Pomona on Monday-Stock Eliminator

[bill dedman]

Maybe it's because I am so old, and I started drag racing in1955, but first impressions are lasting ones, and from the time I started racing, it was probably almost ten years before I saw racing with handicaps and breakouts.

Drag racing was a heads-up, no handicap and no breakout business.

Along came dial-ins, breakouts, and later, indexes and all the other stuff that has evolved as Bracket racing has taken over on a local level. Now, we have active throttle stops, delay boxes, trans-brakes, crossover boxes, and a whole host of electronic aids to improve consistency and the ability to get there early enough, but not too early, round after round.

It's not much like what drag racing was in its early years.

But it's critically important to the fiscal health of what we CALL drag racing, and it probably is the salvation of this kind of racing. Without it, we'd probably all have to find new hobbies...

But to me, (and this is just my own opinion) it's Bracket racing; not drag racing.
It LOOKS like drag racing, and it even SOUNDS like drag racing (well, not so much the cars with active throttle stops), but it's not drag racing.

Drag racing, to me, is two drivers and their cars, trying their best to outrun the guy or girl, in the other lane, heads-up, no holds barred. That is, no handicap, no breakout... first car to the finish line wins. Anything else is NOT "Drag Racing."

As I said, that's just MY opinion.

BTW, I can't afford to run a class legal car, so I have alot of fun Bracket racing... a LOT of fun! But, I don't tell anyone I'm drag racing.... 'cause I'm not.

That doesn't make it less difficult to win than a drag race. On the contrary, Brackets are impossibly hard to win, because of all the hoops you have to jump through...

It's just different. That's all.

Thanks for listening.

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by bill dedman

maybe it's because i am so old, and i started drag racing in1955, but first impressions are lasting ones, and from the time i started racing, it was probably almost ten years before i saw racing with handicaps and breakouts.

Drag racing was a heads-up, no handicap and no breakout business.

Along came dial-ins, breakouts, and later, indexes and all the other stuff that has evolved as bracket racing has taken over on a local level. Now, we have active throttle stops, delay boxes, trans-brakes, crossover boxes, and a whole host of electronic aids to improve consistency and the ability to get there early enough, but not too early, round after round.

It's not much like what drag racing was in its early years.

But it's critically important to the fiscal health of what we call drag racing, and it probably is the salvation of this kind of racing. Without it, we'd probably all have to find new hobbies...

But to me, (and this is just my own opinion) it's bracket racing; not drag racing.
It looks like drag racing, and it even sounds like drag racing (well, not so much the cars with active throttle stops), but it's not drag racing.

Drag racing, to me, is two drivers and their cars, trying their best to outrun the guy or girl, in the other lane, heads-up, no holds barred. That is, no handicap, no breakout... First car to the finish line wins. Anything else is not "drag racing."

as i said, that's just my opinion.

Btw, i can't afford to run a class legal car, so i have alot of fun bracket racing... A lot of fun! But, i don't tell anyone i'm drag racing.... 'cause i'm not.

That doesn't make it less difficult to win than a drag race. On the contrary, brackets are impossibly hard to win, because of all the hoops you have to jump through...

It's just different. That's all.

Thanks for listening.

x 2

[M Lefkes]

I am reasonably sure I know exactly who FED 387 is, that being said don't recall ever seeing his name on any qualifing sheets.

[Rich Biebel]

For some reason unknown to me.........there are some F.O.G.s out there that do basically nothing but bitch about how things are.....and how they long for the "good old days".

If they would get a f'n car and race it maybe they would find that it's still fun even if it ain't 1971 and the rules are different, but not by much.

They'd have less bitching time and their computer keyboard would get a rest........

I am about to turn 63 and have no probelm racing in any of the modern day racing categories and never have.

If you find things wrong all the time nothing can ever be right......and your causing your own misery.....F.O.G's and they are usually retired and bitching about entitlements too.......what a joke...get a job.....

[Myron Piatek]

Bottom line, as some have mentioned, without bracket racing or the concept of handicaps and breakouts, class racing would probably have died a long time ago. It still keeps the "driver" as a bigger factor rather than money. Knowledge and skill in setting the car up is critical either way and we have a minimum performance standard for each class (indexes). Qualifying, class eliminations and regular heads-up runs still leave a part of the "original" style of drag racing alive. But the current structure allows participation to be more affordable for more people and keeps the diversity of Stock and SS alive.
(The exception of the new cars is in a different thread. Hopefully there will be an equitable solution in 2011.)

Personally I prefer Stock which still has a minimum amount of preprogrammed functions. i.e: 2 step & shifters. Even in brackets they are switching to "no-box, which allows trans brakes! But to each, his own. Pick your class and go racing.

[bill dedman]

Well said, Myron! Now, if I can just get my supercharged bracket car ('72 Valiant) to run as quick as your normally-aspirated STOCKER, with the same basic 360 Magnum) I'll have a lot more fun!!!

You get an awesome amount of power from your class-legal engine!!!

I'm way jealous....

[Myron Piatek]

Originally Posted by bill dedman

Well said, Myron! Now, if I can just get my supercharged bracket car ('72 Valiant) to run as quick as your normally-aspirated STOCKER, with the same basic 360 Magnum) I'll have a lot more fun!!!

You get an awesome amount of power from your class-legal engine!!!

I'm way jealous....

Thanks. It's actually the Commando version. `But there are Commandos and Magnums that I'd have a hard time outrunning even if I do turn mine up.

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by Myron Piatek

Thanks. It's actually the Commando version. `But there are Commandos and Magnums that I'd have a hard time outrunning even if I do turn mine up.

You need to build your engine like the rest of them are put together.....LOL.

[Mike Schwartz]

If there were an extra 28 S/SS/Comp instead of the Summit cars, would it then be OK for the finals to finish on Monday?

[BBF67]

Originally Posted by bill dedman

Maybe it's because I am so old, and I started drag racing in1955, but first impressions are lasting ones, and from the time I started racing, it was probably almost ten years before I saw racing with handicaps and breakouts.

Drag racing was a heads-up, no handicap and no breakout business.

Drag racing, to me, is two drivers and their cars, trying their best to outrun the guy or girl, in the other lane, heads-up, no holds barred. That is, no handicap, no breakout... first car to the finish line wins. Anything else is NOT "Drag Racing."

Yeah, just don't let it be in a Top Fooler, Haha car, Top Alcohol leaker, Top Alcohol haha leaker or any new car that is not factored with the correct horsepower.

What a crock of.....!

If it had not been for handicap dial-in drag racing, you and 99% of the ones that love drag racing would have been stuck in the bleachers years ago because it would have been a $$$$ only game for a select few with deep pockets. At least a regular guy can race today in brackets, Stock, SS or any other venue that has a dial-in.

And that's my opinion.