Top Fuel - a night at the drags

Being a mechanic by trade, I have been told I should hold more interest in motorsport; that unfortunately is not the case with my interests usually maintained through watersports and marine activities.

However, when the the top fuel dragsters are in town, I don't mind heading down to Kwinana Motorplex once in a while to experience the ground vibrate and shake when these extreme nitromethane/methonol machines launch off the line for a sub five second pass down the quarter mile racetrack.

The flames exiting the exhaust add to the show, as darkness descends, the start line is lit up as the lights on the Christmas tree countdown to green. The sound emitted by these ultra horsepower dragsters is deafening; but close pay attention, the race is over in a blurry flash as the tyres gain traction and the machine is launched down the track before the parachutes open to slow the missile as the engine is immediately shut down as the dragster crosses the line.

Taking my Zuiko 75mm - 300mm lens with me to catch the action allows me to position myself away from the crowds, catching these machines mid run is proving to be difficult with eyeball hemorrhaging acceleration resulting in speeds exceeding 500 kph. A top fuel dragster can accelerate from standing to 100 mph (160 kph) in as little as 0.8 of a second.  

Fuchs receiving work prior to its run, whilst costing extra, a pit pass is well worth the investment, watching the team at work is half the fun of the night. The engines are rebuilt between passes, a team of mechanics descend on the engine and clutch assembly stripping down, measuring and rebuilding the engine in thirty or so minutes - amazing. I don't get there often but when I do, I always enjoy as this is a different Saturday night out from what I am accustomed.