Dom Lagana 326 mph Sideways - 1/4 mile Top Fuel

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Another great video by Les Mayhew.

 

[Nunz]

Wow! Well Bobby said it best, that's badass!!

 

[Just Paul]

I love the fact it's on a single, and you can really hear it rev up in the end.

 

[8sec71]

1/4 mile FTW!!!

 

[Toejam]

Hard to imagine spinning tires at that speed!

 

[Nunz]

I believe fuel cars are pretty much in a controlled spin the length of the track.

 

[Toejam]

I believe fuel cars are pretty much in a controlled spin the length of the track.

I find that hard to believe unless Ignition timing is involved somehow.

 

[Turtle]

Wheelspeed

 

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I find that hard to believe unless Ignition timing is involved somehow.

Wheelspin is why they black-track on so many passes. Years ago I remember the Pro Street bike owned and tuned by Rob Muzzy was making 185 mph passes but tire speed across the finish line was over 210 mph.

 

[mgty3whlr]

If you were to remove the engine noise from the pass, you will hear the tires screeching down the track, wheel speed (tire spin).
A perfect example is Big Daddy's Electric dragster, Look up the video and listen.

 

[Toejam]

If you were to remove the engine noise from the pass, you will hear the tires screeching down the track, wheel speed (tire spin).
A perfect example is Big Daddy's Electric dragster, Look up the video and listen.

Well at 330 mph the Engine is roughly 8,500 RPM. Tires around 2,200, if they are spinning at those speeds those Motors are turning way above that!

 

[vegasnitro]

Well at 330 mph the Engine is roughly 8,500 RPM. Tires around 2,200, if they are spinning at those speeds those Motors are turning way above that!

Gear reduction + clutch slippage + tires pressures + track temperature + centrifugal forces placed on the tire by the wheel + downforce generated by the rear wing (plus dozens of other tiny but important variables) mean the tires RPM is not necessarily directly proportional to engine RPM. Also, think about blistering and chunking of tires and/or the relatively low number of runs they get out of the tires. If they weren't spinning, there would be no black marks on the track as they make their runs and there would be no reason to replace the tires as often. Spinning the tires does not necessarily mean loss of traction (or a decrease in the load on the engine or increasing RPMs of the engine), nor does it mean the tire is out of control given the conditions/parameters of the run. Lots of crazy physics happening to those big Goodyear slicks.