another point to be made is that a RACE car is nothing like a street car.
1) TORQUE moves the car, not horsepower
2) how much time do you REALLY spend in the higher rpm range?
3) 1 or 2 horsepower on the top end means alot more to a racer then you or i.
4) race engines are lucky to last 500 miles (there ARE execptions to the rule, so lets not argue that point)