is not overshadowed by speed , wealth , family influence , vehicle models , paint schemes , ability to obtain sponsorship , etc .
Bracket racing is the most cost-effective introduction to drag racing because an interested person can start literally behind the wheel of their daily driver . Once a driver grasps the details of essentially a high-adrenaline math problem with the goal of low thousandths-of-a-second reaction times paired with an elapsed time mirroring their estimated dial-in , racers may certainly choose to upgrade their equipment , but it is not mandatory .
The level playing field increases the ante for many competitors . It is one of the many reasons people like Peter Biondo continue to enjoy bracket racing and encourage others to try it . He adds , “ The ability to win a big purse for a minimal investment keeps it exciting , and it [ bracket racing ] can be learned ; it doesn ’ t have to be in your genes . You don ’ t have to be 6 ’ 5 ” and 250 pounds to be a winner . You can go to somebody that has success that you trust , learn from them , and you can be as competitive as anybody if you put the work in .”
At any local racetrack , you may see race cars driven into the front gate parked next to toter homes , stacker trailers , and the best equipment money can buy – but the level of investment is completely up to the competitor . A 5-second tubbed S-10 can be eliminated as easily as the hand-me-down station wagon on drag radial tires . Ten-thousand-dollar purses can be claimed by a street-legal Plymouth Duster or six-figure paydays can be awarded to top-of-the-line dragster drivers . Within the realm of bracket racing , you can watch it all unfold or experience it for yourself .
ThisIsBracketRacing Elite founder and drag racer Luke Bogacki offered his outlook on the current condition of the sport .
“ I think we ’ re in what we ’ ll look back on as a
September / October 2024 golden age of bracket racing ,” Bogacki says . “ We ’ re at a unique juncture where both the technology and knowledge to be successful in our game is readily available . The result is a previously unheard-of number and / or percentage of racers who show up to an event feeling , rightfully , that they ’ ve got as good a chance to win as anyone . Our sport , like any competitive endeavor or industry , goes through cycles ; at this moment , we ’ re in a boom due to this simple ( albeit difficult to create and perhaps harder to sustain ) idea that by and large , any – or at least most , more than ever before – bracket entrants have a legitimate chance to win any race they attend .”
The whole bracket racing concept allows nearly any types of vehicles to compete on the same playing field , an attractive factor for many participants .
CAMARADERIE
If you have been around the sport for any length of time , it ’ s obvious that drag racing should be admired for its tight-knit community and one-ofa-kind atmosphere . As a staple at local racetracks across the globe , bracket racing usually creates the first experience behind the wheel , with some drivers starting as young as five years old . Unlike other organized sports , drag racing is something that you can never age out of , thus creating a lifelong passion for the vast majority of people involved . A unique bond develops between racers who grow up at the racetrack as many continue raising generation after generation centered around the high-horsepower environment .
The on-track tension is undeniable as everyone understands there are no friendships from the burnout until the finish line , but the camaraderie between competitors , crew , racetrack staff , sanctioning body employees , and even media affiliates is just as intense . No one comprehends the passion and drive behind every ambition the way a fellow racer does , just as no one else can truly empathize with the heartbreak of defeat .
When a member of the racing community is injured or ill , the entire organization bands together to ease their burdens – financially , by acts of service , or prayer . True sportsmanship is abundant , especially in the bracket racing ranks , as drivers often wait for their opponents to fix a minor issue instead of taking a competition-break win or find themselves surrounded with people willing to help change a motor , transmission , or rear-end in their pit area in between rounds of racing .
Drag racing provides a pathway for people of all ages , ethnicities , genders , skills , backgrounds , locations , social statuses , careers , and personalities to connect through a common love for the sport . If you spend enough time at racetracks , your life will certainly be enriched by the people you encounter in the driver ’ s seat , control towers , concession stands , starting lines , press boxes , pit crews , staging lanes , rescue squad , front gate , winner ’ s circle , and grandstands worldwide .
The energy is electric , and the competition is fierce , but the people you meet and become lifelong friends with are what truly make drag racing the best sport , in my opinion . And that is more than enough reason to be excited about the current state of drag racing . – JESSICA HICKS SPEARS DI
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