I hope you have as much family support as I have always enjoyed. Just seems like it is the “right way” to do this deal. Weekends were always spent with my sons and wife. I think they all had heard supercharged engines, smelled nitro fumes and enjoyed great friends by the time they were two years old! I think drag racing provides a great place for kids and families to grow up together. The kids learn respect for other people’s “stuff” and that they will be responsible for their behavior. They also learn to take care of themselves and learn how important having great friends is.

NOW, HOW ABOUT SOME BRACKET RACING INSIGHT…

As I prepare for my last few racing seasons, I reflect on all the changes I have not only seen but been a part of. Things like buy-backs, electronics, the end of local class-racing, Super class racing, street car drags and so much more. One thing that always seems like such a major change is the enclosed trailers and what they are towed with. WOW, they are getting bigger and bigger. At my local track we used to get 175 to 200 bracket racers every Sunday and the pits seemed about 2/3 full. Now there can be 100 cars entered for the day and literally you have to search for decent place to park.

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The space required to park the “new generation” bracket racer will always catch my attention. I guess I notice because it was me who was mowing the pit area for 12 years and I know how big that area is. I would guess part of the growth of motor homes and larger trailers is the older age of the bracket racers. They want to be comfortable, they seem to prefer two-day events and since most of the kids are gone a little more money is freed up (well, that’s how it is at our place anyway).

I have a concern about a couple things in bracket racing right now. Number one is No Box rules enforcement. It seems EXTREMELY WEAK right now. I know that bracket racing has grown, but if they keep letting things slide it will stop growing as new racers will just not join in. Some tracks are doing it right-- no buttons, foot-brake only, no in-line throttle controllers, regular inspections and so forth. Other places I have been there are several buttons in the car, some buttons with 5” of travel with adjustable sleeves to control the time before release (sounds like a delay device to me), some wires go to homemade boxes, rev limiters, in-line throttle controllers for leaving the line soft to prevent wheel spin and every year more and more stuff shows up. I guess I feel No Box should be renamed “Foot Brake” and then stick to it. If you want to run three steps, buttons, CO-2 shifters and all that stuff…then you should be in the Box class.

I also do not think it is the common excuses you hear, “I hate delay box racing, delay boxes take the driver out of the race, anyone can race with a delay box, etc., etc.,” that lures racers that want to run “on the edge” in No Box. It is simply a place they feel like they can win because there are some advantages they can create (let me make it clear, these are the LEGAL advantages I am speaking of) to enhance their chances of winning.

They might be more experienced than most of the No Box racers and things like trick buttons, three steps, trans-brakes and the like all contribute to an intimidation factor against less experienced No Box racers. I can appreciate what these guys are doing and accomplishing as it is within the rules. I am just sick and tired of the excuses they use about delay boxes being the reason they are in the No Box class.

If you want to run in the No Box class it should be No delay BOX, no 2-step and 3-step boxes, no CO-2 inline controller solenoid box, the trans-brake wires should NOT run through a box and the trans-brake or clutch should not be hooked to a 2-step. Of course, that is just how I see it. I have run delay boxes since Ike Hamma invented them. I have also run in Stock eliminator and No Box. If you agree or disagree write to us and we might let the world know what you think about this subject.

One other concern I have for bracket racing is the use of “traction control." Most of you that actually race are noticing the cars are getting faster and faster. This means the tracks have to be prepped correctly all the time. That is expensive for a track and sometimes it just doesn’t happen. Are these fast cars just going to accept that and go home after spinning their tires while the 11-second cars are dead-hooked? Maybe, maybe NOT. There are several devices out there to help with controlling tire spin that are legal and there are a few that are NOT. Every racer should be aware of what is available and the best way to police it is to know what is in your opponent's vehicle. This is NOT a problem for just the Box racers either!