Thread: Heads Up or Bracket? what do you prefer?

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all things close to even .......heads up.but its all about the dollars ...you got the loot and 'mechanics'and can hook it, you gonna win/simple answer.i bracket race.i hated it at first but once you get used to it..it kinda grows on ya and keeps you off the streets where its dangerous and not healthy=cops/traffic etc

I like heads up racing - and, I also agree with everyone that all the electronics need to go away (but keep the transbrakes). When we raced the Super classes in the NHRA, you not only had to be a mechanic and race car driver, but you had to be a weatherman. Why? Cuz we all know how the weather affects our cars, now throw into that mix throttle stops and delay boxes and all that crud and one degree of humidity change affects everything. It wasn't a lot of fun. Pro Stock was MUCH better! ha ha!

I have to agree with the majority that heads up is more fun to watch and probably to compete but I can't afford the $$$ for heads up racing. So I bracket race and have a blast at that. I race Modified "No Electronics". I've been driving my buddies car a few times with the electronics and the Glide and to be honest with you it's just not as fun as shifting the car yourself and launching off the foot brake or transbrake without a delay.

So based on my budget, I like Bracket racing

Thanks

Heads up is the best run what U brung 427 FE Rules

This will be a stupid question to you guy's but what is the difference between the two or what does each one mean? I don't know too much about different classes and all and am still learning.
Thanks.

Originally posted by FMXhellraiser
This will be a stupid question to you guy's but what is the difference between the two or what does each one mean? I don't know too much about different classes and all and am still learning.
Thanks.

Guess I will jump in on this one, heads up is when both cars leave the starting line at the same time and whichever one crosses the finish line first is the winner. Usually the fastest car will win the race, in bracket racing, the cars are dialed in to run a certain ET, (elapsed time from start to finish). Example would be a Ford runs the 1/8th mile in 8.59 seconds and a Dodge runs it in 8.69 seconds. At the starting line the Dodge would leave a tenth of a second sooner than the Ford(handicap) and if all things are equal they would get to finish line at the same time. Many variables will cause one or the other to win, but also, even if you cross the line first, you can still lose by "breaking out" This is the basics of bracket racing, to run the exact dial in of your car without going to fast. IE. would be 8.58 for the Ford, who would lose if the Dodge ran his 8.69. The whole thing is more geared to the driver and his abilities to cut a good light(quick reaction time on the starting line) and his car running dead on his dial in.

The classes we run here are Street, Pro/noE and SuperPro. They all have set rules to go by such as the Pro/noE's cannot use any type of electronic device to enhance the chances of winning. Super's can use any devices to launch and shift etc. Street is kind of the entry level everyday driver type class. When I first saw the brackets I thought they sucked, but after doing it for many years now, it is a lot harder than heads up, requireing good math, weather calculations and a ton of other stuff, to make the car "Consistent" on each race. Was supposed to be a cost cutting class of racing, kind of like Busch series cars compared to the Cup cars of Nascar. Does not always work that way though, always want to go faster and that costs money. Hope this sheds some light on the subject.

heads up the money or whos cheating the most win most of the time. with bracket it gives the under dog a chance to win some times.

Thanks for the explaination (sp) on the whole subject Old Time. There is something that I learned today. Well then I like the sounds of the heads up a bit better but I can't say nothing much since I have never raced either of those or nothing.

Originally posted by lt1s10
heads up the money or whos cheating the most win most of the time. with bracket it gives the under dog a chance to win some times.

I agree, it is more of a bragging rights thing around here. Blowers, nitrous and 25000 dollar engines, 1500 dollar trannys and three to four bottle fills of silly gas at 45.00 a fill for a few passes a night. I love to watch them and draws big crowds to the track. But as most race engines like that goes, one wrong shot of the nos, and another engine is sent to its grave. They must have deeper pockets than me, cause they are back in a short time running just as fast. These are mostly non sponsored cars, and some 5.0 cars are running low 5's in the 1/8th at around 130 or so.

Went to Memphis for the national event a few weeks back and saw a real boring class. Super stock and super gas cars, they run an index type race which is like heads up but they must stay under a set et like 9.50 seconds in the quarter mile. These cars are doing wheel stands at launch and then lift off the throttle for three hundred feet and then stab it again. Almost all ended up running the index of9.50 with a hundreth or two over. Don't like it at all, when that car nails the throttle and stands her up, I would rather see the whole under power run. Forgot to mention that they really don't lift off the throttle, it is controlled by a throttle stop device that is rpm activated and then deactivated again at a second rpm setting to keep the car under or at the 9.50 index. Just like beer, one guy likes one brand and another guy likes his brand. Give me basic home brew and the world is right again for me.

All you heads-up Guy's out there tell me, if you had the slowest car with no chance of winning you would still pick heads-up over bracket racing, get real.

i would say bracket cause i dont have the money and besides i dont like the electric garbage on my stuff just more to work on if you ask me

With all that electrical stuff you might as well buy a ricer and throw all those TV's and everything in it. heh.

I would say if it's an unsuspecting ricer let's go heads up. If they come prepared better make it bracket. He hE hE

Haha pro that little thing is sweet. Nice burn out. Well in my car I wouldn't be able to race either bracket or heads up, I would need a new class to race called flinstoning where you basically have no floors, big huge shin guards and a lot of tetnis (sp) shots, and a ton o leg muscle and you run your little ass down the track. Now that would be a good one and probably the only race a ricer could win in since they got lighter cars. If that's how racing was we all would be on a rice forum right now talking crap about heavy hot rods. hah. I can just picture it now...

Heads up racing should only be used for grudge matches or left for the street, its simple, if your a GOOD racer then bracket racing is the best, theres nothing like watching a 8 second dragster chase down a 17 second car, AND WIN, gotta love it, BRACKET ALL THE WAY, that way everybodys equal.