How Long Can A Funny Car Engine Run Before It Has To Be Rebuilt?

The history of funny cars dates back to the 1960s, and while it's not possible to pinpoint exactly who coined the phrase and why, many experts in the drag racing field agree the name originates from the "funny" aesthetics of these dragsters. Altered wheelbases and GRP body panels certainly ensured they looked odd, and the name just stuck.

But while they may be called "funny," there really is nothing funny about them at all, especially when you peel back the skin and see what powers these monsters. It's not unheard of to see funny cars and Top Fuel dragsters kicking out 11,000 horsepower, which equates to a frankly insane 1,375 horsepower per cylinder. Naturally, then, the stresses on these engines are pretty incredible, which is why they can often only last a single run down the strip before needing a rebuild or replacement. Funny cars are capable of completing said run in just four seconds, so that's an engine rebuild after just four seconds of use. Some can last up to around five runs, but that still only makes for a total running time of less than half a minute, so these engines are far from durable.

Funny cars are certainly all about the numbers, and while 11,000 horsepower and four-second strip times are certainly impressive, the shock factor doesn't end there. Even though they have 1,000 feet before hitting the finish line, most funny cars will be approaching speeds of about 340 mph by the end, having cracked 300 mph by the halfway point. For context, that's equal to the top speed of the fastest production car on record — in around an eighth of a mile.

Funny cars burn through as much as 15 gallons of fuel with each run, with engine capacities capped at 500 CI. The supercharged and fuel-injected engines are actually the same as those used in Top Fuel dragsters, although funny cars have carbon-fiber bodyshells that resemble regular production models. Another difference between Top Fuel dragsters and funny cars is that the latter sports a shorter wheelbase.

The fastest funny car so far is Bob Tasca III's Mustang-esque model, which managed to reach 341.68 mph in 2024. Speeds like this have been achieved before, but not since the NHRA shortened drag strips to 1,000 feet for top classes — including funny cars — following a tragic accident in 2008. This makes reaching such speeds more of a challenge, but Tasca managed the feat regardless.