halcyon_m said:
Thanks for the info.
Why a clutch or a diff though? To say this would be purpose-built would be an understatement, so mounting the motor(s) transversely would be entirely possible.
Totally possible - however then you have issues with reduction. There's no way you can run without some form of reduction considering the tire size of 36" tall which grows over the run to over 44". You're talking about delivering peak torque through a virtually stalled rotor if driven 1:1, at this power level that would result in atomised motor I suspect.
The clutch plays possibly the most critical role in the dragster - it allows smooth delivery of near instantaneous savage torque. The exact same issue would exist, probably to an even greater degree with electric motivation. Instant torque breaks things, it shocks tires into slip and can dramatically increase your ET. The race is won or lost (by substantial margin) in the first 60', it's very easy to get it wrong and I don't think you'd have much hope of getting a direct driven electric drivetrain to cope nearly as well as a very highly evolved clutch - at least not at the ludicrous power levels we're talking about.
Top fuelers hit over 120mph in 18 metres or a little over 6 rotations of the tires.