Top Alcohol
Top Alcohol dragsters are akin to the premier Top Fuel drag racing class, but produce much less horsepower. They are required to burn a lower-performance mixture of alcohol fuel (generally methanol) instead of more volatile nitromethane. Engine sizes cannot[citation needed] exceed 531 cu in (8.70 l). Nitromethane-burning entries may also race in this category,this being the injected cars. Superchargered cars are also allowed, the roots and the screw type superchargers are accepted. Ethanol is also occasionally used as a substitute for methanol as it is less corrosive and toxic.
Top Alcohol was devised in the 1970s as a replacement for the Top Gas class which was similar but burned gasoline. Initially, dragsters competed against Funny Cars in a category known as Pro Comp, before a separate class of Top Alcohol Funny Car was created in the 1980s. It was within IHRA's version of this class use of ethanol fuel was pioneered with great success by Mark Thomas, an Ohio farmer who became a five-time champion within that organization.[1] Despite this fact, ethanol has failed to capture the imagination of racers, the majority of whom opt for methanol. Today both the Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car compete in NHRA drag racing, however they not classed as professional but as sportsman. The Top Alcohol classes also compete outside of North America, most notably in Australia and Europe. Alcohol Funny Car is a professional class in the IHRA.
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