Oddly enough, the supercharged V8 Hemi nitromethane/methanol burning Top Fuel dragster engine has a displacement of 500 cubic inches, and generates 8,000HP. In the entire 60 seconds or so it runs between rebuilds, it burns approximately 8-11 gallons of nitromethane/methanol mix (95% nitromethane). Nitromethane costs approximately $3500 per 55 gallon drum. Total value of the engine itself, when every component is brand new, is about $50K.
On Nitromethane prices.
http://www.competitionplus.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6087&Itemid=6The price of a 55-gallon barrel of nitromethane was $650 and immediately was raised to $900 with the cost expected to climb to $1,400 before the season’s end. Homeland Security was cited as a reason for the increase although a call to the Homeland Security Department by CompetitionPlus.com refuted the claim.
As this scenario played out, Schumacher procured another Chinese source of nitro and had a tanker of the fuel en route to the United States when the NHRA implemented a rule stating only the brands under exclusivity to VP Race Fuels were approved sources.
The NHRA eventually capped the price at $800 in 2004.
The Pro Nitro brand was declared the official source of nitromethane on the IHRA tour and this product was sold for $650. Many racers began to question the difference in price for an equal in quality product which was used largely by NHRA teams in testing.
The second skirmish between the official supplier and Pro Nitro transpired in 2006 when many teams covertly ran the lesser expensive source of nitro until a handful of those teams were put on secret probation when the number of runs they made in competition didn’t jibe up with receipts from the official supplier.
VP Race Fuels defended the exclusivity as protecting the sport’s only domestic supplier of nitromethane – Dow-Angus. Dow-Angus announced in November of 2006 they were ceasing production of nitromethane for racing leaving the only known source as the Chinese brand.
Last year, VP Race Fuels raised the price of nitromethane to $950 during the NHRA U.S. Nationals race weekend.
With the advent of U.S. Department of Homeland Security regulations, a drum of nitromethane was reduced to 42-gallons or 400 pounds while the price remained the same $950 for a lesser amount of product.
Citing Homeland Security and the need for an armed guard as well as increased paperwork, the price was launched to $1,250 per barrel. The paperwork according to Schumacher requires 15 – 20 minutes and the armed guard was only used during the evening hours of the NHRA Gatornationals last month. There was no added security during the daylight hours.
The price reportedly has been dropped to $1,050 according to ESPN2 coverage of the event.
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Still expensive toejam
