On Tuesday, the National Hot Rod Association issued a bulletin to its Mello Yello Drag Racing Series participants, outlining adjustments to its payout structure for the remainder of the abbreviated 2020 season. In what it states is in “consideration of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic”, the winner’s payouts in the nitro categories were reduced from $35,000 to $15,000 (already down from $50,000 prior to the pandemic), and subsequently, a reduction in the winnings at each rank on down the order. Pro Stock, meanwhile, was cut to $6,000 to win, and Pro Stock Motorcycle a meager $3,000.
A number of the professional race teams — particularly the lower-funded, independents — build their annual budgets around the income stream of qualifying and round money. With many expenses fixed (staff salaries, flights, and transporter fuel, for example) and many sponsorship deals pro-rated this season to account for the reduced number of events, many teams, like Top Fuel racer Terry McMillen, are finding themselves bursting at the seams financially and forced to decide between sitting out races, or digging into their own bank accounts to soldier on through the remaining five events.
The NHRA’s Vice President of Racing Administration, Josh Peterson, in opening his letter, noted the decision was made after “extensive discussions between NHRA and professional teams and their representatives,” but McMillen tells Dragzine “the funny part is I’ve called the race teams to find out who they did speak with and haven’t found one that knows anything about it.”
“We all knew it existed, because they [NHRA] presented it to PRO (the Professional Racers Organization) and the PRO board turned it down and said, ‘no way, we’re not accepting that,’ ” McMillen continues. “So, the question now is if they did it despite what PRO stated. But they did not talk to any of the race teams that I’ve spoken with, and that’s quite a few.”
Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, winners earned $50,000, the runner-up $22,000,$18,000 to the semifinalists, $14,000 to quarterfinalists, and $10,000 to first-round losers. After the break, those numbers were reduced to$35,000, $17,000, $12,500, $10,000, and $7,500, respectively.
PRO had begrudgingly approved the previous payout reductions that went into effect upon the NHRA’s return to racing in July and remained in place through last weekend’s U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis. McMillen understood the need to meet the association halfway for the prosperity of all involved at the time, but is taken aback by this most recent measure.
“It made sense at the time, with the climate the way it is, but lowering it to this point is ludicrous. It really diminishes the value of our sport. There a lot more negative things that come out of this than positive,” he says.
McMillen notes that there is a collective conversation behind the scenes to boycott the upcoming Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida, September 25-27 — an event title-sponsored by his primary backer, Amalie Motor Oil.
…it comes down now to a decision of whether or not we sit out a race, because we can’t afford to do all this, based on this payout, because we’ll be bankrupt going into next year, and that’s not going to happen.
“As a corporately-backed team, we have a budget and we have guidelines and that’s what we work within. If Amalie wants me to be in Gainesville, we’ll be in Gainesville. But in the past, when there’s been situations, like nitro costs and things like that, where it was all set to take place and we were going to sit out Gainesville [the original March date], Amalie has 100-percent supported me in whatever decision I want to make. If nobody decides to go to Gainesville, which is sounding more and more realistic, then I am fairly confident Amalie will support me in that. Without the pro teams, there really isn’t a show, and I hope it doesn’t get down to that.”
McMillen, who unlike some of the larger teams whose sponsorship monies fully covers operational costs, factors qualifying money into his yearly budget to help offset many of the associated costs of racing.
“If you take the Wilkersons, Clay Millican, Terry Haddock, Jim Dunn, those guys that go up and down the highway every weekend, they’re all dependent on that money. There are more teams dependent on that payout money than not. I’m not funded like a Don Schumacher or someone like that, but Amalie has really supported us and we have enough money to get by. But the qualifying money is what we use for nitromethane and hotel rooms…it pretty well always covered that. Now, we have the elevated prices of nitro — it’s out of control and shouldn’t be this high — and then you have hotels rooms that, because we’re booking on short notice with the new schedule, we’re paying full price instead of getting deals like we used to. We might have been paying $79 a night or something, and now it’s $240 a night. So all those discretionary funds that we use to cover those two big expenses aren’t there anymore. So I have enough money to run my team with what we have, as long as we had that money coming in, and now we don’t. So it comes down now to a decision of whether or not we sit out a race, because we can’t afford to do all this, based on this payout, because we’ll be bankrupt going into next year, and that’s not going to happen.”
Worth considering, too, are the public relations ramifications of the reduced payouts and the possibility of a boycott.
“When you look at corporate America, and we’re trying to secure additional sponsors to come in and participate in our sport, and they see things like this, it’s kind of demeaning. You can go to Martin, Michigan this weekend and run an Alcohol Funny Car and get 20-grand for four passes. We don’t even get that to win now, and we’re at six passes. This is bracket racing money, not professional money. I’m just lost on why they think this would be okay. I know, just like everybody, this virus has really messed everybody’s cash-flow up, but rather than mandating things, it would be nice to have an opportunity to negotiate. And unfortunately, I think the real loser in this is going to be NHRA, because when teams don’t show up in Gainesville, it’s really going to look bad for them.”
McMillen says that, from the very beginning, he believed pulling the plug on the season to minimize financial losses was in the best interests of the NHRA.
“When you look at our sport, because it’s funded differently from NASCAR, I think we would have been better off cutting our losses and regroup going into 2021 with guns blazing and make it bigger and better. Instead, we’re bleeding everything that NHRA has. And Coca-Cola has to be looking at this and thinking this is not good…these people are their customers, and they’re being impacted.”
On a full weekend, you’re spending $150,000 to win $50,000, and we haven’t had a pay increase in forever. We’re still going to spend $120,000 on a race weekend to compete for $15,000. It only makes sense to go out first round and cut your losses, but you want to do right by your sponsors and your fans and all your supporters, so it only makes sense go go out there and run the thing. And they’re putting teams in a position where they’re not going to be able to come back next year.”
I think the real loser in this is going to be NHRA, because when teams don’t show up in Gainesville, it’s really going to look bad for them.
“And what’s the payout going to be at the end of the year? Let’s say I’m fortunate enough to be in the top three — and we can be, we’re not that far away — I have to make a decision whether I want to put $200,000 on my credit card to ensure that I have everything I need to go out and win that championship, and then find out you’re only racing for $10,000. They’ve made very clear that the money for these recent races is coming out of the points fund, and if you do the math on the payouts for all the pro classes for these last four races, there can’t be any money left for the championship. That’s why they should have just pulled the plug: now it’s just making a mess bigger and worse. The black eye is really getting bigger, and who knows how many teams will even be left next year.”
FAQs
Constructed of chromoly steel tubing and carbon-fiber composite, Top Fuel cars are 25 feet long and weigh 2,330 pounds in race-ready trim.
How much does it cost to run NHRA Pro stock? ›
Every single run consumes 14 gallons of fuel to run wide-open throttle for 1000 feet, costing about $600 (10% of the fuel is alcohol, which is less expensive). Factoring in costs for fuel, crew mechanics, parts, and transportation, every single run costs an NHRA team about $5000, champion racer Matt Hagan said.
How fast are Top Fuel funny cars? ›
Top Fuel is a type of drag racing whose dragsters are the quickest accelerating racing cars in the world and the fastest sanctioned category of drag racing, with the fastest competitors reaching speeds of 335 miles per hour (539.1 km/h) and finishing the 1,000 foot (304.8 m) runs in 3.62 seconds.
How do NHRA racers get paid? ›
Here's How It Works:
Companies announce they will pay racers who use their product and win or runner-up in an NHRA race class: $300 to win/$100 to runner-up at national events, and $100 to win/$50 to runner-up at divisional events.
How much horsepower does a Top Fuel Funny Car put out? ›
Top Fuel cars get their power from custom engines that are 500 cubic inches and boast superchargers, making them capable of around 8,000-horsepower, though some estimates go as high as 11,000-horsepower.
How many G's does a Top Fuel Funny Car pull? ›
NHRA - National Hot Rod Association
The modern NHRA Top Fuel dragster accelerates harder and pulls more G's than any [unclassified] fighter jet launch. At 5 G's, there's no wheeled vehicle on earth that even comes close.
How much does it cost to rebuild a Top Fuel engine? ›
The engine will be torn down and rebuilt 184 times in a year if the car makes it to the finals at every race. It costs about $5,000 in replacement parts and fuel for every run if nothing major breaks.
How much horsepower does the NHRA Pro Stock engine have? ›
Shrouded in secrecy, Chevrolet's Pro Stock Drag Race Competition Engine (DRCE) evolved the big-block Chevy into a 1,400-hp, 10,000-rpm, naturally aspirated motorsport weapon one race weekend at a time.
How much does it cost to own a Top Fuel dragster? ›
Dragsters are super-duper cars when it comes to their horsepower, speed, and acceleration. These track-exclusive cars are also one of the most expensive dragsters out there, with a cost of about $500,000 –that's more than $200,000 than the cost for an average dragster.
What is the fastest 1 4 mile time ever recorded? ›
The Pininfarina Battista achieved a quarter mile time of just 8.55 seconds, beating out its sibling, the Rimac Nevara, by just 0.032 seconds. The Battista went on to achieve a half-mile time of 13.38 seconds.
The fastest speed in a National Hot Rod Association race in the Top Fuel class is 338.94 mph (545.47 km/h), achieved by Brittany Force (USA) at the NHRA Finals on 11 November 2022 in Pomona, California, USA.
What is the fastest drag car ever? ›
The Devel Sixteen is capable of reaching speeds of over 300 miles per hour in a matter of seconds. This makes it the fastest drag car in the world.
What is the NHRA payout for 2023? ›
Partnership is what the NHRA Contingency program is all about, and in 2023 nearly 100 manufacturers and retailers are looking to partner with you. They have put up more than $11 million in cash to reward you for buying their parts and running their company logos.
How much does a NHRA Funny Car mechanic make? ›
$45,959. How accurate does $45,959 look to you? Your input helps Glassdoor refine our pay estimates over time.
How much does it cost to sponsor a NHRA Top Fuel dragster? ›
A top-tier IndyCar team's expenses for a full schedule run about $10 million. A first-class NHRA Top Fuel or Funny Car team takes about $3 million to $4 million a year to field. In some ways, comparing the series is an apples-to-oranges exercise.
What engine is in NHRA Top Fuel? ›
As mentioned, the engine used in Top Fuel and Funny Car is loosely based on the 426 Hemi. The NHRA rules dictate that it can be no more than 500 cubic inches, and camshafts can only be as big as 54mm, but aside from that, teams can generally build the engine how they want and use whatever components they want.
How much horsepower does it take to turn a Top Fuel supercharger? ›
However, superchargers take power to make power; the blowers on Top Fuel dragsters generally need over 700 horsepower to provide the right amount of air for the car to produce the magic 11,000 hp.
What is the rpm of Top Fuel? ›
* Top Fuel engines turn approximately 480 revolutions from light to light! * Including the burnout, the engine must only survive 900 revolutions under load. * The redline is actually quite high at 9500 RPM.
What RPM does a Top Fuel dragster idle at? ›
T-minus 90 seconds - Burnout & Backup After 15 seconds idling at 2400-2500 rpm, the signal to roll though the water box is given. “The fuel lever goes back to full and after three tire rotations through the water, I release the clutch to do the burnout.
How many G's can a human survive? ›
Normal humans can withstand no more than 9 g's, and even that for only a few seconds. When undergoing an acceleration of 9 g's, your body feels nine times heavier than usual, blood rushes to the feet, and the heart can't pump hard enough to bring this heavier blood to the brain.
900 revolutions under load. * The redline is actually quite high at 9500 RPM. per second.
How much HP does nitromethane add? ›
NITROMETHANE AS A PISTON ENGINE FUEL 540186
It has been learned that nitromethane can increase power output by as much as 13 percent on an indicated or gross basis when added to methyl alcohol and by 7 percent when added to a benzene-isooctane mixture in concentrations of 20% by volume.
Is it cheaper to rebuild an engine or buy a rebuilt engine? ›
If properly done, a remanufactured engine should be as good as a new engine and it should carry a warranty for a year. And generally, it should be cheaper than a fully rebuilt engine. But you need to find out exactly who is doing the rebuilding.
Are Top Fuel engines rebuilt after every run? ›
Typical street-car engines can run for hundreds of thousands of miles, but top-fuel dragster motors need rebuilds after every quarter-mile run. That might seem ridiculous, but the seals only last one full-throttle pull, and the spark plugs disintegrate during the run.
Do NHRA Pro Stock cars run 1 4 mile? ›
Traditionally, a drag strip is 1,320 feet, which equals a quarter-mile. (One mile equals 5,280 feet.) Many classes in NHRA drag racing—actually, all but the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes—still compete on a quarter-mile course.
What is the RPM limit for NHRA Pro Stock? ›
On July 1, 2022, NHRA announced they reduced the centrifugal supercharger rpm limit from 10K rpm to 9500.
What engine does Ford use in NHRA? ›
Click for Image 4
So, the next time a friend with a Mustang, Camaro or Camry gets to bragging about NHRA drag racing success, remind them that all of the top teams from Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota all run Chrysler Hemi engines.
How many gallons of fuel does a Top Fuel dragster burn in a run? ›
NHRA Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars consume between four and five gallons of fuel during a quarter-mile run, which is equivalent to between 16 and 20 gallons per mile!
How much nitromethane does a Top Fuel dragster use? ›
Under full throttle, a Top Fuel Dragster can consume 11.2 gallons of Nitromethane per second! To put this into perspective, a fully loaded Boeing 474 consumes jet fuel at the same rate with 25% less energy being produced.
How much oil does a Top Fuel dragster use? ›
The typical Top Fuel engine carries 16 quarts of oil. According to Top Fuel veteran Larry Dixon, “We could see as much as a gallon of nitro in our oil after a run. With that much dilution, you can't put any oil in the car. It has to be designed for the amount of dilution that takes place in the crankcase.”
A fast quarter-mile run time for a production car is roughly under 11 seconds.
How fast is a Tesla Plaid 1 4 mile? ›
What is the fastest street legal quarter mile car? ›
The McLaren 765LT, equipped with the 755-horsepower 5.0-liter twin-turbo V-8, is the fastest production ICE car, hitting the 1/4 mile at 9.37 seconds. Brittany Force, in her Top Fuel dragster, Flav-R-Pac, set the NHRA record for a quarter-mile at 3.67 seconds, hitting a top speed of 339 mph.
Who is the fastest female drag racer? ›
Brittany Force sets national record with fastest Top Fuel run in history: 338.48 mph | NHRA.
Who was the first Funny Car to go 300 mph? ›
Splashed across the front wing of the dragster was a mural commemorating Epler's grand achievement in drag racing -- the first 300-mile-per-hour Funny Car driver, recorded on October 3, 1993, in Topeka, Kan.
What size engine does a Top Fuel dragster have? ›
A Top Fuel Dragster—distinguished by a supercharged, custom-built, 500-cubic-inch engine—boasts 11,000 horsepower and burns nitromethane. By contrast, a Top Alcohol Dragster's output is about approximately 4,000 hp.
What is the lowest drag car ever? ›
Lightyear says its 0 solar EV will become the production car aero king, with the lowest drag coefficient ever measured in a production vehicle, just 0.175 Cd.
What is the fastest 0-60 time ever recorded? ›
Now it can claim to be the quickest, too, as Rimac has announced it just set a production-car record for 0-60. At Automotive Testing Papenburg (ATP) in Germany, the all-electric hypercar reached 60 in just 1.74 seconds.
What is the fastest car in the world street legal? ›
1. Bugatti Chiron Super Sport — 304.7 MP. The top spot for the world's fastest supercar goes to Bugatti.
Will the NHRA return to Joliet in 2023? ›
The top fuel event will run at Route 66 Raceway May 19-21, 2023.
The base salary for Top Fuel Drivers in companies like NHRA range from $44,818 to $60,520 with the average base salary of $51,834.
How much does a top fuel driver for NHRA make? ›
The average hourly rate for Top Fuel Drivers in companies like NHRA range from $22 to $29 with the average hourly pay of $25. The total hourly cash compensation, which includes base and short-term incentives, can vary anywhere from $22 to $29 with the average total hourly cash compensation of $25.
How much is a gallon of nitromethane? ›
There's nothing funny about paying $45 a gallon for nitromethane for a funny car—and burning 14 gallons on every single run. NHRA teams pay $1800 for a 40-gallon drum of nitromethane, so they're paying $45 a gallon—and that's a group discount negotiated for the entire racing season.
How much do Top Fuel engine builders make? ›
Race Engine Builder Salary
| Annual Salary | Monthly Pay |
|---|
| Top Earners | $80,000 | $6,666 |
| 75th Percentile | $60,000 | $5,000 |
| Average | $55,040 | $4,586 |
| 25th Percentile | $39,500 | $3,291 |
High Paying Auto Mechanic Jobs
- Journeyman Mechanic. Salary range: $50,000-$72,500 per year. ...
- Engineman. Salary range: $54,500-$70,500 per year. ...
- Engine Builder. Salary range: $46,000-$70,000 per year. ...
- Car Mechanic. Salary range: $44,000-$70,000 per year. ...
- Mobile Mechanic. ...
- Branch Mechanic. ...
- Shop Mechanic. ...
- Road Mechanic.
The engine will be torn down and rebuilt 184 times in a year if the car makes it to the finals at every race. It costs about $5,000 in replacement parts and fuel for every run if nothing major breaks.
How much does a NHRA pro stock car cost? ›
A complete NHRA pro stock engine can cost upwards of $100,000.
How much are NHRA entry fees? ›
a) Required to pay $250 entry fee (U.S. Nationals $300). Entry fee includes a total of four (4) full event credentials (each credential includes admittance to special racer/VIP sponsor grandstand). Up to twelve additional credentials may be purchased at a special racers discount.
How much does a NHRA Top Fuel cost? ›
Dragsters are super-duper cars when it comes to their horsepower, speed, and acceleration. These track-exclusive cars are also one of the most expensive dragsters out there, with a cost of about $500,000 –that's more than $200,000 than the cost for an average dragster.
How much does a Top Fuel weigh? ›
While at 12.2 kg, the Top Fuel is the heaviest bike in the entire test field, it can easily keep up with the competition uphill. This is also made possible by the spec, which at the same time adds to the excellent trail performance of the Top Fuel.
NHRA Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars consume between four and five gallons of fuel during a quarter-mile run, which is equivalent to between 16 and 20 gallons per mile!
What is the quickest Funny Car run in NHRA history? ›
The fastest speed in a National Hot Rod Association race in the Top Fuel class is 338.94 mph (545.47 km/h), achieved by Brittany Force (USA) at the NHRA Finals on 11 November 2022 in Pomona, California, USA.
How much does it cost to run a NHRA Funny Car? ›
To operate a NASCAR team for a single season costs about $15 million. A top-tier IndyCar team's expenses for a full schedule run about $10 million. A first-class NHRA Top Fuel or Funny Car team takes about $3 million to $4 million a year to field. In some ways, comparing the series is an apples-to-oranges exercise.
How much does a NHRA Funny Car body cost? ›
These "fake" body shells are not just cosmetic; they serve an important aerodynamic purpose. Today, fielding a Funny Car team can cost between US$2.6 and US$3 million. A single carbon fiber body can cost US$70,000.
How much does it cost to rebuild a top fuel dragster motor? ›
The engine will be torn down and rebuilt 184 times in a year if the car makes it to the finals at every race. It costs about $5,000 in replacement parts and fuel for every run if nothing major breaks.
What engine is in NHRA top fuel? ›
As mentioned, the engine used in Top Fuel and Funny Car is loosely based on the 426 Hemi. The NHRA rules dictate that it can be no more than 500 cubic inches, and camshafts can only be as big as 54mm, but aside from that, teams can generally build the engine how they want and use whatever components they want.
How heavy is a gallon of fuel? ›
The weight of a gallon of gasoline is about six pounds. There is a slight difference depending on the type of gasoline and its additives. Unlike water, which weighs about 8.4 pounds per gallon, gasoline is 25% lighter. Many people instinctively think that all liquids weigh the same as water, which is inaccurate.
How many gallons per second does Top Fuel use? ›
Named for the very rich air-fuel mix of 90% nitromethane and methanol that powers the car's 11,000 horsepower engines (the equivalent power of ten Formula 1 cars combined), a top fuel dragster consumes fuel at the rate of 11 gallons per second—the same burn rate as a Boeing 747 jet aircraft, only the dragster engine is ...
What weight oil do Top Fuel dragsters use? ›
Top Fuel dragsters require 70W while Pro Stock racers run the thinnest oil possible, around 0W-5. There is a difference between viscosity (a measured value) and viscosity grade (which spans a range of measured viscosity values).
How long does a Top Fuel dragster engine last? ›
By NHRA rules, a team only has 75 minutes to completely rebuild the engine and make the necessary chassis adjustments. Due to the forces involved, a dragster engine has to be completely replaced after around 12 passes. No engine lasts long in Top Fuel drag racing.
T-minus 90 seconds - Burnout & Backup After 15 seconds idling at 2400-2500 rpm, the signal to roll though the water box is given. “The fuel lever goes back to full and after three tire rotations through the water, I release the clutch to do the burnout.
