"Buy-Backs"… good for the racers, bad for the sport? Who knows….

One subject that always comes up in conversations about bracket racing is the ever-growing trend for drag strip operators to offer "Buy-Backs" for first and sometimes second round losers. The reasoning is to give racers who lost a second chance at going further in eliminations and maybe making some more money. This article will deal with the pros and cons of just what "Buy-Backs" have done to bracket racing.

There are basically five opinions on "Buy-Backs":

1. These racers LOVE THEM. It gives them a second chance at the money for a smaller fee than a regular entry fee. Add in that they are already at the track, there is no additional tow rig fuel expense and the "Buy-Back" fee is a bargain.
2. These racers HATE THEM. They feel once you are beat you should be done in that bracket. They hate having to race a guy later in the same race that they may have already beat once before that day. Their feelings are "once you are beaten you should be out of that particular bracket."
3. These racers just "Love to Hate 'em". By this I mean these are the guys who really don't like "Buy-Backs" but, because they will lose first round sometime, they see what a bargain these "Buy-Backs" are. It's one of those things that make common sense to do but in the back of their minds it bothers them.
4. This group is NOT RACERS. It is the track owners/operators that use the "Buy-Backs" as an additional source of income to help pay the racer's prize money. If a track gets a lot of first round losers to buy-back it will help. If a small percentage buy-back it could actually cost the track owner as it may add a round and end up making for additional payout in higher paying rounds. The "Buy-Backs" also make the track owner feel good as it looks like he is offering more options to his racers.
5. The final opinion is that of the occasional spectators who frequent a bracket race. They may have been lured there by a friend or heard that bracket racing has a lot of fast cars and local drivers. They show up and watch some time trials and the first round of racing. They understand basically what is going on in drag racing because they have seen it on TV. Now they see the same guys that lost first round running in the second round against the same guys??? It gets even worst if there are second round buy-backs. At this point the spectator is bored watching duplicate rounds and getting nowhere near the end of the race, so they leave without seeing the winner and more than likely they will NOT return.

I realize racers will usually support "Buy-Backs" because at some time they will lose first round and need to use a "Buy-Back" to get a second chance. I am not debating the value of buy-backs but maybe we should look at a couple different options.

Option 1: Rather that let "Buy-Backs" go right to second round at least make them earn the right to get to the second round by winning a "Buy-Back" race. Then everyone in the second round has won a race. The spectator could easily be informed how the "Buy-Back Round" works. I realize a lot of tracks do it this way and I believe it is the best way if "Buy-Backs" are going to be used.

Option 2: Why let guys who lose back into the race with guys who haven't lost? Is it all about getting more entry fees? Oh yeah, that is exactly what it is about. It also favors the racers who can afford the re-entry fees. It is my opinion now, and believe me I used to like buy-backs, that first and second round losers should have their own "Consolation Race". Collect a modest entry fee and pay 100% back to them so they can still race for some prize money.

I do see one good way to use "Buy-Backs" though. If the track is having a race that pays extra money and it is guaranteed, then let the racers have the option to purchase a "Buy-Back" at a relatively low price BEFORE ELIMINATIONS START. If the racer feels he might need a second chance you have to "buy-back" before the race starts. I think track owners will see this as the best way to increase revenue and possibly lower entry fees at following events. If "Buy-Backs" are the best deal in racing, then why not pay it right up front?

By now I figure a lot of you racers are thinking I am certifiably nuts, right? Well, I see this "Buy-Back" deal as a Band-aid™ fix of a failing system. As long as the only purse bracket racers race for comes out of their own pockets through entry fees the sport will never grow. Sure, some tracks will always have a lot of cars and I am happy for them. In the Midwest there is a shortage of racers in general and the cost of traveling has limited attendance at some events. The only way to see purses grow and tracks improve is to get some entertainment into our racing.

How can a track add some "entertainment" to weekly races? How about "bounties" on last week winners? "Match races" during time trials between point's leaders? "Burnout Contests" for street cars? "Quick 4" race. Fastest four qualifiers from time trials run two rounds against each other for some bonus bucks, then winner can go into regular race in third round if he (or she) wants to. This gives the announcer a chance to make the Quick 4 look special to race fans.

Will drag racing ever be a draw like stock car racing? No, but it SHOULD be a lot more interesting than it is. Some tracks and their announcers do a great job now and those tracks are growing. If your track is always struggling and entry fees keep going up and prize money goes down there is one thing that is NOT THE ANSWER, "Buy-Backs". They might always be with us as a temporary fix for racers and track owners, but it does not deal with the real problems.

In closing, I want to be sure to express my opinion on "Buy-Backs". I think they should be eliminated at weekly races IF the track would offer a Consolation race for first and second round losers. I have been criticized for writing about subjects but not stating my opinions. Well, from now on I will tell you exactly how I feel about the subjects I cover.

One more thing, I had a lot of e-mail about last month's article and a lot of you thought I had never raced and were sure I never ran a drag strip. Well the truth is I have raced every May through October since 1977. I ran Eddyville Drag way from 1979 through 1984. I was the owner and manager of Cedar Falls Raceway from 1984 through 1995 and manager of Cedar Falls Raceway in 1997. We hosted several NHRA WDRS events, two Division 5 ET Finals and dozens of Special Events for spectators. Was I the greatest track owner and promoter? NOPE! Just a guy who loved the sport and didn't have the financing to do things the way I knew they needed to be done. I was never short of ideas though. We used "Buy-Backs" before anyone else in the Midwest, We used "multiple entry cards" years ago. These are things that now I wish I never had started using, but that was then and I have to deal with today now.

I hope you continue to read my column and if you have something in drag racing that has always driven you nuts or some question about track setups or operations send me an e-mail and I will do my best to get back to you in a timely manner.

Race safe and win first round (then "Buy-Backs" aren't important!!)

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

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