It is easy to negate some of your power gain be adding drag at the same time. Water pick ups are an area often overlooked. Only scoop what is needed. Good luck.
Jim

2 stage pump. if you have bell housing coolers, you can plumb both stages to seperate sides of the bell housing. then on the top side of the bell, there are 3/4 pipe plugs that you can remove to tap into for the chiller/ cooler. this way your aiding the cooling system rid itself of excess pressure and air with out losing crucial volume. you can adjust pressure by reducing or increaseing dump size.
the vent in the strainer mentioned earlier is accurate, but the addition of a bolw off valve as well as a bleed will help solve that dilema.
it is best to regulate inlet pressure to the water system before the pump , this way you avoid using airated water, and spike's. this helps with poped intake or head gaskets and ruptured hoses or cooler's.

Yes trimmed down my pickup about 1/4 inch this spring because it was biting so much and slowing me down. Thanks for all the input! Not sure which way my guy is going to go down here but I trust him to keep me flowing.

Got my 2 stage pump today and we should be good. Thanks for the input!

I see about 20 - 25 lbs of water pressure at 100mph now.

Mobilmercman, KE has been recomending 1 1/2 min hose for years on his two-three stage pumps, transom to strainer hose. I know many folks that run them.

Bob, Thanks for update.
Jim