On base. I'd add having enough money to buy and manage your race tires. Lock the timing down at 34 degrees and fuggetaboutit. Properly instrumented tuning (carb) is where its at. Of course, some low tension rings, precison head work, perfectly balanced internals, proper headers, early 71 flywheel, 4 post plugs with Jacobs ignition, blah blah blah, and letting the ozone out of the distributor cap all matters too. i.e. the WHOLE program. But stomping on the gas before the other guy is most of it.
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Keith, thanks.

I assume that the video you can buy at Z.com or whatever where you filmed the carb dampening process is the way to go on carb tuning? Is it all about dampening to maintain consistent A/F over the midrange to the top? Do you make your own springs for the carbs? On my carbs, I've got three "tensions" available and run the firmest. I suspect something custom would be better.

You prefer Jacobs to MSD?

Ozone out of the distributor cap? You lost this neophyte with that one...lol...what does that mean?