what should my dwell be set at? i have it set at 47. and how about the timing? i have that set at 5 before tdc. and what should i do to get peak performance so i can beat my buddy johnny six's 63 valiant that chirps em in 2nd, when i can't even chirp them from the start?

Try more timing, how about 8 degrees BTDC, any pinging?
The distributor may have a "slow" advance curve in it so checking the total advance and how fast it comes-on would be good information.

Your "lower performance could be related to other factors like vehicle weight or rearend gear ratio.