Informative Speech On Drag Racing

The Fire Breathing Monster of The NHRA

Take a look at your car, it probably can only hit eighty on a good day. Then watch the top fuel and funny car dragsters of the National Hot Rod Association who get three hundred miles per hour on a bad day. You would be blown away at the diffrence in power. The pure power and the amount of noise that these cars produce will blow you away. I'm going to inform you on a lot of the amazing facts about the nitro powered dragsters of the NHRA. First, i'm going to inform you on how drag racing started and on how drag racing works, then how the dragsters work. Following that i'm going to explain how the equipment keeps the drivers and workers safe, finally I will explain how the sport is evolving,

The History of Insanity

The sport of drag racing started back in 1951, when a man by the name of wally parks created the NHRA(Wikipedia). Wallys dream was to have a group of car freaks who want

to test the speed of their car. So wally created the NHRA so they could have a governing body to regulate the rules and make the sport fair. Then as the sport increased in popularity, the cars were starting to get pushed to be better. So, they created the wildly popular top fuel class. The “kings of the sport” as they’re referred to as, are the cars that introduced the nitro power drag cars to the world. With the introduction of nitro powered cars then came the introduction of the funny car. A upgraded regular car with nitromethane gas powering the beast. The top fuel and funny cars were very different back then though. The top fuels which nowadays are rear motored cars, used to be front motored cars which they found out wasn't very safe or efficient. They started to switch because “big daddy” Don Garlits back in nineteen seventy stepped on the throttle of his front motorized top fuel, and the engine exploded in his lap and broke both his legs. So while in the hospital bed “Big Daddy” started to draw a sketch of his new dragster which would have the engine behind him(Jim Peltz). The funny car has only been majorly changed in two thousand seven after funny car driver eric medlen passed away in a crash. They stated that Eric died because his head hit the roll cage extremely hard. Following Erics crash in 2007 they widened the roll cage. Nowadays, the top fuel and funny car are the stars of the mello yello championship drag racing series. Which is where over 24 races the drivers see who gets the most points, and the driver with the most points wins the championship for that season. The drivers who have won the most championships is john Force for funny car with sixteen championships, and Tony Schumacher in top fuel with eight.
The Thrilling One Thousand Feet
The fast paced motorsport of dragracing is a pretty simple one. It consist on two cars that are regulated by the NHRA. once the two cars are regulated they then get to pull up to the starting line and do their burnouts. A burnout is when the drivers heat up the tires to the race track, by holding the throttle and brake with a little of the clutch. Each race is started by a light system called the christmas tree (NHRA). When the drivers pull to the line after the burnout, the lights go blues which are called the staging lights. Then when both staging light are on for both racers, the three amber light turn on for four tenths of a second. Then when those amber lights turn off the green lights will turn on and the madness begins. The drivers will take the car down the straight track to one thousand feet, where a victory light will turn on for the driver to get there first.
The Brains of the Monster
The car is able to produce all the ten thousand horse power because of the amazing mechanics that are used in each car.

Each nitro dragster is equipped with a custom supercharged and fuel injected engine, which is the real power of the beast. Another very crucial part of the car is its parachute launch system, which if he drivers didn't have would be a very rough and maybe lethal stop. Also one of the most powerful parts of the machine is the gas which is a nitromethane. The dragsters can use up to fifteen gallons of nitromethane in only one run. Another fascinating fact is that the dragsters are twenty five feet long and two thousand three hundred and thirty pounds. The top fuel dragsters pull eight gs on launch, and also have have amazing drivers who react to the start light in less than a tenth of a second.. The “fire breathing monsters of the NHRA” as they are called are a man mad true feat of engineering. When you look back at how the NHRA started you would be shocked and amazed by the mechanics and systems that go into each nitro drag

car.
The Safety for the Drivers
The drivers of the top fuel dragsters have to be in good shape because, they have to deal with very adverse situations. The top fuel cars on an average run pull six Gs, which is equivalent to the space shuttle entry and exit combined. Every driver is required to have a special fire suit that is checked every race day, And has to be regulated by the NHRA with new rules every year. Along with a helmet which is made brand new for every race day. Which have very unique systems inside them to make them function. Such as a communications system to talk with the driver, also a sensor to determine the amount of stress, and how the body deals with the conditions. The cars have a special cockpit that makes it possible if the cars crashes, the cockpit will dislodge from the dragster and take the driver out of harm. The safety of the nitro cars is very sophisticated and the crew members and track works have to know how to get a driver out of almost every crash possibility(NHRA). The NHRA has been improving the safety equipment every year to make it safer for the divers and the track workers.
The Evolution of Insanity
If you were to travel to the drag strip in the nineteen seventies, then travel to it today you would see a world of difference. The car of the past were very slow compared to the ten thousand horsepower beasts we have today. The NHRA speed record was recently set by robert hight in his funny car going three hundred and thirty nine mile per hour. Which just show how the sport of drag racing has evolved. But also the drivers are getting raised even younger. The NHRA has a new league called Jr dragsters which is where kids eighteen or younger can have their own half size very of a dragster and race until half track. The NHRA is also adding small divisions like the eliminator classes which is where regular people can bring there cars out and drag race them. So while cars and truck keep evolving, so do the top fuel and funny cars of the NHRA.
CONCLUSION
So you've found out what goes into a nitro power drag car. And how the safety system is one of the top systems in the world. And how the amazing sport of drag racing and the cars are evolving. The fascinating sport of drag racing will be here for quite awhile to go. And between the drivers, fans, crew members, and the officials. The nitro power dragsters of the NHRA will always be looking to go fast and break new records. So if you get the chance to watch nitro dragsters of the NHRA, sit back relax and appreciate the power.