GTP Cool Wall: Kenny Bernstein's 1992 Budweiser King Top Fuel Dragster
- Thread starter TheBook
- 72 comments
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- 1,399
- Jakarta
Hmm...never really liked the looks of dragsters, but this one's record is impressive...
I think I'd just go with cool
I think I'd just go with cool
- 3,241
- Desert Island
- GTP_DAN_
I'm going for Meh, most of the people consider drag racing a exciting thrill of power and stratospheric speeds, I on the other hand, love motorsports in which the competitors are supposed to go around corners.
Even so, 300mph is quite impressive ( Back in 1992, of course ), so it will escape from the Uncool tag, and fit perfectly in Meh.
Even so, 300mph is quite impressive ( Back in 1992, of course ), so it will escape from the Uncool tag, and fit perfectly in Meh.
- 5,230
- Buckeye Nation
That's why I'm going SUB-ZERO. 18 year old technology to get a car to go from 0 to over 300 mph in a standing 1/4 mile is nuts.I'll give in to this - it was more than the car itself.The track conditions,atmospheric conditions,proper clutch adjustment,air fuel ratio,tire pressure,it all came together this day for Kenny Bernstein.Back then the top fuel ranks were all pounding at the door to break 300,no doubt it was going to happen.Kenny just the first to beat them all to it.
edit - add to,it's a piece of motorsport history.
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Joey D
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- Lakes of the North, MI
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- GTP Joey
It's a top fuel dragster, which is one of the most uncool forms of motorsports I can think of. And no I don't hate drag racing or think it requires no skill, I just don't get the whole top fuel thing. I mean spending a gazillion dollars and having numerous parts work once for 3-4 seconds isn't something I find all that interesting.
- 3,131
- GTP_GTPrologue5
- None
Uncool. I am not a fan of any drag racing, it seems like a pointless style of racing (oh, let's see how fast we can launch a car. We don't even have to steer!) Well, they do incase they get sideways but not the point. Although 300mph is impressive, I see it around a lot these days, so it's just meh. And what relevancy does a top fuel dragster have with any other car? At least in Pro Stock it looks like a car. Just uncool.
- 6,694
- Dallas, TX
That is going in my signature.
- 87,511
- Rule 12
- GTP_Famine
- 10,620
- gtp_jimprower
I'm a pro-stock/mod/alcohol/turbo6-4-roto/Mud-sand-monster drag guy myself. Which, I realize, is basically any other four-wheeled vehicle that goes in a straight line and takes off at the same time as the other in the other lane.
TF races typically aren't that close or interesting. Fuel cars (including TF/FC) tend to smoke, break, or win.
TheCheatnoise, merely for busting 300.
TF races typically aren't that close or interesting. Fuel cars (including TF/FC) tend to smoke, break, or win.
TheCheatnoise, merely for busting 300.
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McLaren
Premium
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- Texas
You ever launched a RWD car with even just 500Whp? You're going to be "steering" as soon as you hit the gas.
- 1,851
- GTP_karlos
i'm going with meh...it's just not quite my sort of thing really. I don't like the look of dragsters either.
- 1,580
- Alameda/Califor
- RADracing / RIGGracing
Not a big fan too, especially drag racing in a stock road car or even with a supercar "Boring!". But with a top fuel dragster going 0ver 300mph in a 1/4 mile leaving the line at 60mph already. You can't say "MEH" 'cuz if you think you don't have to steer to keep the car straight and control the gas pedal to keep the traction with all the G-Forces happening. Well you don't know what your missing in that less than 5 sec. run. ZUB-ZERO for me. Hell how many of you can say they don't even get a little excited just flooring your car from zero to sixty and breaking the tires loose shifting to 2nd gear? I mean this car launches at 60 mph. It's like getting punted by a car going 60 mph in the back from a standstill.
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- 10,620
- gtp_jimprower
^When it doesn't break.
Top fuel - the only motorsport where you're guaranteed to see an engine explode at every race.
Top fuel - the only motorsport where you're guaranteed to see an engine explode at every race.
- 5,833
- Right behind you
- SRV2NV
Will help you make friends with guys, but not in a sexual way. Won't get you laid either, so its not really that cool if you think about it.
Uncool.
Uncool.
It's a race car, so that's an automatic low level cool at least. It's a GREAT race car, so that bumps it up to high level cool. However, you can't do much (or much of anything) with it beyond a very specific type of track, so that bumps it back down a bit.
Mid-range cool.
Mid-range cool.
Keef
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- GTP Keef
What I find interesting is that very fact: these engines create so much power and are put through so much stress that we simply can't buid certain parts to last more than one run within the rules. That's how tremendously powerful these things are. I've never been intimidated by a car before, but I find it a bit scary to stand right next to one of these things when they're running. It's so badass it's scary, and that is very cool.
BUT.
They're not street legal, therefore we can't accurately gauge its coolness among the public in their natural habitat. In effect it has no measure of coolness, either positive or negative. So, meh.
- 5,833
- Right behind you
- SRV2NV
- 3,131
- GTP_GTPrologue5
- None
Well I did say that but to me, numerous 5-second races seem silly. I went to the NHRA event in Ohio this summer, and it was awful. I'm more of a F1?LM type person. I like cornering so much I can't even stand NASCAR (but that's besides the point)
I just find no interest in drag racing, and because today, automakers themselves are almost building street legal cars that can hit 300m/h, I had to say uncool. I can't change the answer anyway.
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McLaren
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The best thing about drag racing is the sand bagging & to know if someone's sand bagging or not, you have to pay attention & understand some of the key points to drag racing.
When it comes to drag racing, I prefer watching guys with cars in the 9's-11's b/c a lot of them never tell their setups or never let you know just what bracket they run in.
Comparing what's being done today to what was done in 1992 isn't fair. Today, it's an achievement that road cars are getting there, but then again, the technology has come a long way.
Back in 1992, this was an amazing feat for a drag car & it's similar to the Sledgehammer Corvette. A Veyron can go just as fast it can now, but it did around 15 years before the Veyron came around using the most of modern technology while the Sledgehammer ran on a C4 Corvette body using just aerodynamics & a 900Hp+ V8 to propel it without even thinking about how long the tires or fuel tank lasted.
- 10,373
- Manchester
- Ardius_
Off topic, but I don't understand why people crave road car relevancy. It makes little difference to racing. Its only something that corporations like to have to justify their participation in such race series, I don't understand why anyone else would want it beyond wanting to see said corporations/manufacturers involved in such race series.
Also, there are several things that have fed and will feed into road car development (and other industries) from F1 and other race series, but I'm not sure what the real definition of "road car relevant" is in this regard. Certainly a high reliance on aerodynamic development is completely irrelevant, but developments in safety are at the very forefront in Formula 1. I wouldn't call F1 highly relevant for road cars, but some things do spin off from ideas developed for or because of F1 racing.
/off topic.
Not a fan of dragsters, so its really just like any other dragster to me - insane.
Even so, speed in a straight line doesn't have enough going for me. I don't really care about drag racing, so I'll give it a "meh".
I like my technology, I like my technological innovation or historically significant technology. I'd give something like a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine a Sub Zero, even though its just an engine - its not going to impress women very much.
For whatever reason, this doesn't impress me enough in that sense.
Also, there are several things that have fed and will feed into road car development (and other industries) from F1 and other race series, but I'm not sure what the real definition of "road car relevant" is in this regard. Certainly a high reliance on aerodynamic development is completely irrelevant, but developments in safety are at the very forefront in Formula 1. I wouldn't call F1 highly relevant for road cars, but some things do spin off from ideas developed for or because of F1 racing.
/off topic.
Not a fan of dragsters, so its really just like any other dragster to me - insane.
Even so, speed in a straight line doesn't have enough going for me. I don't really care about drag racing, so I'll give it a "meh".
I like my technology, I like my technological innovation or historically significant technology. I'd give something like a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine a Sub Zero, even though its just an engine - its not going to impress women very much.
For whatever reason, this doesn't impress me enough in that sense.
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- 514
- GTBR_Joker
A miserable little pile of sub-zero
- 4,579
- Houston, TX
- astrosdude91
I'll have to go with meh.
I don't much care for NHRA drag racing. Don't get me wrong, I have total respect for the people that do it and the fans. But it's just not my thing.
I don't much care for NHRA drag racing. Don't get me wrong, I have total respect for the people that do it and the fans. But it's just not my thing.
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