Anyone else lose the love with chasing points during the season? I won box points at our local track better than 10 years ago. By the end of the season, it was frankly anything but fun. It was more of a time and money pit really. Couldn't leave anything to chance ever and it seemed like I was always fixing or maintaining the car. My son seems the feel the same way now in the jr's. He would rather hit a money race here and there and not be tied to one track all season. He just has no interest in getting into points after winning a championship early in his racing.

Anyone else get burned out with chasing points?

I chased track points in early 90's, got bored, chased points in NHRA for 10 yrs, got bored raced 8.50 Index for 5 yrs, got bored now not sure which direction but still gonna race.

Quit chasing points some time ago , not that it hasn't crossed my mind to give it a shot, but being tied down and feeling like I had to be there when the weather forecast was chance of rain or hot muggy makes it a easy decision to go when an where I want

Alot depends on the yr end prizes. The bigger the prize, the more likely people are to stick it out all season.

SPent 4 years chasing points IHRA TA/FC and finished top 8 all and top5 2 and 3rd.On 3rd place was 3 way tie for world championship last race.

I got shinlges that year,from stress of making money and time on nothing but car. Was still 100k in hole with 2 wins and 2 ru.

Would I do it again.Hell yea given chance and money.Now it takes half million to chase a alky title in NHRA and thats minimum.

As for year end pirze.I I had won championship that 100k negative would have been 85k negative. If I had won all 12 races and title I would been in hole. Got to hate money to do it.

For several years I was chasing points at Texas Motorplex NHRA and Dallas Raceway IHRA and running other races when I could. It was quite a job but I enjoyed it and did pretty good. Dallas Raceway went out of business due to divorce of owner and Motorplex changed up the schedule so Now I race the SHRA circuit and what ever races I want. Did not sign up for points last year and will not this year.
Pus this new dragster is such a pain to load and unload etc. that it takes much of fun out of it. (Fun. That is why we do it right?) After I get my new house built and moved in I am going to put Camaro back together and start bracket racing it again.

I still love to chase track points. However, it isn't as easy for me to find places to do it, anymore. Most tracks are now giving points after buying back in, and since I don't b*yback... Take care. Tom Worthington

quote:

Originally posted by Curly1:
For several years I was chasing points at Texas Motorplex NHRA and Dallas Raceway IHRA and running other races when I could. It was quite a job but I enjoyed it and did pretty good. Dallas Raceway went out of business due to divorce of owner and Motorplex changed up the schedule so Now I race the SHRA circuit and what ever races I want. Did not sign up for points last year and will not this year.
Pus this new dragster is such a pain to load and unload etc. that it takes much of fun out of it. (Fun. That is why we do it right?) After I get my new house built and moved in I am going to put Camaro back together and start bracket racing it again.

Don't let a long car take the fun out of it. Drive that sucker in and out like I do!

I'll start off chasing points this year as usual but if I'm not in the top ten by third race I'll just coast and enjoy the view.

I did it for a number of years. The year I won the track championship in quick rod I got $250. I knew it wouldn't pay a lot, but it left a sour taste in my mouth. As much as I would like to win another, to prove it wasn't a fluke. I race what I want when I want now.

Been chasing points since 2011 I believe. Finished 3rd that year. I've only been driving since 2007 when I made 10 passes that year. Didn't make all the races and didn't do too well until 2016 when I finished third again. Won it the last 2 years.

We had 14 races in 2017, 18 races last year, and now just 12 this year. Many of ours are double race days so it makes it easier to chase and still travel if you want to.

This year paid $200 and trophy for 3rd, $400, trophy for 2nd, $1000, trophy, jacket and gold card to win. The gold card is really nice. I am ready to chase again this year but do understand the feeling of having to be there. Personally I like that feeling though, it keeps me motivated to be ready.

It may not be as old to me as others since I've probably not been driving as long as many.


Curtis

quote:

Originally posted by CURTIS REED:


We had 14 races in 2017, 18 races last year, and now just 12 this year. Many of ours are double race days so it makes it easier to chase and still travel if you want to.

This year paid $200 and trophy for 3rd, $400, trophy for 2nd, $1000, trophy, jacket and gold card to win. The gold card is really nice. I am ready to chase again this year but do understand the feeling of having to be there. Personally I like that feeling though, it keeps me motivated to be ready


Curtis

Why is the Gold card so nice ? You can put a dollar value on it. Entry fee x no. of races. Then it's only good at that racetrack. Give me Benjamin's every time

I won the track championship at the Motorplex in 2 classes the first year I had this dragster. After that I started getting bored with the points deal and bracket racing in general. Thats why I decided to make the switch to TD, the challenge a performance based class is making it fun again.

I`ve been chasing points for the better part of 35 years and still enjoy it. Won with anything from 20 second street cars to 8 second dragsters. Seldom run the same class two or three years in a row to keep it fresh or run two cars in four different classes in the same year. Maybe take a year or two off and run a couple of races those years. Run an 11 second delay car and a 16 second bottom bulb footbrake car the same season. Gotta keep it fresh and keep it a challenge.

Ran local track points from 1990-2010. Won a track championship, a bunch of top 3 finishes and a bracket finals championship during that period. Would not trade those years for the world, but would not want to race 31 weekends a year again. You had to be married to it. In 2011, I started running NHRA/IHRA .90 stuff and found that I really enjoy the long weekends of racing a lot more than one night points weekends. Besides, who goes and climbs the same mountain twice? It’s all about new challenges!

Have slowed down with racing the last three years, due to building a house and shop, plus my daughter’s travel basketball schedule. She will be heading off to college in a little over a year. The wife and I are looking forward to getting back to racing, but it will be more of the weekend long stuff, 12-14 weekends a year.

Since my first full season in 1991, I had always run points. I won numerous championships throughout the years, and the NHRA Div. 1 Bracket Finals in '94. When I got involved in Stock, I wasn't able to run as many points races, but always ran enough to qualify for the Bracket Finals. I went to work for IHRA in the Bader era, which limited my racing. Missed the main team for the Bracket Finals one year by one round, but got to go as an alternate and won the gamblers race there.

In 2003, I started running Stock in IHRA, and won the World Championship. They had a rule that the Top 10 in the World were not eligible to run the Bracket Finals, so I stuck with Stock and big money races for many years. When they changed the rule to only keeping out the Top 5, and I was #6 or #9, I ran track points again, and won the championship at Rockingham one of those years. (The other year I missed the championship by 2 rounds, not knowing that they awarded points after buybacks there, and didn't buyback when I could've that year... smh)

Trying to run Stock and local track points was a tough juggling act. In 2009, I missed the championship at Pageland just by missing 1 day of show-up points. I won both the IHRA Div. 2 Bracket Finals and the IHRA Stock World Championship that year, so I wasn't even allowed to defend my Bracket Finals title the following year. I haven't run points since. Just been class racing and big money bracket racing.

This is the first time in almost 10 years that I'm thinking about running track points again. I don't run Stock or Super Stock anymore, and there's enough holes in my big money schedule to give it a go at Dragway 42 this year.

With the car and driver both being broke more often than not the last two years, I'll be happy just to race!

quote:

Originally posted by 27Keith:

quote:

Originally posted by CURTIS REED:


We had 14 races in 2017, 18 races last year, and now just 12 this year. Many of ours are double race days so it makes it easier to chase and still travel if you want to.

This year paid $200 and trophy for 3rd, $400, trophy for 2nd, $1000, trophy, jacket and gold card to win. The gold card is really nice. I am ready to chase again this year but do understand the feeling of having to be there. Personally I like that feeling though, it keeps me motivated to be ready


Curtis

Why is the Gold card so nice ? You can put a dollar value on it. Entry fee x no. of races. Then it's only good at that racetrack. Give me Benjamin's every time

Look at it however you want. It is money in my pocket just the same. I just roll up and in without having to pay so I like it.

I also have another gold card for any D4 track that gets me into their points races free so I like that one too.

Curtis

Experienced a lot myself, but being able to roll into a free, invitation only race that consists of track champions around the nation (Memphis) will rate among the top of them. You are not only running for a nice prize, but you are also representing your track and your fellow racers are all able to watch online. I was more pumped for elims in that race than I've been in a long time. No filler shows, no BuyBacks, just a straight up race for the champs. It's a very cool deal for those who chase points or win team finals.


-steve

Although I join the points program every year at my favorite track, I only do so to help promote their program. I don’t compete to be the track champion nor have I ever been with my door car. My only goal is to try and win the race that I am attending.

I am very interested in attending some of these new higher paying races that have over 400 entries while I am still physically able to travel longer distances to attend, and feel (at 67) I still am competitive and can learn to become better in this competition arena.

quote:

Originally posted by markemark:
Although I join the points program every year at my favorite track, I only do so to help promote their program. I don’t compete to be the track champion nor have I ever been with my door car. My only goal is to try and win the race that I am attending.

I am very interested in attending some of these new higher paying races that have over 400 entries while I am still physically able to travel longer distances to attend, and feel (at 67) I still am competitive and can learn to become better in this competition arena.

That is outstanding!!! Take care. Tom Worthington