Remember back to this winter and spring and all the Internet talk was about cheaters and the hundreds of ways guys could cheat. Well, here we are at mid-season and I haven't heard of anyone getting a "lifetime ban" for cheating, have you? I think that sometimes we all have too much spare time to worry about stuff that will never happen. I am not saying that cheating NEVER happens, but I think it is so rare and ineffective that once racing starts it just disappears. I feel that in general all racers just like to compete, socialize and have a good time at the drag races. Sure, some guys leave home thinking they are going to make their fortune hitting the big bucks races but reality usually hits them after a few months.

We are part of a great sport that in one sense is unknown to most people that are not participants. People know about us but there is nothing we offer to entertain them for the duration of one of our bracket races. Is there something different we could do? I think so. As a former track owner/promoter I think I failed on the entertainment front. Can a bracket race be entertaining? I think so. I have seen some tracks that do pretty well at drawing spectators to bracket races but they are few and far between.

Most tracks survive off the racer entry fees and crewmember pit passes. This is NOT revolutionary news to anyone who races. The only way the payouts go up is to raise the entry fees and pit passes.

I do have a couple of ideas that would change the basic things bracket racers have gotten used to but could be better for the health of our sport. I invite your feedback and opinions on this. Who knows, one of your ideas might be the "key" that unlocks the spectator attendance at your track. If that happens you will see more prize money and lower entry fees if you race at a track with a fair and sensible manager.

The plan has a few changes that might seem really strange but if you look at it from a spectator's point of view it should make sense.

1. One time trial on race day. This not only saves the tracks hundreds of dollars in ambulance and paramedic costs but it saves a lot of wear and tear on race parts. An example of this would be to open the gates on a Saturday night at 5:00 p.m. for racers. Racers could get their equipment ready and warmed up. The track would need to estimate time needed to offer one run per car; late arrivals will get no time run. Spectator gates open at 7:00 pm and eliminations start at 7:00 sharp.

2. All first round losers go to the "second chance race" at no additional cost. They can work their way back to the regular race final round by remaining undefeated in the second chance race. This way every pair of cars that go down the tracks are in eliminations. Better entertainment for spectators and easier for them to understand. The track could always add another consolation race and also offer a Time Only class if interest from racers warrants. In my opinion, time trials are just too boring for spectators and too expensive for racers and track owners.

3. The next thing that really turns spectators off is "cool down time". Get rid of it, period. Why can't we set up our cars to run back to back with a minute or two cool down? I have watched spectators leave the track after watching the first several rounds of a race because nothing was going down the track for ten or fifteen minutes between rounds. This is a simple fix, but it is up to the racers to make it work. All we need is better cooling systems, charging systems and a quicker way to refuel the cars.

4. Another thing that I feel need chang is the starting system itself. Sure it is easier to leave it alone, but why? Why not "instant green" and the timers start with the tree being turned on. The racer who benefits most would be the one who has consistent reaction times and consistent e.t.'s. With this system your reaction time is part of your e.t. You could still breakout and probably red light if you "guessed" when your side of the tree was going to start. Consistency would be rewarded and finish line driving would still be rewarded, but red lights would be reduced and the spectators would get to see more races go to the finish line.

5. The final thing I really support is to switch all bracket racing to 1/8 mile. It offers better start and finish line visibility for the spectators, safer racing for everyone (when was the last time you bracket raced at a track with a "trained" rescue crew and proper fire fighting equipment?) and reduced insurance costs and easier clean up of an oil down or rain. The surface can be a bit older (rougher) and still work because of the reduced speed of the cars. Scoreboards are moved closer to spectators so they can be read easier. The races in general can be completed in a lot less time because "cool down time" can all but be eliminated.

I know that I sound like anything but a traditionalist but I am really. I want to keep racing fun for the racers and something that can attract race fans. What is the main reason we run three time trial sessions? Ever asked yourself that? It is not because we need the runs, it is because the track owner has charged you so much to race he feels it is a service he must provide. If it's so you can test and tune then why not do it on another day that is especially for testing?

Can everything change at once? No, but implementing some changes could help some smaller tracks survive. If the track's survival is based only on racer entry fees it is about doomed. Some tracks get spectators and I bet they do NOT mess around in late rounds with much cool-down time. That is a starting point.

Got an opinion? Let's hear it. Thousands of you read this column and the others like it all over the Internet but few ever respond. Why? Your opinion is important to us, let's hear it. Email me at jok@racingnetsource.com.

Be safe and I hope all your races are "dead-on."

Good Luck in 2000 and BE SAFE!!!!! (We need the readers!)

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