Well I guess I'll add my 3 cents. You can do it either way but I've always thought it should be easier to build a big MILD motor that's reliable and less upkeep. And the lighter the chassis the better.
Having said all that I'm the one beating my head against the wall trying to do this with about the worst chassis combination possible, and about 1000lbs. to heavy. I guess I'm just stubborn, someone long ago laughed at me and my truck and said it would never be able to get out of it's own way.Dave