Will bracket racing thrive in some parts of the country and fade into obscurity in others?
I think it is happening right now. I live in the upper Midwest and I see bracket racing, on the local level, fading into obscurity. I can’t blame just the racetrack owners or just the racers. It takes two to create a problem. What I see around here is the payouts are the same as they were 10 years ago: $1,000 to win S/Pro, about $500 to win Pro, and a couple hundred to win in sportsman and motorcycle classes.
I think bracket racing thrives in some parts of the country because there are so many racers and tracks actually have to compete to get customers. That is good for the racer and the track; it makes them work at it. In areas west of the Mississippi the population thins out (trust me that ain’t all bad!) and there are fewer racers and tracks than, say, in North Carolina.
I am still a die-hard bracket racer, but in 2008 we will go a different direction. We will abandon our local track (I think I am tired of racing the same 19 racers every week) and attend Midwest races that pay at least $5,000 to win and offer a two- or three-day event.
Every racer will make the choice that fits their budget and their desires. Until the basic format changes in some regions, the biggest thing to happen at the local drag strip will be a Test-n-Tune day with 250 cars. It is a sad day for me when Test-n-Tune brings out 200 more cars than a bracket race.
Things change and I realize that. Everyone has to find his or her own comfort zone. Racing different drivers and having more money on the line is what interests me. What interests you enough to keep you bracket racing?
Will the sportsman division of NHRA see changes when it comes to national events?
There has been a lot of talk and rumors about the sportsman racer when it comes to NHRA national events. Will the new HD Partners try to make the professional part of the national event more like a NASCAR event? By that I mean will they do Saturday night qualifying (two runs) and go directly to the race on Sunday at noon? Does that mean their schedule will be hampered by having too many sportsman racers and classes to complete during their event?
I think NHRA will have a pretty strong hand in the final decision. I see it shaking out like this. In a couple years I think the pros will race for just two days. (Actually, if HD Partners are smart, the only time nitro teams will race will be during the evening and night.) I think NHRA will keep sportsman teams filling their pits, as the profits from sportsman entry fees compared to payouts are too much to let go of. I see the sportsman racers coming in Thursday night to park. Time runs or qualifying on Friday. Eliminations will continue Friday between pro sessions and 50% of the sportsman racers will be done by late Friday night. Saturday will be used for the remaining rounds of sportsman racing. They could save the semi-finals and finals for filler between the final rounds of the pros. The race ends Saturday night and the event is over. Sportsman racers will have Sunday to tow home and will miss less work. The pros have Sunday to do testing.
I think the four- and five-day national events are antiques and I hope NHRA will work with HD Partners to condense the sportsman racing into part of the pro event.
Will the cost of gasoline or diesel fuel have an effect on local or regional drag racing?
I would think so, but it hasn’t changed the local or regional scene in the last few years. There are two ways to look at it. You either race more often locally and use “X” amount of fuel that season or you travel to regional events and race less often and still use “X” amount of fuel. It will be a personal choice and will have to be based on individual budgets.
I think the regional races with more prize money, larger participation and more excitement will benefit from higher fuel costs.
We have broken it down before. A few years ago if I filled the motor home with 100 gallons of diesel at $2.50 a gallon I spent $250. Today that same 100 gallons would cost me $325. Will $75 keep me from attending a three-day event that pays $5,000 to $10,000 to win each day? Not for me. I just won’t waste $75 in fuel going to local race that pays $700 to win and wears out parts like a big bucks event.
But that’s just me being me. I am glad we live in a country where we even have the opportunity to make such choices.
I hope you get to be with family as the holiday season arrives. Maybe I will see some of you at the PRI Show. If you see me with my DragRacingOnline shirt on, flag me down and tell me what you think about the magazine, our sport and where all this craziness we call drag racing is headed.
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