SLow ET Motorcycle (1 Viewer)

[ssman]

At a recent bracket race at IRP a few slow motorcycles showed up to race in the only motorcycle class offered. After two practice rounds the fast motorcycle competitors filed a complaint to race control. They did not want to compete against the slow bikes. Do the Fast Bike guys have an issue? Or do they not want to be beat by the slow bike guy?

I believe that is bracket racing at its finest two totally different performance levels brought together and racing competetively.

 

[HEMI6point1]

Haha, that's why it's called bracket racing. You take your chances on getting beat by a slower vehicle if you can't run him/her down. I don't see the people in super stock and stock complaining....

 

[rick]

I was at IRP on saturday and saw 2-3 slow motorcycles (actually 1 was a quadrunner) and if memory serves me right they all got beat first round. 2 of them were dialed in at 20.2 or so and another one was in the 17's. Then the next slowes was in the 13's which was Chad Isley (which is a tough dude).

My opinion is....it is easier to complain about something than it is to go out and run your number and cut a light.

 

[5.0 Junkie]

I have seen this many times. Funniest one I saw was a fast SC rail. He was on the stop for literally 1000'. I think he was just trying to be ornery, but it messed 95% of his competitors up and he went a lot of rounds. I have also seen street vehicles dialed in the 17s and running cars that were running 8s. Street car was consistent and went a lot of rounds.

I don't think they have a legitimate gripe. My only concern is the huge difference in speeds. If the fast car gets loose, it would get ugly quick. Part of the game though.

 

[Nick Name]

Chad rides a Honda with an automatic trans. It was called a "Hondamatic". He is almost unbeatable.

Jay

 

[HEMI6point1]

I have seen this many times. Funniest one I saw was a fast SC rail. He was on the stop for literally 1000'. I think he was just trying to be ornery, but it messed 95% of his competitors up and he went a lot of rounds. I have also seen street vehicles dialed in the 17s and running cars that were running 8s. Street car was consistent and went a lot of rounds.

I don't think they have a legitimate gripe. My only concern is the huge difference in speeds. If the fast car gets loose, it would get ugly quick. Part of the game though.

A couple of years ago at Moroso, I saw a 19 second Hyundai against a 12 second Mustang. Guess which one won?

 

[Mike Packer]

Jay, I remember racing the Hondamatic at the Game race in Vegas. On a low 10-sec streetbike I just dialed about .2 quicker so he got the first hit at the tree and then jumped across right at the stripe for the win.... It's a little frustrating to race that way, but that's what works against bikes that slow.

 

[PJ]

Hey I've been on of those slower racers. First started with a Kia Rio. Damn that thing was slow, in all my years of going to the track I still haven't seen anything make a pass under power any slower. But I went rounds with it. It was hard for someone to sit and watch me leave an hour before them.

Now the Colbalt is quicker but its 100% street. Sometimes I actually have to give a head start now.


Its all part of the fun of bracket racing. The only annoying part is when I've come up against someone who dogs it. Last year in the 4th or 5th round came up against. Who would dial real slow against slower cars. He caught be before 1/2 track then just toyed the rest of the way. Running a 16 something. Next round he was dialed in the 11's and in the final went even faster. I'm hoping top meet up with him this year, I may play some games this time too

 

[Jenn]

A lot of people would rather be the chaser, some people want to be chased, and some people wanna be evenly matched.

If you are chasing, you had the advantage of winning the race at the get go with a red-light, you also have the guy in your sight the whole race.

If you are being chased, you have the first shot to get a better light. You also have the advantage of the chaser potentially being over anxious. You have to count a lot on your hearing to determine where the guy is.

Evenly matched eliminates the waiting period and closes the gaps of indecision. You make your decisions based on an immediate feedback. Evenly matched means you are both chomping at the bit to cut down the tree at the same time.

 

[theraceman]

I have seen the west coast bike guys complain like that because they try to bracket race on a pro tree.

They get a slow bike and sit on the chip for a few seconds and then get all messed up.

Back when we used to argue about it on the internet, the Div 6 / 7 NHRA Sportsman guys said they would rather have a small class of fast bikes using a pro tree, rather than open it up and use a full tree and attract additional bikes (that were slower)

They thought (and still do) that a pro tree looks more professional, and the fast bikes give a better show - even if there is only 9 of them.

About the only arguement i ever came up with is that a Pro tree doesnt make you look like a pro, and if you think it does, go tell it to a Comp Eliminator guy that and see how that works out.
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[goat]

Donnie, why don't you goto DRC and see how many bikes race at Div 7 events? also the Vegas bracket race last weekend had 24 bikes entered,and it is ran on a PRO tree, with Rick Newport having a triple 000 in the final! why don't you pull the box off and try it?

 

[theraceman]

umm - i think i did

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[jpee]

I usually run a 12 sec car, but Raceway Park (Englishtown) used to have Import races only.. so I entered my 1989 Honda Civic.. it was Automatic and if I put it in 2 it would leave the line in 2nd gear.. my 60' were 3.06

It had 13" tires, & I'd go DEEP mat the gas and just release the break on the last yellow

I would average .050 on the tree... and the cars I was racing (mostly Honda Civics with NO2 etc ...they were running 15-16s I was usually 19.80s

The kids would either got RED (couldn't wait) or have a .450 light and I'd just coast the last 200' to a win..

I won 3 events in a row and app $1000 in cash and gift certificates.. then the guy who ran the "Import race" made a rule..

"No Bucks racers or "Points Racers" thus keeping me and several others out of the little "Goldmine" we found..

However WP the track manager saw what was done & said NO! They (Money racers, & points) pay to get in & they WILL RACE..

Bottom line I raced a few more, but the general crowed has changed, & its not worth the aggravation to stay at the track 11-12 hrs listening to the Rotary engines etc. revving all day in the staging lanes and watching 3 hrs of oil downs...

I've given up on Import Races...

 

[Jenn]

When we started using the start line controler that comes with the Biondo Mega Series boxes, we messed up a lot of people at the local Mopar only bracket races.

They'd wait for my guys to get up on the Rs as soon as their lights started coming down but the start line control basically brings up the Rs at the last moment so you aren't up on the motor for no good reason.

We'd dial down the cars because the traction sucked and even running a soft tail, the cars were getting loose (our hard tail was downright scary to run). So we'd run closer to what the door cars were running, and they'd come up to me telling me they thought something was wrong with our cars and that distracted them.

 

[tomcat]

When I first got my SC license, I would run the Friday nite "King of the Hill" race at Hallsville for practice. It was a all-run show with everybody paying $10 to run with the winner getting 60% and the runner up getting 40%. It was good seat time, and I won it a few times and used the money to enter the regular show on Saturday. One of my favorite races of all time was on one of those Friday nites when I ran a 4 door Maverick that was dialed in at about 18.80. I was dialed in around 8.50 and left on his top bulb with a cross-over box. When I finally left, I could barely see his tail lights down the track. I ran him down and won the race, but I swear I was laughing all the way down the track watching him come back into view. I don't think I could have lived it down if I had lost that race. One pass I will never forget.

 

[jim]

A slow bike (or car) can miss each shift and still turn about the same ET. A quick bike (or car) has to nail the run to make its ET. I've seen some silly car matchups. Like a mid 10 second Vette versus a bone stock VW Bug.

 

[Reese]

At a all bike race I see a very good super gas racer enter his pit bike. His dial was 28 seconds (I think) and he loss in the final. They were trying all kinds of tricks to beat him, 8 sec. bikes were dailing 28 sec. and riding along side him, some could not wait and red light, breaking out etc. The only reason he loss in the final was he was late and the other rider just ran his own race, didn't even look at him and trusted his dial.

 

[Mikey]

So anyway do you guys think it is fair that ORP puts a bump ET? I am one of those slow bikes that does not make that cut and i think it is rubbish. I cant afford to go fast but i love to race, why should i not be allowed to race just because i am unable to get a faster bike?

 

[Nitrohaulic]

One of my friends has a six cylinder 68 Camaro (that he got for a graduation present in 69, always with a six). Several years ago it was running 10s in the eighth with a transbrake and another friend was the first in our area to get a rear engine bracket dragster, dialing in the low fives. We LOVED watching those two! They were both very consistent and you never knew who was going to win. The one with the dragster wouldn't even bring his idle up until after the other guy left!

This was at a very slick track and the most consistent car I ever saw (and ran against! He had my lunch more than once!) was a little rear engined, narrow tired, flat four VW powered dragster that runs 7s. Deadly, deadly, deadly. I think he said he burns about a quart of gas a run. It has a Powerglide adapted to it in which they cut a notch in the top of the bellhousing so they could mount a Chevy starter on it facing backwards!

 

[ssman]

ORP wants to send paying customers/racers away because some the regular 8 motorcycle guys are afraid to race a mid 17 second hondamatic. I guess that is there decision.