Na, et racing is alive and well. It's just the economy. People like me and others, are living on 60% of 2001 dollars. Them and me will bounce back, eventually. It's all good. By the way, the more electronics, the better.

Like a lot of people have sad, the economy is the main thing killing most people and most tracks have cut back their bracket programs to suffice. As far as electronics and excessive price, you don't need it to win. Most guys that win at our track have won in cars and dragsters.

The only thing you need to win a bracket race is a consistent car, the ability to dial your car in, and the ability to cut consistently good lights. Not always stellar lights, but consistently good. People forget though that everyone can't be good.

And lastly, if your drag racing to get back the money you put in, you must be smoking. True racers do it for the love of it.

PS:If Jeg, Scotty Richardson, or Peter Biondo were in consistent 3900lbs cars, they would still be winning. They're just that good!

The Bracket group at our local track looks to be pretty full so far..granted the weather at the beginning of the season with the rain made it hard. But I actually think the turn out so far this year is showing that the ecomony is slowly....very slowly coming back to life.

Th wasy bracket racing is now is the downfall for people like myself who are just trying to get into the sport on the racing side of it (been a spectator and Pit crew for 5 years) that even though I am racing sportsman I know that the people I am running with are deadly! Its terrifing to go out there and know that the guy I might be running first round is going to more then likly knock me out already. Makes it a little hard for me to want go out there on the bracket races. I am more inclinded to go on the Friday night street nights w/ the Gamblers race so that I have some practice against more people like myself, and less likely to get that seasoned person thats been going for a 10 years or more.
But Its not going to stop me...just might slow me down a little bit from jumping straight into the Pot!

The worst hit to our IHRA track locally has been the weather. Sometimes I am amazed at how many people show up to race when the economy is so bad. In Las Vegas, where I race in the winter, I have seen somewhat less car counts, but the pits are full at the big$ races every time. Perhaps it's the way they market, but the track has been pretty full when I've been there. And.....if you think you will get beat in the first round because the guy is so good, you might want to take up something else. This is a competitive sport that requires confidence and if you think you will lose, chances are you will. When I raced sportsman a long time ago, I got a practice tree with a foot pedal, only watched brackets at the top end, and listened to the advise that the hitters were more than willing to give, and eventually, I got better.

This is what I see, think:

The economy the last few seasons has cut back on car count. So far this year it is a little better at my local track, but the weather has been spectacular also.

We are lucky enough to have a true footbrake class (called Modified ET). But the only other class is electronics. There is no entry level class (trophy, sportsman, etc). And the 9.00 and slower footbrake class is full of top notch, seasoned racers. And if they happen to loose 1st round (it happens to everyone), they just re-enter (buy back) and keep going. The inexperienced racer gets discouraged unless they learn quick.

I would like to see some no-electronics index classes near me. ie Nostalgia type. There are some transbrake versions, but not near me. One 1/8 mile track even has a 6.00 class that sounded good, until they require a parachute, etc. Now how many mph is a 6.00 non-throttle stopped car going to go in the 1/8th? I think less than the 150 mph parachute number.

The bigger dollar events still draw good car counts.

Jim your only talking in the 113 mph in the 1/8 for
a 6.0.... and they want a chute

Lot of threads here relating to the poor economy as a cause for poor attendance and participation at the tracks, and in part I agree, but have any tracks dropped ther entry fees lately ?? - or are they doing what NHRA does - when attendance is down, raise the prices to make up the difference.

it is the economy or lack thereof,,
jobs or lacking not secure!!
tracks are losing funds thru sponsorships
dropping
racer cant afford to race or pull to tracks
gas @3.00 gal,, des more than that
our track increased racing weekends
weather has been great but payout not good
but better than that of most others tracks except
on special weekends
what i think is missing is they dont advertise
they dont get the audience invloved at all
you know like thro hats/ shirts ,something
get kids involved no playgrounds nothing here
gateway
ADVERTISE ENTERTAIN, INVOLVE, HAVE FUN
NO MATTER WHAT HAVE FUN ENJOY YOURE TIME AT THE TRACK AND GET THE AUDIENCE INVOLVED WITH WHAT YOU ARE DOING ON TRACK!!
get you workers at work invloved
have them come and check out racing
make them honarary crew member or something

Pacemakers here in Mt. Vernon was packed with spectators...first time i've seen in that full since I was a little kid. They did just start a thing last year where spectators get to sit on one side of the track for free, have to pay to walk around the pits. Seems like its getting more and more full each year.

My local/ Home track is doing okay but it could be better. Car counts are slowly increasing a little as the weather gets better but no where near what they were. I agree the economy is affecting car counts. There aren`t nearly as many people signed up for points as there used to be. IMO the NHRA/Division One ruined some of the classes. Pro was much better with a 10.0 top not 9.0., also IMO it was better with 4 classes S/P, Pro, Heavy and Sreet. I ran Heavy ( now called Pro ) for years but a few years ago slowed my car down and put on DOT tires and am now running Street ( 11.50 -19.99) and I`m having a blast! I like being one of the fastest cars in the class and am enjoying racing again, chasing points and attempting to Qualify for the Bracket Finals.

Car counts at our local tracks are down. I think that the economy is only part of the problem. When I first started racing, I raced in the Pure Street class. You had to have street tires and mufflers. After a few years, the local tracks did away with this class. They went to strictly foot brake, and electronic class. There was no class for beginners. It is still that way today.
In order for bracket racing to survive, young people are going to have to be involved in it. I think that the track owners and managers should try having more classes and not less. I think that they should bring back the street class, along with a class strictly for the stick shift cars. I think that this would get more young people involved in this sport. I would also like to see a nostalgia class for old farts like myself. Many of us just enjoy viewing old cars.
Finally, I would like to see the tracks rotate the different classes on race days. That way, the races would not be a all day or night affair. And you would not have to spend money racing every weekend, just the weekends when your class would be racing.

So many good ideas I hope the tracks are paying attention.