On the chute, since the record in your class is under 175 and since you are running the short course and the rules say that chutes are required for cars that qualify for the long course (run over 175) personally I would say you don't have to pull the chute since it is not required for your car at this time. My opinion.
Also my opinion would say do like the other guys have stated and use the chute to make sure it is working properly. On our first run we had no idea exactly how the chute worked and didn't take the line out that you use to pack it
. Somehow it opened, but the next run it didn't (still a licence run under 175) and thankfully someone who knew what they were doing got us going in the right direction and we have been fine since.
You also want to use it so that you know that it is deploying and not hanging up on something on release. Packing it is not a big deal, as long as you have muscles, and you may as well get use to that and you will have plenty of time to do it in line or we do it in the pits where it is easier to get it all strung out.
We haven't put it in water like JD suggested and I'm going to suggest we try that this year. As it gets salted up it gets bigger and you need even bigger muscles to get it packed. Hooley has always cleaned it good when he gets home, but I think JD has a good suggestion.
Besides you are going to need it anyway since you are going to run over 175 this year, aren't you or you wouldn't of put it on
.
On the battery, personally I would just keep the battery out of the driver's compartment anyway. Is it your main battery or is it a second battery for data logging/computer like we run?
c ya,
Sum