I knew trans brakes were allowed in FB BUT I didn't realize that a 2 step was also allowed. Using a transbrake AND a 2 step, IMHO, violates the spirit of FB. I attended the bracket finals at Atlanta this weekend and many FB cars were using those devices. I checked with the division directer and the tech guy and the NHRA rules on that subject are as clear as MUD. They are contradictory. I can't understand why those devices are permitted in FB at all. It seems to me that using those assists you are half way toward the delay box class. I also attended the Bristol 100K Labor Day event and NO ONE was allowed trans brakes or a 2 step on the starting line. Can't understand why NHRA would allow this.

Foot brake has been whittled away at for years. You are right in the area where years ago I pointed out to a track manager that a competitor in foot brake had 4 buttons on his steering wheel. He just shrugged his shoulders and did nothing. No box put the button legally on the steering wheel and where that goes nobody knows. I am all for foot brake being just that, No buttons and no grid, or laptop tuning. Get rid of electric/ air shifters (which I have)---get rid of it all and make it foot brake. And it was my understanding that 2 steps were allowed in no box cars in NHRA and stick shift cars everywhere. First of all have rules and second enforce the rules. If there is no rule against it you aren't breaking a rule--its innovation.

quote:

Originally posted by 62Galaxie:
I knew trans brakes were allowed in FB BUT I didn't realize that a 2 step was also allowed. Using a transbrake AND a 2 step, IMHO, violates the spirit of FB. I attended the bracket finals at Atlanta this weekend and many FB cars were using those devices. I checked with the division directer and the tech guy and the NHRA rules on that subject are as clear as MUD. They are contradictory. I can't understand why those devices are permitted in FB at all. It seems to me that using those assists you are half way toward the delay box class. I also attended the Bristol 100K Labor Day event and NO ONE was allowed trans brakes or a 2 step on the starting line. Can't understand why NHRA would allow this.

If you knew transbrakes were allowed you should know two steps were allowed, I have never seen anybody run transbrake without a two step.
If it’s being called footbrake then that’s what it should be but to say no tuners and other electronics wouldn’t you be eliminating most modern cars?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: green1,

At our division finals they separate FB and NO BOX (Transbrake/2 Step) . They they take last no box car and put him in with remaining FB.

Back in the hey day of bracket racing 300-400 cars in the lanes every Friday night at Sunshine 41 times a year, it was real simple.

Division 2 NHRA rules

Three classes.

1. Super Pro - High end race cars faster than 6.99 dial in 1/8

2. Pro - Medium end race cars 7.00 to 8.49 dial, delay boxes allowed.

3. Footbrake / Sportsman - Cars driven to the track with no electronics allowed, lots of rental cars, vans and VW's. Footbrake was a class to get anyone and everyone who drove through the gate, to enter the race. You could race anything 8.49 and slower 1/8 mile in footbrake, as long as it didn't have electronics.

If you're going faster than 8.49, there's no real reason to be disappointed. There has never been a footbrake / sportsman no electronics class run at Division finals, faster than 8.49 1/8 mile.

Footbrake is footbrake, you were in a no-box race. Rules are clear, problem is many running the show and racing don't understand the rules or enforce them.
NHRA stock went to 2 step on a footbrake launch. When tracks went to no-box most racers went to transbrakes, some thought outside the box and used 2 line-locks or 2 step on a footbrake launch.

The hey day of bracket racing was when there was 6 tracks in Florida raced every weekend 30 - 40 races a year, and it was an accomplishment to make bracket finals for your home track.

That was the hey day of bracket racing.

It was the proving ground for who was the best in the neighborhood.

You only get one entry racing in the neighborhood.

If you ain't got the stats to prove your the best in your own neighborhood, you ain't the best.

AS was said, footbrake is footbrake. Doesn't matter what name you give it. It's MANUAL control of your vehicle from the launch to the stripe. What's so hard about leaving that alone. Could it be some less skilled footbrakers are employing "crutches" (2 step/transbrake) to make themselves more competitive and are crying to the track owners to allow them in? And why limit ET in footbrake? There are guys running 5.60's at my track in TRUE footbrake cars. If anything, put an upper limit on FB not a lower limit. There should be a rivalry between the delay box folks and the MANUAL CONTROL folks.

footbrake is DEAD for anything that runs quicker than 11.49/7.35. NHRA Division 1 was the last of the 7 divisions to go No Box 3 years ago.

Next is the Summit ET Series will go 1/8th mile for all divisions.

quote:

Originally posted by 62Galaxie:
AS was said, footbrake is footbrake. Doesn't matter what name you give it. It's MANUAL control of your vehicle from the launch to the stripe. What's so hard about leaving that alone. Could it be some less skilled footbrakers are employing "crutches" (2 step/transbrake) to make themselves more competitive and are crying to the track owners to allow them in? And why limit ET in footbrake? There are guys running 5.60's at my track in TRUE footbrake cars. If anything, put an upper limit on FB not a lower limit. There should be a rivalry between the delay box folks and the MANUAL CONTROL folks.

Plenty of pure footbrake races, IHRA has Sportsman class which is pure footbrake and no electric shift unless factory but it is 7.50 or slower 1/8th mi.
Race the bracket series at Bristol which is NHRA sanctioned and it's PURE Footbrake.
Rivalry? Watch some of the big bucks races and see what some of the pure footbrake guys can do in box races.

NHRA division 4 is footbrake only.

Div 7 Summit ET Finals just finished. They were mostly 1/8 mile. Sportsman and motorcycle were 1/4 mile. Everything else was 1/8.

Oh boy--Me and Floyd could give you "youngsters" a history of bracket racing from the beginning which was at Lions with Pappy Parker and there were no electronics of any kind.

Oh yeah! I remember when Lions converted from push starting dragsters to starting them on rollers.
I didn't like to race there. I had a wheel standing Corvette and that light pole off the right side intimidated me.
I'm not sure if I was at the last flagman start at Pomona but I was there when they hung the stop light between light poles that was the precursor to the Christmas tree.

I cut that last post off too soon.
I remember I was racing trying to win money and then about 1966 they brought in handicap starts and my little brother started cleaning up in his new '66 Mustang. He got more and bigger trophy's than I did.

I think they had about a 100 brackets when they started. Not really but a bunch. You won your bracket then they would take the winners and have a handicap run off. I forget how they did those handicaps. I also remember when you got handicapped by car lengths. Last time I remember doing that was at Hagerstown, MD and I have a pic of it here, there is a drive in movie in the back ground--the good old days!

I am confused...it is my understanding that the NHRA bracket racing has these classes...Super Pro which allows all electronics run at 1/8 mile...Pro ET which allows trans brakes and two steps but no delay boxes also run at 1/8 mile...Sportsman which is footbrake only/no electronics and run at 1/4 mile...of course they have the junior dragster classes and junior sportsman as well...

Sounds like you are speaking of the Pro ET class...if my buddy in the blue S-dime won the class you are thinking of it is absolutely Pro ET...I have never heard of an NHRA class called "footbrake"...

MHRA/Summit ET Pro class previously known as Heavy Eliminator in division 1, was a footbrake class in most NHRA Divisions. Today it is a No box class in most divisions.

quote:

Originally posted by fuzzy dice:
I am confused...it is my understanding that the NHRA bracket racing has these classes...Super Pro which allows all electronics run at 1/8 mile...Pro ET which allows trans brakes and two steps but no delay boxes also run at 1/8 mile...Sportsman which is footbrake only/no electronics and run at 1/4 mile...of course they have the junior dragster classes and junior sportsman as well...

Sounds like you are speaking of the Pro ET class...if my buddy in the blue S-dime won the class you are thinking of it is absolutely Pro ET...I have never heard of an NHRA class called "footbrake"...

This is exactly correct, EXCEPT at the division finals, Sportsman for some reason is run on the 1/8 mile, not the 1/4 mile.