When was nitrous oxide first used in drag racing?

Question

I dont really like it when people use nitrous oxide to achieve 10 second times. I dont like it because its so popular. Do Nitro Funny Cars run nitrous oxide also? When did drag racers start using nitrous oxide?

Answer 1

Believe or not/Boot leggers delivering Moon Shine in the back woods were the first to use nitrous to out run the Law.Then it was introduce to National racing/Remember the Mongouse and the Snake dragsters they were among the first later 60,searly 70,s era.

Answer 2

I would be willing to bet long before it was publicly known!!!

No, Nitro cars do not run Nitrous!!  Nitrous creates oxygen in which is needed to burn fuel.  It basically adds more oxygen when the fuel is atomized thus allowing more fuel into the motor and still being able to get a good air fuel ratio which is what is key to producing good horse power.  A gas motor on should have, lets say 16:1 air/fuel ratio if you spray nitrous, then you get more air so you can add more fuel.  If you don't add more fuel, then you go lean and thats when you start burning up pistons.

Nitromethane, is what nitro funny cars burn.  Nitro burns at pretty much at a 1:1 ratio so added with a super charger, they can pump in so much fuel that it is on the vurge of solidifying during the compression stroke of the motor.  

In short, Nitrous is just another way of boosting the air flow so you can add more fuel which gives you more horse power.  You must have the same air/fuel ratio that you had before spraying for the proper burn.  That is why the big shot nitrous systems all require a seperate fuel system that adds more fuel when the nitrous is being sprayed.

The super charger on a nitro car does the same thing that nitrous would do.  It pushes more air into the cylinder instead of creating it through oxidation.

Hope it makes sense.