[oldskool]

I'm not an expert like many of the guys who post here. But here are my opinions, which many here will disagree with.

(1) IF you are not an experienced bracket racer, I HIGHLY recommend that you begin bracket racing ASAP. Unless you run against a vehicle in the same class as you, most every round of Stock Elim is a bracket race.

SO, if you aren't a good bracket racer, you won't be a good Stock Elim racer, especially if your vehicle won't run very far under it's index.

(2) Run an auto trans. It's SO much easier to learn to race & cut good lights, with an auto trans. Also much cheaper to build & maintain than with a manual trans vehicle.

Note: There are still some die hard stick racers out there. I respect that. I started with a stick, in Stock Elim, before there was any bracket racing in my area. Won quite a few local races with it. But when bracket racing took over in my area, we switched over to auto trans, & won lots of bracket races. So, I've raced both, and would not even attempt to run a competitive bracket car or Stocker, with a stick trans. Opinions differ.

Don't know your racing budget. BUT, if it is within your budget, you might consider buying a cheap race-ready bracket car.

OR, IF you can find a slow Stocker, for a reasonable price, you could use it for both Stock & bracket racing. Might check with these guys who have built these "dime rockets" they talk about & see if any of 'em will give you a good deal on one that's ready to race.

Good luck !