Nowadays, it seems like alot of new "racers" are bracket racing 'haters' (they must be scared of how much skilz it takes).

Well, last weekend, while a lot of Pro-class cars/teams were at NHRA NJ or IDRC AZ, some Mid-west racers battled handicap/bracket E.T. style.

The "Import Car Day" at Edgewater raceway (Cincinnati,OH area) happens a couple of times a year. They get a big turnout, but the range of E.T.'s is so wide, that they have kept the classes all Bracket/Handicap. Three classes: Sub-Compact, Import1 (the largest class) and Quick8 (quickest 8 qualifiers, obviously).

At this month's event, the Quick8 class field had some Pro cars, including Carey Bales's H22 turbo Civic from Indy, Scot Wegman's AWD Talon (slicks) from Cinncy, and myself in the Team Race101 All-Motor Corrado from Kentucky.

Scot qualified #1 in the turbo DSM with a 10.7@128mph. I got the #2 spot with a 11.1@120mph. Carey Bales had some issues getting a clean pass during qualifying, so didn't get in the field.

Pro-All-motor cars like mine aren't usually built to go round after round after round. We have no alternator, no waterpump, no radiator... only a 1gallon fuel cell, datalogging we like to pull off after every run..etc. For this event, I stuck a radiator and electric waterpump back in it, kept the fuel jugs handy in the staging lanes, and just prayed the 16volt battery would have enough to make all the rounds that day.
I also tried to slow the car down to make it more consistent (by taking a bunch of timing out, setting it up to launch soft, and setting the shift points early to aviod any misshaps down track).

I'm out of practice, so I also had to slow myself down on the reaction times, so I wouldn't redlight. (Pro-Tree uses .400 light, Sportsman tree .500).
My first qualifying run, I didnt' think about slowing my reactions down, and I cut a .470 light. Decent for Pro-Tree, red-light on sportsman tree.

To slow my reaction down, I made an adjustment in the clutch, and then I cut .510, .555, .527, .535, .516

I dialed a little soft (11.23 instead of the 11.18's that I averaged in time trials) so I could play some topend games. I knew I was dialed quicker than all the other cars in the class, so I would have to chase. I would pass them up, then just stay full throttle, and left foot brake to scrub off speed. In the finals my opponent ran a 12.04 on a 12.00 dial. I had a better light, so I caught up by the 1000' mark. I laid on the brake and crossed the finishline 0.04second ahead... just a few inches. I ran 11.32 on my 11.27 dial.

This was the third Import Car Day event I've run with the Corrado. 1 semifinal finish, and 2 wins!


I wonder if any of the big turbo FWD cars would step up if I challenged them to a Handicap/Bracket race???... Tell you what, let's do a Pro-Tree E.T. elimination race (that way no one can whine about the full tree). Maybe 8 Turbo FWD pro-cars V/S 8 All-Motor FWD pro-cars.

We've put up some pics on our Team website

http://www.race101.com

 

Good job Nate, it was fun watching you race I made it to the 3rd round but got DQ'd for a no show. Had to change spark plugs and missed a round.
Clay City on the 12th?

 

I like bracket racing... its tough, but fun... its all about consistency.
But it sucks when the fields are too broad...
The last couple Ive been to I would dial like an 11.4 but I would be chasing a 13.99 car.
Its like "wait until you cant see the other guy anymore and then you get to go..."
But its fun running brackets with all these big block guys, and me sitting there with my manual trans, and being just as consistent as they are.

 

some of those turbo FWD guys can't stand brackets. hell, I heard one pro bitching in the pits about the fact that Englishtown and NHRA even let them have bracket classes at the Sport Compact events. Really caught me off guard and pissed me off at the same time.

I will bracket race anyday. Hell, if it wasn't for my bum B&M shifter then I would have taken home the $1000 payout at the last World series of imports at ATCO. I was dialed in at 11.99 and running 12.02/12.03 and 12.04 with .051/.037 and .057 lights. Then my cable popped off the shifter in the quaterfinals and put me on the trailer with another .051 light. The other guy may have got me though as he cut a .005 light. Man that would have been a neat finish.

Anthony

Anthony

 

bracket racing is tough at times. i suggest anyone getting into racing to start in bracket racing to get the feel of it and really learn your styles and cars styles to actually knwo what your doing rather than stomp on the gas. I like bracket racing and started out in it . i think i have mstered it pretty well and just wanted to move onto heads up and see how i fair against the big boys.

 

Yeah, the craziest was Carey Bales in the Sub-Compact class. His dial was a 9.8... the other guy's dial was 19.4 !!!!

That's a full TEN SECONDS that Carey was sitting there. Good thing his turbo spools quick. Looked like he had to sit and idle for 10 seconds, then wait for the top bulb to come on to get on the 2step/antilag. 1second later, launch!

 

now thats funny!
I thought I had it bad. geez.

 

<<<I wonder if any of the big turbo FWD cars would step up if I challenged them to a Handicap/Bracket race???... >>>

Nate, do you remember the outcome (including reaction time) of the quarter finals in the super comp bracket race at the IDRC Summer Slam in 1999 at E-Town???

haha, I couldnt resist. I'm just pissed that I've been driving like total **** lately, and that you OWNED me on your practice tree.

 

that was definately interesting Nate. But fun!!

Congratulations, and your website is dope!!!!!!!
O yeah, good job Kevin on running 9's


Modified by boostedh22a at 2:57 AM 10/10/2003

 

[QUOTE=ProfessorNate]Nowadays, it seems like alot of new "racers" are bracket racing 'haters' (they must be scared of how much skilz it takes).

QUOTE]

i too have noticed that some people think that they are above bracketing. i could understand not wanting to try it with a 900+ hp fwd car. but as cool as it is to beat somebody with your fast car it can be equally satisfying when you beat the other guy with your driving skills.
-Roger

 

yeah bracket racing is tough especially when you are going up against the guy in the automatic fiesta doing 18.01 with nothing more than .04 above the time

thats why the slower classes are tougher in bracketing

on calling out all those guys who think that they are above bracket racing

 

The first Import day at Edgewater a few years ago, you could make as many time passes as you could between 10 am and 1 pm.

13 passes between 15.11 and 15.17, throw out the high low, 11 passes between 15.13 and 15.15.

I'll bracket race anytime!!!!!!