The death of bracket racing........

[Webster]

Saw a post on another site relative to "your thoughts" on what is killing bracket racing in America today.....thought I'd toss it up on here.....mine.....NHRA!!!!!

They continue to drive the cost of competing through the roof and/or render your combination ineffective at the stroke of a pen....it is happening across the board whether it is some sort of "class" car or a purpose built bracket car.

None of us are immune!!!!!!!!

[Dave Steltz]

Well dunno how NHRA is killing regular weekly bracket racing, but I can attest to how the economy and the Oil Companies are killing Divisional and National racing...between the cost of regular gas, racing gas and entry fees, travel expenses, its gotten wayyyy to expensive....

I dont mind the safety rules so much, I guess cause I usually have the stuff already (except the dreaded diaper rule when it came out), some of the other stuff thats legal then its not is kinda stupid...

And of course if you want to be a chaser vs being chased, its really a lot tougher cause there are more and more 7 sec bracket dragsters out there...I finally get a faster (8.50 this year I hope) car and its still not "fast"...or if you're a footbrake guy running low 10's then all of a sudden its 9.00 then your the slow car again, and its a ton of money to go faster, when you;re already pretty fast...aint like going from 13.2 to 12.7 anymore....

[Johnny Claridge]

Top 10 Things Killing Bracket Racing
-- DISCLAIMER: This is just my personal opinion from observations and conversations with racers and track managements. Please take no offense. None was intended.


Top 10 Things Killing Bracket Racing




10. Division Director

Two decisions by the division director.

a. Dropping bracket racing from division races caused bracket racing to lose exposure.

b. Making it easier for racers to make the bracket finals without supporting a track.



9. Motor Homes

For the most part, this is strictly a perception deal, but if you're not outside when newcomers are walking by, wanting to inquire about your operation or racing in general. This loses the best marketing tool we have, which is word of mouth.



8. Junior Dragsters

Although we had some junior dragster racers move up, not near as many that have been participants made the move up to bracket racing. This is a theory my mothers had that anyone serious about their hobby usually only sticks with it for 10 years and in this case, those years are being used up in junior dragster.



7. Loss of Time Trials

In the golden olden days, you could hotlap your car and get your money's worth in time trials. Let me let you guys in on a little secret: some guys actually like driving their cars, and the current trend of two time trials or maybe one, then you have to buy a time trial, or run for the money, or whatever that want to call it, leaves you with little chance to test and tune your car, because you are worried more about consistency, due to the lack of time trials.



6. Organizations

a. NHRA

In the beginning, things they did really helped the local tracks, bringing in super gas and super comp really helped jump up the local car counts. But then they started going after the local racer by bringing in super street, and now they are going after the quick racers, top dragster, and top sportsman by dangling out gold cards for the champions. Thus hurting the tracks by them having to eat the gold cards and the loss of car counts.

b. IHRA

The IHRA went directly after the sportsman, which is their job, as they've seen a market for it, but it is something else for racers to chase, and once they get hung in a points battle, they will hardly run their local tracks.

c. Independent Series

I don't know why tracks let these independent series in their gates, because they're there for one thing, and that's to convert the racers at the track to chase his series, thus more loss of revenue for the local track once the circus goes to the next town.



5. Track Owners and Management

a. Owners

Racers didn't create the need for you to hire full-time staff. You have to hire a full-time staff because of all the nights you are open that are not bracket racing. A lot of tracks are open three and four nights a week. You're not going to hit a home run on every night. And if you're leaving bracket racing out of your special programs, you're not going to get any growth either. There was a time when most track owners wore all the hats. Chief Cook and bottle washer type thing, we felt we were part of the track. But now they all have management and we hardly ever see the owners.

b. Management

This **** of ?I wanted to do this or that,? but the owner wouldn't let me has got to end. Quit trying to play the racers off of ownership. Make only promises you can keep, and never tell the racers something's written in stone, until it is in writing. A lot of racers have spent money, or changed their plans for the next season, based upon your word. Make sure your word counts.
When designing a race, be realistic. If something needs 100 cars to make the payout, and you normally only draw 20 to 30, you might want to reevaluate your thinking. If racers are constantly splitting the payout, remember you need to evaluate your pay scale.




4. Marketing

We're just not getting any exposure. Something needs to be done to get spectators in, because those are our future racers. If we don't get more people watching, it will be the end.

The total abuse of the word ?guaranteed.? It is so unrealistic for the marketing department of a track or promoter to put the word ?guaranteed? on a program that there's no way they can reach the numbers. It leaves a sour taste in the racer's mouth, and they sure as hell won't want to help a track after that.



3. Multiple Entries

The beauty of bracket racing is it's one-on-one, and when all 4 staging lights are on, it doesn't matter how much money you have in your pocket. But when somebody can bring multiple cars, or buy multiple tech cars, this is another perception is reality. And I'd like to give a great example of this in action. Back when Bill had Green Valley, and Super Pro was still a small class, the tracks in this area allowed you to race two cars in the same class, as long as they were different cars. At the end of the season on a Sunday one year, when me and my opponent when to the tower to pick up our checks, Bill pulled us over for a little chat, explaining to us how he wasn't going to let us drive multiple cars the next year. (Between us and a few other racers, that would of cost him almost 10 tech cars.) When we asked why, and how he was going to make up for the loss of entries, he explained how he thought what we were doing wasn't fair to the racers that couldn't afford to being two cars. And he would make up the money with an increased car count he would get by giving the perception everybody had one shot. We laughed at that one as we left the tower, but he got the last laugh as car counts shot through the moon, after Bill made this bold move. Funny how history repeats itself. Buybacks and multi-entries are doing the same thing to bracket racing today that bring bringing multiple cars did back then.




2. Buybacks

a. In it's original concept, buybacks may have been okay. Tracks using them to make up for low car counts to help save the track. That is the most important thing. But that's not what they're being used for now, in most cases. The use of buybacks in most cases is to create a payout artificially to help a track keep up with the Jones', or make exuberant profits.


b. Since the inception of buybacks, how many tracks have actually outgrown? In fact, the opposite has happened. Tracks have started going to multiple buybacks, and multiple tech cards. And I hear some tracks are even going to third round buybacks. It's kinda like a cocaine addict. They start taking more and more, not realizing they are getting worse and worse. Buybacks are truly stunning the growth of bracket racing.


c. Listen to some of the comments the owners have: ?No one's twisting your arm to buyback, or a lot of my racers love it.? Well, the answer to the first: ?If you went to a Vegas tournament, and play slot machines against an opponent, and you were only going to spend $20, and the tournament allowed your opponent to spend $20,000, you probably wouldn't go back to that tournament.? To the second part, buybacks increase entry fee, thus increasing cost, thus running off more racers. And besides, when you look around the country, the most successful tracks don't use them. The rest of this buyback thing I could go on about, but it's obvious some owners are hard-headed and don't want to market their track. The first thought on their mind when laying out a race is how many buybacks and entries I allow. Sorry to be so tough.





1. The number one reason is: YOU

a. That's right, you. And I'm not talking about the whining crybabies. We all know what they're doing, because of all the enclosed trailers, 8ft privacy fences, bracket racing gets zero free advertising. And yes, I'm talking about you. How many times have you been in a restaurant and you see someone looking at your hat or shirt, and say ?Dear God, I hope he doesn't come over here wanting to talk about racing.?

b. The at***ude at the track. How many times have you been standing along the fence, hearing people say how great the ownership is, but the management sucks, not walk 10 feet away, and hear how great the management is, but ownership sucks? Other people hear this too, and the talk along the fence is way worse than anything I've heard on the Internet.
c. As bracket racers, we need to be WILLING to let the tracks incorporate us in part or as a whole with their special programs, I.E. Pro Mods, Back Halves, etc., etc. This is how we get exposure. People come out to watch the pro mods, and they realize pretty quick that they wouldn't be able to afford to do that, it would be nice if there was a class there running that would look more affordable to them.

IN THE END, IT WILL BE UP TO YOU TO SAVE BRACKET RACING! IT'S THE WAY IT'S ALWAYS BEEN, AND THE WAY IT WILL ALWAYS BE!



Thank you very much for your time,

Johnny Claridge
www.voy.com/96963/

[Freddie]

Johnny: I dont know how long you have been racing... but I can tell you this much..

I have been doing this for well over 25 years now, both of my sons are also into Drag Racing, My youngest is in one of your problems A Jr... the other has sold his Jr. and we just finished a Mustang S/ST car for him..

As for the deal on Motorhomes... I have one mainly because when we go race for three or four weekends straight, sometimes we dont even stop home between the races. therefore I bought a motorhome to tow my trailer.. Only problem I have is I dont have anything else that will pull the trailer, so we use the big ole motorhome when we go bracket racing as well...

As for Track Management/Ownership... I work closely with our track staff, they always have the best interest of the entire program at mind when they make a decision.. weather we all like it or not...

The only thing I can see killing bracket racing as we used to know it...

Is the payouts seem lower.. they really are not... they just seem that way..

and buy-backs... I hate buy-backs.... I have always looked at it this way.. IF you are NOT good enough to win first round GO-HOME... Same with Multiple entries... but I cant fault the guy who can afford thre top shelf dragsters..just because I cant..

[Webster]

I agree with Dave Stelz with respect to some of the stuff being "stupid." Most recent display on part of the NHRA........IMO.......the change in the ET break for Pro eliminator, now posted as 7.50 to 13.99!!!!!

Two thoughts on this:

a.) safety....how 'bout a dragster at 7.50/185mph (with all of the mandated safety gear and equipment) getting loose, changing lanes and running into a streetable doorcar at 13.90/85mph with his OEM style seat belt and a tee shirt for protective gear.

b.) what is the incentive for my kid or yours to try his hand at drag racing when he shows up and gets knocked around week in and week out by someone willing to spend 100K on a dragster capable of all the aformentioned to run in Pro eliminator???

[savoyracer]

It's not so bad, Our local track has no payout, not even a trophy. We run both Sat. and Sun. sportsman has maybe 15 cars show up, Pro averages 12-14 cars, and super Pro has between 1 and 3 cars. PER EVENT gentlemen!! It is an eighth mile track on the coast, with excellent traction. And I for one am damn grateful to have this track within a 15 minute drive from home. this is a privately owned facility, and you know he is not gettin rich here. so I guess what I am trying to say is thank you to anyone who gives me the chance to enjoy bracket racing in any format.

[Mongo]

IF instead of looking for whats killing bracket racing,maybe look into events that are done right. 3 immediatly come to mind and all 3 were succeses last year.
1. WFC this year on Memorial day weekend in Bristol,Tenn
2.Last Chance 10 k footbrake race race held @ Cecil County,Maryland
3. Piedmont Thanksgiving weekend footbrake race.
All 3 have a solid following,all 3 will be run again next year, all 3 are organized/run by racers.
I could go into bashing my local track (LVD)... but whats the sense.
B.T.W. I have nothing against electronics, class racing. I race footbrake because thats what I prefer and thats why all the races I listed are footbrake events.
Chuck Morris

[Johnny Claridge]

If this doesn't work go here www.voy.com/96963/

[krugracing12]

Mongo
I am certainly glad your not bashing your home track. You dont want to be on the "naughty" list in the tower. In the end, those that could afford to, would race for trophies against who or whatever stages in the other lane. However with the cost of everything out of control, the only way you can justify spending the $ to go is to race for something thats worth it. I have seen a fair amount of race cars get parked or sold in the last 25 years and the reason was always the same. The "aggravation/cost" factor got to outweigh the"Fun" factor. If you have 60 points racers and only 20 points races, everyone doesn't get a win every year. Throw in a couple of sketchy management decisions that went against or screwed a racer, you can see why people move on.


Most tracks would benefit from a well written rule book and management that can apply them properly. Bracket racing will never die, but tracks need to find a way to put the fun back in to it. Racing on a safe, well prepped track for a decent purse is a good start. Weeding out people using illegal equipment irregardless of class is also essential. Why some one does not think using a "Davis" traction control box or the "Matty" ignition is wrong escapes me, but they are out there along with many other "innovative" cheating devises. People that are using these things are screwing everybody. As racers we need to police ourselves when something is not right say something, and T/M has follow up and do the right thing.

Bill Krug

[Mongo]

Merrry X mas to Mr. Krug and family! did Santa get ya anything good? I have second kid (another girl)on the way(due in early May). Hope to see ya along the road somewhere in '08 and good luck in the New Year.