I knew one Ford Racer, Ted Wells, that had one of the 50 1966 lightweight Ford Fairlane that Ford had assembled and prep for drag racing only, his was a 410 HP with a single four barrel originally.
We were talking about engine RPM during a rain delay at the Orange County track back in 1975 or so, I was racing my 1970 Cuda stick shift 426 Street Hemi motor and he ask me what RPM I shifted it at and cross the finish line I told him I let the clutch out above 6000 RPM with throttle on the floor and shifted it at 7000 RPM with 5:38 gears and 9x30 inch bias ply Firestone slick it would cross pretty close to 7000 RPM in the 1/4 mile.
He told me he let his clutch out at 8800 RPM and shifted around 8000 RPM and cross above 8000 RPM
I didn't have a clue how high those 427 FE motors would rev

I saw Jim Van Cleve's 427 Fairlane run at Seattle in 1980. He told Al Lee that he left at 8500, and it sounded like it. That was a fun car to watch. I was told about a pairing he once won against a Chevy that ran down in SS/MA or thereabouts. Van Cleve missed the shift into third. The driver of the slower car spotted the nose drop in his mirror, and clicked it off with several hundred feet of track left. Van Cleve, having shut his engine off, heard the other car shut off.Thinking quickly he grabbed a gear and legged it. The Chevy guy couldn't get his fired as quickly, and Van Cleve took the stripe by about a fender or less.

Jims Maverick was fast also.
I bought several sets of used tires with 3 or 4 runs on them from him when he was racing the Maverick in B/SM in Modified Production. He was on the deal with Firestone back then and would change them after 3 or 4 runs
Good guy, L.A. County full time Fireman also.