Day 4: Cool Facts About Dragsters

I found some Cool Facts About Dragsters, like the IRWIN one we are working on with Doug Herbert's team, on the website ultimatecarpage.com. It gives you a whole new perspective as to what we're actually working on. There are a ton more facts on the website, but here are just a few.

* One dragster's 500-inch Hemi makes more horsepower than the first 8 rows at Daytona.

* Under full throttle, a dragster engine consumes 1 1/2 gallons of nitro per second, the same rate of fuel consumption as a fully loaded 747 but with 4 times the energy volume.

* The supercharger takes more power to drive than a stock hemi makes.

*Dual magnetos apply 44 amps to each spark plug. This is the output of an arc welder in each cylinder.

*Nitromethane burns yellow. The spectacular white flame seen above the stacks at night is raw burning hydrogen, dissociated from atmospheric water vapor by the searing exhaust gases.

Day 4: Qualifying Starts Tomorrow

The fun starts tomorrow. We send the car down the track for the first time tomorrow for qualifying. Today, we were just buttoning up loose ends and getting the car through tech. It was nice to have a short easy day. I finally found some time to check out some NASCAR shops in the area. Penske racing has a very nice setup which includes a walkway that overlooks their garage area. If anyone wants to see a race shop, that's the one I'd recommend. I'm walking into the B.R.A.K.E.S. charity dinner and auction now. We're hoping to raise a good amount of money for Doug Herbert's cause.

Day 4: The Dragway is Starting to Get Busy

We finally made it! I just started classes at Ferris State University up in Wisconsin. I'm in the Automotive Engineering program and I couldn't get out of the first few days of classes this week. My Dad and I got in last night to the Charlotte area around 6pm. We were able to go out for some NC barbecue near the hotel. This morning I met Ron Wenzel from IRWIN and he introduced my Dad and I to some of the people at the IRWIN offices. After that, we headed down to the dragway in Concord, NC. I was helping to rebuild an engine earlier today. In one of the pictures above, you can see Nathan and Mike mounting rear tires. Most of the trailers are set for the races this weekend, but everything will really crank up tomorrow.

Day 3: The Real Fun is About to Begin

This profession is unlike any other. The time and effort put in by everyone on the team is incredible. It takes a lot of work to make this race happen. What you see on TV takes a ton of effort from everyone involved. One thing is for sure; Scott Gaddy, the crew chief, is one of the hardest working guys I've ever met. I thought I was a hard worker, but he's unbelievable and out worked me all day. You really have to be passionate about this to do it. I can promise you that most people involved in racing don't do it for the pay. They do it for the love of the sport. It's a good thing I love racing, because I've worked harder and longer in these past three days than I normally work in a week. But I love it. I can't wait to see the car go down the track. I saw the light at the end of the tunnel today as we were just about done unloading the truck. The real fun is about to begin.

Day 2: Loading up for Race Weekend

It was another late night at the race shop, loading cars and washing trucks. It was fairly uneventful, just a lot of the real work involved in preparing for the fun work. It all has to get done, though. I'm learning what racing is really about, long hours of hard work for short seconds of fun.

Day 1: In the Doug Herbert Race Shop

Left to Right: Ron Wenzel (IRWIN Marketing), Nathan Allen (SkillsUSA Student - Missouri), Scott Gaddy (Crew Chief), Doug Herbert (Top Fuel Driver)

It was quite a first day. I got into Charlotte on Sunday with no problems. I'm disappointed that my buddy, Keith Fritzmeyer, who is a huge race fan, wasn't able to join me. But hopefully these daily posts will keep him updated. I was actually still at the Doug Herbert race shop last night at 7:30, getting ready and cleaning everything. We got the IRWIN scoop on the car and put it on the dolly, so we can get it on the trailer. I learned they run really low compression, then supplement with 50 pounds of boost. They pump approximately 90 gallons per minute through the car. That is an astounding amount of fuel! It was an amazing first day, I can't wait to see what today brings.

The IRWIN Tools Ultimate Experience in Drag Racing Education

IRWIN Tools is proud to award the experience of a lifetime to Kieron Kohlmann, from Racine, WI, and Nathan Allen, from St. Clair, MO. In recognition of winning the 2010 National SkillsUSA Automotive Service Technology Competition, they will be spending an intense week preparing for the O'Reilly Auto Parts Nationals Drag Race weekend in Concord, NC. They’ll be working alongside hot rod mechanics and legends to build and rebuild one of the NHRA's most famous "Top Fuel" dragsters on the strip. Get an inside look at the exciting world of drag racing from deep inside the Doug Herbert race shop. Follow the daily posts of these two aspiring automotive technicians as they twirl the iron and rebuild the IRWIN Tools dragster, heat after heat, until the final race for the trophy.