Alcohol before Nitro? (2 Viewers)

[Adam]

only 5.40 seconds??? do we really understand how quick that is... spoiled by todays cars that go sub 5 sec routinly may make a 5.40 seem ho hum but in the drivers seat its a whole other ball game. Bruce alluded to this earlier that being enclosed in that cockpit with very limited visibility, and actually feeling that motor in front of or behind you for that matter really puts it all in perspective, not to mention stepping on the loud pedal.

 

[Toejam]

Sam...
Long, Long ago in a galazy Far Far away, they were.... But it's even harder to handicap an injected nitro flop than it is to adjust the A/FD vs AA/BAD thing... Besides, why blown flops when a good injected car at 2600 pounds should run 5 flat or even 4.9's

That sounds like IHRA allowing unlimited A/fuel Dragsters in TF. They were predicting 4's. Never happened!

 

[d'kid]

Noise....
give 'em pure pop, no rev limiters... I can see an injected car running within .5 of a aa/fc with the governor.... take the governor off the blown cars, I can see 4.3's in top fuel and 4.5's in floppers... and no more 1000 ft passes

Roxynova

 

[NitroIntern]

Re: Extending the licensing procedure

- With the cost of fuel, tires, etc. in a Top Fuel or Funny Car (estimated at $4000 per run, IF nothing breaks), it would be unrealistic to extend the procedure. Already, it costs almost $20,000 at that rate to get a TF/FC license, if everything goes well. I know people who have been seeking their PS license who are good experienced drivers. Track conditions, car problems, and weather have caused them to go to three full sessions or more to get their runs in.

Re: Parachutes

- On a decent-length track, a SuperComp dragster shouldn't require parachutes on a 160 mph run. They hardly need BRAKES. When I was licensing, Mike Bell had me so scared of over-braking that I didn't touch the brakes until I had "glided" down to about 40 mph and I easily made the last turn-off at SGMP. When I decided to try the brakes, I made the first turn-off, still without the chutes and using gentle brakes.

I wanted to hit the chutes, just to feel it, but I sure didn't wanna re-pack those things.

 

["Dr. Dirt"]

Hot Rod Fuller has been down the 1/4 mile more times than you could imagine. He could race a final with a cup of coffee in his hand, cut a 400 light and not spill a drop. He's been racing so long that it's he's not a good reference for someone who is green.....

Although I wasn't referring to his abilities whatsoever-only to his remarks about alky drivers a month or so ago, I would like to see that cup of coffee after one mid-5-second pass in Jay Payne's Alky F/C.

 

[Toejam]

Noise....
give 'em pure pop, no rev limiters... I can see an injected car running within .5 of a aa/fc with the governor.... take the governor off the blown cars, I can see 4.3's in top fuel and 4.5's in floppers... and no more 1000 ft passes

Roxynova

Karl, IHRA basically said they could Tip the can(103%) and run unlimited Cubes. Dave Hirata supposedly had a combo built just for that but scraped the whole deal for some reason.

 

[BlueStangGT]

Karl, IHRA basically said they could Tip the can(103%) and run unlimited Cubes. Dave Hirata supposedly had a combo built just for that but scraped the whole deal for some reason.

103%? Ummm... Joe, I'm no rocket scientist but how do you arrive at that percentage of nitro in fuel?

 

[Toejam]

103%? Ummm... Joe, I'm no rocket scientist but how do you arrive at that percentage of nitro in fuel?

LOL, That's what I thought until talking to some Fuel guys at Indy! Just about every Nitro drum will measure over 100% depending on Temperature. Over 102% is pretty common. Don't ask me how that's possible, it just happens....

 

[d'kid]

So, ya'll think even with the extra 35 cubes, and the can, lable and pour spout, no rev limiter, an a/fc can't run 5.0's... oh, yeah, drop the injected car to 2200 likes a roots ta/fc.

and the extras won't help a 2225 pound a/fd cut atleast 3/10 off their et's either... Note the weight drop to the same as TF... a hundred pounds is good for how much et? now figure 300 pounds...

just though I'd ask

 

[Toejam]

I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[Gordon]

Having said that, those guys started in the days of 5.40 Top Fuel qualifing times. IMHO, either you got it, or you don't. If you don't, you better take the time to get it...

The Alky ranks are running as quick, or quicker than the fuel ranks were running 20 years ago on 100% nitro! However, they ain't gettin' paid near as much... so to require a person to compete in the Alky wars for a year or two prior to fuel licensing may actually be more expensive than jumping right into fuel.

Another consideration is this: How many passes equals one year of competiton? Does he/she have to qualify? Run National events? Divisional events?

George is right - either you got it, or you don't. If you don't you probably aren't ready for Alky either.