[Michael Beard]

>> A dragster is the supreme drag race vehicle. They have a superior advantage aginst door cars in the bracket format. You can race Top Dragster and/or Super Comp/Quick Rod and be just as competitive in either.

The level of competition is also higher in each of those classes, due to electronics. Higher risk, higher reward (and only a higher reward at big money bracket races, only because Box cars typically have more opportunities to race for big money) You're more likely to want an enclosed trailer for a dragster, too, so there's added expense in the initial outlay as well as reduced fuel mileage.

>> You can race a stocker in S/S, but not as competitive.

That may be true in NHRA, since they have lowered the indexes, but I would otherwise disagree. I drove a legal Stocker in IHRA Super Stock for 1 year, finished 6th in the World, qualified for the All-Stars race, etc. Greg Rowe also won in SS with a Stocker, despite a limited schedule.

>> Be your own sponsor, showcase your product on your own entry. It's sweet when you go to a race and transport a product for someone...and get paid!

That, I agree with. My graphic design and printing business is inseparable from my racing operation, as I rely on word of mouth, and my customer base is strictly drag racers, tracks, and promoters.

I think there's some misconceptions about "sponsorship", too. I think a lot of folks would consider sponsorships "cheating" in this little mental exercise, but that's thinking about "grubstake" sponsors, where someone gives you something for the sake of giving it to you, rather than a "marketing partnership". Sponsorships take effort, and it can be as integral to your racing operation as checking the air in your tires. It's about building brand awareness, and generating sales leads, if not direct sales. Overlooking this as a natural part of your racing operation is like short-shifting on a heads-up run.

It's already been proven that a dual-purpose Stocker that can be bracket raced (aka, built to last) is a viable way to go. I run 55+ events a year, and since I've been double-entering at so many races this year, it's like going to that many more. I've already been through two drums of fuel this year! I think a Super Stocker would be too costly to maintain. In terms of initial investment, I think you can probably still buy a turnkey car cheaper than you could build it, even if you could do much of the work yourself. Those are skills that you could use to *maintain* it, though.

No, I can't do nothing *but* race for a living, but it's a good "part-time job", and moreover, my "regular" business would not exist without the racing operation aspect.

$.02,