I've said itvefore in other posts but I'm just an old foot-brakin' fool. To me, that's what drag racing is/was. It was stoplight action that went to a track. Bracket racing/handicaps came in (as did all the various classes) to make it easier for anyone to compete.
And fun it is! Nothing like fender racing at the big end to see whose gonna get the win light! Still a hoot for me. I grew up watching the "big dogs" with their 10 and 11 second cars (I raced a roughly 14 sec car at that time) running the 1/4 mile and always dreamed of having one. The white "Casper" Barracuda, the black "Skunk" notchback, etc, etc. All those great Quaker City racers!!
I don't care for transbrakes or delay switches/boxes and 1/8 mile or any of that other stuff. But sadly (for me anyway), my view of what drag racing is and should be has mostly passed by and been replaced by all of this transbrake/delay box/index racing. They're just a different form of racing that I don't care for. But if others do, so be it.
At least for now, we still have the Sportsman class that is 1/4 mile footbrake racing so I'm happy to coexist with others that prefer these other forms. It's clear that my time has passed and if the Sportsman class goes away, I'll be on the outside wondering how the heck this happened and I got so old!! Fortunately for me, the tracks I go to don't adhere to the strict Sportsman limit of 11.50 or 12 sec or slower cut-off. My low 11 sec avatar car wouldn't have a place to race!
(Interestingly enough, my wife says to put a brake in the car and have at it. I just can't make myself do it. We also enjoy the car on the streets too much. Heck, I hardly get to drive it anymore as any cruise or show we go to, she insists on driving it. 408's are FUN!!)