[TCracingCA]

First I don't know who is cutting custom billet cranks these days, but I would endorse fillets, having it made with 9 bolt retention and knife edging, etc. and balancing the assemblies especially if operating in the 8000rpm ranges or higher. The other direction would be to lightened everything attached etc. (Titanium rods, custom pistons, custom wrist pins etc.) is the other way to do it. I know some Porsche rods were built to get into this level of rpms.

My casual project has been going through articles and charting out the various HP/RPM levels that people are getting with the various components from Carbs/Injectors down to the cranks etc. being ran.

Thus example would be that I have found PMO 50 sized carbs powering engines to about the 328hp range, and 60 Series cam running to 324hp naturally with the proper ports and valve sizes, compression ratios.

I am a firm believer of marrying the parts you use to target an operating range of rpm. Thus if you have something that is designed to operate at a higher level or lower level, then you limit basically the power band.

Example just for conversation:
Manifolds 3000-7000
Cam 2500-7500
Heads 3200-7200
Carbs 1800- 6500

When you think about things based on just the example, your power band for the four known components would be 3200-6500.

If everything was married together
Manifolds 3000-7000
Cam 3000-7000
Heads 3000-7000
Carbs 3000-7000

Then the engine would run good from 3000-7000!

To answer the question on where Porsche pilots would shift. Reading they have always stacked their races with potent driver teams with varying team orders. In endurance events some I am sure were sent out to short shift, or to conserve tires etc.. And then you had the rabbits. But in the modern, these cars are so well engineered that they are tending to run the crap out of them for the entire event. Some engines seemed pretty indestructible and they would be hammered right up to redline, time after time-- lap after lap. I have studied all of the 917 drivers in depth and all of the 935 pilots to see who I think was the fastest. My personal favorites were Stommelen and then maybe Redman (the crazy one) next.

I am sure that shifting orders also were given in consideration of the dyno curve! Where the peak fell off. Thus to not waste, you would throw the shift right at peak hp would be the most efficent and you would want to not fall off or below peak torque! But I will have to bounce this thought around in my own head a little!