Is anybody going to Shakespeare County Raceway this weekend? Had a look on the website and it looks like "the other site" is going to be there, just wondering if anyone on here is going? I want to go but looks like i'll be on my own at the minute :thumbdown:

 

Event Info

looks cheap enuff, bit short notice of it tho

there is a special Z/ZX bracket series going on here were you dial in your expected time and the race against other Z/ZXs all arranged through the speedways management

Z/ZXs queuing up for the start of the first ever bracket style drag racing for Zs in the UK on Sunday

 

Interesting. Got my daughter this weekend though

Interesting. Got my daughter this weekend though

Just to clarify it has already happened as it was yesterday 2nd October in case any one gets confused

The following quote from one of the guys who took part explains how bracket racing works

That was the craziest day I have ever spent at a drag strip, non of us (except for Mr F) had ever done this before (bracket racing) and it was a first for the UK Z scene, so a major big thanks to Mike for setting up what was an absolutely fantastic event.

 

For those that don’t know (and in fairness non of us properly did 24hrs ago)

This is another level from a standard Run What You Brung day, it was a proper head to head competition run under race conditions.

 

In short order you have to declare a “bracket” time, that is a time which you are "fairly" certain that you are not going to beat but can regularly get close to, (the closer the better)……beating your “bracket” is called breaking out and is an instant fail, the result is your sitting in the stands for the rest of the event.

 

“Ah that’s easy, all I have to do is declare a ridiculously fast time that I can never ever beat” you all say….well just getting close to your bracket isn’t just it, you also have to “win” the race (ie cross the line first) that is unless your fellow competitor “break’s” out of course

 

Confused, we were.

 

Then just to complicate matters the “Christmas tree” lights are handicapped so the slower “bracket” car will go first followed by the quicker car, the difference ( which is the differential between bracket A and bracket B) can be several seconds, so the quicker car has to hunt down and pass the slower car by just enough as to not break out.

 

Oh I forget to mention, in bracket racing reaction times are hugely important, and by that I mean at a normal run what you brung, reaction time has no bearing on the overall elapsed time as the two are a separate measure, the drag challenge uses them in order to break down the advantage that quicker cars have in a direct head to head.

However on a full on bracket eliminator the reaction time is critical as its part of the overall elapsed time of the race from competitor A launching to competitor B finishing.

 

“Ok” you say, I’ll just watch the reaction time which is always displayed on the board and I know if the other guy stands a chance of breaking out or not….well they thought of that as well, in bracket racing no times are displayed until you cross the line.

 

All in all it is nerve wracking, but for those that didn’t go/have never been it’s an absolute blast and you missed a fantastic day.

 

It all sounds confusing, but surprisingly it didn’t take long to get to grips with as it all makes sense plus we had 2 qualifying rounds o iron out any uncertainty

 

All in all it’s like poker but with cars, it’s not about the hand you hold, it’s about the hand that the others think you hold.

 

Once again thanks to Mike for setting up a fabulous day, hopefully we can do it again next season.

2 videos to show how it works

 

 

I wish i'd have gone! After starting the thread i ended up going out saturday night and forgetting my keys, so had to stay at a mates and couldnt get home in time because sunday buses are bloomin' rubbish! lol

oh crap :whistling: