[savoyracer]

Yep, gave it some thought, and in my opinion, if it wasn't for bracket racing, you would not be here. This thread would not be here. And this website would not be here. I started racing at the tender age of 16, in 1965, No bracket racing then. Had a 55 chev wagon, ran I/SA, and got whipped by class cars by 3-4 seconds every time. Very discouraging for a young racer. So buddies and I following our hearts and desires, put an olds engine in it, towed three hours to the nearest drag strip, and found that we were now in B/MP, "clever move on our part", but what did we know, we were just hot rodders and wanted to race. Needless to say, we got whupped even worse. We did not have any money, and we could not compete. I am sure that we were among many other young guys in those days. So like so many, we did not bother with the drag strip, we went street racing. we could compete, have fun, and enjoy our cars. Then along came "bracket racing" it was a natural gravitation off the streets and back to the track, we could now compete, have fun, and put an olds engine in a chev if we wanted to!! Race tracks are a business, they have to make money. There would not have been enough class racers around to support any race track. Its so simple to say that you just have to work on your iron, and make it competitive, but not everyone is rich, and can afford to buy the fast stuff, so to the richest went the spoils, and quite frankly even as a young man I could see that happening. Bracket racing was the great equalizer, all of a sudden anyone could win a race, and be competitive. the young guys could take their muscle cars to the track and win, it was a feel good situation for everyone. without the evolution of bracket racing, the sport of drag racing would have died in the early 70's, or at the very least would have been a minor league auto sport for the wealthy, with few tracks far between each other. So, just maybe, instead of ruining S/SS class racing, it actually was the salvation of class racing. You now have lots of tracks, supported by lots of competitors, and their friends and family's. You have mail order catalogs, speed and hot rod companies, specialty manufacturers, engine builders, trans and convertor specialists, a vast network of business, and motels, restaurants, fuel vendors etc. All supported by a large drag racing community, AND, I seriously doubt that 1500-1600 class racers are the economic engine behind that industry!!! you are just a small cog in that big wheel, In my opinion, the biggest cogs in that wheel are "bracket racers".........Yep, I am a "bracket racer" proud to be one to. just wish I was better at it!!