I'm getting ready to take a look at my base gasket too. I'm running #99s squared, no power valves in two 1050's and plugs are running clean. Thot 99s were awfull big when I got it, worked down to 93s. Then when I changed from a Mallory Sprint Mag to an MSD ProMag The plugs got really clean and had a big "blast area" on them around the arc point so I went back to the 99s. I recently blew out the rubber on my popoff valve, had a 1/4" bead around it to seal. When it does backfire (when I run outta gas) I think I see a puff comming out the side, dunno. When I put the new popoff valve on I set the springs looser, damn thing has four springs on it, inners and outters, they look like valve springs. Hopfully that will take some of the pressure off things. I dont think I've ever been over five grand so I dont know what it does up there.