Saving Sportsman/ Street Class Before it’s Too Late- Rustin Scott

2x US 131 Motorsports Park Sportsman of the Year Rustin Scott weighs in on the state of Sportsman drag racing.

As a two-time Sportsman of the Year at US 131 Motorsports Park, Rustin Scott of Scott Bros Racing has long been a passionate advocate for grassroots drag racing and the Sportsman class in particular. With years of experience both behind the wheel and alongside fellow racers in the pits, Scott has witnessed firsthand how changes at the sanctioning-body level can ripple through the sport. Now, as the final weekend of the Lane Automotive Points Series finishes up, he shares his growing concern for the future of Sportsman racing—and what recent developments could mean for the next generation of racers.

As we wrap up our final weekend of the Lane Automotive Points Series at US 131 Motorsports Park, I can’t help but feel concerned, worried, and even a little anxious about the future of the class that pretty much our whole team runs in, or at least started off in.

With the recent IHRA–WDRA partnership, we’ve already seen major shifts – like IHRA’s decision to remove Sportsman racers from earning points at Team Finals. Even though our track isn’t currently sanctioned by IHRA, these types of moves don’t stay contained for long. Partnerships and alignments at the sanctioning-body level eventually influence tracks and racers everywhere.

To me, this isn’t just about points; it’s about the long-term survival of one of the most important entry-level classes in drag racing.

My Story

I started racing 8 years ago and began competing seriously 6 years ago. I’m wrapping up my sixth season now, and many of my family/team members have followed a similar path.

In that time, I’ve only finished in the top five in points twice & runner-up six times in the weekly races, not because I don’t try, but because our class is that competitive. I don’t race every single weekend in the summer (usually just the points races), and the guys and gals I line up against are tough.

That’s what makes our Sportsman class at US 131 special: it’s affordable, it’s accessible, and anyone can feel like they belong out there.

The Identity Crisis

But here’s the problem: nobody can seem to agree on what this class actually is.

• Is it a beginner’s class?

• A mix of “street cars” and race cars?

Rules are inconsistent between tracks and sanctioning bodies:

• Some allow slicks; others don’t.

• Some allow nitrous; others don’t.

• ET restrictions vary widely.

Meanwhile, we’ve seen the same drivers dominate local programs for years, which has led to some tracks dropping the class from weekly points programs—or new racers and their supporters walking away. It’s up for debate on what led to the other…

Why It Matters

Accessibility: This is the cheapest class to enter. Not just the entry fee, but you can bring your daily driver, a budget build, or something in between—and you can compete.

Spectator Experience: Families come to watch their people race. When it looks like the same guy wins every week, that excitement fades.

Gateway to the Sport: Not everyone comes up through Juniors. I didn’t start until I was 35—without Sportsman, I may never have gotten hooked. How many other future racers are we missing by letting this class shrink?

Possible Solutions

We don’t need to eliminate the class—we need to redefine it. Maybe a combination of some of these ideas –

Remove ET restrictions → Let it be a true all-ET footbrake class, similar to the World Footbrake Challenge, which continues to grow and proves there’s a strong market for footbrake-only racing.

Add a beginner/novice class → Give brand-new racers a chance to get their feet wet before going head-to-head with seasoned champions.

Implement a “Dominator Rule” → Win 3 times, and you move up to No Box. This keeps Sportsman fresh for newcomers while still challenging experienced racers.

Standardize rules across sanctioning bodies → IHRA, WDRA, and NHRA should all work toward clearer, more consistent Sportsman/Footbrake rules. This would give racers confidence, create a level playing field, and keep participation strong across the board.

The Call to Action

We all want drag racing to survive and grow. Taking Sportsman out of the points program isn’t the answer—it only weakens the gateway that brings new racers into the sport.

Instead, let’s build on what makes this class great: affordable, competitive racing that welcomes anyone who loves this sport or wants to get their feet wet.

So I’m asking other racers, promoters, tracks, and sanctioning bodies: what’s the best path forward?

Do we open it up, create a true beginner lane, or enforce rules to keep it balanced?

I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I do know this—we need solutions, not ELIMINATIONS.

Because if we lose Sportsman, we risk losing the very heart of grassroots racing.

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