First off, what is Bracket Drag Racing? There are several different forms of drag racing. The types we see on TV are NHRA professionals who race all over the country in a 20+ race championship series. The nitro-fueled classes of Top Fuel and Nitro Funny Car are the fastest-accelerating wheeled vehicles on the planet. In just 1,000 feet, they often reach speeds over 340 miles per hour in just over 3.5 seconds. Along with the Pro classes, there are about 10 other classes that can race at NHRA national events. You must earn points at Divisional races to be eligible to compete at the national events.

Another form of essentially professional drag racing is the No Prep scene popularized by Street Outlaws. The four professional NHRA classes can require multi-million-dollar budgets to be competitive, and the Sportsman classes can also be very costly to enter.

So, over 60+ years ago, Bracket Racing was developed to provide a way for the average grassroots drag racer to compete without being the quickest or fastest in the class. In the early days of drag racing, vehicles were placed into specific classes, and each class raced elimination-style until one winner remained. In that type of racing, it often came down to the same winner race after race, and if you couldn’t afford to keep up with the faster vehicles, you could get discouraged and quit.
Bracket Racing was made possible by sophisticated electronic timing systems that can time each vehicle independently as it races down the track and, within nanoseconds, determine the winner at the finish line. In Bracket Racing, you don’t always have to be first across the finish line to win. After a few practice runs on race day, when your bracket is called to the lanes, you must make an elapsed time (ET) prediction called the Dial-In. This is the quickest ET you predict for that race. If you go quicker than that ET—even if you cross the finish line first—you lose, provided the other vehicle did not go quicker than its Dial-In.

This is why you don’t have to be the quickest or fastest vehicle to win. The electronic timing system calculates the difference based on each Dial-In and gives the slower vehicle a head start so that, theoretically, both vehicles reach the finish line together. In some cases, the slower car may receive an 8- or 9-second head start and still have an equal chance to win.

In all forms of drag racing, Reaction Time to the green light on the Christmas tree starting system is critically important. Races are often won or lost based on which driver reacts quickest. The timing clock in your lane starts as soon as your vehicle breaks the beam of light at the starting line. If your clock starts sooner than the other driver’s (after the green light), you gain a slight advantage. But if you break the beam before the green light, you get a red light and lose—unless the other driver leaves even earlier.

It’s called Bracket Racing because, as in the old days, your car or motorcycle is placed into a specific bracket based on ET and other factors. The Summit Racing ET Bracket Series is contested at both Firebird Motorsports Park and Tucson Dragway. There are brackets for just about any car, truck, or motorcycle you bring.
The Super Pro class is for full-blown, purpose-built race cars and dragsters and allows racing electronics. They often race the 1/8-mile instead of the quarter mile. This bracket typically covers cars running 7.00 to 13.99 seconds (quarter mile) or about 4.30 to 7.70 seconds (1/8-mile).

The Pro Bracket is open to cars running 7.50 to 13.99 ET (quarter mile) and is usually the largest bracket because of its wide range. The Sportsman Bracket is for cars running 11.50 to 19.99 ET (quarter mile). Most daily-driver cars or trucks are quicker than 19.99 ET, making Sportsman the perfect class to get started in Bracket Drag Racing.

You can win money in each bracket for winner, runner-up, semifinals, and in some brackets even quarterfinals. Vehicles must pass basic safety requirements such as seat belts, battery tie-downs, radiator overflow canisters, and additional equipment for faster cars. There is also a dedicated Motorcycle Bracket (7.50 to 16.25 ET quarter mile), several Jr. Dragster classes for ages 6–17, a High School Bracket, and a Jr. Street bracket where an adult rides along in 1/8-mile competition.
Firebird and Tucson have already held several 2026 races in their Summit Racing Series. You can join a track team, race for season-long points, and compete at the NHRA Division 7 Bracket Finals, where teams from across Division 7 gather to crown champions and compete for a national title.

If you’d like to give Bracket Drag Racing a try, ask a friend who races—most racers are happy to help newcomers. Or simply show up on race day and you’ll find people willing to guide you. Anything new can feel intimidating, but it’s not rocket science—it’s just running your vehicle down a fully prepped drag strip in a format where you don’t have to be the quickest or fastest to win.

To contact Firebird Motorsports Park, visit www.racefirebird.com or call 520-796-5201.
For Tucson Dragway, visit www.tucsondragway.com or call 520-762-9700.