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Old 12-28-2007, 12:27 PM   #11
Dave Goob Cook
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Default Re: The death of bracket racing........

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Why some one does not think using a "Davis" traction control box or the "Matty" ignition is wrong escapes me,
You've only demonstrated your total lack of understanding of those devices and bracket racing if you think they are of any benefit to a bracket racer these days.....15 years ago, the Matty RTDC was very useful, those days are long gone.

Now the Davis Technologies traction control and the Matty 4-step could be VERY helpful in heads up class eliminations of over powered, under tired combinations.
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Old 12-28-2007, 03:49 PM   #12
Dick Butler
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Thumbs up Re: The death of bracket racing........

Or is it killing Drag Racing at the sportsman level?
Growing up with Drag racing we went to see someone "beat someone" and brag about our brand car and dream of owning a 409 or T-Bolt or Hemi Cuda.
Somewhere an enterprising person decided that allowing anything to run at the track included more participants and increased the income to pay the bills. It was "easier " and "less expensive" to Drag race.
It worked for a while. It soon became obvious that fewer came to watch and pay admission, fewer hot dogs eaten, fewer cokes and the gravy money was lost.
More and more car count became the object of the game to cure the finances if crowds stopped coming.
NHRA Thought this could work for them and continues to have more classes to allow one car or 10 cars which are outside the rules today to compete tomorrow. This waters down the picture even more. More purse needed to pay winners so outside race sponsors have to be found.More enty money needed.
Problem is it has become a participant sport. NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT> No cokes sold, no shirts sold, no Hot Dogs. even the OLD racers dont come to watch these cars and they are the ones who could appreciate the machinery.When the T/D and T/S cars draw off the S/C cars and S/g cars these classes will settle in and become same old same old again.Just fewer in other classes but total the same number of participants.
Grudge racing----Now its back to the same thing which started drag racing popularity. People wanting to use their hormones to show who is faster. Girls come to watch their boyfriends race someone. No stumblling, No break outs. No timers. JUST GET THERE FIRST. No Dial in. Cokes sell, Hot Dogs Sell and the tickets are sold without much need for payout. THE TRACK IS PLEASED and makes money.
Bracket Racing is dying its own death due to participant blindness. Lack of insight into the business side of their sport and with selfishness . " I want to run what I want to run so make me a class or give me shoe polish and I'll CALL it drag racing. If you race what you want and how you want you will be left without a place to race. I suggest helping to recreate a "SHOW" which can give you a place to race, money for the track and enjoyment to the spectator so all parts of the business can prosper...
It is time to have fewer not more classes, fewer not more places to race, fewer not more variation in rules so there is a SPECTATOR appeal not just a place to drive your car on Sunday.Both types of racing are needed but cannot be allowed to KILL each other....we would all lose at the Sportsman level if people lose sight of the need for appeal to spectators and Sponsors.
My opinion only Thanks
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Old 12-28-2007, 03:59 PM   #13
John Quinn
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Default Re: The death of bracket racing........

Right on Dick. (That's old timer talk for "very true".)
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Old 12-28-2007, 05:52 PM   #14
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Default Re: The death of bracket racing........

My opinion is that most believe they are beat before leave their home! They believe they cant beat a Richardson, Bogacki and so on! Costs are running out the intermediate racer! Buybacks? What the heck are they good for? When was the last time on a sat. nite at your local track did give any of the buyback bucks go to the purse? Be nice if the track would split up that $$$ Also the payouts are way too top heavy! Quit complaining get to the track and be part of the car count!

Last edited by 76 RACER; 01-03-2008 at 12:59 AM.
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Old 12-28-2007, 07:46 PM   #15
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Default Re: The death of bracket racing........

I saw a guy at Food Lion a while back that had sold his car. I asked him why he sold it. His answer was I just can't afford to run my car for $1200 to win. The first two things that came to mind was.

1) The local track pays $1200 to win with free entry every Friday night. They have two rds of buybacks but it's still free entry ($10 gate fee).

2) This is what made me laugh. The guy never won a race. In fact I don't recall him winning many rds. Why should it matter what the purse was.


It goes back to what someone else posted the Fun factored finally lost out to the aggravation/cost factor.

Chip Johnson
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Old 12-29-2007, 10:33 AM   #16
Dick Butler
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Default Re: The death of bracket racing........

With 1000s of racers and everyone elgible to run 999 participants will be disappointed. People who have lost track of Class Racing missed the fact that these classes when they had 10 or 15 cars at any CLASS race at Nationals became mini Goals. Mini rewards . Every one of the 15-20 owners of a particular class car watched the weekly Dragster for news of their competitors on the East Coast or West Coast. They used their competitors et as mini GOALS. They worked nights on the car trying to surpass these "real " ETS. Their work had REWARDS to keep them running or working on the car.
Today with only 3 cars or less in a class in most cases the rewards are lost by not even knowing who is running where. No real class competition at National events are possible due to statistics. 100 classes divided by 400 cars in the US means 4 cars per. East coast gets ONE car in a class per event or West coast has one guy tow to run the event or may not even get an entry.
What is a Bracket guys mini goals? ............. SILENCE. Get to the track? Wax the car. NO one at the meet is a parallel combo to give you input on if you are achieving anything. Maybe you dont care, and that friends is why people will quit. The only goal can be the overall Win with chances of 1 in 50-75-1000?
See class racing has rewards for the racer mentally, which stimulate a sense of achievment while spending the money, spending the time and energy.
Think about going Class racing but pick one that has competition which can give you these encouraging rewards. Self esteem is about mini rewards and they are here if you really want them...
I refuse to Disclaim this one..... Dick BUtler
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Old 12-29-2007, 12:53 PM   #17
krugracing12
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Default Re: The death of bracket racing........

Mongo
Congrats on your second child we hope all goes well, Christmas was good exept I worked Christmas eve so it was hectic when I got home at 8 am. How was yours? I think we are going to race the junior more this year so I will probably see you at some point. I may be headed your way to drop off a motor at PMR.

Mr Cook
I am no electronics or bracket racing wizard, nor have I used either box. but if you bring a 6.90 dragster that is de-tuned to 7.10 and is set up to auto-tune to that number as it goes downtrack, for that matter any car that is oblivios to track or air changes regardless of ET would offer an "BigTime" advantage. The Davis box alone, In a low 7 sec car on a crappy track where 9 second cars are spinning downtrack offers an unfair advantage. These days everyone wants to chase, hold a few and drive the stripe. With out these things the fast cars were at the mercy of track/air conditions, so driving the stripe was still a guess. I don't care if it's 8.90, 9.90 heads up or dial-in with a full tree, if half of the equation (the cars ET) is a "sure" thing and your only lifting if it is "in the sack" you are going to win rounds. Fortunately this does not always mean a win, so people that do cheat often have the pleasure of cheating to lose. As far as my knowledge of bracket racing goes, I was under the immpression it was supposed to create a level playing field for all participants. Unfortunately there will probably always be someone that has to "get an edge" on the rest of us, and will do whatever it takes. Have a safe and happy new year.

Bill Krug
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Old 01-01-2008, 09:44 PM   #18
Mark Schmidt
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Default Re: The death of bracket racing........

]I'm neutral on buy backs...take em or leave em.

Bracket racing will never be a spectator sport, it's a participant sport. Sit in the stands at a bracket race...boring.

The cost of racing in general is killing everyone. At the PRI this year, everyone was concerned, most companies are cutting back. I believe this is mostly economy-driven, when $$ was flowing we didn't mind spending. I would add that if you have a local speed shop, you need to support them all you can, they are still the lifeblood for many racers.

As far as cheating goes, hangem high when you catch em. You won't catch many but would feel good to see the names & parts made public domain.

Raising the bump smells. I didn't spend big bucks to chase a 13 sec. street car...talk about asking for it, do the math on the rate of closure...crashes waiting to happen.

Just my thoughts...thanks for listening.
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Old 01-02-2008, 01:28 PM   #19
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Smile Re: The death of bracket racing........

I agree with dick butler, you need the mini rewards so that you will keep coming back. I treat my bracket car like its a stocker. I compare it to the nhra cars that run in its class to make sure that my performance level is there. If we don't do that then we are doomed to bore ourselves to sleep which will cause us to loose interest in our sport. My car is just a sportsman car but it holds my interest and makes it fun to race. When it becomes no fun I will probably retire from racing. I hope that never happens.
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Old 01-02-2008, 09:31 PM   #20
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Smile Re: The death of bracket racing........

I agree with Dick Butler and even have proof. We race Stock Eliminator and bracket race locally at Milan Dragway Milan Mi. The IHRA Pro-am had a huge turnout of race cars but I never saw more than 100 spectators in the stands and I am sure most of those were racers and their family. However the first friday night of every month Milan has a Heads up night with 5 classes and a total of approx. 60 cars. This is a fast paced, exciting, good time for everybody event that has CROWDS of six to ten thousand people. A complete home run of an event because of HEADS UP RACING!!!!!!!
Buybacks suck no matter what!!!!!!!!!!!!! My local track has first round buybacks for $20. My suggestion is charge everyone $10 more entry fee and have NO buybacks and the track nets the same or more money.
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