Aerodynamics and Possible Alleviation of Top Fuel Dragster ‘Blow Over’

During a high-speed drag race a race-car nose may accidentally be lifted by the aerodynamic loads causing the dangerous ‘Blow Over’ phenomenon. Such aerodynamic loads were investigated for a wide range of pitch angles in small-scale wind-tunnel tests, using a Top-Fuel Dragster model. A simple device, creating negative vortex lift, was proposed and tested in an effort to reduce the pitch up moments during the initial phases of the ‘Blow Over’. Results of the wind tunnel tests indicate that when deploying the proposed device, immediately after the front wheel liftoff, alleviation of the ‘Blow Over’ is possible.