Racers...I want your .02 here...

Is this guy a wimp?

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dave571

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At our local dragstrip, there is a racer who runs in the street(sportsman) class.

He is an guy in his 50's, who has lots and lots of drag racing experience. I'd guess 20 years worth.

He runs a big block chevy shortbox truck, that I'm sure has mid 13's in it, but keeps it dialed in above 14 seconds. Not much of a street machiune, as he does trailer it to the track.

He wins very regularly, because he is very consistant. No question at all, he is a very good racer. Good reaction times, good judge of whether he is breaking out ect.


Some (including me) feel that a racer with his experience should run in the non electronics(pro) class, because of his experience level. In fact, the guys in pro, know him, and think he is a pussy(can I say that on this board?...don't ban me..LOL), for not running in thier class.

Personally, I will be running pro myself soon, as my car is too fast for street/sportsman . So even though I have a total of three passes in competition, I will have to move on. I don't look at this as a bad thing, as my car definately looks and drives more like a "pro" car, and I have been a little embarrased to even have run it in the street class when there are cars in pro that are slower than me. 2 weeks ago, the class was won by a 22 second chevette, also driven by a guy with 20 years or more race experience.

So???, Is this guy with the chev truck a pussy, or is he just a smart racer?

Please keep in mind, that he has never raced me, so I have no grudge against him, and have met him, and found him to be "likeable" I just think he should go play in the sand box with the bigger boys.
 
He's prob a little of both. Comphy in the class he is in, happy he wins. Maybe considered a large fish here. Might not be such a big fish in the other pond. :wink:
 
Bracket racing is just that. Always has been.

"Run what ya brung" and dial it in. He's an 'on the brakes' guy at the end of the track to make sure he doesn't break out.

Another, experienced racer could put him on the trailer first round simply by playing his game. The guys that go like hell, then lay on the brakes to keep from breaking out are called 'sandbaggers'. They've been around for years and won't ever go away.

That's just how it is.

Jim
 
I'm not even questioning the "sandbagging" thing.

I guess I'm surprised that a guy with this much experience would choose to run in a class that is for the most part full of guys with no experience.

I think there are usually about 14 of us. 2 of which are like chev truck guy, one that has about 5 years at it, and the rest of us are pretty much flying by the seat of our pants. First or second season at it.
 
He's a pussy, I love those sandbaggers....we ran 7 passes on Saturday from7.748 to 7.769 average light .528 or .028 whatever program your on, best of .508 worst of .531.

He is just the guy I like in the 1st round, just drive around him or push him out the back door.

Cut a good light and Run the Number, you'll put him on the trailer everytime.

He's taking advantage of unexperienced racers to gain unearned personal glory, kinda like beating up on women and children.

Look at his loser tickets, you'll find he broke out on 90% of the losses.

FTB Racing (F**k The Brakes)

There's all kinds of games played from the starting line to the stripe, heads games to the old "Back Into Him" fender racers. The guy's who play these games may be hero's at home racing a bunch of Honda's and Kids but, when they get to the Division Finals they usually go down to the FTB Real Racers 1st round.

We run a 7.765 we dial a 7.76 we run a 7.762 we dial a 7.75, cut a good light and run the number....got us to 2nd in points this year and my Teammate Allan is 2004 S/Pro Champion, same policy and we're both off to the Division 6 Race of Champions, none of the sandbaggers made the top 4 so they get to watch us on Saturday.
 
This may sound like sour grapes - but he put me on the trailer in the finals last Saturday with a .021/.5021 light. Now that may not be great in Pro, but with a bunch of first timers like Dave and I who run full out and screw the mind games, unless us rookies can cut a better light than that (highly unlikely in most cases) we will loose to him every time.

He falls into the local rule we had in stock car racing years ago - top two move up next year or stay home.

Its time to move up a class anyway - I'd rather get trailered by a 9sec Pro car than a 21.5 chevette.
I'm sure there is a difference there somewhere!! :D
 
Like it or not, the guy is consistant and thats how you win races. I don't think I would be mad at the guy, instead I would try to get my game upto his level. To me it really doesn't matter how fast or slow you are running. If you run the numbers you dial your a better (and maybe smarter) racer.
Its all about knowing the car and what YOU can or can't make it do.

I remember back in the 80's there was a guy that would race Englishtown in an old Catalina, slow car, but the widows were covered with kill stickers. It seemed almost every issue of Raceway News had a picture of the car in it. The guy was always winning because he knew how to drive it and ran his numbers. I never questioned WHY he did it, just HOW he did it.
Being fast has nothing to do with winning races in brackets.
 
Or how about a new class....Rookies only 12.00 to 20.00 two years maximum or 25 schedualed events whichever comes 1st. No Payout, reduced admission price, it would give everyone a chance to get some seat time.
 
There's an idea !

It would be a good gauge of how many new guys are coming into the sport too.

Here, the class would be small...LOL.
 
the issue here is not how fast your car is just how consistant you are . I think if you have issues with the braket racers then dont do it. we have a track out here that runns a " run what you brung" true to the sense. You will see everything from a blown BB to a turbo SB and anything in between. These are not sponsord by big business or making alot of money these are just guys and some girls who build there cars and want to race. Not alot of money but a hell of alot of fun. This is racing old school style.

The Braket race is just that, play your game and you win. For us itall about the car and how well you built it.
 
So how would you feel if A bunch of you Pro and Super Pro drivers came over and lined up against you "Run what you brung" guy's and took everyone out in the 1st round?

See what we're getting at here.

Most tracks don't have that type of class, it's very regimented and a beginner can get very frustrated very quickly and allot of them give up and go back to street racing as they're just not competitive against a 20 year veteran of the 1320.
 
chad72duster said:
we have a track out here that runns a " run what you brung" true to the sense. You will see everything from a blown BB to a turbo SB and anything in between. These are not sponsord by big business or making alot of money these are just guys and some girls who build there cars and want to race. Not alot of money but a hell of alot of fun. This is racing old school style.
Click to expand...

That is sort of my point. Fun isn't a factor for this guy. This guy is in it for a purse. He wins virtually every weeked (between two tracks). He races in the slower class, so that he is in with less experienced racers. The next class up, guys are much closer on thier numbers, and are actually racing, instead of sandbagging.

I would gladly race with your group of friends, while I'm sure this chev truck guy wouldn't be caught dead there.

I don't even mind going out for the friday night "secret street" races at the track. Fun to see what different cars people have put together. Also fun to talk to guys before they run. Hear what they think they will run, then listen to the excuses when they are wayyyy short after...LOL On the internet, everyone has a 12 second car, but at the track, they don't seem to be as plentiful.

Personally,when it comes to bracket racing, I realize half the cars go home after the first round. I have no problem with that. I expect to have the afternoon off most days at the track. I still have fun, and am building up seat time and experience.
 
"Everyone has a 12 second car"

No...I have a 11 second car....LOL

Allen has a 9 second car

Bob O Bob has a 10 second car

It's you that has a 12 second car.....LMAO....Later Dude gotta go play at the DMV this morning.
 
NO....this Fird I'm working on is the slowest car in the group..LOL

BTW the 430" Rambler motor we've been working on....made 740 HP at 7500 RPM on the Dyno last night....with a 825 Mighty Demon. They bolted on a Shop 1025 and a 2" open spacer, it pulled 860 at 7800.

Note:
He's got 26" x 10" tires with a stock AMX rear end and drive line going through a TH400 Chebby tranny.... I might as well rephrase that...."Had"

I smell $$$ coming my way very soon.....LOL
 
Pinks All Out. Hear them lift or see the nose dive, out ya go. Watching that program I think they have a handle on it. Call it the anti pussy class
 
As someone who has never been down the quarter mile (yet), I find his behavior to be that of a guy who needs to move on to the next class. He's running against guys who are newer, and don't have near the experience he has.. and he's probably bragging about his record, and gets an inflated ego because he's beating everyone. That's like a high school junior varsity football rockstar who doesn't want to move on to varsity because he's afraid it'll be TOO hard for him.. so he'll stay in JV because he knows he's really good there.

I'm hoping to have my car at the racetrack some time this year or next year for the very first time in my life.. it will be very exciting for me, even if my car only runs a mid-high 13 second quarter mile... but having someone like him at the track would be discouraging if I ever decided to do it for more than just a one time fun run.

Also - what the heck is he trailering a 13 or 14 second truck for? That is not a crazy fast vehicle, he should be able to drive it there.

Someone needs to let him know that his sandbagging and fear of moving to the next class is taking the fun out of it for the guys in the class he's currently in.
 
The man in the truck is nothing to you.
You are racing yourself and the numbers you chose to put on your car.
Race your race and you will be fine.
 
Learn how to beat the guy. That's how bracket racing works. Dial in your car and keep it consistant. The guy isn't a wimp, he's "teaching" you that 20 years of experience gets results. There's more to the sport of drag racing than just winning. I was put on the trailer a bunch of times years ago. Over time the wins will start to come. Stay consistant and you shouldn't be surprised when the wins start to come your way.
 
What a bunch of pussies. Just get better & beat this guy.
Quit whining about it.
What would you do if a "ROOKIE" driver came & cleaned everyones clock? Would you still ***** & moan about it?
Is this a Trophey or Money class?
If it's Trophey, who cares if the guy gets his jollies.
If it's Money, alls fair in love & war. He has a combination that wins for him.
When my son started Bracket racing, he had never raced before.
He raced his Senior year in high school in the High School bracket & won the championship.
I moved him to out No-E class the next year in a 11.90 street car & Runnered up in that class.
He lost most of his races that year at the stripe. I entered him in the Sportsman "Trophey" class & No-E class points for the next season. He needed seat time to race against the 20 & 30 year veterens of bracket racing.
He won the Sportsman championship & finished 6th in No-E.
They changed the rules for this class after he won it & wasn't allowed to compete there the following year.
Racers are monkey see monkey do bunch, when other No-E racers seen what we were doing, they started to double enter as well.
This caused the track to have a Sportsman class for older racers & a beginners class.
He has since went on to win the No-E championship twice & Tied the championship last year.
My point is, he is always striving to get better. He enjoys beating the best Racer out there, no matter who it is.
So quit complaining & get better!
 
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