[DoubleVision]

I agree. Find another block. Keep that block for a stocker build. In a high power situation, the top ring would stop right around that area, the flame would go past that section of the ring, when the piston traveled down the heat would be trapped inbetween the top and middle rings resulting in cooking the second ring, as it`s more of a oil scraper ring and isn`t made to take the heat the top ring does. In stock engines I`ve built them where they looked worse than that and didn`t have any issues, but I wouldn`t attempt it for a performance build.