Making a profit in drag racing ????

[hemidup]

Originally Posted by Myron Piatek

Last but not least, I thank God that I somehow developed the ability to do well enough to keep going and make it through the leaner years. It's not easy, but racing is like a "vacation" that let's me "get away from it all" at home. The "fun factor" and great people I've met is priceless. I'll do it as long as I can. I also know that it can end at any time.

I liked your entire reply, but loved your last paragraph the most.

[cicero819]

Myron Pyatek congratulation on your R/U, hope you split the pot.lol This should help move the needle from the red and might touch the black a little. I think you're what Terry might of had in mind when he started this post. How about a big 440 4 barrel in a 74 Duster in IHRA trim, would make a great car with durability in Brackets. What do you guys think.CR

[Michael Beard]

>> Myron Pyatek congratulation on your R/U, hope you split the pot.

R/U in the Moser shootout was $7,500, as advertised. There was a split, but only shuffling some of the money from the Winner to the semis and quarters.

>> How about a big 440 4 barrel in a 74 Duster in IHRA trim, would make a great car with durability in Brackets.

Cylinder heads aren't very good on a 440, and you're adding a lot of weight to the nose. Nothing wrong with the 360 for durability. I put a bazillion runs on mine every year.

>> I think the only possible way to drag race without sponsorship and come out ahead a bit most race seasons would to bracket race a door car that is fairly cheap to build and maintain.

Two points here: As I opined earlier, do not discount sponsorship, unless it's solely for the sake of mental gymnastics. That's like owning a burger joint but not selling novelty t-shirts because "they're not burgers". Income is income, and marketing is marketing. You don't turn down contingency money, which is also marketing/sponsorship dollars.

Secondly, yes, you absolutely can build and maintain a low-buck bracket car for less, however, you're typically going to run for less money, and have to win more rounds to do it. There's nothing wrong with that in and of itself -- just depends on what your goals are. Been there, done that. Footbrake racing is the cheapest, but there are far fewer big money races available for that type of racing, and while you don't "need" to have a big buck car to compete in Footbrake racing, I can tell you that the quality of cars ($$$) and drivers has skyrocketed in recent years. Big money Box class racing is even crazier, and while you don't have to have two $75,000 dragsters to double-enter, the odds are certainly stacked in their favor. I popped a $3K Top ET race while footbraking at Rockingham this year, but that doesn't mean that I'm realistically going to be competitive on the big stage against the aforementioned purpose-built electronics cars. That being said, there are TONS of opportunities for big buck Box races... so be prepared to shell out some serious money for entry fees (and buybacks) over the course of the season. Again, higher risk, higher reward, with a crazy level of competition. The level of competition in S/SS racing is easier since the majority of the competitors aren't racing 3x a week like a lot of Footbrake and Box guys. Not a dis, just fact. Since moving to NC, I race almost twice as much as I used to (which was already a lot), and I notice a positive difference with the additional seat time. Coupled with the fact that the races require fewer rounds to win, you're looking at an overall return on investment that's much better.

Comparing local brackets to class racing, in my opinion, you can pretty much move the decimal point. Whatever it costs to go racing, multiply it by some factor, but so too with the winnings.

[hemidup]

Liked your reply Mr. Beard except for the "buy backs". I hate them. If I beat another racer in the first round, just send em home. Some tracks that I've been to even offer buybacks for the second round loser's. ???

[JRyan]

Gary,
Was it Mitch Baker?

Rick

[GarysZ24]

Originally Posted by JRyan

Gary,
Was it Mitch Baker?

Rick

Thank you Rick, I was talking about Mitch Baker. The easiest way to beat him was in the final I had back in about 2002-2003 (at an Import/Sport Compact race at Bandimere). I was so amped up to race him that I overshifted my Z24's factory Turbo 125 tranny shifter (thanks a lot you tranny guys for not making performance shifters for fwd transaxles), against him and his Toyota Tundra pick-up, and lost a race I should've easily won! How could a guy who was so successful driving Chevrolets in Pro E.T. be a salesman for Toyota??? I wanted to take him out for that reason, and since imports (especially original or Stock Eliminator legal versions) have a consistency issue that's worse than any of the American fwd stockers, I had an easy time winning against all of the other racers I lined up next to. I saw Mitch Bakers greatness (with his Camaro's), but I wish I could have do-overs with him and that truck...only a rematch of the 2006 quarter-finals (at the Mopar Mile Mile High Nationals) with Ryan McClanahan would I desire more than that!

[cicero819]

I mentioned a Duster or Dart with a 440-4 barrel for the simple reason that a friend of mine has been racing for forty plus year(he's 69yrs young) and has always built his own 440(ton of runs for years without blowing anything, damage a motor every 16yrs approx.) has turn a profit racing locally nearly every year racing locally(bracket racing only) seems like a wedge motor if put together properly can last for a lifetime of enjoyement. of all my racing cars that I've own, only an 83 Monte Carlo SS #005 ever made any money. CR

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by cicero819

Myron Pyatek congratulation on your R/U, hope you split the pot.lol This should help move the needle from the red and might touch the black a little. I think you're what Terry might of had in mind when he started this post. How about a big 440 4 barrel in a 74 Duster in IHRA trim, would make a great car with durability in Brackets. What do you guys think.CR

That (440 in a Duster) is a GOOD combo for IHRA and Michael Beard probably dosent remember the car my friend Phil Baldiccino who now has an A/PS 63 Max Wedge had a long time ago when the crate motored classes first came out. I did a set of heads for it and the short block was a basic TRW (heavy pistons) and the car flew under the index (mid ten's) big time . Then he got crazy and built the Hemi 68 'Cuda for B/CM and spent a LOT of money and broke some Hemi engines on the dyno and in the car. That Hemi s##t ain't cheap ! Spend a LOT of money then got smart and returned to a Max Wedge combo. Several years lost and a ton of money lost with the hi dollar stuff. Point is....build a basic combo thats easy on parts and tires. Avaliable parts that are dirt cheap to get and just race and have fun. It sure beats working on it all the time and spending money you dont have, to buy parts you dont need, to impress other racers , just to go fast.

[Michael Beard]

>> Liked your reply Mr. Beard except for the "buy backs". I hate them. If I beat another racer in the first round, just send em home. Some tracks that I've been to even offer buybacks for the second round loser's. ???

I agree with you, which is precisely why I said to not put all your eggs in the bracket racing basket.

Recap from this weekend's racing: IHRA Pro-Am at Union County Dragway in Union, SC. Left and returned on the same day, so no hotels. Total expenses: $60 in fuel. (Currently have a Gold Card) R/U in a 5-round race, $725 in winnings. Net profit: $665. Good days work! (Not to mention dealings with 3 customers of my business, get to gather quotes from the winning racers, and the R/U will generate photos and other exposure for my sponsors both online and in Drag Review Magazine.

Now, if I were to go to Piedmont for their points race today, a 5th round loss would potentially win me $0, or $50 if the car count is a little lower than what they had earlier in the year. $50 entry (which would be covered by my Silver Card from winning the Bracket Finals last year), but they have 1st OR 2nd Rnd buybacks @ $30. Would only cost me $20 in fuel, but having to go 6 rounds to make a dime is a little crazy. I would still go normally, but I made money last night, didn't get in til 2:15am, and I promised the lil' lady that I would spend the day with her.... (so I'm gonna get off the 'puter now!)

[cicero819]

Buy Back, Johnny Labbous could be credited with introducing Buy Backs at a race track that was going to pro-rate the purse due to low attendance. Buy backs were suppose to be thrown all in back in the show, only then, they would run each other to have the chance to go on to second round. As I understand what happened, after some track operator to speed up the show decided to just let them run in second round to help with the flow of cars. How about double entry. I'm building an 87 Camaro to run Stock and bracket which I'll pull with my 1980 Bluebird Wanderlodge(which was built for 500,000 miles) and does 10 miles a gallon of BIO- diesel which my friends produce at his farm(cost me $1 dollar a gallon) and Pace trailer. Nice to win some money but the friends I've made are incalculable. When you die I've never seen a Brinks truck following the Hearse but I've seen a lot of cars in the procession. If a man is judge by how much he's made in his life than I'm a poor man but if he's judge by who show's up at his burial then that will be his true worth.CR