CarChip data says timing advances as much as 40 degress for brief periods. Is the within range of normal?

 

Maybe, at low engine RPM it may go that high but at Wide open throttle the advance will only be around 25 degrees

 

It all depends, some cars like timing while others don't. My car sees as high as 34* in the Texas heat, AC on with a 125 nitrous hit on 93 pump gas and it loves it!

Experiment, see what you car likes, go up in 2* increments until it knocks or stop making power!

 

A timing table is a very complex thing here is a high octane timing table from a stock 02 Corvette, RPM is across the top from 400 RPM thru 8000 RPM and then down the side it's looking at airflow from .08 g/cyl to 1.20 g/cyl:

29 31 33 34 36 37 38 39 40 40 41 41 42 42 42 42 41 41 41 41 41 41 41 41 41
29 31 32 34 35 37 38 39 39 40 41 41 42 42 42 41 41 41 41 41 41 41 41 41 41
29 30 32 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 40 41 41 41 41 41 41 41 40 40 40 40 40 40 40
28 30 32 33 35 36 37 38 39 39 40 40 41 41 41 41 40 40 40 39 39 39 39 39 39
24 27 29 31 33 34 35 36 37 38 38 39 39 39 39 39 39 38 38 38 38 38 38 38 38
21 24 26 28 30 31 33 34 34 35 36 36 37 37 37 36 36 36 35 35 35 35 36 36 36
17 21 22 25 27 29 31 32 33 33 34 35 35 35 35 34 34 34 34 35 35 35 35 35 35
14 18 21 24 25 26 28 29 31 32 33 34 34 34 33 33 33 33 34 34 34 34 34 34 34
11 15 19 22 23 24 25 27 29 31 32 33 33 33 33 32 32 33 34 34 34 34 34 34 34
8 12 15 19 21 22 23 25 28 30 31 32 33 32 32 31 31 32 33 33 33 33 33 33 33
5 9 12 16 19 20 22 24 27 29 30 31 32 32 31 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 30
2 6 10 14 16 18 19 21 26 28 29 30 31 31 30 29 28 27 27 27 27 27 27 27 27
1 4 8 12 15 16 18 20 23 26 27 29 29 29 28 27 25 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 24
0 3 6 9 12 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 28 28 26 25 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23
0 2 4 7 10 12 14 17 19 21 23 26 27 26 24 23 23 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 22
0 1 3 5 7 9 11 14 18 20 22 25 26 25 23 22 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 21
0 0 1 2 3 5 8 10 13 16 19 22 24 23 21 21 21 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20
0 0 1 2 3 5 8 10 13 16 19 23 23 23 21 20 20 20 19 19 19 19 19 19 19
0 0 1 2 3 5 8 10 13 16 19 23 23 22 20 19 19 19 18 18 18 18 18 18 18
0 0 1 2 3 5 8 10 13 16 19 23 23 21 20 19 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18
0 0 1 2 3 5 8 10 13 16 19 23 23 20 19 19 18 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17
0 0 1 2 3 5 8 10 13 16 19 23 23 20 19 19 18 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17
0 0 1 2 3 5 8 10 13 16 19 23 23 20 19 19 18 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17
0 0 1 2 3 5 8 10 13 16 19 23 23 20 19 19 18 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17
0 0 1 2 3 5 8 10 13 16 19 23 23 20 19 19 18 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17
0 0 1 2 3 5 8 10 13 16 19 23 23 20 19 19 18 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17
0 0 1 2 3 5 8 10 13 16 19 23 23 20 19 19 18 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17
0 0 1 2 3 5 8 10 13 16 19 23 23 20 19 19 18 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17
0 0 1 2 3 5 8 10 13 16 19 23 23 20 19 19 18 17 17 17 17 17 17 17 17