In January 2021, the McLaren 765LT became the quickest production car on the quarter-mile, thanks to a 9.3-second run. That's an impressive benchmark for a road-legal car, but it's extremely slow compared to what fuel altered racers can do. And as of March 2021, they can do four-second runs!
Drag racing fans gathered at Texas Motorplex this weekend witnessed a historic event as a nitro-fueled altered dragster ran the quarter-mile in just 4.92 seconds, setting a new record for the series.
The achievement belongs to racing veteran Richard Hartman, who showed up at the drag strip in a Summit Racing-backed altered racer powered by a supercharged, 11,000-horsepower mill.
His incredible run saw the clock freeze at 4.92 seconds, breaking a record that Joe Haas set back in 2013 at 5.28 clicks. The trap speed, recorded at 296.13 mph (476.57 kph), also surpassed a benchmark set in 2005 at 286.07 mph (460.38 kph).
"It was real fast…the quickest I’ve ever been," Hartman said. "I have been faster, but if I would have held the throttle down, that might have been my fastest run, too. I shut it off a couple tenths early. It left really strong and bobbled the front end about half track and hooked up and took off. It was a heck of a ride…a lot of fun. A dream come true."
But Hartman wasn't done.
In another run, he repeated his first record ET at 4.92 seconds but crossed the finish line at a higher speed of 304.53 mph (490.09 kph). Not only he bested his previous speed record, but he also scored the first 300-mph pass for fuel altered dragsters.
Judging by screaming, you can tell that this was a highly anticipated record and probably one of the last major barriers in drag racing.
Check out both runs in the videos below. But don't blink if you don't want to miss it.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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