RACE cars are in high gear and winding the motor up, within an 1/8 mile. So the last 660 is just turning the motor tighter with your foot on the floor, looking for the stripe. THAT is why it's harder on parts.

Bracket racing especially, is two things.......leaving the line and racing the stripe, in between is a cruise. Which is the reason most big bracket races have gone to 1/8 mile. It speeds the program and cuts down on breakage. Those are not my words, but the track promoters who actually put on the races.

I am from the south, so I grew up with 1/8 racing and am used to it. That said, I have made plenty of 1/4 mile passes in my life and it does nothing for me. Now some of the cars I drive, I would NOT run them 1/4 mile. Our Drag Radial car runs 180mph in the 1/8. That puts it at 220+ in the 1/4mile. Not that the speed scares me, because I have been faster.......but that car was not BUILT to go over 200. That speed would cave the nose in, it doesn't have a wing and a few other things that would not thrill me about running it out the back door.