jadams67

Typical Summit E.T. Series race at Sacramento.....2 time runs before eliminations. I run Pro and Super Pro with the same car......And am technically allowed to make 4 runs, but that is just unnecessary abuse on my equipment. I will normally just make 2, unless I am missing the tree, then I will take a third. Often times I will only make one "full" time run pass. The other(s) I will lift @ 1000' or whack the throttle a few times before the stripe to give me more options on dialing may car in different situations.

Infineon Raceway usually gives 3 time runs if the time is available. But one oil down or crash and it is cut down to 2.

"The Godfather"

Thanks Glen! 2009 was my first summer drag racing my 2006 Z06. Bracket Racing is certainly a different animal in of itself. That is to say I thought drag racing was all out no holes bared headsup racing within a specific criteria for each class of car. NOT SO FAST! Racers get handicapped, jam on the brakes and play fender racing. GEESCH!! It's more like a strategy game to me. It takes awhile to know your car and perfect your driving skills. I'm not there yet! The car {and me} isn't consistent enough to win an entire race. The Z06 clutch transmission and TM control add even more variables to the equation making this very challenging to master. What's frustrationg for me is that our local track here in Boise {Firebird Raceway} only allows two time trail runs before competition begins. We do have many cars that come every week.{~250}They give you a punch card in the staging lanes so no one can sneak through with another run. This was the case at all the races except one race that only allowed one time trial {TT}. The racers around here are exceptionally good at bracket racing. They run right on their dial almost everytime. Boxes aren't allowed except in super-pro. It's amazing!!

BTW-Your 82 is awesome. Thx for any and all advice!

jadams67

The Godfather is right....lots of good racers in that area. You seem to approach the bracket racing from the right perspective, it is a strategy game. Keep working hard at it and you will get that win!

With that many cars at each event.....what are the payouts for your typical Summit race? At Sac, it is $400w $200r/u for Sportsman, $700w $300r/u for Pro, and $1000w $400r/u Super Pro. The track only requires 95 total car count to guarantee those payouts, so it rarely gets pro-rated.

I was up there in Boise for the Fox Hunt in 2009 running Top Sportsman. I know a lot of the racers in that area......but what really impressed me were the fans. Very nice, enthusiastic, and race supporting people in Idaho.

I should be back in 2010 at the Fox Hunt. I would really like to make the Bracketeer in 2010 too!

"The Godfather"

**The payouts for a typical summit race at Firebird Raceway are very similiar to what you quoted me above in Sacramento. The bigger racing events with large car counts payout substantially more. The Fox Hunt is certainly a great race to attend and historically has been around for many years. The biggest payouts are at the "Bracketeer Nightfire Nationals" in August and the very Famous "Holloween Classic" in October. These two races last 4-5 days each and usually have 600-700 cars show up from 9 different states. Super-Pro pays $5000/w & $1400r/u while Pro pays out $2000/w & $800/r/u. Heavy pays $750/w & $300/r/u. They each pay down 8 places which is pretty good!

Since I'm new at Bracket Racing and still have much to learn; I'm not quite ready for prime time bracket racing yet. Maybe in 2010? I've not yet partisipated in any racing events except the six "Club Challenges" They are inexpensive and very fun to attend. There are some 23 different club teams located in and around Boise and boy they are all business when they race. I belong to the local Corvette Club Team of 16 racers and we all have a great time supporting each other and sticking around to the bitter end. Each team gets 10 points for every round you win. Our team ended up in the middle of the pack in 2009. I won about 8 rounds in 6 races or 80 points. Unfortunately, that's not helping the team out too much so I definitely want to find ways to improve my consistency. My Z06 is not consistent.

Hey-Anytime your back in Boise for a race; look me up and I'll meet you out there at the track. I'm sure I can learn a few things from you! Happy Holidays'

kazman

Stiring the pot a little. This is a valid strategy and does have a place in the racers bag of tricks. Idea here is to dial up by your RT to make it seem like your running a perfect package then dump 60' in front of the stripe. Confuses the sandbagger driving the stripe.

jadams67

Damn Kazman....I got this update on my Blackberry..... It does not differentiate the fact that you "quoted" a previous post as clearly as it does on the forum, LOL. I about broke my leg running in from the shop to say..."How can you, of all people really think this is how it works?!?"

That was funny, IMO. Stirring the pot....I like it.

What Kaz is referring to is "spot dumping". And definitely has it's place in advanced bracket racing. In Vegas over Thanksgiving, I was bottom bulbing my car in both Pro and Super Pro. I was killer on the tree. My car saw like 43 passes in 5 days. On Thursday alone I made 18....and I loaned my car out and watched on Friday. Thursday I made a cocky mistake at the stripe and cost me in the semi-final. The bad thing was, I was dialed honest. Car just picked up like .055 from my quarter-final bye run to the semi. Not too typical with my car, but oh well, I should have done my job at the stripe correctly.

Back to spot dumping. I was at a disadvantage in Super Pro, as my car runs 11.50 @ 114 in Vegas. Against a large fleet of dragsters running 7.40s @ 182, it's not an impossible split to judge, but it takes ***** to try and honestly cut it within .030. So, I decided to change things up a bit. I made two time runs dead lifting @ 1000', and coasting through the stripe. That's how I raced pretty much the whole weekend in S/P. Car was very consistent all weekend (besides the semi on Thursday). Dead lifting I was within .020 on like 5 runs. But, I would dial soft by .030 anyway....so now I am lifting at 1000', going 11.65 or so @ 99 MPH. At that rate, I can't judge much off a 182 MPH dragster, so I dial 11.68. They are going to have just as hard a time with a 83 MPH split. So after lifting, I know I am still coasting for a breakout. So I pick my spot to "spot dump", and know that I need to kill that .030. More often than not, the majority of the dragster crowd is holding like .040 against a slower car, and decide on the track where to get rid of it. I am basically running my race to my plan, no matter where the 180+ MPH dragster is. And if for some reason he broke, or missed the tree REALLY bad, I have the means to notice and kill some extra. That Thursday I went 8 rounds in Pro, 5 rounds in S/P in a borrowed dragster, and 4 rounds bottom bulbing my Camaro in S/P. I think each loss I had in S/P over the 4 days that I raced came by redlight....I had to push the tree.

But even spot dumping, you want to be good on the tree. It helps with track position no matter what. The only time that it really sucks to have the better light by .015 or less (IMHO).....is on a double breakout. Because if you are both breaking out, and you can't manage to take the stripe by a lesser amount than the reaction time advantage you have....you are breaking out by more. In that situation, it is nice to be the one about .010 later on the tree, and have better brakes than the other guy, and USE them to their best capabilities.

Let's see if this starts some conversation. This thread has been boring for months. Maybe the off season will bring in some more keyboard racers.

kazman

Jess, I am now very afraid of you. Glad you race 3000 miles away. Scarey enouth that you can switch strategy's but you can mix them in the same run. That is very impressive sir.

I just added the spot drop method. I did a few test runs and can hit my spot and scrub off the .03 or .04. I used it twice in competition. Bad part is that I don't drive the stripe with this method and ended up braking out by .001 both times. Last lost I took stripe by a mile and looked like an idiot. Point of the run was to gain experence with excuting the spot drop. Big picture concept. I'm looking to be a killer in 2010. Or at least have enouth confidance to go out and play with the killers. I hear that the southern big $$$ races are bloodbaths.

I plan to use the spot drop next season against opponents who can do a better job driving the stripe than me. I don't use the drop spot when there is more that a 30mph difference. I can't judge that split that wide and feel most racers can't either. I also plan to use the drop spot from time to time just to change up my look at the local brackets.

Jess, is there a bounty at Sacramento for making a monster break a leg?

jadams67

Thanks for the good words Kazman. I am the 2009 Super Pro Champ @ Sac, with the slowest car in the field, and bottom bulbing. (Finished 2nd in Pro with the same car) Not purposely trying to brag, but I am proud of 2009.

But, I will tell everyone this: Guys like Dan Fletcher, Peter Biondo, the Williams bros, Bogaki, Seipel, etc....... They don't get caught making lazy driving errors at the finish line. I cost myself more races in late rounds by getting on a roll, and having one bogus looking race at the stripe fool me into thinking I have killed enough E.T., as I take a big stripe and go under by .010 or less.

I consider myself to be good, but I need to avoid these kinds of mistakes to be great. I hope to see some back-east racing in 2010. Maybe a trip to the Million or the Jegs race in Indy.

jadams67

Racing season has started here in Nor Cal......how about anyone else? I though we might get some hits here before April....

kazman

Still digging out from the snow. Season opens on March 6 in Jersey. Been spending time on the practice tree and reading words of wisdom from Luke. Seem like Michael is a pretty bright guy too. Can't wait for the 2010 season to start.

C5 Pete

I've been re-reading this thread looking for any little bit that can help.

Having a 6 speed, I need all the help I can get.

Been practicing with my tree, but, I need more seat time.

COALMINER,KY

I have been going to the race track on friday and saturday nights for about 10 years, and i still cant figure out brackett racing. In both kentucky and tennesse there is not one drag strip that will have a true heads up drag race event. I have went to the track and ran a 13.75 in my 2000 camaro z28, and had one of the slowest times of the night, and i have went to the track with my procharged c6 and ran the fastes time of the night (small town). But still no trophy. That is o.k. though, but i just think that a drag race should be heads up, no bracket,no sandbaging. And if you loose in eliminations you should GO HOME and come back next week. Some people will say, well it isnt fair to the slower cars, well thats just too bad. It sure as hell aint fair for the faster cars. just my two cents

kazman

Being competivive reguardless of how fast the car is why I really enjoy bracket racing. It comes down to cutting a good light and being able to run the number. It take a good car and a lot of driving skill to be able to produce a specific RT and ET. The faster cars do have a some advantages likewise the slower car has some advantages. I try to use my car's advantages (either fast or slow) to their fullest potential. I use a strategy that plays to my (driving skills) and my cars strengths and try to exploit my opponents weaknesses. IMO the heads up thing is just a matter of who has the deepest pockets.

COALMINER,KY

Well i guess i am just old school. You do not have to have deep pockets to have a fast car. I do believe in puting the cars into different classes, but the racing should be all out, no sandbagging. Imo bracket racing takes away from the sport. Trust me no spectator goes to the track to watch a nine second car run an eleven.

kazman

I have to believe going fast is directly related on how much $$$ you to spend. If you know of a bracket racer who can win on an 11.0 dial running a 9.0 car please let me know. I will pay for their entry fees for a split of the winnings. Local track here have lots of "grudge" days which are really T&T's. People who hate brackets can set up an opponent to "race" heads up. I remember when (old days) when they had tons of classs (A,B,C,D.....X,Y, Z). Didn't take long for racers to figure out it was better to drop down to a slower class and be able to win. My buddy was really ticked off when a "real" race car hit the brakes just before the finish line and beat him. !#$$!#$$%!@# how is it fair that a fast car can beat me on the brakes? Racers drove the stripe even back in the day. The new thing seems to be heads up index racing. This is bracket racing where one adjusts the car to a dial. For a 12.0 index, I set the car to run 12.0 to qualify then 11.95-11.98 for eliminations. Brackets or index you need to be able to run dead on the dials.

Steve@RSD

OK Jesse,
I went back and read all of this.....I am now at least a little more educated. I have a lot of work to do on the tree.
Before the blower and Drag radials I could stage medium, and leave on the 2nd amber and cut some great R/T's. after the blower I struggled until I got drag radials because the torque of a roots style blower was hard to manage traction.
This year I have been lighting up the reds like crazy on practice runs and slow-mo during eliminations trying not to red-light.

Your tips in here are my new goals. I will try less rpm on the line, and then once I have that down start finding my spot to stage based on my R/T's with less RPM. I am also considering airing my tires up a bit more, last few times at the track I was playing with 17-18lbs in my drag radials.
I started dumping at the 1000' mark when my car started going under 11.5 consistantly.(no roll bar) YET!
I also will need to learn how much each stab of the peddle scrubs so later I can learn "racing on the stripe".

So much good info, so little mind!

Steve

Glensgages

lotsa good information being exchanged here

http://drr.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/t.../438107714/p/1

coolhand5599

When you run a faster car like that you will need to dial tight or ever set yourself for a slight breakout. If the faster driver is good he will get his whhel in front of yours by about .005 to .010. If you know you are set to breakout let him get that whhel and hit the breaks at the last second just not to late. I have over 5000 passes in a super comp dragster. I have won many events. I am talking from experiance

Glensgages

driver of slower car looks-over and acknowledges car behind him, yet does nothing



racer in Pink car, knowing she can't reach the stripe first, cuts opponent loose

snarfed from DragRaceResults.com

99ZX9R

Or...driver of the blue car got to the track late, missed time trials and therefore dials hard. He/she knows there's no shot of breaking out and decides to flatfoot it to get a good number for Round 2.