shifting sooner doesn't make the kart faster,
like in a car, if you shift from first to fourth instead of using second and third...
it's not actually fast

Good point about the mid position.. it could have been the mid position previously as it is the std setting...
But I tried to find out (in a previous thread) and noticed something...
happy, you might have the wrong spring in your driven unit.
The Comet series 30 spring is GREEN, not red,
the Comet series 40 spring is red (reversly wound and stiffer than the green one)
I'm not sure that if they changed colors sometime, but I doubt it.
So as Tihm suggested try the
first hole instead.
If your kart doesn't reach top speed
(~45mph or 72km/h .. @ 4500 rpm)
but about that rpm,
downgrade to the green spring again,
or upgrade your engine.
carefull though, you might cross the line that the series 30 can withstand power wise
and you'll start buying belts again on a daily basis
Check your spring first!
I think the red spring is wounded in the opposite direction,
(series 40 drivens are mounted inbound, not outbound like a series 30...)
so if it is indeed a red spring of a series 40 you
MUST change the spring,
to either a green series 30 or a yellow series 40
(manco outbund series 40 same tension as red, but reversly wound)
'sid