Do alcohol motors scare anyone else?

[crazyman]

I was at a tractor pull tonight, and some of the alky's scared me with the way they sounded. I kept picturing internal engine parts becoming external to the motor and internal to me...

Lots of fun tonight, though.

[900HP]

I used to crew on a top-alcohol dragster. Over 60 psi of boost. Shifted at 10,800 rpm. 463 cubic inches. Over 3000 hp. One of my duties was the starter. I would start it, remove the starter, stage the car for the burnout, back the car up, and reset the data aquisition computer. Then all I had to do was get the hell out of the way and stand there between two of them. It was hard to focus on the tires and the chassis when two of those things would leave. I can't imagine top-fuel. I was never scared though just awestruck.

However..............................

One time we were done with engine, clutch, and other maintainence and timing needed to be checked. This was early on and they elected me to sit in the car during the warm up. I sat there like a good boy and pressed the shift buttons when instructed. After warm up it was neutraled and timing was checked/set. At that point the crew cheif blipped the throttle (probably something like 1/8") and the whole car jumped up in the air and came back down on the jackstands. That's the fastest I've ever gone in my life and the car never moved. LOL. I may have even pee'd myself. I was a little bit scared then.

[Mike Croley]

ALL engines scare me at truck and tractor pulls . I imagine that's about as high a load as you can put on a race engine , and you're right , everything inside is trying hard to get outside .