Motor plate is in

Seems like a lot of unnessessary weight being added to the front end just to add a water pump no.
It would seem that way unless you have experience running a mechanical water pump on a Gen III Hemi at 7000+ RPM. Also being able to run the water pump while the engine is off is a great advantage toward the end of the night when the rounds are close together.
and dont get offended by this...but will you also be redoing the radiator mounts?
Not offended. The radiator is held in place just fine. It's a race car, not a show car.