Drag Racing Tech - braket racing my stock lt1?

I have always wanted to get into racing since I was young (well younger) I used to race atvs for fun and won a few races witch was also like braket racing. Now im 25 and dont wanna wait any longer, Ive got a 5 month old and would love to get him into drag racing one day.
Anyways Ive got a stock 94 formula A4 that I am really considering racing, My main question is what is the point in spending thousands of dollars to make your car run 10s or 9s if a car that runs 13's can still beat you? I know a fast car is more fun and makes you fell like a big dog, but other than that whats the point in braket racing with a fast car?

I plan on doing a stall, cam, headers and spool eventually along with some weight reduction but will be stock for this seson.

1. The slower car leaves first and a redlight hands the race to the faster car.
2. It is harder to judge a car coming on you than one in front of you.
3. If you are off 1% you are off more on a slower car.
4. More top end games with higher MPH.

When I used to bracket race a lot I noticed a few things when I was the faster car. If my car was being inconsistent that day I would dial it in real soft. For example, say my car ran a 7.40, a 7.28, and then a 7.33 (1/8th mile times), which isn't too consistent. Then my opponent for the next round was a slower guy, but a guy who is real good, say a real consistent 8.30 car round after round. I would put a dial that I knew I could cover. I would dial a 7.50 or so. All I had to do when the tree came down was to react as good as possible and then keep a front tire on him. By dialing in soft I would catch him about 3/4's of the way down the track and it would give me plenty of time to adjust how much I wanted to beat him by. The problem with this, is that you are depending on him to be running it right out to the end, but at local races most of the guys are doing just that.

The biggest advantage I see to being the faster car is judging the stripe as the chased rather than the chasee. I prefer to run near the faster limit of the class so I get to chase more often than not.

These guys are correct with their theory. However, if you are gonna run a stock motor for now the key is consistency. I ran my car with a stock motor up till this winter. What I noticed for my m6 car was the consistency came from the 12 bolt and slicks. With slicks I was 8.33 - 8.36. With drag radials I was all over the place on the launch which kills bracket racing hopes. Nothing wrong with running a stock LT1 for now....

Gotta start somewhere, right.

^^ I agree. But the faster guys just win more often because of reasons already stated. Just like dragsters in super pro.

Faster = more $$$$
More $$$$ = better stuff
Better stuff = more consistent

Most of the time anyway.

Great info. Thanks guys

Oh yea. It will just be for fun but any chance at winning with a stock car?

I saw a guy at MIR win the gamblers race (bracket race for $1000) in a bone stock gmc sierra running 16s with his wife asleep in the passenger seat the whole time (or dead, I dont know). He was just dead nuts consistent.

Seen a guy knock out some top players with a Geo prism in foot brake class. He almost burn them down as in his 1/8 was 12.xx to some guys 6.40 thats along time to wait lol.

In brackets, consistency is king. Chasing and beating a really good bracket racer who is slower, is sometimes a science - but fun as hell.

Lol good stuff I'll see what happens. I have lived 10 mins from a 1/8th mile strip my whole life and always wanted to race a car once. It should be fun as long as I don't throw a rod bearing (168k miles lol) but if I do I'll find another short block.

Let me add this. Back when bracket racing first hit our local strip I had a mid 11's Camaro. I got very upset that they were changing to dial your own. So I took my dead stock VW bug to the strip and won the first 5 races. Not rounds, the whole race. At that point the second gear synchro was starting to grate so I quit. This car ran 20.00's. I had everybody at the track pissed at me. I ran the car balls out every pass and anyone that passed me ran out. Reaction time is the key to winning with a slow car. The thought of sitting at the starting line when the other car has been gone for 8 seconds is unnerving.

Al 95 Z28

plenty of chance to win in a stock car!!!

some of my best bracket racing memories came from the 96 lumina that I used to drive. the car couldn't spin the tires and ran 10.90-11.00 in the eighth ever time.


the biggest piece of advice I have to offer is get friendly with guys that go a lot of rounds all the time, and don't be afraid to race against them. you will learn a lot from them.


is this eighth mile or quarter mile?? they're 2 completely different animals

1/8th mile track

I like being the faster car also for one reason if you catch the other car before the finish all you gotta do is stay out in front and you can let off for you don't run out.

Super Chevy in Tucson some years back was won by a Corsica that ran 17.6 @ 76.4 MPH. Hundreds of beautiful Chevy's and a Corsica wins street. Go here:

http://www.azdragracing.com/archives/archives1003.htm

Search for Corsica.

Al 95 Z28

a friend of mine placed 3rd in the street auto class a few years ago racing a 2005 neon that did low 17s. he was beating 9 and 10 second cars too

sweet this will be even more fun if i can get cosistant and actually get on the polls!

another piece of advice, is get into a routine that you can replicate every time. staging is going to be a huge part of it as well, you have to be on it with your reaction times and staging deeper or more shallow will effect your ET as well.


the biggest thing is to just go out and have fun!!!! the more seat time the better

thanks will do! I just noticed a bunch of rust under my car that had been sprayed over and found a few holes in the floors and rear subframe so i might just end up swaping this drivetrain into another body. Either way im gonna run with it.
thanks for all the tips and advice everyone!

In bracket racing you are racing the tree not the car in the other lane.
Cut a real good light and run your dial-in and its real hard to not win.

Went racing yesterday. We took a friends car, ran 8.21 @ 166 right off the trailer. Second run was 8.26 because the car moved around a little. During eliminations the second round the car got loose around mid track and that all she wrote. Another reason NOT to run so fast. Pushing a Camaro 166 MPH in a quarter mile takes lots of power and traction. If a tire slips you're out:( Slower cars are much easier to deal with.

Al 95 Z28