Young or old, gearhead or not, seeing a top fuel car run for the first time brings out a physical reaction in people that nothing else in the world actually does. There’s no way to explain what happens, why it happens, or when it happens to someone who doesn’t understand staging and the tree. There’s no way to relate, in words, the physical sensations you feel when one of those brutes comes off the line with all eight pipes spewing fire from a place that seems like it comes from the depths of hell and there’s no way to explain to someone why they’ll want to see it again, and again, and again.

The favorite part of this video to us is the fact that so many different ages and walks of life are represented here. From kids who are just shocked to wives and girlfriends who latch onto their companions to the dudes who just seem like they are going into vapor lock when the car comes by. The physical reactions get us all the time. Some people just spaz, some people grab their ears, and some people do things that we’re not sure words have yet been invented to describe. I am fortunate to experience this feeling at very close range nearly two dozen weekends a year and I still miss it for the couple months when the cars go into hibernation.

You don’t have to like top fuel or even drag racing to enjoy this video. The comedy, smiles, and shock are in the ways that people react when they see these cars. If you are a grizzled drag strip veteran you already know that people seeing top fuel cars for the first time is a great thing to watch at the track. Take this winter break version and enjoy it!