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Top Fuel Dragster Facts
Before their run, they do a burnout. This is done for three reasons (water is applied to initially break traction, allowing the tires to spin up). First, it heats the tires up, creating a sticky superficial layer of rubber on the tires. Secondly, it removes debris from the tires. Thirdly, and most importantly, it coats the track surface with rubber which greatly improves traction during the subsequent launch. A top fuel dragster's burnout alone can travel one quarter of the way down the track.
At top engine speed, the exhaust gases escaping from the open headers produce about 800-1000 pounds of downforce. The massive wing over and behind the rear wheels produces much more downforce, peaking at around 12,000 pounds of downforce when the car reaches a speed of about 325 mph plus.
Top Fuel dragsters are notorious for the deafening amount of noise their engines create at full throttle. They generate 120 dB of noise, enough to cause some people’s eardrums physical pain. The intense levels of sound are not only heard, but also felt as pounding vibrations all over one's body, leading many to compare the experience of watching a Top Fuel dragster make a pass to 'feeling as though the entire drag strip is being bombed.’
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