Joe Sorenson

[Cglrcng]

Originally Posted by Dan Bennett

This has been pretty interesting to read, and all I have to add is some ancient anecdotal evidence.

i was racing a 70 Duster 340 4 spd I'd bought new. A year or so later, the alternator went out during the time Accel was expanding into more than plug wires. They brought out an alternator with a switch for the field circuit. In my young mind, that was Mopar Missile trick stuff.

I never saw any difference using it. Of course, that was a long time ago when 99% didn't measure or track weather data and long before data loggers existed.

When I moved into data acquition and analysis, nothing I ever worked with had an alternator. So, I ask the people who would know - is it a sure thing the small amount of hp sapped by a working alternator (I don't even know how many amps headlights draw) is actually a measurable and significant amount?

Whether it's some genius racing trick or not, it doesn't affect my admiriaton for what the Sorensons have accomplished.

Dan, they are not some genius racing tricks, but bonified viable and legal racing strategies if you are so close to red in a natural leave spot on the tree or E.T. to need them at the moment.

As far as the charging system and the drawdown effect it all depends on a whole host of items in your charging system of course (size and total cranking amps of the battery and charge state of the battery (how many time@ you start the car from pit to line), size, type and charging amps of your alternator, type and amps draw of those headlights, and how many headlights/tail lights and marker lights
you turn on...in my case all of em...High beams or low, regulator type, etc.

But, it can certainly shave off thousandths to a couple of hundredths at the tree on the leave and turn just red to a decent green.

200rpm less stall speed usually does the same for me, but 500 killed both the light and knocked off too much on the 60' too. Somehow my right foot moved when bumping in with the left. Lessons learned. Pulling on a light switch would sure be easier to accomplish with less risk. And each must find their own ways to adjust.

When a blink of your eyes takes 2.5 tenths of a second to accomplish, and the difference between red/green is so minute your brain cannot possibly comprehend or adjust your body a couple of thou, mechanical or biological changes must be applied. Not genius, not tricks, just good/bad strategy.