• For best results, adjust your car's alternator prior to racing.New car petrol engines image by Christopher Dodge from Fotolia.com
  
  Club car racing is an amateur type of automobile racing. Unlike with professional stock car racing, such as NASCAR, on the club car circuits, drivers—with the help of their crews—are responsible for re-building or otherwise modifying their vehicles in addition to racing them. The goal is to maximize racing performance. Automotive clubs and other organizations often host club car races. If you are thinking of participating in one, there are several tips that can help you succeed.
  
  

Alternator

• One of the main draws of club car racing is that it allows people to race competitively without having to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a high-end racing car. However, you cannot simply enter your road car into a race, and expect to succeed, without first making some modifications. According to Just Commodores, one of the most important changes you need to make is to gear down your alternator. A standard alternator works best when you cruise with an engine speed of around 2,000 rotations per minute. When racing, this speed jumps to 6,000 rotations per minute, and will cause your alternator to burn out quickly. To remedy the problem, take out your alternator’s pulley and replace it with a larger one, preferably one that is at least 4 inches in diameter. This will gear your alternator down, and allow it to recharge your battery at high engine speeds.
  
  

Engine Considerations

• While modifications are definitely a must for club car racing, you do not want to change absolutely everything under the hood. According to Auto Speed, a good rule to follow is to leave the factory-model engine that came with your car intact. This includes the intake manifold, the pistons, the rods, the crank and the injectors. Leaving your engine as is will ensure a higher level of reliability, as opposed to if you tinker with it and incorporate foreign parts. Of course, if your engine is damaged or malfunctions, you will need to make repairs.
  
  

Race Preparation

• You should prepare for a club car race just as if your were preparing for a test. This entails getting a good night’s sleep before, so you can be well rested and alert on the day of the race. You should complete all of the work on your car as far in advance as possible. Rushing around to finish making repairs on the day of, or even the day before, a race can have negative impacts on your race performance. If you are worrying about the condition of your car, your are not devoting your full attention to negotiating turns on the race track.