It's a difference in being your job and a hobbyist.
When it's your job, it's all based on price and application, when it's a hobby you can spend what you want for whatever reason you want..
If I was doing a job like that, the owner would have a rod that was up to the task and more money in his wallet. That's what makes customers happy.
Sure, I could go cart happy at Summit, throw the best of everything in the engine, but that tends to make them unhappy :)
As I said, I've worked on stuff that in the past cost way more than it needed to be for the performance it had.