We have a local monthly 1/8 mile heads up program in Ohio that I hope to race in someday. It pays out 3500.00 for a very low entry fee because these classes drawl supporting sponsors that handle the payouts. Not big money but it’s a fun class and 80 miles from home.

As usual when it becomes all about money, the fun will soon be gone and we start talking about how great it used to be.

If your local track is 1/8 I get it. But if your track is 1/4 and you are doing for the sake of faster program or parts carnage , come on man. Are you a gearhead or not?

My car with my other engine in it (that was the last time I ran 1/8)
Ran 1.3's 60 foots 6.20's at 110. I shifted at 6550 and my shift light would come on within 100 foot of the 1/8. Shift 3rd and get off the gas. Woo that's real fun???????

Now If I was grown up on 1/8 I would probably have 5.38's or something.

As for racing, from 1992 -2014. I never missed a weekend. And could have cared less for what the purse was. We did it for fun. Heck my first child was born on a Saturday, and guess where I was? (I don't recommend this now that I am older ).

The fast 1/8 mile guys, are going 3.60’s at over 200 mph. They would be at the end of th3 1/4, by the time you get to the 1/8. That kind of power is hard on parts.
It’s not uncommon for those guys to change trans fluid after every run, because it gets cooked. Or change stators in their converters between rounds.
You can’t compare something with say, 700hp, to something with 3,500.

Man give it a break on the guys running 3's and 4's. This is MOPARTS and we are a bunch of slow guys that love bracket racing or test n tuning. It comes down to which you prefer for us and then we make our choices. Box class in my area is almost all 1/8 mile but if I chose I can pull the box and run 1/4 mile. We can beat this horse till it dead and gone.

1/4 mile here for me. That is how it always has been and that is how it should always be. Me, being an all steel Hemi car. I will always have that top end charge.

What a load. Been racing for a half a century, probably longer than you've been alive.......certainly a 'true racer'. I guess if being a 'true racer' is some yuppie who uses the car as a tool to make money, and next week is into Harleys or something, maybe I'm not. As a driver, I can see how some do like 8th better, but overall, it's bad for the sport. With less and less car count, big money races are going to fade.....the tracks can't afford the payout and they are not getting the car counts to support it. It's more of a problem each year. Drag racing is a passion, you look at it as a business.

Big money 1/8 races (or 1/4 for that matter)? Who is getting the big money? Trying to race to make money? You are either A; in a very, very small group. Or B; a poor businessman. Most of us race for fun, myself included. If it wasn't fun, I'd quit. Money is just a nice side benefit which the majority never sees. Personally my belief is 1/8 is insurance driven. I don't hate it, just like 1/4 better.
Doug

I LIKE THE QUATER MILE BETTER AND I WILL NOT ADD TO THE PISSING MATCH.

Yeah, Doug, it sure could be insurance driven. Track prep driven, too, it a lot of tracks have $1K in prepping a quarter mile track before a car heads down. I'm sure insurance is part of it.

Track prep is much more important than it was, and I get it. An old B body will hook in a grease pit. These modern lightweights on small tires can get hairy.

I really think it's because a lot of the racers of today see it totally different. I don't see the passion in a lot of these guys, I see a pseudo business. When I was a young guy, Keystone ran 3 times a week, and we were there every time they opened the gates. When KRP wasn't open we'd be a Mason Dixon or Quaker City, or somewhere else. We'd race for a bag of chips. Heck, most nostalgia racers of today are the same way. Now, the guys, for the most part are satisfied with one day a week, and not motivated by the same thing.

Even at Keystone....they tried to host a couple of big money, 8th mile races this year and really didn't get much support from the locals. Just the real, real hard cores show up for the money, and there is not enough of them to keep it going. It seems many showed up on Friday night to race for points, then loaded up and went boating or something. I visited the weekend afterward, and the place was deserted, relatively speaking. This cannot continue, these tracks do not have money trees to just pick it off and give it out. It seems to be going on everywhere. I speak to a LOT of track operators that tell me the same thing.

The motivation seems to be completely different. It seems that we were always tinkering to go faster, or quicker, with every different combo and within our budget. Now, that doesn't seem to be the motivation, it seems to be how much money we can win. And, if we can win the same money in 60 foot racing, that is what we want.

Not saying that is a particularly bad thing. But, it's different. But, it's kind of foreign to me.

With less and less car count, big money races are going to fade.....the tracks can't afford the payout and they are not getting the car counts to support it.




Let me correct you on this one Steve. Its a win win for these tracks having big money events if its done right. The best run big money races that I go to are run by race promoters. They basically rent the track and then promote their races. Loose Rocker run by Micheal Beard and his partner know how to run a race. Several other "big guns" are also great race promoters. They are big name guys that drawl sponsor bucks to these events. Prises are given out all weekend long to the racers. These races will help keep tracks open "BUT" your smaller tracks better step up their game some.

http://sfgpromotions.com/

Where is that "beating the dead horse emoji" I asked about in my first post? lol

Well I'll ad this...I have been to only four races so far this year. Life is throwing me a bit of a curve ball. The first was at Richmond $225 for two 10k's...place was packed. Second the American Dream race at Dragway 42...$499 for three 20k's....Wafflebatter on here runnered up on Sat...sold out show. Then to Pittsburgh for thier Sniper Series..went Sunady for the $2500 race...it was a ghost town. Back to 42 for a points day $60 entry for 2k....place was jammed. All of these are 1/8 mile. I'm entered in the SFG race at 42 also in August $750 entry for three 75k's. I choose to spend my money at tracks I enjoy regardless of the driving distance and racing distance. While I perfer 1/8th mile I'm not going to cry or bring my ball home if it's 1/4. You guys want tracks at all I would suggest adapting to what is available. JMHO

I guess that shows me I am definetly in with the poor boys. It takes some serious money to even enter some of them races. More power to those who can swing it but I even complain about the $150 dollar NSS races. It takes money to play and that takes alot to play in. This sure is turning into what it usually does when this comes up. I will say I am surprised how many say they always raced the 1/8 as all I remember in my area most of my life was only 1/4 mile tracks and that may be one reason I love the 1/4 mile much better. Its what drag racing has always been to me. I may not be in the majority any more since I love the N/A NSS racing and the Pure Stock and FAST muscle cars and never have had any interest in power adder cars. As I said that's just me as we all have what we like best as I just hope the NSS and 1/4 mile racing that I love stays around for my lifetime which may only be about 20 more years. Man that don't sound like a lot of years ? LoL. Ron

I think this is a great conversation to be having and everyone has there own opinion and it's nice to hear what actually drives a person to commit to what they do, whether for fun or money.

John, in a deal where the track leases the place to a promoter, it can work. But, the money has to come from the outside. And, there are only so many of the outside guys willing to make that investment around.

A bracket program is not a money maker for the local tracks. No way. It is a break even deal, at best. When it's leased to guys like Mike who brings outside money with him, it can work for the group leasing the track. If the promoter tries to do this on his own dime, he will lose his shirt. Guarantee it. I think the cost of prepping the track, clean up, etc., is another big reason why 8th mile seems to on the move. It's a dollar game. I totally get that.

So many folks do not realize the overhead that comes in running a drag strip. It is incredible. You have insurance, utilities, payroll, workman's comp (that's a requirement), advertising, promotion, and so many other expenses that go on year round. And, of course there is taxes, especially local and property. Maintenence. A mortgage or a lease payment. On and on. There is only maybe 50 race dates during the course of the summer in the northeast where you can cover all of those, and turn a profit. And, the goal in business is to turn a profit. If you don't, it isn't going to be there. A very good now retired drag strip owner told me that when you broke everything down, year round expenses, it cost about $3000 an hour to operate the drag strip for every hour it's open. I know that there are so many guys who will scoff at that figure, but anyone who has a business of any size and keeps close eyes on the numbers won't.

The money for these big money races HAS to come from the outside. . It's easy to say that it costs $200 to enter, so they must be making a killing. Everything is relative. That is not pure profit for the promoter. Not by a long shot.

Now, if 8th mile is the future, it's the future. Nothing I can do or say can change that. I hope not, though, as I can't stand it. And, I think such a radical shift in the basics of the sport will cost a lot more than folks think, as far as losing basic interest by outsiders, and racers. Personally, At the age of 66 I don't have to do this anymore. So, as I mentioned, if 8th mile was the only option I had it would be time to take everything to nostalgia shows, sit in a chair and tell lies, and pack the racing part of it in. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

The track doesn’t care what racers want. Because racers don’t make the track money.
How many of you, spend money at the track on conssesions, and suvoniers?
I’d bet you pack a cooler with cold drinks, and some sandwiches, instead of paying $12 for greasy fries burger and drink. I used to bring a small cooler in the trunk with a few drinks, and a sandwich or two. Only went to “ test and tune” just to make a few passes in my car.
I didn’t make the track money.
What makes the money, is spectators in the stands. People that will buy food, drinks, t shirts, hats, etc.
If a lot of spectators came to the track to see clown riding unicycles juggling bowling pins go down the track, they would have those events.
Doesn’t mater what the racers want. It matters what the people who buy stuff from the track want. That is what keeps them in business, and what packs the stands right now, is 1/8 mile racing.

and to think, i, and several others, used to complain about the $5, 6, and $7 race fees, with $10 and $12 race fees on holiday or "specials" at nu-be back in the late 60's, early 70's ! ........ but we showed up at every one !

Funny.... there was a time where if someone asked me what my car ran in the 1/8th I wouldn’t have been able to tell them.

I went to one of my local tracks last night and it was PACKED. They were running 6.00 & 7.00 heads up, a Ultimate street class, a heads up 28 x 10 tire class and a match race between a Blown Hemi 40 Willys and a Blown Hemi 53 Studebaker. The Quickest pass was a 3.89 @ 200 mph. There was no bracket racing.