InnerView: George Howard

By Jok Nicholson

The following interview with George Howard, promoter of the "Million Dollar Race" and the B&M Racer Appreciation Series, should answer a lot of questions for racers as well as be a wake up call for track operators who are wondering how to get more racers in their pits. George is a visionary when it comes to bracket racing and his "down home attitude" has made his events a pleasure to race at. He is expanding the B&M Series this year and I wanted to ask the "man in charge" what it takes to run the richest bracket racing series in the world.

DRO: George, how many years have you been promoting the B&M Racer Appreciation Series?
George Howard: This will be the seventh year with B&M as the sponsor and I put together a similar series the year before B&M came onboard.

Are all of your events run on the eighth mile?
Yes, eighth mile only. Most of the tracks we raced on when the B&M Series started were eighth mile tracks and we just stuck with it. Competition on the eighth mile is incredibly close.

The B&M Series' 2001 schedule shows you are expanding to new areas of the country and adding races. Is this due to the requests from racers to bring your series to their area of the country?
Yes it is. I originally started the B&M Racer Appreciation Series to be just that, a way to show the bracket racers they are appreciated. I think the expansion may lower the car counts at some events because it will be the first time in the area. On the other hand we may find racers who have been waiting for events like this to come to their area.

The word is that there will be Divisional Points awarded this year, how will that work?
You are right, we have four divisions and a racer can earn points in his or her best five of seven events. Two out-of-division races can be used but still it is your five best races that will count. Three races must be in their home division.

When does a racer have to declare their "home division?"
At the first race they enter in 2001.

What is up for grabs for a racer who wins their "division" championship?
In Pro (the class allowing electronics) the champion will receive $2,500 cash, a gold champion's ring, champion's jacket and free entry into the Million Dollar Race weekend. This includes entry fees for all events and any buybacks they might need. The Footbrake champion will receive $1,000, champion's jacket, a guaranteed spot in the Footbrake Classic at the Million Dollar Race and a place in the Champion's Shoot-out that features a $5,000 purse for the four division champions.