Regan Brown
Funny cars are a type of drag racing vehicle and a specific racing class in organised drag racing. They are characterised by their custom-fabricated chassis and tilt-up fibreglass or carbon fibre automotive bodies, which vaguely resemble showroom models of newly available cars. The engine is placed in front of the driver, unlike dragsters, which place it behind the driver. The fuel used in funny cars is usually a mixture of 85–90% nitromethane and 10–15% methanol (alcohol). The engine's immense power is attributed to its fuel system, which can burn up to 15 US gallons of fuel during a single run.
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What You'll Learn
- Funny cars burn 15 gallons of fuel in a single run
- The fuel mixture is 85-90% nitromethane and 10-15% methanol
- Funny cars have numerous injectors to deliver mass amounts of fuel to the engine
- Funny cars have two spark plugs per cylinder
- Funny cars can burn roughly 15 gallons of fuel in a quarter-mile run
Funny cars burn 15 gallons of fuel in a single run
Funny cars are the pinnacle of drag racing. They are powered by supercharged Hemi V8 engines, which produce about 11,000 hp. These engines have two spark plugs per cylinder, as methane is explosive when compressed but not super flammable, so it takes more to ignite. This also means that they burn an enormous volume of fuel.
Funny cars burn roughly 15 gallons of fuel in a single run. The fuel line is about 3 inches thick, and the fuel pumps flow at a rate of around 100 gallons per minute. At maximum, they can pull down around 6,800 rpm, flowing 90 gallons of fuel per minute. The fuel consists of 90% nitromethane and 10% alcohol. The slow burn rate of nitromethane means that very rich fuel mixtures are often not fully ignited, and some unburnt fuel can escape from the exhaust pipe and ignite on contact with atmospheric oxygen.
The process of starting the car, doing the burnout, backing up, making crew chief adjustments, and making the run consumes a lot of fuel. The cost of the fuel for each run is about $600, and the total cost of each run is about $5,000. The oil system contains 15.1 litres of SAE 70 mineral or synthetic racing oil, and the oil pump pressure is around 160-170 psi during the run and 200 psi at startup.
The engine has about 42 fuel nozzles, with 10 injectors placed in the injector hat above the supercharger, 16 in the intake manifold, and two per cylinder in the cylinder head. The injectors are located in several different areas of the engine to deliver the mass amounts of fuel needed to produce the horsepower levels that funny cars do.
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The fuel mixture is 85-90% nitromethane and 10-15% methanol
Funny Cars are a type of drag racing vehicle and a specific racing class in organised drag racing. They are characterised by their custom-fabricated chassis and tilt-up fibreglass or carbon fibre automotive bodies, which give them a vague resemblance to showroom models. The first funny cars were a trio of 1964 Dodge 330 Max Wedges, named the "Dodge Chargers".
The fuel mixture in a Funny Car is typically 85-90% nitromethane and 10-15% methanol. This mixture is highly combustible and is responsible for the immense power of these cars. During a single run, a Funny Car can burn up to 15 US gallons of fuel.
Nitromethane, often referred to as "nitro", is the result of a chemical reaction between nitric acid and propane. It is highly explosive and requires specialised spark plugs to ignite. The methanol component of the fuel mixture, also known as "alky", helps to regulate the combustion of nitromethane.
The fuel systems in Funny Cars are key to their performance. These cars have multiple injectors located in different areas of the engine to deliver the large amounts of fuel required. The exact configuration of injectors may vary between teams, but they typically have six nozzles in front of the blower and four in the back, as well as additional nozzles in the manifold and intake port.
The powerful engines and fuel systems of Funny Cars allow them to achieve impressive speeds. They can cover a quarter-mile in approximately 3.7-3.9 seconds and reach speeds of over 330 mph.
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Funny cars have numerous injectors to deliver mass amounts of fuel to the engine
Funny Cars are a type of drag racing vehicle and a specific racing class in organized drag racing. They are characterized by their custom-fabricated chassis and tilt-up fiberglass or carbon fiber automotive bodies, which give them a vague resemblance to showroom models. The first funny cars were the 1964 Dodge 330 Max Wedges, also known as the "Dodge Chargers".
Funny Cars have powerful engines that can produce up to 11,000 horsepower, with 1,375 horsepower per cylinder. These engines burn a significant amount of fuel, approximately 15 gallons during a single run, and can pull down around 6,800 rpm with a fuel flow of 90 gpm. To deliver this mass amount of fuel to the engine, Funny Cars have numerous injectors located in different areas. According to NHRA crew chief Rob Flynn, there are typically six nozzles in front of the blower and another four in the back to keep it lubricated. Additionally, most teams have one nozzle in the manifold, while some have two. There are also usually two nozzles in the intake port. The exact configuration of these nozzles may vary depending on personal preference and the specific needs of the car.
The fuel used in Funny Cars is primarily nitromethane ("nitro"), which is the result of a chemical reaction between nitric acid and propane. The fuel mixture typically contains 85-90% nitromethane and 10-15% methanol (alcohol). This high-performance fuel requires specialized spark plugs and engine components to handle its unique characteristics and corrosive effects.
The combination of powerful engines, numerous fuel injectors, and high-performance fuel enables Funny Cars to achieve impressive speeds. They can cover a quarter-mile distance in approximately 3.7-3.9 seconds and reach speeds of over 330 mph.
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Funny cars have two spark plugs per cylinder
Funny Cars are a type of drag racing vehicle and a specific racing class in organised drag racing. They are characterised by their tilt-up fibreglass or carbon fibre automotive bodies, which give them a unique appearance that loosely approximates showroom models. They are also distinguished by their front-engine design, in contrast to dragsters, which have the engine placed behind the driver.
The engines of Funny Cars are typically V8s with a maximum displacement of 500 cubic inches (8.2 litres). The most common design is based on the Chrysler 426 Hemi, with two spark plugs per cylinder, as opposed to just one in a stock 426 Chrysler Hemi. The reason for this difference is that Funny Cars use methane, which is explosive when compressed but not highly flammable, so the additional spark plug helps with ignition. Furthermore, the large number of spark plugs compensates for the enormous volume of fuel burned by these cars.
The fuel mixture in Funny Cars usually consists of 85-90% nitromethane ("nitro" or "fuel") and 10-15% methanol (alcohol or "alky"). This combination of fuels is crucial to achieving the immense power that these cars are known for. During a single run, a Funny Car can burn up to 15 US gallons (approximately 57 litres) of fuel.
The performance of these cars is truly remarkable. They can reach speeds of over 330 miles per hour and complete a quarter-mile run in approximately 3.7 to 3.9 seconds. The engines of these cars can generate an astonishing 11,000 horsepower, translating to about 1,375 horsepower per cylinder.
In summary, Funny Cars are an exciting class of drag racing vehicles, known for their distinctive appearance and exceptional performance. Their engines, with two spark plugs per cylinder, burn a significant volume of fuel and deliver incredible power and speed.
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Funny cars can burn roughly 15 gallons of fuel in a quarter-mile run
Funny cars are a type of drag-racing vehicle and a specific racing class in organized drag racing. They are characterized by having tilt-up fibreglass or carbon fibre automotive bodies over a custom-fabricated chassis, giving them a vague resemblance to showroom models. The first funny cars were the 1964 Dodge 330 Max Wedges, known as the "Dodge Chargers". They are powered by immense engines that can make up to 11,000 horsepower, or 1,375 horsepower per cylinder.
These engines burn a large volume of fuel, with funny cars burning roughly 15 gallons of fuel in a quarter-mile run. The fuel mixture is usually 85-90% nitromethane and 10-15% methanol. The nitromethane, also known as "nitro", is highly explosive and requires two spark plugs per cylinder to ignite. The methanol, or "alky", helps to balance the mixture.
The fuel system is key to the performance of funny cars, with multiple injectors located in different areas of the engine to deliver the large amounts of fuel required. The angle of the zoomie-style headers on funny car engines also helps to produce downforce and thrust for the car.
In addition to the fuel system, other factors contribute to the performance of funny cars. The engines are fine-tuned to optimize performance, and the fake body shells serve an important aerodynamic purpose. The combination of powerful engines, advanced fuel systems, and aerodynamic designs allows funny cars to achieve impressive speeds, with some reaching over 330 miles per hour.
Overall, the ability of funny cars to burn roughly 15 gallons of fuel in a quarter-mile run highlights the extreme performance capabilities of these specialized drag-racing vehicles.
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Frequently asked questions
Funny cars use a fuel mixture that is usually 85-90% nitromethane and 10-15% methanol.
Nitromethane, also known as "nitro", is the result of a chemical reaction between nitric acid and propane.
Funny cars can burn roughly 14-16 gallons of fuel in a single run.
The fuel system of a funny car is key to its immense power. It has numerous injectors located in several different areas of the engine to deliver mass amounts of fuel to the engine.
Funny cars can go over 330 miles per hour and can make a pass in approximately 3.7-3.9 seconds.
