Chassis
Our chassis was built by Bob Meyer of San Diego, California. The chassis
wheelbase is 260" - overall length of the car is 27 feet (8.25m) There
is approximately 280 feet (85.3m) of high strength 4130 chrome-moly
steel tubing used to fabricate the chassis. Tubing of differing diameters
and wall thickness are used at different locations - the rollcage
has the largest section and the tubing reduces in diameter from the
rear to the front - this is to allow the chassis to flex (it would
snap if it was too rigid).
Engine
The
engine is purpose built for drag racing based on a Chrysler "Hemi"
and is approximately 7500cc, it is supercharged, fuel
injected and made out of solid aluminium for strength (no water passages
for cooling). As no commercially available dynamometer is strong enough
to test the engine the power output has to be calculated - and it
is in excess of 2500bhp! Methanol is used as the fuel to give extra
power, it runs cooler and does not detonate (pink) as readily as petrol
(gasoline). The crankshaft is made from a solid (billet) piece of
high strength steel alloy and they only last about 70 runs (if your
lucky!) The conrods are made from a special aluminium alloy and last
about 20 runs.
Transmission
The specialist
clutch has 3 x 10" diameter plates and is designed to slip at a preset
rate (adjusted for track conditions) - if not the slicks would spin
off the starting line. Our car has a "Lenco" planetary transmission
(gearbox) - with 3 forward speeds and reverse - It is specially designed
for drag racing and allows clutchless shifts under power
Safety
Equipment
The supercharger,
engine block and transmission are all surrounded by safety bags made
from the same material as "bullet proof" vests with restraint straps
to prevent shrapnel blowing off the car in the event of an explosion.
The clutch is enclosed within a special high strength steel bellhousing
("can") for the same reasons. There are two parachutes to slow the
car down from over 230mph, the conventional disc brakes (rear wheels
only) are only effective at speeds under 100mph.
Wheels
& Tyres
The rear
slicks are 17" wide to get all that power to the track. They are specially
designed for drag racing with very thin sidewalls (3mm) so they grow
in diameter due to centrifugal action as the speed (rpm) increases
going down the track thereby increasing overall gear ratio. The front
wheels are only 2.25" wide as they don't do a lot most of the time!
Performance Stats
Engine power - 2500+bhp
0 - 100 mph in approx 1 second
Standing Start 1/4 mile - 5.79 seconds
Terminal Speed at 1/4 mile - 230.66 mph
G Force - +3 G (at start), -3 G (at finish line)
Fuel consumption -16 gallons / mile! (330 feet / gallon)