If I remember right the 3.79" stroke was purposely derived to allow a 6.123" rod combo to fit relatively easily within the "new" (at the time) Race blocks shorter 9.2" deck. The 3.79 gives you a 1.18" compression distance with a standard 6.123" rod.

But I think it also can give you pretty close to a near zero deck height when replacing a 3.58" stroke in a 360 while using an off the shelf low compression Smog piston....pretty clever.

This was similar to the reason the 4.15" was settled-on for the big block stroker crank, with only an .022" overbore it allowed you to use an off the shelf 400 piston in a 440 and make a 493.