interesting info about nitromethane..
 

well, interesting to me, anyway..

http://www.ch3no2.com/

RE: interesting info about nitromethane..
 

Sounds like that stuff has some kick to it.

RE: interesting info about nitromethane..
 

for those who have never had the pleasure of seeing a nitro powered funny car, or "top fuel" car run..its like nothing ive ever seen or heard...6800 horsepower...i got to see a few of them run this past weekend...and running in the 320mph range...standing just over a quarter mile away, the car is halfway to you, before you can hear it...and when the sound does get to you, it hits you like a wall...the ground shakes, even 1500 feet away...even with the best isolating headphones in the world, the car is still deafening...

the fumes are so toxic, that even with a car blowing past you, COASTING past the 1/4 mile mark, at idle...the wake of fumes left behind is enough to make your throat burn a little...if youre up close, nitro fumes have a mace-like effect...making your eyes and throat burn like youve taken a tablespoon full of habenerio paste...we were standing around the 60 foot mark for the first set of runs this past weekend, and when the cars did their burnouts, at quarter throttle, amanda said "it doesnt seem that loud"...then they back them up, and remove the throttle stop...and when they stage, and launch, unleashing all 6800 horsepower...you can tell the newbies who jump and cover their ears...ive seen alot of drag racing in my days...but few things (other than winning) make me smile like a nitro car blast down the quarter...seeing a needle shaped car tear down the quarter in just under 5 seconds...0-60 in something like .4 seconds...0-330 in 4.6 seconds...

RE: interesting info about nitromethane..
 

haha!

RE: interesting info about nitromethane..
 

"fumes have a mace-like effect...making your eyes and throat burn like youve taken a tablespoon full of habenerio paste"

Reminds me of my 1st wife![:'(]

RE: interesting info about nitromethane..
 

Wow. Have you ever driven one of those Patrick? Sounds like it would be fun.

RE: interesting info about nitromethane..
 

haha...i can only imagine what its like ...the mirada only has in the mid 400hp range..somewhere around 440-450..i cant imagine what its like to hit the throttle and have 6800 hp under me...

RE: interesting info about nitromethane..
 

The idea of that much hp makes me think of cartoons where the character's mouth are being blown open and the skin is being streched out all over their face. That would be an interesting experience.

RE: interesting info about nitromethane..
 

the fumes are so potent, that when they work on the car in the pits, and the driver is sitting in the seat, he wears a full gas mask...

RE: interesting info about nitromethane..
 

Makes sense. If you can smell the stench at that distance, what is the driver going through. I wouldn't be surprised if those fumes couldn't kill the driver with little time.