I like your engine builder! Building for torque instead of HP has another advantage- - - - -you can burn regular-grade gas instead of midgrade or premium. With the amount of gas that rig is going to burn, a few dimes a gallon will add up in a hurry. With a smooth combustion chamber that's had all the rough spots polished away, compression ratios up to 9.5:1 are possible on regular gas. Longer connecting rods help, also. The closer you can get to rods twice as long as the stroke, the better- - - -that keeps the piston up near the top of the cylinder where the best power and torque is developed for a longer time as the crankshaft is rocking over center and starting down the power stroke. The only reason for having high compression is to bring the cylinder pressure with a radical cam back to where it used to be before nearly half the compression stroke is taken up before the intake valve closes and pressure begins to build in the combustion chamber.
Jerry
