[1QuickBird]

We are trying to get some more racers to come out and play in our Midwest Index Shootout at Byron Dragway, but we are having some issues relating to the bracket racers, and the casual racer.

If you are a index racer, what attracted you to it?
If you aren't, what deters you from jumping in?

We run a 8.60, 9.50, 10.20 all on Pro .400 tree..
10.80, and 11 second and slower is an open class where you can pick your own index on the tenth... These are run on a .500 pro tree...

Good payouts, average entry fee, good family environment.

 

[Mi.5.0Fred]

I like leaving at the same time and I liked the Pro Tree.
We couldn't get enough regular racers to support a once a month Saturday program at Milan.

 

[1QuickBird]

I like leaving at the same time and I liked the Pro Tree.
We couldn't get enough regular racers to support a once a month Saturday program at Milan.

That's sort of what we are fighting now... This week we had 1) 8.0 car, 1)8.60, 10)9.50, 10)10.20, 2)10.80

I know there are hundreds of these cars in the area, both the avid bracket racer, and the casual test and tuner.

 

[IMSHOT]

Ill hopefully be getting my car out soon. Id give it a try.

 

[2badcat]

I like leaving at the same time and I liked the Pro Tree.
.

Ditto^^^

 

[1QuickBird]

Ill hopefully be getting my car out soon. Id give it a try.

Good to hear man, it really is fun. I was never a bracket guy, but after running index stuff against some very tough 8.60 competition, I was instantly hooked.

 

[bigbumper74]

I hope I can return to it sooner rather than later. There is no reason for guys not to show up and run these classes unless you are just not racing at all. It fun, competitive, and everyone has a better than average chance to win no matter what. Good luck getttinbg more cars to show. I hate to say it, but would allowing electronics help with the numbers. I recall that beinjg an issue in trying to attract the 8.60 and faster cars.

 

[Ls1coin]

Its hard enough to get enough bracket cars to have a good field let alone enough to run a bunch of index classes IMO

 

[10secondranchero]

Im an East Coast guy so im not sure if any of this helps or not, but around here we have 8.50, 10.00 and 11.50 index classes. The 8.50 and 10.00 classes always seem to have 20 or more cars every month. Atco and Cecil seem to have the most successful index classes. Not sure how many tracks you have out there but Atco and Cecil use the same rules which make it easy for guys to go to different tracks and race with the same rules. We have a track trying to start up an index race but had very open rules and a .400 pro tree instead of a .500 pro tree so they had 3 people at their last race. YB Nationals had 52 10.00 index cars and well over 50 8.50 cars. I believe Index racing is catching on big here because we all race with the big heads up classes and we know we cant afford to be at that level so it lets us be heads up to a certain degree. It's still bracket racing but leaving together and being side by side the whole way down is awesome. The big race in Orlando next month has a 10.00 index class and is paying $3,000 to win.

Best of luck getting something going out there.

 

[Simmermaniac]

I'm a huge non-electronic index supporter. You have a good program, I'm pulling for you.
Wish I had better advice, but bracket racing is ingrained in most.

 

[1QuickBird]

Its hard enough to get enough bracket cars to have a good field let alone enough to run a bunch of index classes IMO

Byron typically fields over 300 bracket racers...

 

[T.Fiddler]

What are your rules?

 

[Ken Schertz]

I think the pro tree has a lot to do with keeping the full tree racers away.

You don't need .00 lights to go rounds and win races.

I don't think my car can do better than a high .02 (working on that) and I am happy being fairly consistent with .03 - .05 I can go rounds and win races with those RT's ( and perhaps a little luck) and the good part is, it is impossible to red light so I have a race to the finish every time.

I think the brackets may pay better to win but you have to go a lot of rounds to do so.

Something you could think of to build the program might be free entry to first time index racer. If so, you should specify it is for FIRST TIME INDEX racer only not for people, myself included, that index race at GLD then take advantage of a free entry at Byron.

GLD could try something similar but I doubt that will happen. ONE thing nice about GLD's program is, if you break before 1st round qualifying, you get rain check for your entry fee. I blew motor last year at GLD and used rain check for first race this year, broke R&P last race and will use rain check for this months race.

 

[1QuickBird]

http://dev.byrondragway.com/wp-cont...idwest-Index-Shoot-out-classes-rules-2014.pdf

Pro-tree just takes practice, heck I can't cut a full tree anymore. I would be open to free entry, but then how do you payout?
Bracket races do have a good payout, but typically you are 6 rounds before you even get anything. The index deal can have good payouts, just need to draw some cars in.
As far as reaction times, I won a lot of races last year in the 8.60 class, both GDRA and MIS.. I am an average .030 guy typically, I can go .00X's but not with any consistency.... Granted this is a 3200lb wagon that didn't have a 2 step...
The 10.20 class this weekend I saw anywhere from .02x-.080 winning rounds..

 

[Ken Schertz]

Rules look good. Keep it simple. I may lose the deep stage prohibition and I am not a deep stager but, to each his own.

I have been index racing in the area on and off since IMSM. There are barely enough cars for ONE index organization.

IMSM was simple such as yours. they got decent cars and then decided to complicate things. Along comes GDRA (simple rules back along with decent payout) and folks, including myself made the switch. Eventually IMSM was out and GDRA was in.

Then GDRA started to complicate things, slightly reduce payout, along with leaving GLD. GLD started its own program and now both are competing for the same cars. GDRA is suffering as well. GLD is nothing to write home about but do have more cars.

You are now competing with GDRA and GLD for the same cars. (throw MSSM in there and there are another 12 8.60 cars) Someone has to set themselves apart and I think it will take sponsor money to do so.

 

[1QuickBird]

MIS has been around for 2 years now, and basically is the "same" as IMSM, but run by Byron instead of by an individual..
The Grove's deal has been a decent filler for the brawl, I would really like one stand out index program for everyone to get in to.
As long as the Groves rules coinside, there is no reason they can't benefit as well.. They only run the 8.60 & 9.50 anyways..

MSSM wants to get paid, not pay to get in.. They want to be the show, which is something they do well..

 

[acs55]

you need to set the et breaks at the equipment /safety cut offs.
8.50 10.0 and 11.50 any they must be legal for mph they run.
dont break a guys balls for 8.49/9.99 if he is dialed for 8.50/10.00 .
dont .400 tree any car that is not 8.50
set tire max size to 33x 10.5 w slick for 8.50 and weight with driver 2800#
back half only. bolt in tube x members and arms allowed factory mounted location no fire wall set back
10.0h and 11.50 is 2800# .500 tree max tire is 30x10.5 slick or 30x13.5 street tires back half allowed factory front with tube bolt on x and arms

 

[Bohica]

^^^^^^ what he said. Minus all the weight and tire restrictions for the slower classes if you want to attract the bracket racers.

 

[Pro Stock John]

GLD has NCSB and they have 8.60 and 9.50.

I would like someone do a slower index around here no place to run 10.5/ 11.0/ 11.5. I think NCSB use to have a 6.20 index

 

[denn468]

I run in the renegade series i think Class et has a lot to do with it. We run 11.50 10.50 9.90 8.90 and we were running ols. I think your 10.20 to 8.60 is too much of a swing. Our 9.90 class is full of cars that run from 9.00 to 9.90. Because they are too slow to run 8.90 and don't want to slow down to run 10.sec. Our 10.50 is traditionally our biggest field we would have 32 cars in it. Until we started the 11.50 class. And a few jumped to 9.90. Et has a lot to do with it. Whats nice is since the start of renegade other tracks have started index programs using the same et breaks . gives people a chance to build and tune a car for more than once a month. Good luck with your series.