and a never-quit work ethic . Rolison , the bythe-book numbers guy , knows what it takes to put on a race that benefits the racers , the track , and the promoters .
It ’ s a combination that ’ s worked for going on 15 years . Their first collaboration was as simple as Cummings adding his name to the flyer and offering some ideas to appeal to fellow traveling bracket racers . The 2009 Great American Bracket Race at No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose , Louisiana , was just the beginning , as they ’ ve since added the Dream Team Challenge to that event and moved it to Holly Springs Motorsports . Their lineup also includes the Great American Guaranteed Million , which made its debut at Memphis International Raceway in 2020 and will move to Capital City Motorsports Park in Montgomery , Alabama , for its 2021 running November 10-14 . Thirdly , the SDPC Raceshop Red , White and Blue $ 20Ks presented by Moser Engineering at Holly Springs was added to the lineup last year .
Neither promoter could ’ ve predicted the events that have transpired over the last decade-plus .
“ When [ Rolison ] first called me , I knew of him a little bit ,” Cummings remembers . “ Obviously , he doesn ’ t race , but his brother did , and he was always with his brother . We would bracket race in Hattiesburg , Mississippi , following the Southern Super Tens back then . That ’ s kind of how I knew him ; Daniel ’ s brother . So , it ’ s funny how it ’ s transpired and how it ’ s grown .”
Cummings , who ’ s won numerous NHRA and IHRA national event titles to go along with bracket race wins , is planning on going all-in on big-money bracket racing this season . He sold his Stocker from the family ’ s fleet of seven cars that they typically haul around to 16-20 NHRA national and divisional races each season . He ’ s become disenchanted with that world , while simultaneously growing more passionate about big-bucks bracket racing .
“ I ’ ve been helping Gaylon put on races for 13 or 14 years now , and just being on that side of it , it really , really makes it hard for me to go to a race like NHRA nationals and get treated like a child ,” Cummings says . “ And to me , they could care less whether you ’ re there or not . But you know , people have said that NHRA don ’ t care if sportsman is there . Well , I ’ ve always kind of defended them , but now I ’ m starting to see it . I don ’ t know if it ’ s the age I ’ m at or what , but just putting on races now and knowing how you ’ re supposed to treat a customer , it ’ s kind of changed my attitude towards everything .”
Significantly , the only bracket races Cummings has completely taken off the table are his own . He competed in the first race he and Rolison put on , but he wouldn ’ t allow himself to participate as a racer in any of their events after that .
“ The second year , I said , ‘ I don ’ t really feel right racing in it , so find me something to do ,’
Cummings says . “ So , I think from year two to year nine I ran the back of the stage lanes .”
Even that assignment became problematic when Slate won a 50-grander at one of their events .
“ I did not even think it was a thing , but people absolutely had a problem with it ,” Cummings says . “ Saying that he ’ s racing on house money , blah , blah , blah , he ’ s racing with nothing to lose , which 100 % was not the case . Slate , and then Cole when he started racing in them for a year or two , they had their own tab , they paid their own money .”
Britt and Gaylon collectively decided the integrity of their races was crucial , so they politely asked family members to sit out their races .
“ I think the year after [ Slate ] won the 50 , he won a dragster race in Memphis , and that pretty much sealed the fate of him and Cole being able to race our races ,” Cumming says . “ We as a team ,
me and Gaylon , had to make a decision to tell them they couldn ’ t race ; that would be Slate , Cole , and Gaylon ’ s brother , Daniel . Tough decision . Real tough decision , but business wise , I think at that point is when our Great American brand turned around .”
Their events are now some of the most respected bracket races on the schedule , drawing support from racers and sponsors alike . At this year ’ s Dream Team Challenge , over 550 entries were on the books . Over 400 total entries were sold for the Red , White and Blue $ 20Ks in late June . At the Guaranteed Million last fall , sponsors contributed more than $ 80,000 in giveaways for the racers .
Beyond racing for huge cash payouts and generous prizes from industry-leading manufacturers , racers have come to expect a fun environment at Cummings and Rolison ’ s races . At the Guaranteed Million , racers and crew members
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