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All car enthusiasts have wanted to head down to their local drag racing track and check their vehicle’s capabilities at least once in their lives. Indeed, today, you can also just stay at home and play racing games online. For example, there are many online platforms and gaming sites in the USA, Canada, Australia, etc. that not only let you play online pokie games but also access and experience the thrill of drag races. However, let’s agree that nothing beats the authenticity and the storm of energizing emotions coming from the “real deal”.
But what if you are new to this field? Before you can join the fun, you first need to know as much as possible about the key categories and classes of drag races. And we are here to help you do it. So, get comfortable and let’s begin.
What is Drag Racing – A Brief Overview
Let’s start right from the very beginning and understand what exactly drag racing is. In simple words, drag racing is a car race on a straight, short track, typically ⅛ mile, ¼ mile or 1,000 feet.
Overall, it is a contest of acceleration. The key goal of drag racing is to reach top speed as quickly as possible and to be the first to cross the finish line. Also, as it takes place over a limited distance and in a straight line, you won’t necessarily need such driving skills as cornering.
Main Classes of Drag Racing
(Source – freepik.com)
There are a variety of classes you can find in drag racing, and each of them comes with its own requirements and restrictions. The general restrictions you will often see cover modification, weight, body style, size and so on.
According to NHRA (The National Hot Rod Association), one of the leading drag racing organizations worldwide, it features more than 200 classes in drag racing. The next well-recognized player in this field, IHRA (the International Hot Rod Association), known for its major events in Canada, the USA and Australia, has relatively fewer classes. In addition, classes of drag racing at IHRA come with their own subclasses because of the differences in various features, like engine components.
Below, we have highlighted the most popular drag racing classes in the field. Let’s have a look.
Top Alcohol Funny Car (TA/FC)
Also known as the Top Methanol Funny Car, it has a similar physical appearance to the counterparts of nitro-burning Funny Car. To be more exact, this car comes with a three-speed transmission and is restricted to the use of methanol fuel.
Typically, Top Alcohol Funny Cars can speed up to 270 mph in 5.4 seconds.
Top Fuel Dragster (TF/D)
This class belongs to the fastest ones and is also called diggers. Top Fuel cars weigh almost 2,320 pounds in race-ready trim and are 25 feet long. As a fuel, these machines use methanol with 90% nitromethane.
Top Fuel Dragster can cross the top speeds of over 325 mph and run through the drag strip in less than 3.8 seconds.
Also, during a single run, these dragsters have the capacity to burn up to 15 gallons of nitromethane fuel. And it’s because they are powered by a fuel-injected and supercharged 500-cubic-inch adaptation of the popular Chrysler Hemi engine.
Top Alcohol Dragster (TA/D)
Top Alcohol Dragsters are actually very similar to Top Fuelers. However, they have solid differences as well. For example, Top Alcohol Dragsters can use an injected nitromethane combination or a supercharged methanol-burning engine. On the other hand, Top Fuelers use nitro-burning engines.
Overall, the supercharged machines have three forward speeds and injected nitro cars use a transmission. Top Alcohol Dragsters can pick up the speed of 300 mph in 5.1 seconds and generally weigh between 1,975 and 2,125 pounds.
Pro Stock
These cars are also known as factory hot rods. The reason for this is their resemblance to production-based cars. In addition, the machines in this class are also called door slammers.
Overall, Pro Stockers can chord quarter-miles with a speed of over 210 mph in just a 6.4-second range. The wheels of these cars have the ability to produce 1,300 horsepower and revolve for more than 10,500 rpm.
Pro Stockers should also conform to special measurements and not exceed the limit of 2,350 pounds in weight.
