Builders: Square engine, Over Square, or Under Square for you?

For N/A stuff, big bore, short stroke. Most Aussie Pro Stock engines are 4.2" + bore, with around a 3.6" stroke. RPM is always king when making HP.

Deck height will usually be as low as the package or available block allows.

Rod ratio depends on the builder's preference, ideally you want to keep all of the piston skirt in the bore, as it can tear them up if the skirts protude too low at BDC.

Rod ratios of around 1.6 - 1.68 are pretty common in various PS and Comp Eliminator engines, although Mountain Motor Pro Stock it's around 1.3:1

Many things have changed for these engines to evolve, advances in manufacturing processes and materials, data collection, design simulation etc.

Using a 0.5 mm (0.0196") top and second steel piston ring would have been crazy talk 20 years ago.