the way i inderstand it is, they are started with straight pump gas squirted into the injector, because the motor will not start on the nitro and methanol mixture. the burn rate of the race fuel is to slow to fire the motor. when the motor bellows out the plume is when it is then running on the nitro meth mix. and with one fuel pump only, when the cars are pre staged and the car idols down and gets kinda quieter they are kicking on the 2nd fuel pump for the 15 gallon pass. and when they run at night and you see the little embers coming from the pipes at half track and beyond, it is the tips of the plugs melting off, either way its insane the power they get these days!