If you don't run an alternator you are crazy--the Winners run one!!

I questioned this pretty blunt, bold and blanket statement and he seemed to not agree with my question.

As to solely relying on an alternator, I would have a hard time trusting that. It would take a monster alternator to put out enough amps at low rpm to cover the ignition, fuel pump, water pump, fans, etc. Plus as mentioned, starting the thing 10 times in the lanes to pull it up will zap the battery for sure. Car only sees enough rpm to truly charge the battery for a few seconds during a run. The rest of the time is idle or a little off idle. So hardly seems worth the effort to me on a track only car, since alternator or not, I would personally be running the batt charger after every pass

I've NEVER had an issue due to no alt. It goes on the charger when coming back from the run. 1st thing! Sometimes I'll even bypass the time slip booth to save myself from running the starter again, go put the car on charge then run back on the scooter for the info. My buddy Tom learned the lesson for me, run an alt., still have a generator and charger handy, you're going to need it!

You shut your car off at the ET shack??? I open the door stick my arm out and grab the slip. Our staging lanes are pretty flat, so I'm able to push my car by myself to move ahead. I'm sure not all tracks are as flat.

I guess I've been lucky and never worried about battery charge. Now I'll be thinking about it all the time.

Time to buy a generator and a smart charger.

Even if you have an alternator you should be charging between race days for a strip only car. The alternator never runs enough to keep up with the starting and running fans to cool down etc.

My car is a street car but I use my electric pump and fans to cool the car down after every pass. I also do not push it in the lanes I just start it to pull forward. Even though it gets driven to and from the track I always try to put my charger on it when I get home.

My current bracket car has two group 24 marine/RV deep cycle batteries in it, I charge them for two to three days at 2 to 6 amps before going to the track to race, I don't charge them between time runs or between races but I do charge them during the lunch break I don't start and shut the car off to move it up in the lanes to move up for one or two spaces either, I'll wait for 5 or more spaces before starting the car to move it up

11 year old battery? If it drops to 7ishV on the starter the chances are excellent it's the battery but it wouldn't hurt to put an inductive ammeter on the starter cable just to see what it draws. It would suck to put in a new battery and find out it was really the starter. DAMHIK...

If you're looking for a big CCA battery they are as close as your nearest Kenworth type dealer. 1000ish CCA batteries are about 55 lbs so heavier than what you are running but they should be coming on sale for the winter season, $70-$90.

Kevin

I actually click it at the stripe. Finish line, neutral, click it. I'm lucky at Sonoma and Vegas because the return road is down hill and I can coast all the way to my pit spot. At Sacramento, I pull off to the side and cool it down while I get out of my safety stuff then fire up and drive to the pit stopping for the time slip. Same as Sac. with Phoenix, Fontana, Seattle, Woodburn and RMR. Hope to do more Sonoma and Sac. this next year. I won't be making the final divisional in Vegas in two weeks due to some health issues.

Been running 2 delco voyager deep cycle
for 14years.Still going strong with no alternator.