Extreme Top Fuel - final night at Bandimere

[Cliff]

 

[Sherman, Sherm, & Sherm Gun]

Thank You for posting this! I work closely with a lot of those guys daily. I actually run social media for one of the main pages for modern front engine Top Fuel dragsters. We are trying to get added to the bill at next year's US Nationals, which is the 70th. The class has grown a ton in the past few years. Currently, there are 31 active, Heritage legal, Nostalgia Top Fuel cars in the United States and Canada. We are very excited about the future! Two or three more cars should be hitting the track before the end of the year. And another three or four that will be finished next year.

Check out these two FB pages and FB group to follow along!

All American Fuel Dragsters

Extreme Top Fuel

Nostalgia Top Fuel

 

[Chili]

Good find. I planned on going but I was in Chicago for the NHRA event that weekend. I’m going to miss Bandimere.

 

[glofria]

Next up for these guys is Sept 15-16: Nitro Nationals, Osage Casino and Hotel Tulsa Raceway Park.

Should be a great race.

 

[twostep]

Next up for these guys is Sept 15-16: Nitro Nationals, Osage Casino and Hotel Tulsa Raceway Park.

Should be a great race.

I might try to make that one - it's only about 3 1/2 hours from here. The last time I saw a front-engine fuel dragster was back in the day when that's what everyone was running. What do the top ones run now, 5.50@260 or so?

 

[Sherman, Sherm, & Sherm Gun]

The current records are 5.490 @ 266.11, set by Mendy Fry and Jim Young, respectfully. Tony Bartone has the fastest pass in class history at 274mph.

Keep in mind, the Nostalgia Top Fuel class is the ONLY 1/4 mile Top Fuel racing left in the World...

 

[glofria]

I might try to make that one - it's only about 3 1/2 hours from here. The last time I saw a front-engine fuel dragster was back in the day when that's what everyone was running. What do the top ones run now, 5.50@260 or so?

...and the N/FC guys will be there with the A/F cars too.

 

[twostep]

The current records are 5.490 @ 266.11, set by Mendy Fry and Jim Young, respectfully. Tony Bartone has the fastest pass in class history at 274mph.

Keep in mind, the Nostalgia Top Fuel class is the ONLY 1/4 mile Top Fuel racing left in the World...

Unbelievable, and I'm reading where that pass was made 11 years ago. Tony Bartone is about to learn how to put a fast race car together. LOL

Seems like yesterday when Darrell Gwynn stood the TF world on its head with his 278mph pass (1986, Texas Motorplex). I was there for it and we went nuts.

 

[Sherman, Sherm, & Sherm Gun]

The numbers are deceiving, because they were not set recently. They are actually several years old. Performance has leveled off, sort of. The car count has almost tripled in the last five to ten years, too. Also, Tbone has not raced in Nostalgia Top Fuel since the 2017 season, partially due to a nagging back issue.


To start, here are the last National records set by a contemporary front engine dragster:

6.410 - Gerry Glenn - Lions Drag Strip - July 3, 1971
233.16 - Tony Nancy - Lions Drag Strip - January 15, 1972


Now, the current day records for front engine Top Fuel;

Official Elapsed Time Record:
Mendy Fry - 5.490 (5.518 Back Up) - March Meet - 3/12/2019

Official Speed Record:
Jim Young - 266.11mph (269.08mph Back Up) - March Meet - 3/11/2013

Unofficial Top MPH:
Tony Bartone, 274mph - Palm Beach, FL - 1/2012

 

[Oldwino]

Thank You for posting this! I work closely with a lot of those guys daily. I actually run social media for one of the main pages for modern front engine Top Fuel dragsters. We are trying to get added to the bill at next year's US Nationals, which is the 70th. j

All American Fuel Dragsters

Extreme Top Fuel

Nostalgia Top Fuel

View attachment 13437

I’d love to see these guys get a shotat running Indy. I’ve talked with most of the FC teams running in the Patriot Tour and theyall loved running in the big show.

 

[Cliff]

I think the fastest speed ever for front motored AA/FD was around 238 by Nancy. Don't know if it was backed up, around 1971 more or less? I do remember the MPH record for NHRA at 236. Garlits claimed a 240 run in his front engined car, but that was kinda iffy. I well remember Gerry Glenn running that 6.41 at Lions. Did it 2X in a row, different lanes. Was astonished he ran that quick, even tho the quickest ET before that was 6.43 by John Mulligan at Indy in 1969 I think. Glenn drove that car that had the engines way out in front of the driver, kinda like a funny car. Boy did that car work.

Schultz & Glenn: 1971's killer team

Even though the main trunk of the Keeling & Clayton thread continues to grow, today I’m branching out a bit to address growing questions about a guy whose name has been part of the story even though he never drove for the team.

www.nhra.com

 

[Sherman, Sherm, & Sherm Gun]

I got those numbers from Robert Post's book. If it's in there, it's correct.

 

[glofria]

More night time header flames here: