Funny Car

About Funny Car

Funny Car is a drag racing car class. In the USA, other "professional" classes are Top Fuel, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle. Funny cars have forward-mounted engines and carbon fiber automotive bodies over the chassis, giving them an appearance vaguely approximating manufacturers' showroom models. The Dodge Charger and Chevrolet Impala sedans are now commonly used in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). Worldwide, however, many different body styles are used.

The NHRA has strict guidelines for funny cars. Most of the rules relate to the engine. In short, the engines can only be V-8s at 90 degrees. (The most popular design is loosely based on the 426 Hemi.) There can only be two valves per cylinder and superchargers are restricted to a basic Roots type—19 inch (483 mm) rotor case length with a width of 11.25 inches (286 mm). The engine displacement cannot exceed 500 cubic inches (~8.2 L). Only single camshafts are allowed. There are two common bore-stroke combinations: 4.1875 × 4.50 inches (106.4 × 114.3 mm) (called a 3/4 stroker) and 4.25 × 4.375 inches (108.0 × 111.1 mm) (called a 5/8 stroker). The 3/4 stroker is the most common combination used today and equals 496 CID (8.1 L).

Engine blocks are usually made out of aluminum billet. Crankshafts are made from steel forgings. Intake valves are titanium and of 2.40 inch (61 mm) diameter, while exhaust valves are 1.90 inch (48 mm) diameter made out of Inconel. Every funny car has ballistic blankets covering specific parts of the engine prone to explosion.