Nitromater
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Tony Schumacher Top Fueler
- Thread starter Rat
- Start date
No, Jim, I'm nowhere near that lucky or deserving. I'm simply trying to inject some common sense into what I'm saying. First, if canopies were of aerodynamic benefit, everyone would run them and by now they'd have any fire-based issues worked out. You'd see front wheel panties and cobra snake-looking full front covers, both of which have been tried and discarded. Streamliners have been experimented with for 50 years to no avail. There is no significant difference and in the case of most streamliner experiments, the additional weight actually slowed the cars down.
Next, understand this, as I'm certain you do, that a Top Fuel dragster spends only a fraction of a second at speeds where any reduction in aerodynamic drag would make a significant difference, and remember, the car has an 8000HP aerodynamic equalizer. There's enough excess power to blow the tires off at 300 MPH, more than enough to overcome any drag produced than a less than ideal windshield.
And finally, the numbers don't lie. Schu ran 324MPH at PBIR, exactly what he ran all last year under similar (read ideal) conditions. At the Gainesville race in 2010, an event blessed with gale-force tailwinds, drivers/crew chiefs that were asked about the effect of the wind said, to a man, "1-2 MPH". Schu ran 324 at that race. He turned right around and ran 324 (one 325) at other races where there was no wind. I remember one race last year where he ran 322 into a 20+MPH headwind.
A 1-2 MPH gain through the traps will have negligible difference in the elapsed time, evidenced at Gainesville where low ET of Sunday's finals (his) was 3.79. ET, as you know, comes primarily in the first 330 feet, where the wind (and the windshield) isn't a factor. I maintain that after watching flames lick the cockpits of his drivers on many occasions, Don Schumacher had the presence of mind to investigate the design of a windshield that would actually aid in directing flames away from that area - hence the windshield you're seeing now. And as a plus, it gives the car a bit of a fresh look. Don posts on here; maybe he'll come on and give us a clarification.
What's the secret to a winning Top Fuel dragster? Same thing I've said for years. It's in the can, man...
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The Little Lizard
Nitro Member
Looks nice, but its hard to clean up the air a whole bunch on those things. 3 vs. 4. 3 may work a little better off the hit as it has one less butterfly to potentially leak and throw an odd pulse, or open at even the slightist difference in rate. Less can be better, once you open one of those things up it's on auto pilot for the most part. The injectors have demenional specs, flow on the bench see what flows the most, it will suck in what it wants anyway. I would design something to max spec, max flow on bench, keep low to the cage without obstruction, simple uncomplicated with tight pulsing.
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Just Paul
Nitro Member
Yup... KB/AA Dale brought "The Batmobile" to Pomona 87. One of the first times he took it to the lights they found out it needed to be stronger and/or more bracing.
At least the four hole will give them room for A R M Y
I like the design as well - That stealth look is cool. Especially in black.
Maybe we'll see this thought again someday?
Now that concept awesome looking concept, to bad it never ran worth a crap!!!
TooTall999
Nitro Member
Weren't Amato and Dupuy working on a streamliner concept just before Amato sold his operation? Any idea what happened to that one?
Just Paul
Nitro Member
Darrell Russell drove with it a few times... And Morgan Lucas got his licence with that body on the car, but I never saw it after that. I suppose it went with Davenport when he bought the operation.
Bobby Bennett
Nitro Member
'Bigger and Uglier' might be an appropriate name for it. I've also noticed not many teams are running the 1-hole Gibson-Miller injector (with the A/FD style scoop) any more. Wonder why?
I know that the 1-hole was said to get the car to react faster thus making r/t's better, yet I don't know where it went. Last team I know that used it was Brandon Bernstein in 2009 for the first few races.
Just Paul
Nitro Member
I'm pretty sure Shoe and Troxel ran them for DSR back in the Army/Exide days for a bit, but yeah not as tall, and square openings.
mick
Nitro Member
Just Paul
Nitro Member
Here is a shot of the Army car with Bill Walsh driving from 2000...Hard to see but it's there.
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