I have a pretty good idea,I just wanted to see if others knew who,when,where,and why?

I was going to comment on another thread,but decided to just start a new one.

This is not a bash bracket racing thread.

If there were no bracket type racing,I don't think I would be involved in the sport of drag racing today.

It was either Ed or Al Gore not sure which one.

Guessing I’d say Ron Leek of Byron Dragway.

I think Pappy Hart [Heart] [sp]

I believe it was 1967 and we went to York Dragway.

We had a '57 Chevy sedan delivery and went with Frank Iaconio who raced a '57 2 dr Sedan at the time.

Jere Stahl invited him out there to try some headers.

We went just to race our car. There was a Jr.Stock event the next day at our home track, Island Dragway here in NJ and we would go there to.

Frank had problems at York and we ran what they called "DIAL YOUR OWN" ....

You put a number on the window and could not run under it...I think we broke out in an early round....

1967 the first time I saw this format......and it was at York Dragway...

In the early 1970's at Island dragway they started to run brackets.

1 second ET breaks with handicap starts. No breakout allowed.

Ran off the fast end and the slow end and fast winner ran slow winner for the overall title of the day.

Within about another year it was Super Pro, Pro, Heavy, Street and Bike...

Woodfin is correct. It was Pappy Parker at Lions that first came up with the idea. SCDIV1 you are a little late. The first NHRA Div 1 Bracket finals was held at York I think it was 1976. Anyway that year the winners were
Pro John DiBartolomeo
RU Jim Rainey
Heavy Mike Minno
RU Ronnie Martlock
Street Bruce Bowman
RU Joe Kienapple

The idea for the finals came from the United Bracket RAcers

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ferndaleflyer,

I knew Ferndaleflyer would know the answer. Was thinking if anyone was going to it would be him when I read this question earlier today.

What year and where did the delay box show up in bracket racing?

I think 65, I was at Lions racing class on Saturday and brackets on Sunday. Yikes, I'm old!

I can still remember when Old Dominion (Manassas VA) ran on individual 1/4 second 1/8 mile ET "brackets". For example: 8.00, 7.75. 7.50, 7.25, etc. You were able to select your own "bracket", but not just any dial-in. Once the winners of each "bracket" was determined, then the "bracket" winners all ran against each other with handicapped starts. I kinda thought that was how the term "bracket racing" got started. I know better nowadays. Take care. Tom Worthington

About the delay box, I had one of the first. It was a simple timer adjusted with a screwdriver, designed to be used on the bottom bulb. I "think" it was sold by Dedenbear. I raced with it at the NHRA bracket finals at Green Valley in 1982.

Also, the fellow who was the original Digital Delay owner/inventor built/sold the first full tree, the top bulb, delay box, and the first crossover delay box. His Son now owns and operates Digital Delay.

How many remember the Bob's boxes with 9 volt batteries? Only 3 digits to begin with. I believe I still have one or two here that we had converted to 4 digit.

When was the 1st matty box installed?

quote:

Originally posted by Larry Woodfin:
About the delay box, I had one of the first. It was a simple timer adjusted with a screwdriver, designed to be used on the bottom bulb. I "think" it was sold by Dedenbear. I raced with it at the NHRA bracket finals at Green Valley in 1982.

Also, the fellow who was the original Digital Delay owner/inventor built/sold the first full tree, the top bulb, delay box, and the first crossover delay box. His Son now owns and operates Digital Delay.

Sam Biondo sold ice cube style delay relays. You told him how much you were red lighting by off the bottom and he set it.

The first top bulb delay box I saw was at the 1986 Div 1 Bracket finals, Maple Grove. My good friend showed us how it worked and I thought it was stupid....shows how much I know !!

There is no doubt whatsoever in my mind that "others" had a top bulb delay before that and were using it for a while to win a lot of races.

Delay boxes were banned for a while in this Division for bracket racing. You know without a doubt people had them and used them anyway...and a few got caught...

Dedenbaer and Digital Delay started selling boxes but there were some home made by the mid 1980's...

I won a S/G national event using a Dedenbaer t-stop and they offered me a delay box at a reduced price.

I told them I don't need a delay box, I need a "speeder upper" box..... .440 (.040)shallow....

quote:

I need a "speeder upper" box.

Ha, thus, the top bulb and crossover delay box

Wasn't it Terry Sinke that "made a fool of our system" That caused the banning of delay boxes in Div 1 in the first place? He had some kind of a home made mess. That guy had a lot of ideas before they became common.

quote:

Originally posted by TORQIN:
What year and where did the delay box show up in bracket racing?

As Larry mentioned there were earlier ones, but delay boxes became common around 1986 or 1987. People hiding their dial ins, as well as sneaking and changing them became common around that time too. I got one in 1985 (Ed Quay Delay, soon replaced by a Digital Delay). I didn't have a 2 step. I just matted the throttle on the next to last yellow. (5 amber tree) I had my box hid, so people didn't hide their dials from me. Up until 1988, when I built my Vega and put my box out in the open people used to use me as an example of how you didn't need a box to win. I won races before I had a box. (My first win was in a 4 speed camaro before I had a drivers license.) My favorite "era" was when I had a box, and hardly no one else did. LOL

I’m leaning toward Al Gore, he!! he claims to have invented everything else.

And yes, you are getting old Larry. That’s not a bad thing when you consider the alternative.

Bob

The top bulb delay box was a boon for many people but for me it was not a good thing.

I did well off the bottom without a box. Footbrake or trans brake.

Once I got comfortable using a trans brake button I used an adjustable rev limiter switch box....plastic and I think it was from Dedenbaer but am not sure...

It had little dip switches.....lowest was 3000 or 3200....Worked great most of the time. Hard to see at night and not easy to click those little switches. A small screw driver and a flashlight.


Footbraking I used rpm and bumps if I had to speed my RT up....Car was not easy to hold past 3400-3500 so 1 or 2 little bumps usually was all it took

Once everyone else had a top bulb delay box and learned how to use it, competition got way tougher.

quote:

Originally posted by ferndaleflyer:
Wasn't it Terry Sinke that "made a fool of our system" That caused the banning of delay boxes in Div 1 in the first place? He had some kind of a home made mess. That guy had a lot of ideas before they became common.

He did do very well in I think it was a Fiat Topolino....stretched wheelbase maybe.

The argument back then was delay boxes were hurting participation and they got voted out(BANNED) by track operators.

That was around 1989-1990 I think.

After a couple years it went the other way and the argument was not allowing delay boxes is hurting participation and they also can't really police the ban anyway...