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What is Drag Racing?
Drag racing began in the USA in the late 1920's when
young people would race each other away from the
traffic lights down the main `drag' (highway) of
small American towns. As Police clamped down on this
illegal activity, car clubs formed and these people
in their `souped up' vehicles (`Hot Rods') moved
from the highways to disused airfields and dry lake
beds. Then in 1951 the National Hot Rod Association
(NHRA) was formed which established a set of safety
rules. Permanent drag racing facilities (`drag
strips') were then set up over the whole of the USA.
A drag race is held between two cars or motorcycles
from a controlled set of lights over a measured
quarter mile straight track with the first to the
finish line declared the winner. In order to beat
the competition, the machines became increasingly
more powerful in order to accelerate faster than
their opponents.
These machines evolved from
standard road legal cars and motorcycles into the
specially designed high technology machines at the
cutting edge of the sport today. In order to
encourage new people into the sport, various classes
have been established for road legal cars and
motorcycles through to the premier classes, Top Fuel
Car and Motorcycle.
It is hard to describe the awesome spectacle of a
Top Fuel machine in competition. The sight and
sounds of these machines as they reach speeds of
over 230 mph (320 for the cars) in around five
seconds has to be seen to be believed. Engines are
pushed to the brink of destruction as the vehicles
fight for grip as they try to apply their awesome
power to the ground. With only one tyre through
which the motorcycles grip the ground, the task of
controlling the awesome power is immense.
The machines pull over 3g of acceleration
(more than an astronaut experiences at take off)
from
the startline and lift the front wheel
off the ground. Struts with small wheels at the back
are employed (wheelie bars) to prevent the machines
flipping over. The only way to steer the bike with
it's front wheel off the ground is for the rider to
hang his body off the side to alter the balance. The
skill and bravery of the motorcycle riders is
paramount in attaining competence in this, the most
powerful sport on earth.
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