Blip of the throttle (1 Viewer)

[flapjack]

First, started the day off by posting this in the wrong forum (NHRA News).

It's neat that TF teams will blip the throttle when they warm up their cars, but I do not understand the purpose of this. Many teams are now warming up the car at just idle RPM. This is a change from years ago when everyone blipped the throttle. Any idea why this is done?

 

[Huge]

First, started the day off by posting this in the wrong forum (NHRA News).

It's neat that TF teams will blip the throttle when they warm up their cars, but I do not understand the purpose of this. Many teams are now warming up the car at just idle RPM. This is a change from years ago when everyone blipped the throttle. Any idea why this is done?

They are seating the clutch when they blip the throttle. Some teams are getting away from that procedure depending on how aggressive their clutch levers are.

 

[BaldyLochs]

It's also a cost issue and trying to use less Nitromethane. It's wierd though; because some of the cars that were always known for doing it, stopped doing it last year; (or whenever that was) when we thought there was no more Nitro anywhere in the world.... so they adapted to doing it on alcohol and only pumping "the hard stuff" for a few moments; but now, it seems like they're sometimes doing it both ways at any given race. I'm sure there's a reason

 

[james]

i over heard a bernstein crew guy say at pomona 2 last year that the reason why they got away from it is that it stretched the rods, any truth to this ? just heard him say that to a fan that asked why they didnt do it

 

[BaldyLochs]

That's what's cool about NHRA though. At the next FTDRS race I go to, I will ask a crewmember or a driver pointblank, WHY. Try going to a NASCAR Sprint Cup race and asking Denny Hamlin or his crew chief (during the race mind you), and ask why they chose to stop for fuel when they did; or better yet, - go down on pit road during an Indy Car race & ask Dario Franchitti's crew guys how come they took rear wing out of the car......

 

[Paul]

i over heard a bernstein crew guy say at pomona 2 last year that the reason why they got away from it is that it stretched the rods, any truth to this ? just heard him say that to a fan that asked why they didnt do it

With Todd and Donnie in charge Bernstein is back to whacking the throttle during the warm up.

 

[twostep]

I heard Eddie Hill make a statement once, when he fired his TF at his motorcycle shop for some routine PR, that he'd stopped whacking the throttle because it was damaging valve springs and causing superchargers to become inconsistent. Same reason, I'm told, that Force stopped doing 1/8 mile burnouts years ago.

Hill also said the only reason they whacked the throttle in the first place was to please the fans; it wasn't a required procedure to seat the clutch properly.

I still love a good whack.

 

[Huge]

The blip mystery has been solved.

 

[67 Cuda]

I hope they never all stop blipping the throttle. Of course I still wish they did the dry hops.

 

[mick]

I hope they never all stop blipping the throttle. Of course I still wish they did the dry hops.

and long smoky burnouts, and 1/4 mile racing, and 100% nitro,
and winston, and single car teams, and each rig parked in pits held a racecar
and not multiple hospitality, and linda vaughn

but i digress

 

[Rollout96]

and long smoky burnouts, and 1/4 mile racing, and 100% nitro,
and winston, and single car teams, and each rig parked in pits held a racecar
and not multiple hospitality, and linda vaughn

but i digress

I miss Miss Winston Jackie Beck!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[none]

I miss Miss Winston Jackie Beck!!!!!!!!!!!

I was always partial to Deb Brittsan.

 

[flapjack]

I was always partial to Deb Brittsan.

Ii grew up watching AHRA sanctioned events, therefore I never had the pleasure of feasting my teen-aged eyes on the beauties listed here.

 

[flapjack]

The plot thickens. In this video, Jim Oberhoffer states that blipping/whacking the throttle is to seat the clutch, but that they don't always do it:

YouTube - Firing up the ROCKY Boots Top Fueler at Fin, Feather and Fur

One of my more silly phrases for whacking the throttle is "burping the car."

 

[flapjack]

Ooops! Too many `f's. That should read Oberhofer, not Oberhofer.

 

[twostep]

You've got teams that whack 3 times, others 2, some once, some not at all. Those that don't whack need to be disqualified.

I've watched Hill hold the brake, engage the clutch and apply part throttle, loading the entire drivetrain and, I assume, seating the clutch in the process. Lots of other teams do it that way today. I still think whacking is really just a way to show off, like Oberhofer was doing for the crowd at the mall.

 

[The Swegian]

I still think whacking is really just a way to show off, like Oberhofer was doing for the crowd at the mall.

C'mon now, this is a family show here. Keep it clean please.

 

[twostep]

C'mon now, this is a family show here. Keep it clean please.

Geezus, that did come out a bit R-rated, didn't it?

From this point forward, we shall BLIP the throttle.

 

[James]

The plot thickens. In this video, Jim Oberhoffer states that blipping/whacking the throttle is to seat the clutch, but that they don't always do it:

YouTube - Firing up the ROCKY Boots Top Fueler at Fin, Feather and Fur

One of my more silly phrases for whacking the throttle is "burping the car."

That crowd is like WTF did we just see?? I'm pretty sure that was a life altering expirerience for them...

 

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