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".