You will recall that pure drag racing consists of racing two cars from a dead stop to some given distance, typically 1/ 4 or 1/8 mile. The car that crosses the finish line first is the winner. Bracket racing consists of the same type of track and starting systems, but racing vehicles are grouped by their elapsed time (ET) potential, and raced against each other using a pre-selected dial-in. Two competing cars from the same bracket are paired, and the starting lights are staggered such that the slower car’s starting lights begin the sequence first by the difference of the two dial-ins. The winner is the car that reaches the finish line first, providing it did not run quicker than it’s dial. If both cars ran quicker than their respective dials, the car that ran the closest to its dial is the winner. Note that MPH has not been mentioned as a direct factor in winning or losing, and we will discuss that later. Read more

We concluded part 5 of this series by mentioning that there are many good drivers in Bracket Racing. Drivers that practice regularly become “good” drivers. However, knowing how to practice, and knowing the relationship of reaction time/elapsed time/winning/ losing can help you progress faster. Read more

(Ed: As we publish various writers’ and readers’ insight and experience in Pontiac performance and racing, we are bound to find differing opinions and actual findings. This article illustrates this situation. Jim invites all to share their views here. And, as he points out, the actual proof has to be in your own testing on your own Pontiac. Read and enjoy!)

During the past 10 years, I have conducted many tests on my ’71 LeMans wagon at the strip in an attempt to gain performance. Concurrent with the testing, I have performed technical research with the most knowledgeable and unbiased written and people sources I could find. The research tended to confirm what I actually found during testing. Following are comments about some of the tips or techniques tried, and short explanations as to why they did or did not help performance. Read more

As mentioned in an earlier column, I don’t plan to cover the typical “hot rodding” of adding after-market components. Instead, a discussion of techniques to obtain maximum performance at minimum cost, while maintaining excellent driveability, will be furnished. This information is intended primarily for the enthusiasts who would like to improve the performance of their stock or nearly stock vehicles. Read more