Thinking about this in depth.......

Rich Biebel · 12-29-2009, 01:05 PM

Bob Glidden once said on camera in an interview, if it wasn't for bracket racing...Drag Racing would not be where it grew into and I agree 100%.

The early 70's saw participation at such a low level many tracks would have shut down if bracket racing in some form had not gotten going.

My local track had very few cars there untill a bracket program was tried. It started to catch on and grew quickly.......Class cars were not keeping things going on the local level and were not that plentiful at NHRA races.

Rules favored too few cars and NHRA needed time to get a better program formed that kept people coming back and get more participation.

randy wilson · 12-29-2009, 01:13 PM

if this is so true why doesnt circle track racing dial in? why doesnt circle track racing fall away because of the cost? why doesnt eddeyville have anyone watching today when in the 70s the place had 1500 people there on a regular basis?

Chris "drooze" Wertman · 12-29-2009, 01:52 PM

Obviously 2 different perspectives, driver participation and fan participation.

Fans like heads up. Some driver like bracket , and some car owners as well, as they can be competitive with a good package and driver I would Imagine......

Bikes are easy theyre all based on simple displacment and its "heads" up do anything within the rules for your displacment first one to the finish wins like in circle jerk.

SCCA used to have a few classes like what was it Formula V and now I think Formula 2000 ? Leveled the playing field from a $ side to a point as the engine/specs were the same.

I would think TF and TA are like this as well....same basic setups with some wiggle room, and all team, R&D and driver....but heads up.

Kinda impossible to do with the other classes now I would imagine, maybe more "heads up" classes all based on a similar chassis / motor......kinda a Jr. Funny car a base chassis spec with a change out body, if you will.....the fans will get it.....might bring back some of the "Wild Days" of drag racing as well......be nice and standard, kinda a hybrid of TF and Circle Jerk engine rules.....but finding people who all agree on a common motor spec is gonna be hard....then again maybe there is/was something like this I dont see (recently)

For big driver and car participation I agree Bracket racing saved things....

For fans on TV....they dont get it unless theyre die hard Drag fans...but everyone like to SEE heads up.

My opinion...Im waiting on lunch

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich Biebel

Bob Glidden once said on camera in an interview, if it wasn't for bracket racing...Drag Racing would not be where it grew into and I agree 100%.

The early 70's saw participation at such a low level many tracks would have shut down if bracket racing in some form had not gotten going.

My local track had very few cars there untill a bracket program was tried. It started to catch on and grew quickly.......Class cars were not keeping things going on the local level and were not that plentiful at NHRA races.

Rules favored too few cars and NHRA needed time to get a better program formed that kept people coming back and get more participation.

art leong · 12-29-2009, 05:39 PM

If the breakout wasn't in force stock and superstock would be gone.
I liked the go fast racing that NHRA instituted back in the mid 70's. So did John Hershlow, and Bernie Agaman. (they ran Etown on a regular basis). But back then the deep pocket only got you so far. Junkyard parts were available at reasonable prices. We worked hard on the car and were upper second string. As far as winning went. We went a few rounds and occasionally won.
That was before all the "HIGH DOLLAR" enhancements. Almost everyone had an open trailer etc. Given the same go fast racing today. You would have 10 or 12 cars show up at a national event. Only the megabuck guys could compete.
For all of you that hate the shoe polish. Please leave and go Comp racing, or if you don't like the 1000' stuff. Build a prostocker I'm sure your knowlege and expertice will put you right up there with WJ.
But for Gods sake leave us lowly shoe polish racers alone.
Don't fix what ain't broke.

Everett Vassar · 12-29-2009, 06:07 PM

Seems to be a popular debate around here.We have a Malibu wagon my kid won Div 4 N/E in. He,along with his brother and myself would like nothing better than to run it in stk.
But I dont think the vortec head little 355 and glide combo will be legal.
So it go,s back to MONEY. I have been told the 305 combo is pretty friendly.
So about 5-7K for a decent legal motor not a killer. You know what kind of SBC bracket motor we can buy for this?? Actually a pretty nice one.
Then theres the correct carb thing.Then theres the metric trans thing about 2500.00? I really dont know.Then theres the expense of actually racing the car at the div and natl level.So lets just say we did pull it off O.K. we got ONE motor and ONE trans and converter.You think we would risk running the car in 2 classes at the brackets on other weekends. Just cant do it right now--- maybe someday

Jeremy · 12-29-2009, 07:01 PM

I think our Class/Bracket car races will be improved in 2010 with the new .15 faster rule. There just needs to be some ballance between the 2 different types of racing.

12-29-2009, 01:05 PM	#1
Rich Biebel VIP Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northern New Jersey suburbs Posts: 2,314 Likes: 25 Liked 544 Times in 213 Posts	Re: Thinking about this in depth....... Bob Glidden once said on camera in an interview, if it wasn't for bracket racing...Drag Racing would not be where it grew into and I agree 100%. The early 70's saw participation at such a low level many tracks would have shut down if bracket racing in some form had not gotten going. My local track had very few cars there untill a bracket program was tried. It started to catch on and grew quickly.......Class cars were not keeping things going on the local level and were not that plentiful at NHRA races. Rules favored too few cars and NHRA needed time to get a better program formed that kept people coming back and get more participation. __________________ Rich Biebel S/C 1479 Stock 147R

12-29-2009, 01:13 PM	#2
randy wilson Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: N/A Posts: 882 Likes: 0 Liked 22 Times in 22 Posts	Re: Thinking about this in depth....... if this is so true why doesnt circle track racing dial in? why doesnt circle track racing fall away because of the cost? why doesnt eddeyville have anyone watching today when in the 70s the place had 1500 people there on a regular basis? __________________ don,t have one

12-29-2009, 05:39 PM	#4
art leong VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Richmond Hill, Georgia Posts: 2,003 Likes: 0 Liked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Thinking about this in depth....... If the breakout wasn't in force stock and superstock would be gone. I liked the go fast racing that NHRA instituted back in the mid 70's. So did John Hershlow, and Bernie Agaman. (they ran Etown on a regular basis). But back then the deep pocket only got you so far. Junkyard parts were available at reasonable prices. We worked hard on the car and were upper second string. As far as winning went. We went a few rounds and occasionally won. That was before all the "HIGH DOLLAR" enhancements. Almost everyone had an open trailer etc. Given the same go fast racing today. You would have 10 or 12 cars show up at a national event. Only the megabuck guys could compete. For all of you that hate the shoe polish. Please leave and go Comp racing, or if you don't like the 1000' stuff. Build a prostocker I'm sure your knowlege and expertice will put you right up there with WJ. But for Gods sake leave us lowly shoe polish racers alone. Don't fix what ain't broke. __________________ Art Leong 2095 SS

12-29-2009, 06:07 PM	#5
Everett Vassar Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Kennedale,Tx Posts: 227 Likes: 0 Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Thinking about this in depth....... Seems to be a popular debate around here.We have a Malibu wagon my kid won Div 4 N/E in. He,along with his brother and myself would like nothing better than to run it in stk. But I dont think the vortec head little 355 and glide combo will be legal. So it go,s back to MONEY. I have been told the 305 combo is pretty friendly. So about 5-7K for a decent legal motor not a killer. You know what kind of SBC bracket motor we can buy for this?? Actually a pretty nice one. Then theres the correct carb thing.Then theres the metric trans thing about 2500.00? I really dont know.Then theres the expense of actually racing the car at the div and natl level.So lets just say we did pull it off O.K. we got ONE motor and ONE trans and converter.You think we would risk running the car in 2 classes at the brackets on other weekends. Just cant do it right now--- maybe someday

12-29-2009, 07:01 PM	#6
Jeremy Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 95 Likes: 0 Liked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Thinking about this in depth....... I think our Class/Bracket car races will be improved in 2010 with the new .15 faster rule. There just needs to be some ballance between the 2 different types of racing.