2022 General Race Rules.
2022 General Race Rules.
GENERAL RULES
RULEBOOK DISCLAIMER: The rules and/or regulations set forth herein are designed to provide for the orderly conduct of racing events and to establish minimum acceptable requirements for such events and, by participating in these events, all participants are deemed to have complied with these rules. No express or implied warranty of safety shall result from publications of or compliance with these rules and/or regulations. They are intended as a guide for the conduct of the sport and are in no way a guarantee against injury or death to a participant, spectator or official. All competitors, crew members are officials should be familiar of the rules in this book.
The promoters shall be empowered to permit minor deviation from any of the specifications herein or impose further restrictions that in their opinion do not alter the minimum acceptable requirements. No expressed or implied warranty of safety shall result from such alteration of any of the specifications. Any interpretation or deviation of these rules is left to the discretion of the officials. Their decision is final.
PIT PARTICIPANT CARD
1. All drivers/owners/crew members pay an established fee to obtain a Five Mile Point Speedway Pit Participant Status. Everyone that enters the pit area must file a Pit Participant application and pay the "one-time" $10 fee. You must be part of a race team to be eligible to purchase the Pit Participant Card.
2. Anyone that enters the pit area is designated either a participant member of non-participant temp. member. You must be affiliated with a race team to enter the participant/pit area.
INSURANCE BENEFIT PLAN
1. Each participant entering the pit are and have signed the waiver and release sheet for the event when he or she entered the pit area is entitled to benefits arranged by the speedway. Children are required to have a minor release form signed by a parent to enter the pit area.
2. It is highly recommended that all participants carry additional life and medical insurance as well.
3. Anyone involved in an accident while on the racing premises during an event must report the
incident to an official in charge prior to leaving the facility that night. If an incident is not reported on that night these benefits will not be available per the insurance company.
4. Drivers may be refused entry at any time.
5. Drivers, crew members, owners and any pit participants are encouraged to inquire about these provided benefits at any time.
*Minimum age to enter pit area may change without notice.
HANDICAPPING PROCEDURES:
1. Car numbers will be assigned by the handicapper. Car numbers from the previous year will be held for one week into the new season. The handicapper reserves the right to have any car number changed, enlarged or altered
2. All numbers and letters will be limited to four; if four are used, one must be a primary number. Example: 35.KH
3. Team cars must be clearly distinguishable from one another using a different color, number or letter.
4. The numbers of cars to be qualified in each heat will be (decided by the handicapper and posted on the pit board before the start of the first heat.
5. Weekly Feature line-ups for point races will be handicapped as follows: The first portion of the cars that qualify will be handicapped into the feature. The remainder of the qualified cars will be lined up in heads up fashion behind them. The consi qualifiers will then follow in the line up with any “buy-in” starter added to the rear of the field. Example: Four heats, five cars to qualify. The first three cars will be handicapped. Positions four and five will start heads up behind them and ahead of the consi qualifiers. Guidelines:
Three heats, 6 qualify -4 handicapped
Four heats, 5 qualify. 3 handicapped
Five heats, 4 qualify -2 handicapped
Six heats, 3 qualify -2 handicapped
6. If a driver qualifies two or more cars, he must drive the last car qualified in the feature race.
The other car(s) is not eligible. On postponed events, the driver is qualified only! Driver may run a different car without losing position.
7. All driver changes MUST BE REPORTED TO THE HANDICAPPER. Failure to do so will result in a one week handicapping penalty.
8. No member of a racing team. driver, owner, sponsor, crew or anyone affiliated with the said team may enter the scoring tower unless RECEIVING PERMISSION. Failure to abide by this can result in a fine, a one week suspension, and/or a two week handicapping penalty. ANY INQUIRY MUST FIRST BE REPORTED TO THE PIT STEWARD.
9. Points and finishes are official when posted at the pit shack. If there are any questions, the owner or driver has five days to contact the handicapper through the speedway's phone number or see him or her on any race night.
10. Top five in points have an opportunity to start the feature in their division via a “buy-in”. The “buy-in” starter must make an attempt to qualify. A maximum of two “buy-in” starters will be added to an event based on current track points, in order.
11. The first two events of a new season will see the top 12 or 15 heat qualifiers re-draw for feature starting position. "Heads up" format will not be in effect. The number to re-draw will be established and posted prior to the first heat race of the evening. Normal handicapping procedure begins on week number 3 of a new season.
12. Drivers must take the original green flag of the feature in order to receive last place money and points. Any car that qualified and does not start will be considered as the first DNQ car. The "bubble car" may only join the field prior to the white flag being displayed on the original green and if less than the posted number of starters has not been met. "Bubble cars" entering the speedway after white flag will not be eligible and will be black flagged.
13. Handicapped lineups will be based on the previous the dollars earned over the previous three racing events. Cars not in attendance will be handicapped as if they had won that race meet with one dollar added to that total. Bonus money, lap money or sponsor incentives bonuses will not count toward that total. Only the "base purse" will be counted.
14. Management reserves the right to run a program without heat races should weather or curfew become a factor. In the event that heat races are not run, the feature lineup will be based (in order) on the top 18 in the current point standings. Remaining cars will be added via a consolation event if needed.
15. All restart lineups will be based on the last completed lap.
Point Distribution Breakdown
Pos. Regular Event Points Championship Points
1. 60 100
2. 56 95
3. 52 90
4. 50 85
5. 48 80
6. 46 76
7. 44 72
8. 42 68
9. 40 65
10. 38 62
11. 36 60
12. 34 58
13. 31 56
14. 30 54
15. 28 52
16. 27 50
17. 26 48
18. 25 46
19. 24 44
20. 23 42
21. 22 40
22. 21 38
23. 20 36
24. 20 36
25 – 30 same as 24th position.
PROCEDURAL RULES:
1. The flagger’s count of laps is official.
2. No drinking of intoxicants by any participants entering the pit area prior or during any of the racing activities is permitted. Anyone in the pit area suspected of drinking alcohol will be removed from the pit area.
3. At all race meets, driver and owner assumes the responsibility for the action of their pit crew in every aspect and in all areas of the speedway property. This means that no unprofessional actions of any type are permitted in the pits, on the speedway, in the grandstands or parking lots of the facility. The driver and owner shall be the only spokesperson for any team.
4. In the event of any disagreement, any member taking physical action for any reason will automatically be suspended and fined a minimum of $250. Suspension to be no less than one week and no more than four weeks. Any driver or owner in a physical altercation will also result in the suspension of the race car during that period.
5. Five Mile Point Speedway officials/security are not on the premises to breakup or separate fights. The New York State Troopers Barracks is less than one block away from the speedway. They will be contacted to make appropriate arrests with legal charges pending as necessary. If you don't understand the above this will spell it out - IF YOU FIGHT ON THE SPEEDWAY GROUNDS IT IS LIKELY YOU WILL BE ARRESTED. No one expects to build a retirement fund from their purse earnings, the racing environment is designed to be fun and safe, those that cannot comply or function in that environment will not be welcomed at the facility.
6. No one is permitted to enter the judges tower during or after the racing program. Anyone entering the tower will face a mandatory fine of no less than $150 and possible suspension. Anyone wishing to discuss a scoring decision must report to the pit steward and make a request. All scoring decisions are final but scoring sheets may be discussed ONL Y after officials have a chance to review the request.
7. Both membership holders and non-membership holders are expected to adhere to all rules set forth in this book. Denial of admittance to the pits or grandstand can be made at any time by track officials.
8. No excessive speeding is permitted in the pit area. Penalties will be issued for speeding.
9. Only safety personnel are permitted on the speedway surface during any incidents. At no time will pit crews, family members be permitted on the racing surface.
10. No repairs may be made on the speedway for any reason. The car must be pulled off the racing surface to make a repair, no matter how minor it may be. Any car that pulls off of the speedway to make a repair will start in the last position upon their return.
11. Each car must start the event under their own power or start in last position.
12. All drivers must be ready to compete and have their cars on line before each event or start in the last position.
13. Starter and race director have complete charge of speedway while racing is underway. No
protests may be made regarding their decisions.
14. If there is an accident before the first lap is official, the field will be restarted with the car or cars involved in the caution falling into the rear of the field.
15. Any car that is involved, spins or stops to avoid an incident is considered to be involved in the caution. Better to stop and try to avoid a wreck and restart in the back of the field then to try and drive through or over a wreck and end upon the tow truck and out of the event.
16. If a caution is thrown in turn 1 for a mishap and a car spins in turn three after the initial caution, they are eligible to remain in their spot prior to the spin. Only the cars involved in the initial incident location will be sent to the rear.
17. ON a caution or red flag, any car going into the infield or pit area must return at the rear of the field.
18. Anytime the red flag is displayed. All cars are to slow and then stop as soon as safely possible. No cars are permitted to enter the pit or infield area or move once the red flag has been displayed. No car may be worked on during a red flag period.
19. Any driver causing excessive delays in a race, such as spinning out three times on their own will be sent to the pits.
20. ALL RESTARTS WILL BE DOUBLEFILE UP UNTIL THE HALFWAY POINT OF THE RACE UNLESS TWO CAUTIONS OCCURR ON THE SAME LAP. CARS WILL THEN RESTART SINGLE FILE. AFTER THE HALFWAY POINT,RACING WILL RESUME IN A SINGLE FILE RESTART. WHEN THE YELLOW IS DISPLAYED ALL DRIVERS ARE TO FALL INTO SINGLE FILE SO THAT SCORERS CAN REVIEW THE LINEUP - ANY DRIVER FAILING TO FALL INTO SINGLE FILE FOR ANY REASON WILL BE SENT TO THE REAR. DURING YELLOW FLAG PERIODS, OFFICIALS ARE ON THE SPEEDWAY TENDING TO AN INCIDENT. DRIVING IN A DOUBLE FILE FASHION CAN INJURE SOMEONE. THIS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED AT ANYTIME. ONCE THE SPEEDWAY IS CLEAR THE STARTER WILL CALL THE FIELD TO A DOUBLE FILE FASHION.
21. Any driver that challenges their on track position will be sent to the rear of the field. Under each yellow flag period, the scorers check the standing line-up, pulling out of line will not change the written starting order. This is an unsafe practice and will not be tolerated.
22. The leader has the option of starting on the inside or outside of the front row on restarts. That same leader will restart the race at the designated starting point.
23. Any driver guilty of violating any of the flag rules will be penalized at the discretion of the starter and race director.
24. Rough riding decisions will be left up to the discretion of on track officials and the race director. Drivers may be fined up to $500 for rough riding and suspended for up to three weeks.
25. Any driver being fined or suspended for any speedway infraction will have their payout held on the night of the event. Any fine amount will be deducted from the purse payout with any remainder paid back to the driver or due upon return to the speedway.
26. Anytime the word "stock" or OEM is used in this rule book to describe a part or component, it is defined to mean a part or component that is available over the counter - untouched or unaltered from General Motors, Chrysler Corp, Ford Motor Company or AMC authorized dealers.
27. No radio communication is allowed unless otherwise noted acceptable by track officials. No mirrors of any type are allowed. One-way radios are mandatory in all classes. Mandatory frequency is 454.000.
28. No driver is permitted to stop at the flagger stand for any reason. Any time the flagger has to stick his head into a stopped car on the homestretch he is in a position to be injured. The only time that a driver may stop to communicate with a track official is when debris is on the race track. Driver should pull to the inside of the backstretch racing surface and communicate this to the backstretch official. No positions may be questioned by stopping on the speedway.
29. The top five cars in each division will be weighed immediately following their feature event. Other inspections may take place as well after the feature event. A possible randomly drawn car may also be weighed or teched post race. Any illegal car will forfeit their earnings and points for that event and will be handicapped the next week as if they won the feature.
30. There will be a thirty minute time limit for all feature events with the exception of the Modifieds, Lightning Cats and Slingshots.
FLAG RULES
GREEN FLAG: Indicates the start of the race or warm up session. On an original start, all cars must stay in line until they reach the cone on display in turn 4. This means no passing until your race car gets to that spot (not when the leader hits that spot). Only exception to the rule is when a car experiences a mechanical problem that slows the field.
YELLOW FLAG: Indicates a hazard, debris or accident on the speedway. When the yellow flag is displayed drivers are to slow down immediately. Any driver trying to gain positions by passing under the yellow flag will be sent to the rear of the field. There is absolutely no racing under yellow flag conditions.
A. In the event that a pace car is used, no one is permitted to pass the pace car unless directed otherwise. Anyone passing the pace car will be penalized one lap.
B. Passing other cars under the yellow flag will result in a penalty of being sent to the rear of the field.
C. In championship events in which the yellow flag laps will be scored, the race must finish under green. The final two laps will be held under green flag conditions meaning a race could go past the original laps should a caution come out with one lap to go. Example - yellow comes out on lap 99 of a 100 lap event - yellow flag laps will be counted until the green comes out, the race could windup being official at lap 104.
RED FLAG: Indicates an immediate danger on the speedway or a violent crash has taken place. The red flag will be displayed maybe also displayed during a rain delay situation. Drivers are indicated to slow down then stop as soon as safely possible. No work of any kind may be done to a race car under a red flag condition unless specifically directed over the one-way radio only. If a request is made during a red flag official approval must be transmitted over the one-way radio system so that all teams can hear it.
BLACK FLAG: May be used to indicate a penalty, too slow of a pace, or a possible mechanical malfunction. A black flag will be displayed to indicate a possible problem. The black flag will be displayed for two laps on a particular car - on the third lap the car will no longer be scored. If the black flag is displayed for a mechanical problem the yellow flag may be displayed to avoid a possible on track hazard. Once the black flag is displayed on a car they are to pull into the infield or pit area in the safest possible fashion as soon as possible.
BLUE AND YELLOW LAPPED FLAG: Indicates a driver is about to be lapped. Driver is asked to pull to the bottom of the speedway allowing the leaders the opportunity to cleanly pass. Any driver ignoring the lapped flag will risk the chance of no longer being scored and being displayed the black flag.
WHITE FLAG: Indicates one lap is left in your event. Could be used in warm-ups and racing events. White flag will also be displayed one lap prior to a restart situation to indicate a green flag is going to come out.
CHECKERED FLAG: Indicates the (end of the event. When the checkered flag is displayed to the leader, the balance of the field receives the checkered flag in the same lap. Finishing positions will be paid off according to most laps completed in the least time, regardless of whether the car is still running or not. A yellow/checkered flag being displayed will result in the event being
Additional Guidelines: The driver that receives the checkered flag first in any feature race must report to the scales and then immediately to victory lane to participate in post-race ceremonies. The race winner is to remain in victory lane until released by a track official.
Additional Procedural Guidelines:
1. Any team may as a matter of right, protest any violation of the rules including specifications. Visible protests must be made before event. Any time a tool or mechanical device has to be used by an official to determine a car's legality it is not considered a visible protest. For the purpose of a subsequent appeal, any track officials measurements are presumed to be correct and cannot be- appealed absent a showing of a mistake or prejudice.
2. All protests involving a particular event must be in writing, specifying the matter of protest, no later than ten minutes after completion of the event in which the alleged violation occurred. Each separate protest shall be given to the Pit Steward,
accompanied by $200 (U.S. Funds) cash or bond protest fee, with the following exception on fees: P & G Test - $125 - Motor Tear Down - $300- In the event of a motor tear down, the team being protested is found to be legal they will receive $200. If the team is found to be illegal, the protesting team will receive $200 back.
3. A protest of race results must be made orally within 5 minutes upon the completion of any event to the Pit Steward. At that point officials will re-check the official finish prior to posting it as official.
4. Race and specification protests can be rejected at the discretion of track officials if it is considered to be an unreasonable or harassing effort on the part of the protesting team.
5. Any time you protest another car for specifications you must be able to prove that your car is legal for the same item you are protesting.
DRIVING IN MULTIPLE CLASSES
For 2022 the following will be in effect - Modified teams may only compete in the Sportsman Modified division on night's that the Modified class is not racing in a point race or at an open competition event. A driver may only compete in an "upper level" division for two weeks without losing all points in their current class. A car may only be used once per night in one division. A driver may not compete in a Sportsman race with the same car on the same night and run in the Modifieds with a different or same driver. Exception - Sportsman teams may compete in Sunday Summer Slam events without losing eligibility.
THE SPEEDWAY MANAGEMENT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE ANY RULE OR RULES IF THEY FEEL IT IS NECESSARY IN THE BEST INTEREST OF RACING. ALL FINES AND/OR SUSPENSIONS WILL BE IN EFFECT AT ALL RACE EVENTS. THE INTERPRETATION AND INVOKING OF THE RULES HEREIN SHALL BE DETERMINED BY TRACK OFFICIALS ONLY IN THEIR PROFESSIONAL DISCRETION. THE RULES SETFORTH IN THIS BOOK ARE A GENERAL GUIDELINE AND IN NO WAY ARE IMPLIED TO PREVENT INJURY OR DEATH.