There’s no more efficient way to level an engine than using high volumes of nitromethane fuel. Seriously, nothing else will do the job as properly in terms of speed and absolutely destruction than fuel. Drag racers, boat racers, midget racers, and anyone else who has ever touched the stuff over the last 70 years or so will tell you the same thing. Fuel altered pilot Sean Belt got a face full of hell during the 2017 Bakersfield March Meet and we recently found this video when cruising around the internet. Basically you are going to see this car make a pull as if you were sitting on the front axle facing back toward the engine. Things are all good until they aren’t which is a hallmark of nitro fueled drag racing. Sometimes there’s a “fuse” burning and sometimes it is just BOOM to the face. That’s what this is.
The violence of these backfires is hard to comprehend but when we see it from this angle it changes things some. Why? For whatever reason seeing it happen from this view gives a better indication of just how much BOOM there is. You are looking at well over 100lbs in terms of the blower associated plumbing, injector hat, etc that gets lifted off this engine like a feather. Remember, it is not just sitting there either, the junk is bolted down and it still gets cleaned off like this!
These guys ran (maybe still run) a Chevy engine in their fuel altered which is different and awesome. On this weekend though, it was thoroughly dead. Watch the video a couple of times and you will see not only the stuff blowing off the top of the engine but also the gallons of badness pouring out of the bottom as Belt brings the car to a stop.
This one hurts.
So just out of curiosity how come these guys don’t have to use a belly pan or a diaper? I have attended many nostalgia events at Famoso and while they are really cool I do get frustrated at the extended downtime due to oil downs. The majority of the oil downs are by the top fuel cars vs funny’s and altereds (I have heard this is due to over revving due to the short tire and rear gear limitations).
There is a diaper on this engine. They don’t always catch everything.
The Metal Mafia Car out of Shawnee, Kansas. Have seen it run several times at my local track ( The sticker on the back of his car ) MO-KAN Dragway in Asbury, Missouri. Always a fun car to watch.