Flame speed is a function of fuel chemistry, not the Octane rating. The component make up of the fuel will determine the flame speed whether it's a high octane fuel or not. . Racing fuels designed for high rpm applications tend to have higher flame speeds than normal to help reduce burn time. There isn't much time available to complete the combustion cycle at 10,000rpm, so choosing the right fuel can really make a difference. Choosing a faster burning fuel will allow you to run less ignition advance, and ultimately make more power at higher revs.
Every engine can have radically different requirements.
Even two similarly modified engines can have requirements as different as 5 to 8 MON numbers in some cases. The factors affecting octane requirements should be of great interest to every racer. By changing these factors around you can raise or lower the octane requirement of your engine. We will concentrate on those that are more easily changed. The answer to that question is yes.