OK, rlwjr1, as I understand it, inly the carb is subject to claim. Correct? If so, try to find some 4412 Holley carbs used. They are definitely better and more responsive than any other 2-barrel I ever tried on my stock cars. Give the carb a standard rebuild; do not modify any of the major parts (so it's legal). Remove the choke plate and shaft unless they are required by the rules. If the carb you are using has a hard foam float, trim the bottom right corner off so the float becomes somewhat wedge-shaped. This keeps the float from shutting off the fuel flow in the corners.

Use a common cast iron 4-barrel intake and use an adapter to put the 2-barrel carb on it. The 4-barrel intake flows better than the 2-barrel ones and the adapter gives you almost an inch of extra height for improved flow.

If you are stuck with a factory cam, advance it 2 to 4 degrees to improve low-end torque off the corners. Someone else on here knows a lot more about cams than I do, so maybe they can give you some more specific advice on that.

Have the engine's rotating assembly balanced; it will run better and live much longer.

If this is a GM product, run a HEI distributor. Get rid of your alternator and run a "positive decay" system. Make sure you have a strong "deep cycle" battery and charge it up before you go to the track each week.

Tell me what's allowed on your chassis and I might be able to help there, too.

Good luck!