The stupendous view – and sound – of a Top Fuel dragster and a Funny Car that can reach 300 miles per hour in a blink of an eye is just amazing. NHRA drag racing is undoubtedly one of the most breathtaking and terrifying forms of motorsport. Thanks again, MCG.Source: NHRA Communications and Technical Departments, NHRA race teams, motorsports equipment manufacturers The video doesn’t do the noise justice, but it’s ear splitting, and the nitro fumes will choke you, they jiggle your guts, and if you’re reading this and haven’t ever been, I URGE you to go. As the cars get faster, shut down is a big concern, and many places simply don’t have the room. What’s odd, is they are going faster now in 1,000 feet, than they did in the 1/4 mile. It should be noted, top fuel and funny cars have been limited to 1,000 feet since Scott Kalittas deadly crash in 2008. Also, these use fuel pumps that can man a fire hose, 64 gallons a minute, pumping through 32 fuel nozzles( 4 per cylinder), they are amazing machines. He did not include a couple things, the clutch on these is centrifugal, yep, just like the old minibike, so the clutch is actually slipping until he floors it. Sadly, he lost his 22 year old son couple years back, but I’ve talked to Clay at races, and a nicer guy I don’t think you’ll find. He was a forklift driver for a grocery warehouse, and hooked a ride somehow in one of these, and his smile should bring world peace. These typically use 16 gallons of nitro( $16/gal) in 1,000 feet for about 90 seconds of running time,including rebuild warm-up, burnout, and run and require a complete rebuild after every run, if it doesn’t explode Typically about $50,000 per run, almost $250 THOUSAND if the block and other parts are ruined, so not for the faint of wallet.Ģnd, Clay Millican is one of my favorite drivers. For years, these put out about 8-9,000hp, but has been updated to 11,000, if that’s true. Many tracks are closing, Old Bridge, the grand daddy, in NJ closed, I read, AZ, next year is the last, and Pomona, the heart of NHRA, also in trouble. It takes an average of almost $8 MILLION+ dollars to run a top fuel dragster for 24 races. EPA concerns, “NIMBY’S”, and the cost, for spectators and car owners. There is a recent fascination with top fuel dragsters lately, possibly as a shot in the arm for sagging attendance, kind of ironic, as I feel we’re toward the end of drag racing. Video follows.ġst, let me thank MCG for this, it’s my #1 racing venue. Here he provides an instructive and engaging driving lesson. And there’s a whole lot more to the job that we might think, with fuel, ignition, and clutch systems to manage along with the formidable task of keeping the 11,000 horsepower monster pointed more or less in the right direction. In this clip, he provides a fascinating briefing on the driver’s duties over the course of a run, from initial startup to the shut-down area. On his popular YouTube channel, Millican has provided some exceptional close-up views of the NHRA Top Fuel scene. As the driver of Doug Stringer’s Parts Plus Top Fueler, Millican recently launched a second career as a social media content creator, which brings us to this very cool video. A Tennessee native, Millican is the most prolific Top Fuel winner in IHRA history and an accomplished veteran on the NHRA circuit as well, with three national event wins under his belt. One of our regular tasks here at Mac’s Motor City Garage is introducing people who really need no introduction-for instance, veteran Top Fuel driver Clay Millican. Here’s professional wheel man Clay Millican to give us a lesson. What’s it like to drive a 330-mph Top Fueler? The job is a lot more complicated than we may imagine.
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