Duke
Uh, no, sorry. In cars that powerful, they're nearly always running an automatic transmission because the shifts are quicker and they don't have a clutch to melt. Plus for a RWD drag car it's easier to build a durable automatic than it is a durable manual.
Besides, if you slipped the clutch on a car that powerful, it would burn up before the 1/8th mile mark, and you'd coast to the traps.
Automatic transmissions have clutches. The driver just doesn't get to play with it
In NHRA Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars, they still use manual transmissions. Not the same as those found in street cars, mind you, but the driver still orchestrates the gear changes via a series of levers. In this case, the clutch DOES slip the entire way down the track, and leaves a black trail of soot behind it (which is not coming from the exhaust). You cannot instantly transmit 7,000 horsepower into the track through the rear wheels, so the clutch slippage is necessary to minimize/eliminate wheelspin. If you watch a run closely, you can see that the tires are always ready to break free, and in fact, it is possible for the wheels to start spinning halfway through the run, usually preceded by tire shake.
After each run, the engine and transmission components have been completely destroyed. Between runs, the pistons, valves, crank, gearbox, and drivetrain (among other things) are replaced. Usually the block can survive a few runs, so it may or may not be replaced as well. These engines are assembled in such a way that the crew (maybe 10 people) can replace everything in under an hour, just in time for the next run. In short, purpose-built drag engines are basically disposable, because they have to be.
Of course, I cannot vouch for the components being run in this BMW, but with 1400 hp, I suspect that he goes through a lot of engine/drivetrain parts during the course of a year, and these parts do not come with 100,000 mile warranties.
