1/8/07
What Will 2007 Bring to the Table?
I just couldn’t let 2007 get underway without at least some predictions, some ideas and some “stuff” we might see that will have an effect on DRO readers and bracket racers. I’ll leave the predictions on the Pro classes to the other guys on DRO.
For you readers that follow our two project cars “Project 4-Link” and “Back-2-Basics,” I am really excited about our plans for both dragsters. First, we have an updated name for one of them. “Back-2-Basics III” will be the new name and new enthusiasm we have for it. We are starting fresh with a new S&W Race Cars swing-arm dragster. The plans for “Project 4-Link” are to freshen it up and defend our Summit Series Track Championship.
“Back-2-Basics III” is being reborn so to speak. We have ordered a Stage 2 S&W Race Cars swing-arm dragster coming in early April. It will be a chassis and a one-piece fiberglass body. We will have a LOT of assembly to do and some great tech tips on wiring, cooling systems, brakes, the latest in fuel systems and much more in upcoming months to show our readers you can build a very competitive dragster for Super Comp and bracket racing for a reasonable cost and do it at home with your own tools. Believe me, our garage is “basic.”
The engine build for “Back-2-Basics III” will be featured in our sister magazine www.MoparMax.com as well as in the pages of DRO. The engine building tech series starts next month. Don’t miss it.
Will there be one thing that changes your weekly bracket program?
I would say no. Could there be one thing that would affect most bracket racers? Possibly, but I think it would have to be a track insurance issue. I sure hope that never happens because if track owners can’t get reliable event insurance coverage to protect them, their property and racers there will be no racing. NHRA and IHRA have done a great job making insurance available for local tracks. Of all the things the sanctioning bodies do, I rate
insurance availability their number one accomplishment. All the other stuff they do is pretty much for profit so that I expect them to do those things. If you are a member but your wife, kids and crew are not members of NHRA or IHRA I highly recommend you get them an Associate Membership. The Excess Medical Coverage they get in case of a pit-area accident is a bargain. Look into it, it is not expensive.
Track Operators have a great opportunity.
In my opinion 2007 will offer local track operators an opportunity to attract more racers to their events. Travel costs and stagnant payouts at NHRA and IHRA Divisional type races will offer local track owners a chance to get some of the Super Class racers back into the “bracket mode.” With better racer attendance the entire show improves and the profits will return.
More and more track operators are actually contacting each other and sharing information and plans. This is a win-win deal for the racer as there will be fewer scheduling conflicts and hopefully better car counts and then payouts will go up.
The Big-Bucks races have been fading a little over the last few years in places they used to work. On the other hand some different tracks are adding some Big-Bucks races and getting great car counts. I think the success of these Big-Bucks races is NOT ABOUT THE MONEY. Tracks that see their races growing are not doing it with money, they are using customer service. Tracks that treat the racers and their crews with respect and a consistent well-planned event and guaranteed payouts will see growth year after year.
When will track operators and racers come to grips with the top-heavy payouts we have endured for years? Isn’t it time we start to learn a little from the oval-track promoters and racers. Spread the payout dollars around more. We all know the winner should get more but at some races the winner is $2,000 and the runner-up is $500. A one-round difference for $1,500? I know they usually split, and that should tell the track owners something right there.
