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The engineering principles that permit such unimaginable speeds and power are rooted in a few critical components. Top Fuel engines employ a single massive supercharger that requires about 800 horsepower just to operate. In contrast to conventional vehicles, these dragsters have no gearboxes—merely one giant clutch connected directly to the drive axle. This clutch doesn’t completely engage until the car reaches nearly 280 mph.

The internal environment of a Top Fuel engine is brutal; it operates under pressures exceeding 13,000 PSI, with components like pistons and connecting rods facing explosive combustion pressures and soaring temperatures. This level of stress renders these engines capable of only approximately 540 revolutions from start to finish.