Sunday, September 30, 2018 at 10 AM - 1 PM Atlantic Municipal Airport Atlantic, Iowa 50022 https://www.facebook.com/events/518754608503355/
Heads-up racing is REAL racing. As long as the rest of the "old time" rules also go with it...no breakout, no electronics, etc., etc. Mike
Actually, Bracket Racing has saved many a drag strip from going under. It has also kept a lot of people drag racing that just can't compete financially in class racing. Personally, I'm all for ANY kind of drag racing on any venue (airstrip, drag strip, blocked off city street as some cities have done). I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
Have to agree with the dude on the other side of the rock pile there. I tried heads up class racing in G stock back in 1969 and while I usually won a few rounds I always got blown away by some NHRA win sticker national even winner 62 Chevy wagon with a 409 and 4 speed that not only could run on the record it held the record.
...and no payout! As soon as a purse is involved, the guy with the gold begins to dominate, and no longer fun.
If it wasn't for bracket racing I'd be twiddling my thumbs in the shed rather than travelling all over the place racing anyone and everyone, and as Maxwell Smart would say, "and loving it". My avatar is home built for a couple of grand, cheap as chips to run and has won me a cabinet full of trophies. The best bit is when Top Fueller blokes come up to me and say, "I wish we could go back to simple stuff like this instead of the big dollar gear".
They went to the city and asked if they could shut the airport down for a day and drag race. The city said yes. They had 180 cars show up last year to race and have fun. It looked rainy so I didn`t go plus had a lot to do that day. Thanks for the advance notice.
Well it can be fun once in a while but remembering trying to compete in heads up racing with cars that were thought out and assembled just to run in the same class and hold a record that was about 1-3/4 second quicker than my car could run. I think the record in 1969 was 12.65 an I ran a 14.25 if everything was right. Not complaining a lot because at the time I was a Fort Hood boy as the locals called us running a new 69 Cutlass S with skinny street tires. I know the local drag strip wouldn't survive without bracket racing but think they do runs some heads up events or partial heads up at some times.
Drag racing has always been a money losing hobby for me. Never made a penny drag racing. But it don't have to break the bank. My 55 wagon has a 220 hp 283 with hedders, uses a 318 Muncie 3 speed trans Hurst mystery shifter and a ford 9 inch rear. And to date I have less than $1000 in the car. and its fun to drive. I just fix what I break with parts from my hoard.
Having drag raced since 1965 and have raced the heads up deal and bracket raced. Along with running stock and super stock, I have crewed for an alcohol funny car. The cheapest way to go is to have a footbrake bracket car. You can drive it to the track and turn off your air conditioner and race. No tow rig , no trailer, no charging the battery between rounds. Take your easy up out of the trunk and get out your lawn chair between rounds. Heads up is the most fun. A lot of tracks have a 7.00 heads up class for 1/8 th mile racing. The southeast gassers are heads up if you can row a 4 speed and build a car to their strict rules.
And the most enjoyable for the spectator like me with real old school racing,with the front wheels in the air the gassers rule! HRP
Tracks prefer index and bracket (2 seperate formats) because after final round its load the car and go home. who wants to stay and have their cars engine torn down
I have done both, the bracket cars are treated as second rate citizens. And to be competitive neither are cheap.
We used to pass the hat in the pits 10.00 hat and up, you raced straight up winner takes all. Or ya could make your own SIDE bet with others.
I bought the body for $150. No engine trans clutch or brake pedals. No front clip no brake drums or front hubs & backing plates. It was full of dissembled 292 engines. At the same auction I bought a 55 four door body It had the hood and fenders and brake componets. No engine & trans. cost $130. I hooked the 55 to my old 64 wrecker and drug it over a 100 miles home. It did not have a rear end. I pulled the front hubs drums and bearings. Went back that night. A midnite I was putting the hubs and wheels on the bare spindles. and picked up the rear end with the wrecker to my surprise it had a rear end complete with flat tires. I had bought a dozen vehicles. And this was a court ordered divorce sale. And the former husband wasn't too happy. And there was a restraining order that he couldn't come near his former wife. And she was leaving Tuesday. and the auction was Saturday. So I went without sleeping until I got every vehicle home. I pulled a used 283 from a 65 Biscayne. pulled the pan and cleaned it and installed a new nylon gear timing chain. I had a 57 bellhousing and used a 66 chevy truck 11 inch flywheel clutch and starter. installed a long tailhousing on the 66 truck transmission and drilled out the threads on the bottom mounting tabs on the trans. I had a 55 six cyl radiator. and pulled what I needed from the 4 door to get it together. wired up just enough wires to make it run and the alternator charge. put new rubber brake lines and new wheel cyls. used a master cyl fron a 66 truck. I had the mystery shifter and a set of bolt on traction bars. And I had a running driving 55 2 dr wagon. I bought a 4 door wagon for $100 to get the back glass. I did blow the spider gears from the 370 stock rear end. It now has a 9 inch ford housing from a 69 fairlane and a 411 pumpkin from a ford pk. I also moved the rear springs inboard in line with the frame. Of course everyone doesn't have 50 years of hoarded parts and junk like we have. And I put it all together except for the nine inch rear end in two days. about 30 hours. Bought a few things like black primer ,new U joints gas line and filters ect. Ive built a 327 engine for it. need to get it installed because before long it will be spring and George rays will be open. I might install a ford top loader 4 speed transmission that I have?
Gary, The Pro's run heads up still to this day.. Pro Stock was heads up since it's inception in 1970. Go to the US Nationals on Thursday of Labor Day weekend. You'll see plenty of heads up runs in A&B /Stock Automatic.. Two very big classes, by today's standards. Also NMCA, NMRA .etc. have lots of heads up classes. You're talking about NHRA Sportsman eliminators with a breakout rule . I think this thread was about grudge racing and run your buddy , burn rubber kind of thing on an un-prepped air strip, before it veered off course.
Denny, I think Cal started with a 57 wagon and then a 57 Delivery , at that time period. No '09s that I know of.
Looks like a fun event (the original post). I doubt I'll make it...I'm planning to do Drag Week in the southeast earlier in September. Sort of Heads Up racing, but not quite.
The average racer has never thought about making money. I know I've done it for the fun of it. I'll never forget my Grandpa saying "you kids are crazy, you spend hundreds of dollars to win a 59 cent trophy" when we raced the 36 Ford drag car we built pictured below. It was originally flathead powered that we swapped out for a 327 SBC. I'm the skinny guy in the middle.
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