On ashphalt and on the salt are two completely different kettles of fish. HP is required but weight and aerodynamics are big players. Weight goes against you in most racing events while the more the better on the salt, to a point. At approaching 200MPH air becomes like a brick wall and the salt is slippery, so traction is limited. If I was going to run I would look at building front wheel drive and front engine and run in a lakester or liner class. If you lose traction you can spin out which could lead to a ddangerous crash. If you lose traction on FWD with limited slip you just quit accelerating, but stay straight.
