Slower Times at High Altitude

[SRT-Tom]

All of us know that the 1/4 mile times of a Challenger will be slower at higher altitude tracks. I never realized how much altitude affects a car's horsepower until I read a tech article in the March 2010 issue of Road & Track.

The article said that air pressure drops 3% for every 1,000 feet of altitude. In Colorado, for example, a naturally aspirated engine (carbureted or injected) loses 25% of its sea-level horsepower! Turbo-charged engines are also affected, but not as much. They lose about 10% of their horsepower.

Something to think about when we start sharing 1/4 mile times.

[neidan]

Yep, thats the idea behind all of the 'adjusted' or standardized numbers at the strip. It's the same reason there is a considerable amount of focus on getting the coolest air posable into the intake..

Here is a handy link.. NHRA altitude correction factors