The modern Top Fuel dragster is an 11,000-horsepower technological marvel. These cars require a lot of parts and support equipment, so it’s only natural the trailers that haul them are packed to the roof with what’s needed to make that happen. We were lucky enough to score a tour of three-time NHRA Top Fuel champ Antron Brown’s rig and boy is it impressive.
It’s hard to fathom that when racers started running nitro-powered vehicles, they brought them to the track on an open trailer. Back then, you could fit everything needed to run a nitro dragster in the bed of your truck and be ready to race. As the cars got faster and technology progressed, so did the rigs that brought them to the track. Now, Top Fuel teams bring a fleet of trucks, trailers, and people to each event as they build their own miniature cities in the pits.
So, what are you going to find on a modern Top Fuel team’s trailer? Well, you can expect to find a whole lot of parts and fluids. In the best case between runs, the engine will need standard wear items and fresh oil. If things have gone way wrong, it’s going to need a whole lot more. The blower and clutch are going to need service between runs. You’re also going to need all of the tools to tear the car apart and put it back together as well.
If a team has the funds, they’re going to have entire spare short blocks ready to go if they need it. You’ll also find all of the crew chief’s fancy gadgets in the trailer that help them make tuning decisions. The team might also have a mini machine shop in the trailer to take care of more complex repairs. Basically, a team is packing like it has to go race on the moon, so they bring everything they can think of, plus other items just in case.
Check out this tour of Antron’s trailer on the Dragzine YouTube channel and subscribe to see all of our other content.
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