the first time I was next to the burnout box while two top fuel cars warmed up their tires I can clearly remember feeling my ears pop because the air pressure dropped so rapidly from the engines drawing so much air

Probably popped from pressure of sound waves, if at all

Because engines tend to shoot out the air they pull in, so it’s not going to drop the local air pressure or something idiotic like that

true, you can feel the air pressure change in an engine dyno room more dramatically because the exhaust is being piped out of the building, but you can experience a version of the effect outside too because of the volume of air that top fuel engines move. if you are close enough you literally feel it in your lungs so it's definitely a reduction in local air pressure. top fuel engines are insane.

and before we get into a resume comparison; pretty much every world record setting high performance motorcycle from 2006 to 2019 used an engine or a crankshaft or a clutch that came out of a race shop that I worked in and eventually managed. Drag racing was our specialty but we did tons of work for land speed record holders, motocross, flat track, supercross, Legends cars, micro sprints, Formula SAE, etc. We built everything from custom top fuel engine blocks and cranks for Larry McBride to one-off restoration parts for Jay Leno to prototypes for Harley and Honda R&D.

high rpm engines were the first half of my professional life and composites are the second half, so you all have been posting lots of stuff in my wheelhouse lately, don't be mad about it

What you’re wrong about and feeling are pressure pulses from the exhaust

Watch the related video about exhaust pipes

Just because you worked near motors doesn’t mean you know anything, Mr boaty mcmanager

we'd probably get along in real life.