Can you gear a stroker motor higher because it has more torque through the entire powerband?

it all depends on where the peak torque and peak horsepower readings are on the powerband. usually, severely altering your gear ratios can make a huge impact on your ETs, so you need to be careful on the setup that's right for you. torque is useful off the line and in 2nd gear, but you need that power as you move into 3rd and 4th. but all cars are different, you still need to factor in your curb weight.