That's why it seems to 'want' so much advance. In neutral it will be happy with a a lean burn and additional time to make the most with that lean burn.
First gear is generally a fairly light load. Obviously an incline helps increase that load but it is not equivalent of a heat soaked engine going up a mountain in 3rd gear - which is the scenario a street car needs to handle.
The long looped spring is the not very secret sauce for mid to high rpm performance.