Bracket Breakdown Summer's Getting HOT
About this episode
Gear up for a high-energy breakdown of summer drag racing action. The hosts catch up on garage projects, including a tedious brake line replumbing job, before previewing the highly anticipated TV Promotions 100k race at Beech Bend in Bowling Green. They share a hilarious story about bracket racing a rental car as a teenager and recap the recent Division 6 divisional race at Yellowstone Dragstrip. From Cody Lane's Comp Eliminator dominance to Joe Sorensen's heads-up Stock Eliminator victory, this discussion covers the strategy, horsepower, and wild weather shaping the current bracket racing scene.
Who was your pick for “Greatest of All Time of this week?” We wanna know in the comments ⬇️ Can’t wait to catch up with Troy tonight and discuss the action over the last couple weeks and look forward for what’s to come.
Strange Engineering
"I swapped swapped out the factory brakes on all four corners with some really nice strange stuff. But once I got everything mounted, I had to re plumb this whole thing..."
A company that makes heavy-duty parts for race cars, especially parts that help the car stop and put power to the ground safely at extremely high speeds.
Strange Engineering is a premier manufacturer of high-performance driveline and suspension components, highly renowned in drag racing. They are particularly famous for their lightweight axle shafts, rear-end assemblies, and specialized drag racing brake kits.
Beech Bend Raceway Park
"I head out at like 530 in the morning to head back to Bowling Green. So really, really stoked for Fourth of July out there at Beach Bend. This is kind of the the signature race for TV promotions."
A famous, historic drag racing track in Kentucky that is unique because it has an amusement park right next to it and covered grandstands where fans can sit very close to the action.
Beech Bend Raceway Park is a historic drag strip and amusement park located in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Operating since the 1950s, it is famous in the drag racing community for its unique covered grandstands, scenic park-like setting, and hosting major events like the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion.
delay box
"If you're sitting in the grandstands, you could pretty much read the delay boxes in the dragsters. If you're paying attention, you might catch what delays in their cars."
A small electronic timer box inside a drag racer's car. It lets the driver press a button when they see the first light flash, and then the box automatically releases the brakes at the perfect millisecond so the driver doesn't have to rely on human reaction time.
A delay box is an electronic device used in bracket drag racing to control the launch of the vehicle. The driver holds down a button to lock the transbrake, and the delay box releases it after a precise, pre-programmed delay, allowing the driver to react instantly to the first light on the starting tree rather than trying to manually time the green light.
McLaren 720S
"...'re like driving down a tunnel. Does it make like 720s feel fast? Well, I think I was going like nine se..."
The McLaren 720S is an extremely fast, two-seat sports car made by a British company named McLaren. It features doors that open upwards and is built using lightweight materials to achieve very high speeds.
The McLaren 720S is a mid-engine supercar produced from 2017 to 2023, famous for its futuristic carbon-fiber chassis and astonishing twin-turbo V8 performance. It redefined expectations for supercar speed, offering hypercar-level acceleration and advanced active aerodynamics. It is often referenced in discussions about extreme speed and drag strip performance.
Dodge Durango
"Does it feel like you're going faster too? Because you're like driving down a tunnel. Does it make like 720s feel fast? Well, I think I was going like nine seconds in a Dodgeringos or hauling the mail hauling the mail."
A large family SUV made by Dodge. While most people use them to haul kids and groceries, the hosts are joking about taking a rental version down a professional drag strip.
The Dodge Durango is a mid-size three-row SUV first introduced in 1997. While typically serving as a family hauler, high-performance variants like the SRT and Hellcat models have brought genuine muscle-car straight-line speed to the SUV segment.
Comp Eliminator
"Let's start with Comple laminator. What do you say? Let's do it. You can just rewind the results from like every divisional that we've talked about from division six, Cody Lane."
A highly competitive class of drag racing where almost any type of car can race. Because the cars are so different, the starting lights are timed differently for each lane to make the race fair, and the first car to cross the finish line wins.
Competition Eliminator (Comp) is one of the NHRA's most technically diverse sportsman drag racing classes. It features a massive variety of vehicle configurations—including dragsters, roadsters, and full-bodied sedans—competing against class-specific index times using a handicap starting system.
spot drop
"Troy, I don't know if he's continued his, thousand foot spot drop, but, if he's been doing that, that's still one of the coolest things that I've ever seen. So, are you familiar with Troy? Also now he's spot drop."
A racing trick where a driver lets off the gas pedal right before the finish line. In this type of racing, going too fast makes you lose automatically, so drivers slow down on purpose to win the race without breaking their speed limit.
A spot drop is a tactical driving maneuver in bracket drag racing where a racer intentionally lifts off the throttle or taps the brakes at a specific point on the track (often the 1,000-foot mark). This is done to slow the car down to avoid 'breaking out' (running faster than their dial-in time) while still managing the gap to cross the finish line just ahead of their opponent.
1966 Chevrolet Chevelle wagon
"And so he would spot drop a thousand foot to, to make sure that he was above the index, but just manipulating the finish line in the, I think it's a 66 Chevelle wagon."
A classic 1960s station wagon made by Chevrolet. While it looks like an old-school family car, drag racers love them because the extra metal at the back puts more weight over the rear tires, helping the car grip the track and launch incredibly fast.
The 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle station wagon is a mid-size classic utility vehicle. In drag racing, these wagons are highly prized in Stock and Super Stock classes because their long roofs shift weight over the rear tires, providing excellent launch traction.
Joe Sorensen
"Stock Eliminator, former world champ, Joe Sorensen, um, heads up final F stock automatic. Sure. Heads ups are fun. even more fun when they're in the final round."
A champion drag racer who is famous for building and driving incredibly fast cars in the 'Stock' class, where racers have to use factory-style parts but find clever ways to make them go as fast as possible.
Joe Sorensen is a highly respected veteran drag racer and former NHRA Stock Eliminator World Champion. He is renowned for his engineering expertise and his incredibly fast, record-setting third-generation Chevrolet Camaro.
heads-up racing
"Well, come to find out if they're in the middle, they would have the very last qualifier who was broke. And so you're going to get a first round. Yeah, man. And that's the thing is like, they're not really afraid of a heads up."
A straightforward drag race where both cars start at the exact same time. There are no head starts given to slower cars—it is simply a race to see who can cross the finish line first.
Heads-up racing is a category of drag racing where both vehicles start at the exact same time with no handicap or staggered start. The first vehicle to cross the finish line wins, making it a pure test of raw speed and driver reaction time.
Chevrolet Camaro
"...ain. Good space. Yeah, buddy. Like, you know, pro Camaro, there's something to it without something on the..."
The Camaro is a sporty two-door car made by Chevrolet. It is designed to look aggressive and go fast, making it popular for people who enjoy performance driving.
The Chevrolet Camaro is an iconic American pony car celebrated for its sharp handling, aggressive styling, and powerful V8 engine options. Though production of the sixth generation ended in 2024, it remains a favorite in car culture and drag racing due to its highly capable chassis. It is often discussed in performance circles for its excellent power-to-weight ratio and track capabilities.
Dodge Charger
"...r a naturally aspirated car, they look like a pro charger car, but, but there isn't one, you know, and so h..."
The Dodge Charger is a large car made by Dodge. It is famous for having powerful engines and a roomy interior, offering the speed of a sports car with the space of a family vehicle.
The Dodge Charger is a legendary American vehicle that spent decades as a powerful four-door muscle sedan before transitioning to a new generation of electric and inline-six powertrains. It is highly regarded for blending family-car practicality with straight-line speed. It is frequently discussed in drag racing and car enthusiast communities due to its high-horsepower variants.
Toyota Tacoma
"...he drivers and the winner would get like a Toyota Tacoma or something. I always want to be one of those fa..."
The Toyota Tacoma is a medium-sized pickup truck made by Toyota. It is built to carry cargo in its open back bed and is highly trusted for driving on rough, unpaved roads.
The Toyota Tacoma is a highly popular midsize pickup truck renowned for its exceptional off-road capability and outstanding resale value. Redesigned for the 2024 model year with turbocharged and hybrid powertrains, it serves as a benchmark for the midsize truck segment. It is frequently discussed as a rugged, dependable choice for outdoor adventures and daily utility.
Pontiac GTO
"Jake Swagger, uh, we know Jake, he races at the flaying race at the showdown. He's got that beautiful GTO. Oh yes. Low, slung. I mean, that thing's gorgeous."
An iconic American muscle car from the 1960s and 70s. It is famous for putting a massive, powerful engine into a mid-sized car, making it a favorite for drag racers who want to go fast with classic style.
The Pontiac GTO is widely considered the car that pioneered the classic American muscle car era in 1964. In drag racing, classic GTOs are highly sought after for their iconic styling and wide engine bays that easily accommodate large-displacement V8 engines.
BMW 530S
"...there, Troy. I have to have to make the Camaro go 530s. Buddy, I love the Camaro go 530s. I had to look ..."
The BMW 5 Series is a mid-sized luxury four-door car made by the German company BMW. It is designed to provide a quiet, comfortable ride with high-quality materials and modern technology.
The BMW 5 Series is a premium midsize luxury sedan that balances executive comfort with sporty driving dynamics. The eighth-generation model, current for 2026, offers a range of mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and fully electric powertrains. It is typically discussed in the context of high-tech daily drivers and refined highway cruisers.
McLaren 570S
"...ember what the, what the break was. It feels like 570s or whatever. And cause like that's still a lot fa..."
The McLaren 570S is a fast, two-seat sports car made by McLaren. It was designed to be slightly more practical for everyday roads while still offering exotic styling and high speeds.
The McLaren 570S is a high-performance sports car that served as the entry point to McLaren's lineup from 2015 to 2021. Designed to be a more usable, daily-driver-friendly supercar, it still delivers incredible performance thanks to its 562-horsepower twin-turbo V8. It is often discussed as an accessible entry point into exotic mid-engine car ownership.
split talk
"I can see it now. It's going to be down to the split talk. Everybody's huddled up and Chris goes, why don't we just take this whole stack of cash, run over to the casino, put it on black."
When the last few racers in a tournament pause to make a deal to share the prize money. Instead of one person winning everything and the runner-up getting nothing, they agree to split the cash so everyone goes home with a guaranteed payday.
Split talk refers to negotiations between the final remaining competitors in a bracket drag race to divide the prize money. Because bracket racing has high variance and a single mistake can eliminate a driver, competitors often agree to split the purse to guarantee a payout for everyone left.
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