Funny car engines often need rebuilding or replacement after a single pass down the strip, which lasts about four seconds. They can produce about 11,000 horsepower; some last as many as five runs, but total operating time remains under 30 seconds.
A funny car run covers 1,000 feet, and cars can pass 300 mph by halfway and approach 340 mph by the finish. Their supercharged, fuel-injected engines are the same type used in Top Fuel dragsters, have a 500-cubic-inch capacity cap and can burn up to 15 gallons of fuel per run.
Bob Tasca III's Mustang-style funny car reached 341.68 mph in 2024, the fastest speed reported for the category. Top-class strips had been shortened to 1,000 feet after a 2008 accident.
