A 10,000-rpm small-block will make anyone smile, and this 342ci Comp Eliminator engine is worth a lot of grins.

Recently freshened up and dyno’d by QMP Racing for the next season, this engine also went on a diet.

“It used to be a 357,” says QMP boss Brad Lagman. “He wanted to lighten up the car and get it ready for next year.”

The high-revving bullet is based on a GM block with an 8.700-inch deck height and 4.200 bore. It was lightened and fitted with a 60mm roller camshaft, lighweight crankshaft and Bill Miller pistons wrapped with Total Seal rings. QMP also hot-honed and machined the block for Jesel .937-inch lifter bores.

“We moved the lifter spacing and angles to accommodate the heads,” says Lagman, noting the CFE SBX heads are one of the earliest sets produced and presented a couple problems that newer models have since solved. “We had to fight a little with the rocker arms. We couldn’t put as big a pushrod as they can run today.”

The SBX heads evolved from the old NHRA Pro Stock Truck wars. On top is a HRE sheet-metal intake supporting a pair of Dominators from Book Racing. Compression ratio is somewhere “around 15 or 16:1.”

Big-bore, short-stroke engines are made to spin fast, and this little beauty can shift around 10,200 rpm. Although the dyno video is somewhat of teaser, we have learned that the engine makes close to 940 horsepower. That’s 2.75 horsepower per cubic inch. Plenty more to smile about!