Posted on 05/06/2006 9:13:33 AM PDT by Loud Mime
This is a new track record, just a shade off the current national record of 4.66 333.58, also held by Force
"Living legend John Force celebrated his 57th birthday with a No. 1 qualifying effort at the 26th annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals. Force (pictured) used a track-record 4.686 at 329.58 mph to make himself the early favorite at a race he's won seven times in the past. Brandon Bernstein (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) joined Force on the low qualifier's podium."
snip
Look at all the people who qualified in the 4.5's:
1. Brandon Bernstein Budweiser/Lucas Oil Dragster 4.521 328.06
2. Doug Kalitta MAC Tools Dragster 4.529 324.67
3. Rod Fuller David Powers Motorsports Drags 4.535 327.74
4. Melanie Troxel Skull Gear/Torco Dragster 4.541 327.03
5. Hillary Will KB Racing Dragster 4.552 319.52
6. Larry Dixon Miller Lite Dragster 4.559 329.10
7. Tony Schumacher U.S. Army Dragster 4.562 321.81
8. Morgan Lucas Lucas Oil Dragster 4.571 321.19
9. Doug Herbert Snap-On Tools Dragster 4.592 316.23
The following dragsters were SLOWER than Force:
14. Michael Gunderson Under The Gun Racing Dragster 4.735 315.12
15. Scott Palmer Grand Crowne/Nitro Plate Drags 4.846 246.93
16. Bob Vandergriff UPS Dragster 4.853 251.39
--------- Not Qualified ---------
17. Rhonda Hartman-Smith Craftsman Dragster 6.726 157.69
18. David Grubnic StriVectin-SD Dragster 11.391 78.06
Here's the Television Schedule:
Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals Atlanta, GA
5/6/2006 Qualifying 9:00:00 PM-11:00:00 PM (ET) ESPN2
5/7/2006 Eliminations 7:00:00 PM-10:00:00 PM (ET) ESPN2
5/9/2006 Repeat Eliminations 2:00:00 AM-4:00:00 AM (ET) ESPN2
(Excerpt) Read more at nhra.com ...
Are those quarter mile times, from a stop?
Looks like Melanie and Hillary are continuing to put the heat on.
ET's are getting a little lower. I wonder just how far they will go. Can't go much lower. Might get to 4.3 eventually with the Fuel Dragsters. Maybe in another three or four or five years.
Funny Cars are my favorites. John Force could beat the Top Fuel qualifiers in the lower ranks. Amazing!
Yes
yrs, unbelieveable how fast they are going these days.
Yow!
Im not sure about 4.3, but what do I know. In the 70's i never thought a FC would do a sub 5.
Drag Racing Ping
Darn, Supernatural, you're fast!
Yes, these cars are THAT fast.
I keep telling people that they should see a night-time drag race just once. You'll never forget the speed, the roar, the incredible power of these cars and the sights.
Oh, I'm quick to the punch. I'm usually one of the first ones on your thread.
I love your thread. Thanks so much for posting it.
I think that the dragsters are peaking out. We're not seeing as many sub 4.5 runs now; it may be the tires or the nitro mix.
The FC's have a substantial amount of aerodynamic downforce after the first second. That may be their advantage.
Each Top Fuel or Funny Car engine makes over 7,000 horsepower.
They race 1/4 mile and it is so hard on the engines that they have to rebuild them AFTER EVER 1/4 MILE RACE!
Sometimes the engines don't even last 1/4 mile, they blow up going down the track.
The most exotic engines in racing.
You're welcome.
On cable TV "Modern Marvels" has a show on the history of drag racing. I missed it last night.
Has anybody seen it?
The cars have pretty much reached their limit as to how quickly they can get down the track, I agree. You can only get so much power to the ground.
I am amazed that they have come so far.
Pro Stock cars now run 6.6 and 6.7. Way quicker than the fuel dragsters of the early 70's.
They have come a long, long way.
That show was on some months ago and I saw part of it.
It was an excellent show, as are most shows on the "History Channel", especially "Modern Marvels". They make everything extremely interesting.
300 mph would tear all the rest of the trim off my Caprice.
Still have that original SUV classic?
That looks like an old Ford Fairlane S/Wagon!
By the way, I'm a big fan of the History Channel's "Modern Marvels." I found out that their website has an email update on the upcoming shows; you can sign up for free.
Here's from their show on Drag Racing:
"Drag Racing.
Aired on Thursday, May 4 at 7:00pm ET
Legendary drivers lead us on a record-breaking race through a century-long search for sheer acceleration that began before World War One, when hot-rodders modified Model-T Fords to see how fast they could go. Today's dragsters can cover a quarter-mile from a standing start in 4.5 seconds, hitting top speeds above 330 mph. Top driver Gary Clapshaw shows us how to put together a modern dragster and revolutionary designer Bob Norwood unveils his newest car."
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