In the Formula One racing, Tom Cassutt, the legend goes, was obsessive
about getting his racer around the pylons as fast as possible, if not
faster...

He was getting near 250 MPH out of a Continental O-200 engine (100 HP in
a Cessna 150 - at 80 knots!)

Back in the 1950's He did the math to compare routes. Close in and a
tight turn for the shortest distance flown, or out farther with a
lighter turn and higher airspeed. He seemed to favor the longer route
at higher speed as the best course.

Before he finally quit racing (dementia setting in) he was muttering
about completely eliminating cooling drag from his racer. At those
speeds air going through the engine to cool it account for fully 1/3
of the total drag on the airplane. 33% decreases in drag don't come
easy or cheap though!

Tom figured that the heat (punny) lasted 8 minutes, and the engine
would run full power for 10 minutes before seizing.

And it only takes him 15 minutes to change engines.