Various mixes of alcohol (ethanol/methanol) and nitromethane, I believe.

Top fuel is all nitromethane (or at least mostly nitro), necessary because they spray fuel on top of the supercharger and the "fuel" must ignite in liquid form but not under the supercharger (it blows off, quite dramatic!). The amount of fuel going down those engines is astounding -- engine is about 5:1 compression ratio with a 3:1 or so (may be 8:1) blower on top, it's common for the dry sump oil tank to fill with fuel during a run. Note that the chrome exhaust pipes are never "blue" from heat -- the fuel ignites in the air at idle. If they ran gas, they would belch black smoke at idle!

Most of the rest of the dragsters run on alcohol, I believe, but I don't know anyone in the "business" anymore.

That's an M117, probably (or an M119), look at the valve covers. What kinda horsepower it makes I have no idea. I assume it has a radiator from the cutouts for the aux fans.

Nice installation, but I'm not terrible impressed with drag racing -- if a 20,000 lb Chance-Vought Corsair could accelerate from 0-80 in 600 ft on a true sustained 2100 hp, how much horsepower does it take to drag 1500 lbs to 300 mph? It's all about tires and sticky tracks these days.

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!