History of Drag Racing

Drag Racing started in 1937 when people started driving their hot rods in dry lake beds. World War II gave a generation an "engineering rush" to help in the aerospace industry. In the 40's restless junkies have speed contests on the street. In 1949 in California was a "match race" which some refer to as the first drag race. In 1959, parachutes are used for braking for the first time. Today, the fastest speed for a street licensed drag car is 249 mph. The car that drove that fast is Jeff Lutz's Camaro. The fuel being used in drag racing today is Nitromethane and methanol fuel. Before each race, each driver is allowed to do a "burnout" which is when they heat up their tires and lay rubber at the beginning of the track. This improves traction. In the future, more drag cars are expected to be made electric. Electric drag cars can go O to 60mph in 2.5 seconds. The reason electric cars are the future is that they have immediate torque (amount of twisting from the engine to the wheels), and gasoline cars can only hit maximum torque until the wheels are spinning 2,000 rpm (revolutions per minute). In the future materials are expected to get stronger and more light-weight. Fuel efficiency is also expected in the future with modern cars using 12 to 23 liters during a quarter mile run.

Research

what's important In a Dragster Design?

Pitsco Education: "As you design and build your dragster, you will follow a set of specifications. Specifications are a set of rules or limitations that must be followed when producing a vehicle.

Pitsco Education: "Obviously, a lighter race car will move down the track more quickly. But there is a limit to how light your Dragster can be. ... If you put too much emphasis on light weight, your Dragster could be too fragile to withstand the impact at the end of the track.

Pitsco Education: "The air around your dragster tries to slow it down as it moves down the track. This air resistance is called drag. To minimize drag, your car should have a smooth, streamlined shape. Its a good idea to aerodynamically test the dragster body throughout the production process.

February 13, 2017

Today I think that I'm going to finish my working drawing. Today I encountered problems with the length of my car drawing, I will try to finish tomorrow.

February 14, 2017

I am currently working on my working drawing. I still have to finish the orthographic pictures. I am going to try to finish it today. Once Coach Spodick approves my drawing, I will then move on to cutting and attaching it to my wooden block. Today, I finished my top view and started on my side view of my working drawing.

February 15, 2017

I am still working on my working drawing. I am going to try to finish my second orthographic picture; the side view. Once Coach Spodick approves my drawing, I will move on to cutting and attaching it to my wooden block. Today I edited my top view because my width wasn't wide enough.

February 16, 2017

Today I am going to keep working on my working drawing. I have finished my top orthographic picture, now I am working on my side view. Once Coach Spodick approves my drawing I am going to cut and attach it to my wooden block.

February 17, 2017

Today Coach Spodick was absent, and he doesn't trust us with a substitute (with good reason), so we worked on other class work.

February 21, 2017

Last week I finished my orthographic pics. Today I am going to cut and attach my working drawing to my block. Once Coach Spodick approves it, I will start cutting my block. Today I had to add on to my working drawing to make sure I qualified with the specs.

February 22, 2017

Today Coach Spodick was absent, and he doesn't trust us with a substitute (with good reason), so we worked on other class work.

February 23, 2017

I thought I had finished my orthographic pics, but I had to add on to my drawing to make sure I follow the specifications. Once I finish that and Coach Spodick approves it, I will attach it to my block. Today I got my drawing approved, attached it to my block and cut my block.

February 24, 2017

Today I need to start sanding down my wooden block. Once Coach Spodick approves it, I will move on to 400 grit sand paper. Today I finished sanding my block, and painted my first coat of primer.

February 27, 2017

Today I am going to paint another coat of primer on my car. I may also paint my car yellow. Once Coach Spodick approved it, I will hand paint black on it. Today I spray painted another layer of primer on my car.

February 28, 2017

Today I want to get my base coat on. Today I had to sand down a little bit more. I also got my base coat on.

March 1, 2017

I was not here today due to Orchestra UIL.

March 2, 2017

Today I am going to try to spray paint another base layer of yellow. Once Coach Spodick approves that, I am going to hand paint parts of my car. Today I painted my last coat.

March 3, 2017

Today I am going to hand paint on a design. Once I finish that, I will almost be done. Today I hand painted. I am finished painting.

March 6, 2017

Today Coach was absent, but he let us do stuff. I was going to put on my wheels, but I need to shorten the axles `~` '_' :( anyway...

CAR LAUNCH!!!!