Making the motor more free flowing has to be the way to go. A free flowing motor that can make the same HP but do it at a much lower boost level is going to be fast any time any where. My car is like Jekyl and hyde. Pump gas, goodyears, no ice, low boost ect Then I go to 118 octane, ice down the IC crank the boost up and launch hard on slicks. Like two totally different cars.
Excellent point about cooling air for the IC. Cooling air flow across an IC core seams to be over looked by alot of people. If you look at charts where they graph IC efficiency they will show different lines for different cooling air flow rates across the core. I had some guy tell me I was bascically stupid for buying a liquid set up. He was saying his Tony Dequick front mount was going to be 97% efficent. I told him no way in hell by the time you stack a IC, A/C condensor, and a radiator that your going to get enough cooling air across the core to get 97% efficiency. Plus when they test these things there isnt no damn hot radiator right behind it.
A stock IC has more potential than prob most people think. That dude that ran the stage 2 pro stock back in the 80's was running in the 7's with a pair of stockers that where converted to liquids. That tells me a stock IC, as long as you can keep the core of it cool enough, will flow enough and cool enough to build alot more power than most people would think. I wonder what a stocker would do with 3" front mount style necks, better scoop, shroud, and maybe even better placement.
Just some thoughts: Jason