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Why an NHRA Drag Strip is 1,000 Feet
Top Fuel and Funny Car, the two nitromethane-fueled classes, scaled back to 1,000 feet in mid-2008, following a tragic death.
By Susan Wade NHRA/National Dragster
Traditionally, a drag strip is 1,320 feet, which equals a quarter-mile. (One mile equals 5,280 feet.) Many classes in NHRA drag racing actually, all but the Top Fuel and Funny Car classes still compete on a quarter-mile course.
Top Fuel and Funny Car, the two nitromethane-fueled classes in the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, scaled back to 1,000 feet in mid-2008, following Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta’s death in a crash during qualifying. The accident happened June 21, 2008, the fourth and final session of qualifying for the Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals. Eleven days later, the NHRA announced it would shorten the course for the Top Fuel and Funny Car categories to 1,000 feet (which had been the final electronic time and speed clocking increment in the scoring sys