Top Alcohol 1608171 223937658 2008-07-06T16:32:23Z Lightbot 7178666 Units/dates/other [[Image:Top methanol dragster.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Top methanol dragster in the pits at Santa Pod]] '''Top Alcohol''' [[dragster]]s are akin to 'junior' versions of the premier [[Top Fuel]] dragster class. They are required to burn a lower-performance mixture of [[alcohol fuel]] (generally [[methanol fuel|methanol]]) instead of more volatile [[nitromethane]]. [[Engine]] sizes cannot exceed 8.7 [[Litre|L]] (531 [[cubic inch|in<sup>3</sup>]]). [[Nitromethane]]-burning entries may also race in this category,this being the injected cars. [[supercharger]]ed cars are also allowed, the roots and the screw type superchargers are accepted. [[Ethanol fuel|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 burnt [[Gasoline]] instead of alcohol fuel. Initially dragsters would compete against [[Funny car]]s in a category known as Pro Comp before a separate class of Top Alcohol Funny Cars was created in the 1980s. It was within the [[IHRA]]'s version of this class that the use of ethanol fuel was pioneered with great success by Mark Thomas, an Ohio farmer who became a five-time champion within that organization [http://www.ethanolperforms.com/index.html]. Despite this fact ethanol has failed to capture the imagination of racers, the majority of whom opt for methanol instead. Today both the Top Alcohol Dragster class and the Top Alcohol Funny Car class compete in [[NHRA]] drag racing, however they are not seen as ''professional'' but are classed as ''sportsman''. The Top Alcohol classes also compete outside of North American, most notablely in Australia and Europe. Alcohol Funny Car is a professional class in the IHRA. ==See also== *[[E85#Power output and usage in Racing|E85 ethanol fuel in racing]] *[[Pro Modified]] [[Category:Drag racing]] [[Category:Alternative propulsion]] {{autoracing-stub}}