Growing up out West, I've always been around rodeo and liked the format they have for the end of the year. Some may know, some may not.

They have the NFR (National Finals Rodeo) at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas the 2nd week of December each year.

This is for the top 15 money earners of the year as tracked by the PRCA (Pro Rodeo Cowboy Association) in each respective class. Bareback Riding, Saddle Bronc Riding, Steer Wrestling, Calf Roping, Team Roping, Barrel Racing for the Ladies and Bull Riding.

Huge coverage, HUGER PAYOUTS!

This goes on for 10 days straight with each day consisting of a competition. The top 6 places earn money each day. Here is the daily payout for this year. If there is a tie for a position the place finishers combine and split. If 6 don't place the remaining payout is split among those who did, so full payout is paid.

2023 NFR payout per round (This is EACH DAY! for Each Category!)

1st place: $30,706 per man
2nd: $24,268
3rd: $18,325
4th: $12,877
5th: $7,924
6th: $4,953
2023 NFR average payout

At the end of the 10 days, there is also an AVERAGE Payout for the 15 competitors

$78,747 per man
$63,889
$50,517
$37,145
$26,744
$19,315
$13,372
$7,429

This is a **** Ton of Money, but IMO a GREAT way to honor and decide who was the best for the season

I really think something like this could be done for Bracket Racers. You could race anywhere in the country, whatever races you wanted and your earnings would go towards your standings at the end of the year.

I haven't put a lot of thought into the structure, but it surely could be figured out. Some questions that come to mind are:

Do you put a cap on earnings at an event so the "Million" style race winners aren't just automatically in? I don't think so, but maybe these races are for the split amount?
Do you count the purse amount or the "split" amount? Personally I think you have to stick with advertised $'s

Lots of questions???

But this truly could be a way to where racers from all over the country could race for a "National Championship" of Bracket Racing!

Maybe at the Drag Illustrated World Series of PRO Mod in the future?

Let's hear your thoughts!

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

My neighbor provides some of the bulls for that event. Yes, NC Bulls!

It is a big deal and people come from all over the Country to watch it. That right there is the deal. They have packed stands for the full 10 days of the event. That kind of spectator draw allows them to have huge payouts.

I do not see any bracket race ever getting that kind of spectator turn out so that means all of the money has to come from entry fees. Sure, it would be nice to have a bunch of spectators and a 10 day big bucks race but I do not see it happening.

So you could build the purse for a "Championship" event by collecting a modest (voluntary) entry fee into a points program, at bracket races all over, top 32 or 64 points earners get invited to a season ending, or opening event.
Sorta like the original Summit Super Series deal?
Issue the racer a special competition number, and tracks report in to a central data base. One competition number per driver.

This would require quite a bit of cooperation as tracks, promoters, and sponsors would all have to be on board.

From an old track operator's side of this. Very difficult to expect a part time track owner to worry about car numbers, who is driving, what week, etc. The basic logistics to keep track would be very difficult to organize. Then throw in the inevitable, "Hey buddy, lose this final to me and I give you 50%". It opens things up for unethical people to simply be unethical, due to the prize money.

I would love to see something like that happen but it would be a "hard sell" to get the Big Money Race Promoters to spend the energy to do the paperwork and work to make sure it was fair.

I am thinking those events would need a "sanctioning" of sorts to get honesty and reliable reporting and rules. Just thoughts. Sounds cool but are there people who would pay to watch a 32 or 64 car show? (Do it in 2-3 hours maximum, add in a some Nostalgia Nitro?? Gotta be a "show", right? They sure won't come to watch 2-3 hours of bracket racing with nothing happening between rounds.

Jok

This shootout would be part of another event that is already supported?
No part of bracket racing will ever sell for spectator support.

This is a cool concept... it's too bad we don't have some national association of hot rodders that cared about sportsman racers enough to come up with a format for something like this and keep track of it to ensure that it's dues-paying sportsman racers get the recognition they deserve. Maybe some sort of sanctioning body that did something besides collecting dues and editing a rule book.

A couple of things.

Didnt luke bogacki do a driver list over the course of the year sometime back. If so how did he keep up with it?

Wasnt petes allstar race very similar to this? It was kind of the who is who in bracket racing.

So it has sort of been done.

ep

Good feed back guys.

A couple things. Yes I'd say it would need to be like a said part of a year end event.

Drivers would be required to submit proof of winnings that would be verified.

I think it would need to be supported by sponsorship of all sorts.

NO entry fee would be required unlike "petes" deal which was also hand picked and not based on actual finishes during the season and also charged those who they picked to pay the purse in form of an entry fee.

Bogacki did a points deal, Gleghorn did a similar format this year. But nobody raced each other, just basically a year end points fund.

We did in 2013 a deal where drivers purchased an entry at the beginning of the year and picked 15 races that if you won or r/u qualified you into the year end race at SGMP where the winner received a dragster chassis and other finishers received prizes.

I vision something like this being combined with a lager event as mentioned like Wes Bucks World Series of Pro Mod in Bradenton this winter.

I think it would need to be 16 so no bye involved.

There will be no spectators. Where is the money going to come from? Big money races depend on multiple entries and buybacks from people who don't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning. I don't see any of that in this scenario.

quote:

Originally posted by SlyFox:
There will be no spectators. Where is the money going to come from? Big money races depend on multiple entries and buybacks from people who don't have a snowball's chance in hell of winning. I don't see any of that in this scenario.

Where is the money going to come from?

That Wes Buck race coming up in Florida is going to have an "invitation only" race for Stock and Super Stock. I've seen a few people on social media very excited because they "got an invitation".

They are instructed to go to the website and confirm their attendance.


And also their $1,000 entry fee.

So that is where the money could come from.

So sixteen top bracket racers are going to travel to a race where the total purse is only $16k, and they're going to put up all the money themselves?

LMAO

quote:

Originally posted by SlyFox:
So sixteen top bracket racers are going to travel to a race where the total purse is only $16k, and they're going to put up all the money themselves?

LMAO

No,they could have an "invitation only" race.This race is not necessarily for anybody that is any good. But since they get invited,they pay a huge entry fee that could help pay the purse for the "Elite" racers.

LOL you guys are thinking way to small!

Not an invitation, only by winnings
No entry fee
16 racers
Multiple Races
Big Payouts
Corporate Sponsors
Live Coverage
Pay Per view

Maybe even Wheel Standers!

Just think, racer x dominates at home track, wins a few outlying area races, maybe wins the ET Finals and qualifies.

Roger Brogdon has put together a similar style race for comp racers that paid 100k to the winner, 25k 2nd, all the way down to 10k for 10th.

The original post is a good one.I think it could be done. But deciding on what 16 racers would be in it would be quite controversial.

Nope, not controversial. You race all year to get in the race. Figure out a way to logically and honestly track winnings and there is no controversy.

quote:

Originally posted by DragRaceResults:
Nope, not controversial. You race all year to get in the race. Figure out a way to logically and honestly track winnings and there is no controversy.

I've often thought "points" should be scored at the payout window.
Pro golf is ranked by dollars won.
Bracket racing is the closest thing to golf there is, in the sporting world. You and your equipment against the course, for the smallest package.