GETTING OUT OF HAND?
Bracket racing is just getting out of hand...at least on
the electronics level. I know I'm far from the first person
to blow the 'sportsman racing isn't for the sportsman' horn
anymore, but I've seen bracket racing progress further and
further away from the working man's budget over the past
ten years.
I've been blessed in life to race in many different platforms
and on
different budgets. I drove Jr. dragsters, bracket raced
my daily driver '68 Camaro in high school, crewed for many
different alcohol teams ranging in low buck to no cost spared,
bracket racing a "budget" super comp dragster
and now driving a top of the line Top Alcohol Funny Car.
Bracket racing needs to be there to give the working class
guy a means to race. Granted, there's nothing stopping someone
from running any combination and doing well with it, let's
be realistic here. To do well in the electronics ranks is
getting to be mega bucks.
In theory, any car that cuts a good light and runs its
dial can win a bracket race. However, there is one fundamental
advantage to having the faster car, regardless of how you
drive the finish line, you give your opponent the first
opportunity to redlight. It's not like heads-up, where the
worst redlight loses.
The level of consistency of a big bucks 'store-bought'
dragster these days is scary. So you can just try to run
your dial and be fairly successful, and if you know how
to drive the big end, you can do a lot down there if you
know your car is going to run the number.
Bottom line, no matter if you build everything yourself
or buy a car turn key from one of the major chassis shops,
making a car run mid to low 7's in the 1/4 and mid 4's in
the 1/8 is big bucks.
While there are exceptions to the rule where door cars
are successful, the extra visibility of a dragster gives
you a big advantage at the stripe. On the same note, if
you have a dragster, but don't have a big buck motor powering
it to the mid to high 4's in the 1/8, driving the stripe
almost becomes a moot point because they're going to blow
around you so hard.
I guess it boils down to a fundamental principle of racing:
you still do good on a small budget, but a big budget definitely
makes it a lot easier. It seems like there are a lot of
big budgets out there. I'm also sure most everyone thinks
they don't have a big budget. It takes a decent chunk of
change (and credit I might add) to have the motorhome-stacker
and <insert brand here> 4 link dragster with a <insert
engine builder here> Super Series 598 BBC and Mega <insert
trans/case brand here> Glide. How big of a percent is
the pits at a bracket race is this? Definitely more than
50 and probably closer to 75% or more. Of course, as small
as my budget was sleeping in the trailer, hoping I
got some round money so I could pay bills next week, small
block Chevy budget was, I'm sure it is 'big' compared to
someone else.
Is this venting a little frustration? Damn right it is.
But I think I've been around the block enough to see some
areas that could be improved.
One thing that could be done without wholesale changes
to bracket racing as we know it, could be to really have
tech inspection. For those of you that may not have ever
run a big money bracket race, teching in is going to wherever
they collect tech cards and turning yours in. Winners and
finalists are very, very seldom checked afterwards, because
its so late, race officials are either ready to get home
or ready to hit the bottle and start the party (or poker
game at some races). I did go to a big money race in South
Florida that did make you 'tech in,' but was done by some
high school punks that barely knew how to read a SFI date,
much less how to even operate a delay box, and damn sure
didn't know how to tell if someone was cheating.
I think having someone tear down big money winners needs
to be a regular thing. It would be good for the winners
and the growing majority of racers that thinks there's a
possibility of foul play when drivers win three days in
a row at a 10k race with several hundred participants. It's
good for the winners if they pass, because it's vindication.
It's good for the masses, because it will encourage participation.
If people think it's pointless to run these races because
in their mind they're dominated by cheaters, they're not
going to build cars, they're not going to go to races, and
may leave drag racing for some other hobby. I've seen it
happen, it's not a figment of my imagination. I know several
racers who quit, have come close to quitting because of
this. Not to mention it might discourage cheating.
Why would someone cheat in bracket racing? Big money racing
can be BIG
MONEY. Some of the guys out there that run week in and week
out win upwards of $150 to $400k a year. It's like stick
and ball sports, if you feel like everyone else is doing
steroids, you might feel inclined to do steroids yourself
if that's what it takes to compete. Especially if that $1,500
motorhome note is coming due.
Events need to tech these guys, and if they don't, I challenge
a few of you out there to protest some of these guys. If
I would have had it in the budget, I would have.
I think a lot of methods of cheating can be circumvented
by getting rid of electronics altogether. Racing is meant
to be driving competition. Make drivers leave off the bottom
bulb or leave off a staggered pro tree. Make the drivers
shift. All of a sudden even if you have a 100 Grand super
dragster, if you as a driver can't hit a shift point, well,
you're not going to be so super. Get rid of throttle stops
while we're at it. 4.80 and 7.80 should be the fastest dials
allowed. You don't need a 632 to run those numbers. If you
break out for running quicker than 8.90 in SC, why can't
you break out for running faster than 180?
Super Comp is a whole other feedback letter. Now I'll go
back to my little corner of the world over at InsideTopAlcohol.com.
