NHRA Shop Talk: Why Stuff Blows Up – We Talk Carnage In Pro Stock, Pro Mod, and The Nitro Classes


NHRA Shop Talk: Why Stuff Blows Up – We Talk Carnage In Pro Stock, Pro Mod, and The Nitro Classes

Why does stuff blow up? That’s the topic of this week’s NHRA Shop Talk Live where Alan Reinhart and I talk drag racing and engine tech for your viewing pleasure. Using footage from the NHRA’s massive video archive, plenty of old used up parts, and interviews with the players involved, we talk about why engines fail for different reasons in different categories. We also take a look back in history to see some of the things that happened 50 years ago that don’t happen today. Things like clutch explosions and fiberglass funny car body fires that technology has eliminated in one way or another.

While the video provides a pretty stunning backdrop for all this stuff, the real point of the show is the talk about why the stuff happens and why these explosions all kind of have their own signatures. Super slow motions footage allows us to break down things that otherwise happen in fractions of seconds. Watching a blower drive literally pass the driver, watching a supercharger and injector that weighs 150lbs dangling off the side of an engine, etc. All of this stuff is completely and utterly wild.

Combine awesome video with some solid engine tech and you get….SHOP TALK!

Press play below to see this NHRA Shop Talk Live about stuff blowing up –


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4 thoughts on “NHRA Shop Talk: Why Stuff Blows Up – We Talk Carnage In Pro Stock, Pro Mod, and The Nitro Classes

  1. Danno

    At 11:30 of the video the Cochran funny car, in the middle of a very high speed left turn while fully engulfed in flames, misses a tow truck by a very narrow margin. Have to think the dude driving the tow truck must have seen his life passing before his eyes when he saw Cochran flying right at him at high speed and on fire! Have to add that Cochran could definitely wheel that car.

  2. Nitrohemi

    Fantastic information packed video! Thanks to both of you for sharing your knowledge.

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