Photos Courtesy: Jason Baldridge

For 2014, Byron Dragway is hosting the Midwest Index Shootout series, which will consist of eight classes designed to give nearly everyone a place to race, regardless of performance. There are four street classes that are scheduled to race on a .500 Pro Tree, while the four Pro classes will see a .400 Pro tree at the starting line. 

Classes include:

• Street Brawler 13.50 Index
• Street Intimidator 12.50 Index
• Street Heat 11.60 Index
• Street Limited 10.80 Index
• Pro Avenger 10.20 Index
• Pro Dominator 9.50 Index
• Pro X-Treme 8.60 Index
• Pro Outlaw 8.0 Index

The track plans to hold the Midwest Index Shootout Series one Sunday a month, along with a few night races where they will include the series in competition as well. The goal is to get more cars to the staging lanes, and in light of that, there will be increased payouts and prizes for the season. Prizes will include Best Reaction Time, No. 1 Qualifier bonus, and Best Overall Package.

Heads-up index racing has been taking off over the last several years, as it allows the promoter to simply set an ET range for the class and ensure each participant has the correct safety gear for the expected elapsed time. Both racers leave the starting line together, and at the top end it comes down to whoever runs closest to the particular index without breaking out – it’s a modified form of bracket racing that does away with the staggered-start that so many racers don’t enjoy. Index racing permits a wide range of vehicles to compete, as there are no rules regarding engine combination, allowing the racer to pick the setup he or she is most comfortable with to dial in the racecar. 

Byron Dragway is famous for their yearly World Power Wheelstanding Championships, an event we’ve covered here on Dragzine in the past. The track, located in Byron, IL, is about two hours west of Chicago.  For more information, check out the track’s website.