[blykins]

My thoughts are build the biggest your budget will allow. The more cubes you have, the more horsepower you make. The longer stroke you have, the more torque you're going to put down. I don't worry about numbers and always try to push my customers that way. Some are dead set on having 427 cubic inches, I'd rather throw a BIG crank in there and get more.

As for longer strokes, if you use light pistons and light rods, they will rev. Maybe not instantaneously like a 12.5:1 Cup engine, but they'll rev and rev quick.

A lot of guys feel the need to use H-beam rods in a 500-600 hp engine, but the forged I-beams with the big bolts work just fine and are a ton lighter than an H-beam. A lot of it also has to do with the cam, compression, and cam timing.

I aim for as much power as you can reliably put down in a street car. Guys always seem to come back wanting more a year down the road. Might as well go for broke the first time. That's why cars have gas pedals, you don't have to hold them wide open all the time.