Jet dragsters are the kings of exhibition vehicles. These fire-spitting beasts wow crowds at drag strips across the country with fire shows and 300 mph passes. A lot goes into getting a jet dragster started, and we learned about that process from Fifty Cal dragster pilot Scotty Heat.

The procedure to fire up a jet dragster actually starts outside the car. An auxiliary starter is used to get the jet engine spinning before it gets lit. Inside the cockpit, the driver is manipulating the throttle to help bring the engine to life. The driver gets a signal from his crew chief to start the smoke show with the afterburner once the jet engine is up and running. This is done to make sure the fuel systems are running properly and ready to go.

Once a few fireballs have been shot off to give the crowd a show and burn off fuel, it’s time for the staging process to begin. Inside the car, the driver is watching his gauges to make sure all is well, and they begin the final push into the beams. If everything is ready to go, when the tree fires, the driver drops the hammer and goes for one heck of a ride.

Check out this video where Scotty Heat breaks down the entire process of starting the car and what goes into making a pass in a jet dragster. Make sure you subscribe to the Dragzine YouTube channel right here. We’ve got all kinds of cool content on the channel that you’ll want to check out.