I just found out that US Top Fuel drag races take place on 300m drag strips, instead of the traditional quarter mile. The US record on the good old quarter mile is 4.441 seconds. I couldn't find the FIA European record.
Nevertheless, in Drag Racing, your time has to be 'backed up' which means more than 1 run of the same time. If you see American spec Top Fuel funny cars and European ones, you see clearly that they are totally different body styles. The current American ones have all these spoilers at the back and I think their chassis is a few CM longer too (not sure). Either way, 10years ago, European rules and NHRA Top Fuel Funny Car rules were almost the same, and the European cars were always quicker, with backed up times. Also, if you're going to research this, be sure not to confuse a Funny Car with a dragster sometimes known as a raildragster, and be sure not to mix up Top Methanol with Top Fuel, as they are (clearly) two different classes running on different fuels.
American drag racing is, and always was, faster than euro drag racing. Australian records are also quicker and faster than europe's. Maybe you should do some research yourself?
Also, there's no difference in the bodyshapes. There might be a difference in the material as US cars are now all carbon fibre instead of fibreglass, but apart from that and the livery, the bodies are all the same wedge shape with huge rear wings needed for downforce.
The euro nitro funny car record is a 5.1@289mph where as the US record is 4.6@333mph for the quarter mile. They only run the nitro cars to the 1000 foot mark now (instead of 1320) after the death of Scott Kallita.
Regardless that the European Funny Car is based on a Pontiac rather than a Mustang they are completely different.
I have also SEEN at an event a Top Fuel Funny Car go under than 5seconds at more than 300mph. So I don't know where you have this statistic plucked from. (possibly your arse)
First of all: They can pretty much choose their own form of the body.
And second: it's not that which seperates them.
In Europe we don't even have Top Fuel Funny Cars.
Top Fuel Funny Car = Funny car on nitromethane.
In europe we only have the Top Fuel Dragsters on nitromethane and some Top Methanol Dragsters on nitromethane.
We do not have nitromethane in Funny Cars.
The european Funny Cars are on methanol.
Sammy is dead now He fell of an oil rig iirc. A small fact on the rocket car, it was that brutally quick accelerating the retinas in Sammy's eyes were pushed back and subsequently after x ammount of runs he needed glasses
I don't know, but the FIA European Drag Racing Championship, goes all over Europe, Sweden, Finland, Norway... England.... Sweden.. (ok not ALL over... hahaha)
There have been talks at Santa Pod about how dangerous Nitromethane is, things like, in aluminium can and you tap with steel rod at 30'celsius it explodes, and stuff like this.
The dragracing stretch for Nitromethane cars such as the Top Fuel Dragster and Top Fuel Funny Car is now 1000 feet (about 330 Meters) instead of 1320 feet (402.33 meters) since the Scott Kalitta crash.
It will stay on 1000 feet till every track has been improved with more safety.
Because there's not enough cars/money to compete in a championship. Just like here in Australia, they have a couple cars going around doing demonstration runs and that's about it.
In the US they have 24 NHRA championship events per season with over 20 cars trying to get into a 16 car field and that's just nitro funny car. They have huge budgets sometimes fielding 2 or even 3 car teams in each class.
Anyone who thinks a 5 event season (FIA/UEM) with limited cash and second grade tracks can actually be quicker and faster than the US racing is a complete moron.
Nitromethane will only light up under pressure. That's what gives nitro cars 8000hp. It will not light with a naked flame but it will explode with a hammer blow.