Editor's note: This month "Big" Jim Dunn has passed the Fuel School spotlight to his popular driver, Tony Bartone. Being a pretty entertaining guy in his own right, let's see what some of Tony's fans have asked him.

Q What do you like most about driving a Funny Car?

A The sheer power and frequent unpredictability - expect the unexpected. Really, driving is a reaction to what the car does. You can never go to the starting line with pre-conceived thoughts about what the car is going to do.

Q What's it like driving for a legend like Jim Dunn?

A To say that Jim has been around the block is an understatement. Respect is the key here. Jim works very hard at this - it's a 24/7 thing, as far as he's concerned. He builds the motors, tunes the car, and does just about everything else in between.

Q Looking back on your career, what are some of your most memorable moments?

A A national championship in Top Alcohol Funny Car (1996), winning Indy more than once, 28 national event wins (TA/FC and T/AD), plus a long string of divisional wins and titles in TA/FC.

Q Please explain how a 500 cubic-inch engine produces over 7,000 horsepower.

A The internal combustion engine is essentially an air pump. These extreme amounts of horsepower are made by force feeding (supercharging) liquid dynamite (nitromethane) through an air pump and igniting it at pre-determined intervals.

Q If you can, please describe the sensation of driving one of the quickest accelerating vehicles on the planet.

A Basically, you accelerate to 100 mph in about 100 feet, all of which happens in roughly one second. The launch is a blur, but you still have a feel for where the car is heading. Further down track, all your senses catch up to the race car. DR