You learn something new everyday. How long will an LA small block hold up at 550 horsepower

It's not my duty to make sure the car goes the number...that's on the racer. If the car sucks, or is sub par...not my problem. I can't hold everyone's hand. I do offer advice to our customers, again maybe they follow it...maybe they don't.
Converters seem to be the biggest problem with cars not running good #'s with a known HP engine. See this way too much! A buddy of mine running a Ford had me do his heads and intake, car slowed down...I kept telling him to check rpm at trap...never would. But I somehow got the blame for it slowing down...until he changed engines (more power) and it went even slower! That's when he wised up and changed converter/trans and car came to life...it is what it is.
Agree. Racers can be stubborn.
Guy with a mega rpm small inch small chevy in a 52 coupe at our local strip. "Shifting" at 8000. Everyone said he needed a converter, it sounded like it left the starting line at over 7000, and you couldn't hear it shift.
After running it for a couple years, he freshened the trans, and put a new converter in it. Picked up almost a full second ...... in the eighth.