"...First of all, forget buybacks unless it increases the winner's purse..."
Personally, I'd love to run at a place that has no buybacks. However, I really think they are too much of a money making staple of a bracket track now to think they will go away. And in this case, I'm thinking of it from a track owner's viewpoint.
"...Run a second race after 3rd or 4th round, whenever the original race gets to money round. Open the second race to everyone who wants to race but don't screw with the original race..."
I REALLY like that idea. However, I don't think it would fly. Here's why. Those of us that don't buyback anyhow would love it. Those that are currently buying back on every single round they were allowed to might not like it. They can't just "buy" a win, the way they can now. If it cuts back on the number that are buying back in anyway, it's cutting into the track's bottom line. Again, speaking strictly as a competitor, I love the idea.
"...As for the regular program run a test and tune night and run your street and trophy classes on that day not on regular bracket night..."
At one time, my local track used to do this. He ran a street car bracket class right alongside of his regular Friday night test and tune. Then something changed. A huge crowd of SPECTATORS started showing up for the Friday night test and tune session. He soon realized they weren't there to see the bracket stuff. No more street car brackets on Friday night. I asked him if he'd ever consider bringing them back on Friday nights. He looked me right in the eye and said, "Tom, do you really think I ought to do ANYTHING that might change what goes on here Friday nights?" I had to admit, he was right. He gets probably more than a THOUSAND paying spectators on a Friday night test and tune session. I think test and tune may soon be all we have here.
"...Serious money racing needs to be race cars/slicks only..."
I kinda agree with that, but I hate to see anyone told they can't enter a bracket event because their car doesn't fall within some minimum performance requirement....
"...And where the hell did this crap of fast car gets lane choice come from????..."
...Sort of like this fast car gets lane choice, fast car gets the bye stuff. :-)
"...Just my own ideas here from lots of years of observation and participation...."
And I think they are very valid ones too.
"...I would never ever pay someone to bring thier lame ass exhibition cars to my track, those are just people who need to run test and tune nights cause they can't race and get rounds in and I don't need the "entertainment" and spectators shouldn't be the driving economic force at a strip that runs bracket races..."
Hmmm. Can we afford that type of attitude? I know that here, the track owner is leaning more and more toward doing away with brackets entirely. They cause him a great deal of grief for very little return. Something has to give.
"...BUT, let me make it very clear that I am ALL FOR a GOOD track operator making a fair and just profit cause they certainly deserve it..."
WE AGREE. Now, can we agree on how much a "just" profit is? If the total purse for a bracket event is say, $6,000, and his total take on bracket car entry fees is say, $7,000, is that a fair profit? In fact, is that any profit at all? Does it really represent a loss when all the expenses are factored in? Two weekends ago, the total purse would have been $6,000, but there was a 60 car minimum in the two classes. So if 60 cars had shown up in both classes, that would have represented $6,000 in initial entry fees ($50 x 120 entries). I think buybacks sold for $25 each. 40 $25 buybacks would represent another $1,000. Is this a fair and just profit? I know some of my fellow competitors would call it too big of a profit! Of course, I haven't included any fees collected from spectators, but like you said, you don't want a bracket event to depend on spectators. By the way, only 30 cars showed up in the footbrake class and 44 showed up in the Pro class. He cut the purse. Now compare that to test and tune night. 1,000 spectators at $5 a head. $5,000. 30 cars at $15 each. Another $450. Zero purse and fewer hassles. See what I mean? He now also runs one weekend a month solely for motorcycles. No cars invited at all. He packs them in those Saturdays too. This past Saturday was "grudge night". Test and tune, a heads up street car race, and a footbrake only $20 to enter class. Little or no hassles.
Your rants are most welcome. :-) The more this stuff gets out, the better for all of us. I'm still learning about what goes on at other tracks around the country. It does seem to make a big difference where you are located, and how many other tracks are in the immediate area. Here in eastern North Carolina, I can chose from 15 different dragstrips within approximately two hours traveling time. That seems to have negatively effected some bracketeer's attitudes here. Also, the spectator attitude and attendance is going to be different in different places. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have NEVER believed a simple test and tune session would consistently draw the number of people I see at this local track.
It's an interesting thing. My hope is that I'll still be able to run some brackets at this track, of any kind, in the years to come. Other local area tracks are heading in the same direction. Test and tune only. Take care. Tom Worthington.
Posted on Jul 25, 2000, 9:19 AM from IP address 64.12.104.158