NHRA Tracks

[smitty2]

This hasn't got much to do about Land racing, but,, I just saw Doug Colleta go 335 mph at Las Vegas. I don't know if it was an illusion, or do Drag racers run down hill now? It sure looked like the track was headed down hill all the way to the shut down area! could this be the reason these guys are getting those fantastic speeds? I hear talk of those engines putting out 7000 horsepower. If they are racing down a Hot Wheel track.. why do they need all those ponies? Just shoot them off a tall building, and I'm sure they would get the same results.
  I don't mean to "Diss" any drag racers, but this kind of sounds fishy to me.
  Thanks... Smitty

[Dave H.]

Hi Smitty,
 
 The shut-down areas on some of the tracks run uphill, and the long lens cameras they use
 exaggerates the transition. I saw the same
 show tonight, and it looked like they were
 running through a big ditch at the finish line!
 
 Dave

[John Bjorkman]

The NHRA does have a max. slope limit for Drag Strips based on the Pomona strip which is sloped downhill by 13 feet from start to finish, As it turns out most new strips are built with the same downhill slope with the intention of making the fastest race track posable.