it is true. the pumps are a parasitic load on the engine. it takes power to turn both of those pully's. and if you think about it a lot of draggers do the same. in straight line you dont need to steer, and definetly dont need a/c for the 10 or so seconds you run. that's why most if not all big drag teams dont run an alt. either, it's weight and a load the engine doesn't require for short runs. i take my belts off at the track and notice a little diff. nothing severe. but as far as the weight diff. i dont understand. the weight you save is minimal and if you think about it on a frt dr car you need the weight up front for traction