Most tracks found Street Legal Nights, car club races and well-organized local $1000 to win bracket races were paying off better for them. They found out that the racers are like every other customer, give them friendly service and a clean well-kept facility that is fun to race at and the racers will show up.

On the local level I feel it is CUSTOMER SERVICE that will keep tracks open, not the prize money. As for the big bucks bracket races that manage to survive, congratulations to the promoters of those events. You know how to treat customers and they trust you enough to support your events.

HOW ABOUT A BRACKET RACE WITH A $10,000 ENTRY FEE? IT IS FOR REAL!!

Danny Sons and Chris Barker are planning on a race that will have a $10,000 entry fee. It will require 128 brave souls who have both confidence and deep pockets full of cash. No more than 128 entries will be allowed. NO BUYBACKS! (Love to hear that!!) $400,000 to the winner, $100,000 runner up. Semi finals @ $50,000, quarter-finals @ $12,000, make it to 16 cars and lose and you take home $16,000. Lose third round and bank $12,000. Lose second round and you make back half your entry fee, $5,000. Basic math shows the promoters will only net $80,000 on the entry fees vs. payouts. By the time they promote it and get it done, it will probably cost them money to put it on unless they can sign up some sponsors. The Richest Drag Race is scheduled for November 4, 2006, at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Adel, GA.

**Anyone got a spare $10K to pay my entry fee with so I can be part of racing history? Just email me and we can surely work something out on splitting the money I win, right?”

I look at this race and at first I say, “who could possibly pay $10,000 to enter a race?”
Then I think about some of the racers I met at the Million Dollar Race.

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Four or five cars, two huge diesel motorhomes with four car trailers and tons of support equipment is becoming pretty normal at these “super bracket races.” Wonder why the little guys don’t bother going to big buck bracket races anymore? It is about intimidation, the fact that a racer with several cars entered has a much better chance of winning due to making more runs and getting in the groove right away.

Then I realize that $10,000 to a lot of people is just “money to play with,” like going to a casino or big poker game, no big deal as long as they have a chance to win, it never costs too much. I think they will fill the elite field and I also hope they limit it to one driver in one car for the event. I also hope they have a serious technical inspection to keep the playing field level. I have to admit I never thought I would see $10,000 entry fees!

That is about it for me for this month. I want to close and congratulate Jeg Coughlin for his Pro Stock win at the World Finals. Jeg’s Mail Order Parts has sponsored this column for a longtime and I know the Jegs crew is glad to get their first win of the season. Also, kudos go out for Melanie Troxel for her runner-up in Top Fuel at the World Finals. It was a busy day for Melanie Troxel and her husband, Tommy Johnson Jr., as he made it to the semis in Funny Car. Great results for the “fastest couple on the planet”!!!

Good luck and have a great Thanksgiving Day.