as a fully loaded 747 in flight, but with 4 times
the energy release per volume.
2. The supercharger takes more power to drive it than a stock Hemi makes.
3. With nearly 3000 cubic feet of air being rammed in by the supercharger on overdrive, the fuel mix-
ture is compressed into nearly-solid form before ignition. Cylinders run on the verge of hydraulic
lock!
4. Dual magnetos apply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is equivalent to the output of an arc welder
inside each cylinder.
5. At stoichiometric (exact) 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture (for nitro) the flame front of nitro methane measures
7050 degrees F.
6. Nitro methane burns yellow. The spectacular white flame seen above the stacks of a dragster during a
night race is actually burning hydrogen, as it is being dissociated from atmospheric water vapor by
the searing hot exhaust gases.
7. Spark plug electrodes are totally consumed during one pass down the track. In the 3 or 4 seconds it
takes to get halfway through the quarter, the engine is dieseling from compression and the glow of the
exhaust valves at 1400 degrees F. The engine can only be killed by shutting off the fuel flow.
8. If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro builds up so fast in the cylinders that once
From Factory Automanuals.
1. Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1-1/2 gallons of nitro fuel per second. To put that into
perspective, that is the same rate of fuel consumption as a fully loaded 747 in flight, but with 4 times
the energy release per volume.
2. The supercharger takes more power to drive it than a stock Hemi makes.
3. With nearly 3000 cubic feet of air being rammed in by the supercharger on overdrive, the fuel mix-
ture is compressed into nearly-solid form before ignition. Cylinders run on the verge of hydraulic
lock!
4. Dual magnetos apply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is equivalent to the output of an arc welder
inside each cylinder.
5. At stoichiometric (exact) 1.7:1 air/fuel mixture (for nitro) the flame front of nitro methane measures
7050 degrees F.
6. Nitro methane burns yellow. The spectacular white flame seen above the stacks of a dragster during a
night race is actually burning hydrogen, as it is being dissociated from atmospheric water vapor by
the searing hot exhaust gases.
7. Spark plug electrodes are totally consumed during one pass down the track. In the 3 or 4 seconds it
takes to get halfway through the quarter, the engine is dieseling from compression and the glow of the
exhaust valves at 1400 degrees F. The engine can only be killed by shutting off the fuel flow.
8. If spark momentarily fails early in the run, unburned nitro builds up so fast in the cylinders that once
From Factory Automanuals.