By Guy M. Price
The mission of this proposal is to create
guidelines and/or rules that would allow racers to race on various race
tracks throughout the United States with an equal opportunity to race their
vehicles against one another in a controlled and safe environment where
one competitor does not have a mechanical or emotional advantage over the
other. By implementing these Guidelines and Class Schedules racers
could make their plans for racing well in advance of the race season and
know what can and cannot be done when preparing a race vehicle for a specific
class. This plan is designed to appease all facets of the handicap
racing community and to take some burden off of track operators having
to re-educate racers from different areas as to rules other than specific
rules unique to that particular facility. This plan is in no way
meant to take authority away from the race facility. This plan increases
the scope of handicap drag racing by creating classes that fit every vehicle
from a street driven vehicle to a mid-seven second dragster, from a high
school student to a seasoned racer. Below are specific areas that
would be applicable nationally and beyond that are the track controlled
factors which will not be covered by this plan.
1. CLASS SCHEDULES
The Class Schedule shall consist of the
following classes as outlined on a separate schedule with a listing of
what is allowed in each class, what is disallowed, and what is required:
Super Pro, Pro, Sportsman, Street and High School. The reasoning
behind these classes are as follows:
SUPER PRO
Allows racers to utilize
the latest technological advances available in the field to compete against
each other on an even playing field with a range of elapsed time. A racer
in the Pro class can move into this
Class also but does so knowing
that devices used by those running this class may have advantages he/she
will not through the use of delay boxes, throttle stops and controllers.
PRO
This bracket class is designed
for the racer that utilizes aftermarket devices such as transbrakes and
two-steps without the use of delay boxes and throttle stops as would be
allowed in the Super Pro class.
SPORTSMAN
This handicap class is designed
for the racer who enjoys "Footbrake" mode of drag racing where no electronic
devices will be allowed for the purpose of staging the vehicle including
transbrakes, two-steps and rpm switches with built in delay. Launching
of the vehicle to be done only by release of the brake pedal without aid
of line locks, etc.
STREET
This class is designed as
an "entry level" bracket for drag racers to get involved in the sport of
drag racing on a limited budget. It is also designed to discourage
the racing of such vehicles on the highways and freeways of the U.S.
These race vehicles must be equipped with mufflers and D.O.T. drive tires.
HIGH SCHOOL
This class is designed to
encourage involvement of mechanically inclined high school students who
are licensed drivers the opportunity to race competitively within the E.
T. and safety restraints set forth in these guidelines. Like Street
Class, these vehicle must be equipped with mufflers and D.O.T. drive tires.
These classes do not preclude or prohibit
a race facility from conducting events that do not abide by these guidelines
but the racers must be made aware that the rules set forth here will not
apply and the track will be responsible for issuing rules for races outside
these guidelines.
The elapsed time breaks provided with this
proposal are based on sea level elevations and may be adjusted up or down
according to the altitude of the participating track in relation to sea
level.
All safety regulations set forth by the
sanctioning body or the track must be adhered to in order to qualify to
participate in any of the aforementioned classes.
2. STARTING LINE SYSTEM
All classes will be run a a 0.500 three
amber tree utilizing a blinder for all lights except the stage lights and
the first set of amber lights. Utilizing this system results in an advantage
for both racers in that the slower car will have a "clean" tree to leave
from without being distracted by the opponents lights and the faster car
will have the opportunity to leave off of the slower cars light and/or
his light in the Super Pro class where delay boxes and "crossing over"
would be allowed. By blinding the two bottom bulbs the Pro, Sportsman
and Street class racers who launch on the third bulb will not be distracted
by the slower car's lights coming down.
3. FIRST ROUND PAIRINGS
A minimum of three lanes shall be utilized
during eliminations and an impartial lane director shall be directed by
the track to randomly select pairs to race each other, either impartially
or through the use of a card system to select which competitor will race
each other. Purpose of this guideline is reduce or eliminate
the pre-selection of competitors by the competitors for the purpose of
obtaining points or round wins or creating an advantage for a particular
racer. The lane director shall also assign the lane in which each
racer is to run. Any racer failing to follow the direction of the
lane director shall automatically be disqualified and his competitor will
be allowed a legal single run (not a bye run). A racer in the staging
lanes shall be prepared to race whom ever the lane director designates
and in the lane as directed by the lane director.
4. FIRST ROUND BYE SELECTION
The first round potential bye run shall
be determined by the lane director prior to race eliminations through the
use of any one of a number of methods which must be announced and racers
notified in advance of the eliminations as to how this potential bye run
is selected. Acceptable methods include: Best reaction time in last
time run before eliminations, selection of a number between 1 and the total
of the number of the cars in the class with lane director counting back
to the car that was drawn and pulling it aside for the potential bye run.
If there are an equal number of cars during the round, the potential bye
will run the last car to be pulled from the staging lanes in that class.
Only one bye run will be allowed a racer during eliminations. Other
methods may also be utilized providing they do not create advantages or
disadvantages for any racer.
5. SECOND ROUND AND FUTURE ROUND PAIRINGS
A "sportsman" type ladder shall be put
into use when no more than 16 cars are left in eliminations. Up to
that point, a minimum of three lanes will be utilized and the lane director
shall make assignments of racers and the lanes in which they shall race.
It shall be the tracks responsibility to announce to competitors when the
ladder starts and providing the personnel to pairing up the competitors.
Lane choice by the competitors shall be done by mutual agreement or by
the flipping of a coin. At this point in time, only two lanes will
be used with competitors lining up according to how they are to compete
in the lanes they have selected. The ladder, once established and
reviewed by track officials to make sure that a racer who had received
a bye run in earlier runs does not have a potential bye in rounds that
are run under the ladder. If such appears possible, the ladder must
be adjusted prior to the commencement of further eliminations.
6. DIAL ACCEPTANCE
The biggest potential for error in a handicap
race is a racer not paying attention to the dial as posted on the scoreboard.
If scoreboards are not available, it will be up to the starter to verify
and confirm to the driver of each race vehicle that the dial-in on the
vehicle is the same as that keyed into the race computer system.
In the event that an error is made on the part of track officials, the
two racers may qualify for a rerun but both must rerun using the same dial-ins
and in the same lanes as on the "erred" run. A racer who stages his
vehicle is indicating to officials that he is accepting the dial as posted
and no re-runs will be allowed!
7. TIMING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS
In the event of a timing system malfunction
a re-run will be implemented and the same dial-ins and same lanes must
be utilized as on the original run. And this re-run should be initiated
as soon as possible prior to starting eliminations of another class.
A racer failing to make return to the
staging lane when called shall be determined as disqualified.
8. ENTRY FEE PAYMENT POLICIES
Track officials shall have the authority
to determine what methods of payments are acceptable for entry into an
event but payment by any method shall be deemed by the racer as "intent
to participate" and thereby waives all rights to refunds or stop payments
on checks issued to the tracks. In the event that a racer does not
adhere to these policies he shall be subject to disciplinary action by
the track or officials promoting the event.
9. BUYBACKS AND/OR CONSOLATION RACES
In no case should buybacks be allowed
in sanctioned event points race as it creates point calculation "headaches"
and unfair competition to those that won their respective rounds.
Creation of a consolation race, a gambler or jackpot race for first and
second round losers should be offered at these races. Or perhaps a "run
for the money" single round event, all run regardless of class. It
is the recommendation of these guidelines that if buybacks are offered
they not be extended beyond two rounds with one round the recommended level
as there are indications that such may be one of the various reasons for
a decline in car counts being lower than in prior years.
10. PAYOUTS
Although the amounts to be paid out are
at the discretion of the race track or promoter the recommendation put
forth here is that payouts not be made "top heavy" along with high entry
fees. The reason for this statement is that many racers will not
race high paying races because they feel they are at a disadvantage when
running against "professional" bracket racers who make a living running
bracket races.
This has resulted in reduced car counts
at many tracks around the country and has placed promoters in a precarious
situation. It is, therefore recommended that tracks and promoters
make efforts to procure sponsorships from aftermarket suppliers and in
combination with entry fees create an event that will draw racers from
within a 150 to 200 mile radius of the participating track. Keeping
winning payouts at $3,000 or less and paying back to eighths would attract
local racers to the track and again get car counts back to profitable levels
for track management and promoters providing entry fees are reasonable
also.
NOTE
Changes in this plan have been made since
first proposed in August, 2001. Those lines in italics are the items
which have changed as a result of a consensus of racers throughout the
country utilizing www.dragracingresults.com
as a source of input through its discussion pages and member racers.
Further changes may suggested by e-mailing Guy M. Price at priceracing@dragracer.com.
Reference in the subject line should be to "National ET Guidelines".
