As an American male, it is tough to top internal combustion engines on the scale of manliness. In this category (internal combustion engines) there is a hierarchy of it's own. Tonight, with our men's ministry group (Iron Sharpens Iron), I once again participated in witnessing the possible pinnacle of all manliness by attending a National Hod Rod Association drag racing event in Topeka, Kansas.There are several categories of race cars which compete at such an event-Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle (these guys are crazy-1,000 ponies on a 1,000 lb bike!).
The first NHRA drag racing event I went to was this same event three years ago. While definitely a neophyte, I have read on this incredibly manly sport and learned much from local experts. Let there be no doubt- we are talking the height of manliness.
The Top Fuel dragster division (the pinnacle of dragsters, pictured above and the ultimate in manliness) run on a maximum of 85% nitromethane and about 15% methanol also known as racing alcohol, instead of gasoline. If you think regular gas is expensive, the "nitro" used to power the engines of top fuel dragsters costs about $30 per gallon. Top Fuel dragsters use between 10 and 12 U.S. gallons of fuel for a complete pass! Ah, America! The engine generates about 3.4 times as much power as a similar engine running regular gasoline. These cars compete in a 1/4 mile race and complete it in less than 4.5 seconds at close to 330 mph! The fastest car that ran tonight went 323 MPH. Elevating overall manliness, a Top Fuel dragster accelerates from 0 to 100 mph in less than 0.8 second, subjecting the driver to a force about 5.7 times his weight. If you still doubt manliness, consider this- a dragster can exceed 280 mph in just 660 feet . The full race distance is 1/4 of a mile, 1320 feet. Unreal.
I'm sorry, there just isn't anything more manly, in the category of internal combustion, that I can think of.
To add to the manliness still- Top Fuel dragsters produce an outright deafening amount of noise -at full throttle, they generate over 120 decibels, enough to cause some peoples' eardrums physical pain, as I can wonderfully attest. As one drag racing publication puts it- "The intense levels of sound are not only heard, but also felt as pounding vibrations all over one's body, leading many to compare the experience of watching a Top Fuel dragster make a pass to 'feeling as though the entire drag strip is being bombed'."
Seriously, what could be more manly?
3 comments:
With all these bloggs concerning "manliness" it made me think of something I heard a radio personality bring up once. People were to call in a list 1 activity they did or something they liked that was not manly, something they would not let out to easily.
I would have to say that mine is...the fact that I like some not all mind you but some Broadway shows and musicals. I also like going to Starlite Theater, I also like Yanni...there I said it...anyone else brave enough or comfortable enough in their own "manliness" to confess?
Yes, I do remember another form of “AJF Manliness!” ….. It was our second visit to Redeemer. Indeed, it was January 30, 2005, and Pastor Tony was preaching in I John chapter 5. Unto verse 7, Pastor Tony boldly testified to John’s words, “That which we have seen is TRUTH!”
Not knowing this man of God was to providentially become our new pastor, some how, as a way of illustration, Pastor T. ties the Apostle John’s statement of truth to what he and son AJ (I believe little AJ was 5 then?) had witnessed just the day before. Tony had treated AJ to an event at Kemper Arena. I think that he called it “Monster Madness!”??? This was truly a redneck day of classic Kansas culture! Be it a giant truck and tractor pull, where these huge, powerful, ear-bursting machines pull tons of dead weight, through the dirt… Just think… all this for pure entertainment? I remember rationalizing, "With this kind of mentality, what kind a sound doctrine were we going to be tested with?" And Tony asks, “Seriously, what could be more manly?”
But have no fear, manliness came near! Don’t know if I would ever won’t to take part in a real, live tractor pull or not, but I do know, staying to find out what kind of doctrine we have subjected ourselves to, has for sure been no disappointment! RIGHT ON TONY, GO FOR IT!
A true definition of "manliness," I bet he doesn't go to Broadway shows.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8PBKB5G0&show_article=1&image=large
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