Has Drag Racing Changed?

[CarMichael Angelo]

Other than the high dollar Drag radial, and Regional H/U classes...has drag racing changed to something other than bracket racing for the rest of the average Joe's out there?

Since I don't pay attention anymore, and haven't been to a drag strip in 10 years,....I'm wondering.

If, however it hasn't.......Why build a quicker car?

If bracket racing is still alive and well,....Why build a car that is faster when you cant go "faster than"?

I see guys here w/10 second or faster ET goals in builds all the time, and wonder what would the benefit to that? If it is true bracket racing, and you are paired w/ a much slower, less finicky, more consistent, "Put it in D and work on the tree" competitor.....seems kinda stupid that you spend all that money to go so fast, only to get your ass handed to you by a car that's 5 second slower because the stocker didn't spin a tire, shifted itself, never over revved, never missed a gear, didn't bog, or a whole shopping list of other calamities that happen when you put a fast car on the track.

Now again,..I'm curious...If there is now class racing of some kind working off of an index,...or weight restrictions, (or penalties) or you simply aren't paired w/ a 15 second car in the brackets any more...I'd be interested in learning how it's different.

 

[tannerc91gt]

Heads up racing is where the sport has really moved to in my opinion. And within that, class racing and index racing.

 

[Mustang5L5]

I never got into bracket classes. I was always into the heads up racing and the adrenaline of being door to door with another car down the track.

One of my last time racing I was in a charity bracket race with some local mustang guys. I ended up racing my DD which was an automatic AWD Infiniti. Pretty much stab the gas on last yellow and just go straight. Get your 14.00 every...single...time. I made it near the end and then left the race. I figured a mustang should win it. But I agree with your point. The other cars were faster but not as consistent where my car literally ran within a few thousandths each time.

I haven't personally gone down a track in 10 years myself. I'll make a few runs one of these days.

 

[RaggedGT]

I like watching the ‘No Prep’ races on YouTube lol

 

[Mustang5L5]

I like the street racing in Mexico vids

 

[25thmustang]

It's been probably 6-8 years since I've been down the track, however even when I was bracket racing back then, I had no desire to bring a consistent automatic car, click off the same pass every time, and try and win. I preferred racing for my own timeslips.

As a matter of fact, my 12.53 fastest pass I was racing in a heads up index class. It was an 11.50 bracket at Etown. I have a video of the announcer making fun of me and my brother because he had a high 11/low 12 second car and I had a mid 12 second car in the 11.50 index. We ran that class because they got rid of the "Factory Stock" class and it was the slowest heads up style verse the huge bracket classes.

The most fun I ever had racing was back in the early days. The fast cars were just breaking into the 11s, I was in the mid 12s, but we had a small group of 10 or so cars and had a blast. We all were together in the pits, all wrenched on eachtothers cars, talked trash (I probably talked the most being young and having the slowest car) and raced heads up. Pro tree, light dropped, beat the car to death down the track, and then get back to the pits to do it again.

Those days are long gone now, no idea what racing is like currently, but it was a blast back then!

 

[Bullitt347]

Why build a 10 sec car he asks....Because it is a whole hell of a lot more fun to go fast than to go slow Will the slower more consistent car win more often? Yup. But if being bored to death to win is what it takes, count me out. I got into small tire Heads Up racing because even when i lose (which is most of the time) I am having a blast. You can not tell me that going over 133 mph in only 660 feet (on a 26X8.5 tire no less) is anything but a thrill, even when the win light is on in the next lane. Plus with Heads Up racing, there is no penalty for going even faster/quicker the next time.

 

[Chuckman]

For me, the local street car heads up classes have cars regularly in the 9s, and next year they're adding a couple street car index classes (might get the red car in on that to keep me entertained till the fox is running). Those are both really just "fun run" things with pretty much just bragging rights on the line. There's a couple low buck bracket classes I can hit up to if I just want more track time. Plus theres the nmra/nmca true street stuff, drag week, zip tie drags, and some other travelling gigs where a high9/low10 street car could/would be competitive, not to mention the "grudge" side of things.

 

[RangerJoe]

I see on YB all the time post about bracket cars wanting to go faster next season, and they spend thousands to do it. I think they just get bored. For me, I race myself most the time. Make some changes and see if I can improve on PB. Recently I got into hard tire racing, which makes things a little easier for the average guy's wallet. Even then there are 800hp cars there.

Joe

 

[FastDriver]

"A true hotrodder wouldn't be content until he had created a car so violent, so hairy, so totally sick that the very act of dropping the hammer would result in instant death. Anything less results in the need to go faster. - Tony Defeo

 

[90sickfox]

Here they have " street racing made safe " events at the track. You can run whatever you bring....as long as you have the proper safety equipment for your time slip.

The tech in is pretty reasonable.

They do rolling starts, set outs, and the tree. Had a blast last time but didn't run my car....just cruised the track a bit. A friend of mine made a 10.96 pass in his cobra....but a maverick handed him his nuts.

The most action I've seen at the track in the last 10 years. It wasn't over packed...everyone got multiple runs. The money was flowing in the stands. Very good night...reminded me of the 90s

 

[FastDriver]

I've never had the slightest interest in watching or competing in bracket racing. I love street races where there are no rules and people just use their judgment in whether or not to race or put money on a race. Honestly, I enjoy the test n tunes and grudge races at the tracks more than any money class. The money classes always end up with cars exploiting their wallet and finding an edge in the rules to get their pile o' junk across the line a little faster. I can appreciate and enjoy watching those heads up classes, but I'm way more interested in your every day folks who don't take it that seriously and are just looking for a good time with cars and being social.

 

[Bullitt347]

"A true hotrodder wouldn't be content until he had created a car so violent, so hairy, so totally sick that the very act of dropping the hammer would result in instant death. Anything less results in the need to go faster. - Tony Defeo

Reminds me of the saying I saw on the dash of a seriously fast door slammer...."Faster and faster and faster I go until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death".

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Reminds me of the saying I saw on the dash of a seriously fast door slammer...."Faster and faster and faster I go until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death".

That's backwards....Shouldn't it go
"Faster and Faster and faster I go, until the fear of death overcomes the thrill of speed"?

 

[cleanLX]

fear of death overcomes... - implies your fears got the best of you and you've dialed it back.
thrill of speed overcomes... - implies the thrills never subsided, until you met your maker.

 

[cleanLX]

either way, back to the topic on hand...
around these parts (Phoenix AZ), for the average Joe, it's bracket race or test and tune... the end.
never been to the brackets, and test and tune is a poop-show... at least they do have a dedicated slicks'n'skinnies lane... but no one want s to be at the front of that line.

you would think, in such a big city, with 12 months a year "car" weather... but nope.

 

[RangerJoe]

I love going to the track, but it is hard to do these days at this point of my life. Even for a poor boy show like mine, it takes hours of prep and loading to drive 1.5-2 hours, unload, and then sit around and wait for 2 to 3 passes all night.

If I ever win the lottery, I will open a track for the average guy. When the gates open, we are ready to run. Plenty of people on hand to deal with clean ups, etc.

Joe

 

[cleanLX]

I love going to the track, but it is hard to do these days at this point of my life. Even for a poor boy show like mine, it takes hours of prep and loading to drive 1.5-2 hours, unload, and then sit around and wait for 2 to 3 passes all night.
If I ever win the lottery, I will open a track for the average guy. When the gates open, we are ready to run. Plenty of people on hand to deal with clean ups, etc.
Joe

We had a track like that, but, it got shut down... from what I've been told, people moved near the track, then started complaining about noise, so, the city did what cities do... building code violations and tax assessment... owner said, not only will you not get more money from me, you'll get none, and closed up.

 

[cleanLX]

Sigh... my home track was soooo organized...
Even on test and tune nights you were placed in a class, and then tire designation within the class, numbered as such, and called to stage. And if you tried to run out of order/fake your number they sent you back the long way... on gravel... and escorted you out.
On top of that, spectators were not allowed in the pits. Was awesome.
My wife (girlfriend at the time) would show up in her Jeep and go through tech. so she could hang in the pits. 'course, I would pay the fees, but was worth it to me too.

 

[Chuckman]

We had a track like that, but, it got shut down... from what I've been told, people moved near the track, then started complaining about noise, so, the city did what cities do... building code violations and tax assessment... owner said, not only will you not get more money from me, you'll get none, and closed up.

KCIR?