Racing
High g-forces slam funny car drivers
By GREG ZYLA

Flames billow skyward as Tommy Johnson Jr. launches his Chevy Monte Carlo SS at a recent NHRA PowerAde drag racing event. (Don Prudhomme Snake Racing photo).

Q: Greg, how many Gforces do nitro Funny Car and Top Fuel dragster drivers have to endure during the takeoff? -- Kenneth P., Washington

A: Kenneth, we spoke recently with Tommy Johnson Jr., driver of Don Prudhomme's Skoal Chevy Monte Carlo SS nitro Funny Car, at Maple Grove's Toyo Tires Nationals near Reading, Pa. Since it rained all weekend (the race was postponed to a later date) and Tommy had some time to visit, he explained that his 7,000 horsepower Skoal Chevy Funny Car is capable of accelerating from zero to 330 mph in 4.6 seconds, and that the launch from the starting line subjects his body to G-forces five times the norm.

However, Johnson Jr. stressed that slowing down from 330 mph with the aid of parachutes subjects the driver to an equally strong if not greater "negative five" G-force. He said it takes less than two seconds to cover the second half of a quarter mile, 1320-foot run. As Gforces slowly back down after the first 1/8th mile's huge 5 g "push" into the seat on initial acceleration, the driver is hit with a second, but negative, 5- Gs when the two massive chutes deploy. Tommy said the jolt slams the driver forward into his seat belts and safety apparatus in a now completely reversed lunge forward instead of back!

Johnson has won two NHRA PowerAde National events this year for his Skoal sponsored, Don "Snake" Prudhomme-owned team, and is the husband of Top Fuel world champion contender Melanie Troxel.

Q: I am a big fan of the nostalgia races, including oval, sports car and drag racing. Why did nostalgia racing become so big so fast? -- Arlen P., Ohio

A: Arlen, nostalgia racing mirrors the popularity of the collector car market, as many companies now cater to the nostalgia racing market.

Sports car racing has been enjoying this nostalgia boom for years, and probably was the first to promote it. Drag racing is in the midst of a real boom, as many circuits now feature the older Funny Cars, Gassers, Super Stocks, A/FX cars and front-motored Top Fuelers. Same with ovals, as midgets, NASCAR stock cars and other open-wheel classes lead the way. The impact on the aftermarket parts companies is, not surprisingly, huge. Even the old flathead Ford engines are being resurrected, with many companies again producing racing pieces for them.

Attendance at national nostalgia events like Goodguys Rod & Custom Association (the leader in these type of shows), NHRA Hot Rod Reunions and all the smaller nostalgia events all over the country attract nearly 1.5 million fans. In my area, the York US 30 Reunion in Pennsylvania starts at the former US 30 Dragway with a show, and then travels north to Beaver Springs Dragway near Lewistown, Pa., for a big two-day nostalgia race. In nearby Reading, Pa., Maple Grove Raceway presents its "Geezers at the Grove" nostalgia show that attracts thousands of fans. Add all of the other tracks

around the country doing the same thing, and you've got a booming market. Check the Web, as it's loaded with nostalgia sites for all types of racing.

Write to Greg Zyla in care of King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL32853-6475, or send an e-mail to letters.kfws@hearstsc.com.

(c) 2006 King Features Synd., Inc.