2008 Winchester Speedway Rules

We hope you will enjoy the racing program.  It is the intention of the officials of Winchester Speedway to present to the fans and participants the best possible racing program.  The following rules and policies are guidelines that will be followed.

 

General.

 

  1. The rules and/or regulations set forth herein are designated to provide for the orderly conduct of racing events and to establish minimum acceptable requirements for such events.  These rules shall govern the condition of all 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.  The race director shall be empowered to permit minor deviation from any of the specifications herein or impose any further restrictions that in his opinion do not alter the minimum acceptable requirements.  No expressed or implied warranty of safety shall result from such alteration of specifications.  Any interpretation or deviation of these rules is left to the discretion of the track officials.  Their decision is final.  If you run at Winchester Speedway, you will go by these rules written herein. 
  2. Alcoholic beverages, drugs, explosives, or firearms are strictly prohibited not allowed anywhere on the premises of Winchester Speedway.  Any person exhibiting intoxication shall be escorted from the track premises and will be subject to penalty, barring, fined, or jailed.
  3. All drivers, mechanics, car owners and anyone else will sign an insurance release and purchase a pit pass prior to entering the pits.  Parents must sign a waiver for anyone under the age of 18.  In addition, all personnel entering the pits must be wearing their wristbands prior to entering the pits.  Sign in officials will check to ensure all personnel are wearing their wristbands prior to entering the pits.
  4. Anyone who enters the pit area agrees to abide by the rules and regulations of Winchester Speedway.
  5. Anyone failing to abide to the track rules, unsportsmanlike conduct, or holding up the race event for any reason will cause the car he/she is involved with to be penalized, barred, or disqualified.
  6. No driver, car owner, or crew member shall have any claims for damages expenses or otherwise against the track or its officials.
  7. All drivers under the age of 18 must have a minor’s release signed by legal guardian.
  8. No one is allowed on the track surface at any time unless instructed by the pit steward to do so.  You will cause your car to be disqualified.
  9. The use of improper language by anyone to a track official or publicly shall make that person subject to immediate suspension from the facility.
  10. Fighting will not be tolerated.  There will be a two hundred dollar ($250) fine and forfeiture of winnings for anyone engaging in a fight.  This includes the driver, owner, pit crew, or others with a car.  No second chances.  A second occurrence will cause you to be banned from Winchester Speedway for the rest of the season.
  11. Causing a disturbance or gathering shall be considered the same as fighting and shall carry the same fine and forfeiture.
  12. An intentional act of violence with a race car will carry the same fine and forfeiture as fighting.  The driver and car will be disqualified for the rest of the racing program.  The driver will have to obtain permission from the track officials before competing in another racing event at Winchester Speedway.
  13. Rough Driving will not be tolerated.  If you are judged by the track officials to be driving rough, you will be disqualified.
  14. Track officials reserve the right to temporarily change a car number to avoid duplication.
  15. Car numbers must be a minimum of 18” high on both sides of the car and on the top.
  16. All cars must be self starting.
  17. No rear view mirror or radio in any division unless otherwise stated.
  18. Any change in car or driver after completion of qualification or heat race will result in car being placed in the rear of the next event for that division.
  19. All drivers will enter and race only one car in each class, except when damage or equipment failure prevents the original car from competing.  If a driver experiences damage or failure sufficient enough for his/her car to be unable to compete, then a driver may go to a back-up car ONLY after gaining permission from Winchester Speedway officials.  Drivers that use a back-up car will surrender their assigned starting position and start the event from the rear of the field.
  20. Rain Check Policy:  if the qualifying heat races are not completed, your wristbands will be good as “rain checks” for the next day’s program only.  There will be no cash refunds.  If all qualifying heat races are completed, it will be considered a show and there will be no rain checks.  Any feature races not completed will be run at the next week’s show as a double-header.  On the weekends where double (make-up) features will be run, the make-up feature will run based on the previous week’s heat race results.  Classes will forego heat races for the second feature and line up by points standings in order to save time and get all scheduled events in that evening.

 

 

Safety.

 

  1. Cars entering, exiting, and traveling through the pit area must travel at a slow speed.  Violators will be subject to disqualification, fine, or barred.  This means everyone in any type of vehicle.
  2. All cars must be equipped with a fully charged fire extinguisher and gauge in good working order and installed within easy reach of the driver.
  3. Fire resistant suits are required for all divisions.
  4. Driver must be able to exit from both sides of the car.
  5. All cars must have padding on roll bars in driver’s area.
  6. All doors must be welded or bolted shut.
  7. All glass must be removed.
  8. Racing type seat is mandatory in all classes (with the exception of the Front Wheel Drive class) with seat frame fastened to roll cage and door bars.
  9. A 5 point safety harness is mandatory.  Safety belts must come from behind the driver at shoulder height.  Must use minimum 3/8” grade 5 bolts for belt installation.  No factory seatbelts are to be used as safety harness. This rule applies to all classes except the Front Wheel Drive Class. See Front Wheel Drive class rules for seatbelt requirements.
  10. If the battery is in the driver’s compartment, it must be in an approved marine battery box top and bottom, and be securely bolted down with 1” x 1/8” metal straps.
  11. A drive shaft safety loop made of ¼” x 1” flat bar or ¼” chain minimum will be installed near front of drive shaft.
  12. Drive shafts must be painted white for visibility on track.
  13. All flammable materials must be removed from the interior of car.
  14. Fuel cells are mandatory.  Must be secured with a minimum of four (4) 1” x 1/8” steel straps and 3/8” bolts, if mounted in trunk area with 2 straps each way
  15. Cars must have complete fire wall front and rear.
  16. All holes in fire walls and floor pan must be covered with 20 gauge sheet metal or thicker.
  17. If fuel line runs inside of car, it must be inside metal conduit.
  18. All weight added to car must be bolted or welded, and painted white.  Drivers name must be painted or engraved on lead.  No exception.  No sandbags, etc. allowed. If lead falls off on the track, you will be disqualified.
  19. If your car is in a wreck and loses parts/pieces, it is your responsibility to gather those parts/pieces and place them in or on your car before crossing the scales. If your car is light when crossing the scales due to losing parts/pieces, you will be disqualified.
  20. All cars must have a minimum of three (3) 3/8” diameter bars in windshield area on front of driver.

 

 

Regular Program Procedures.

 

Sign In

Gates open at 4 p.m.  It will be the responsibility of all drivers/teams to sign in after entering the pit area.  The sign in will be conducted at the payout booth located at the entrance of the pit area.  NO driver/team shall be allowed to be signed in by a third party.  ONLY a driver, or crew representative shall be allowed to sign in the car that is at the track prior to cut off. Exceptions may be made on a case by case basis. If a driver will be racing in more than one class, he/she must purchase a wristband for each class he/she will be entering in.  Failure to do so will result in disqualification.

 

Draw

Drivers/Teams will draw for starting position in their heat event at the time they sign in.  The lottery will consist of pills numbered one (1) through one hundred (100), with the lower numbers being assigned to the front of the heat.  Drivers arriving late shall not be permitted to draw and shall be assigned to the rear of a heat.  Drivers arriving after the start of the drivers meeting will be considered late. 

 

Drivers Meeting

It shall be the responsibility of ALL drivers to attend the drivers meeting.  In most circumstances, the drivers meeting will be held prior to hot laps.  Any rule, format, or schedule change will be discussed at the drivers meeting.  ALL drivers will be responsible for information discussed at the drivers meeting.  Any driver or owner who does not attend the drivers meeting waives the right to protest.

 

Posted Information

All pertinent information such as race line-ups, point standings, etc. shall be posted on the bulletin board in the payout booth and the bulletin board located on the side of the pit concession stand nearest the scales.  It is the driver’s responsibility to know when he/she is scheduled to race and be in the staging lane on time.

 

Hot Laps

Cars will be allowed ONE hot lap session prior to qualifying laps or time trials.  Drivers will hot lap in order of heat events, unless notified otherwise by Winchester Speedway Officials.  Any driver that misses his/her hot lap session will NOT be allowed to hot lap with another session. NO EXCEPTIONS.

 

 

 

General Race Procedures.

 

Staging Lane Policy

The first race will be called to the staging lanes located at the entrance of the track.  As soon as these drivers go onto the track, the drivers in the second race will take their cars to the staging lanes to be lined up.  A line-up will be posted on the bulletin board on the side of the pit concession stand nearest the scales and each driver will be responsible for knowing when he/she is scheduled to race.

 

Race Starting Policy

All races will start when the pole sitter fires between the chalk lines coming out of turn four.  If anyone jumps the start, 1st time will receive a warning, 2nd time he/she will be rolled back one row and 3rd jump goes to the rear and the car behind him/her will move up.  No criss-crossing.  There will be two tries on the first lap and then we will go to a single file start.  After one lap is completed, all restarts will be single file.  Each car must hold its position until the pole sitter fires.  The leader starts a lap.  The completion of the first lap will be when the last car in competition crosses the finish line or the leader laps that car(s) and crosses the finish line to start another lap. 

 

Race Restart Policy

The line-up on a restart will be reverted back to the positions of the cars as they crossed the finish line of the last completed lap, except when a race is restarted because of a stalled car(s).  If a car is judged to have spun out on his/her own, he/she will be placed in the rear of the field.  If a car is judged to have caused the spin out, then that car will be placed in the rear and the car he/she spun out will take up his/her position held on the last completed lap.  In the absence of a consensus of the judges, the cars involved will be placed in the rear for the restart.  Any car that deliberately causes the race to be stopped will be penalized one lap.  The decision of the judges is final.  A competitor may leave the track surface and return to the pits.  He/she cannot return to the track surface unless the caution light is lit.  Once the caution light is turned off to restart the race, the driver must wait until the next caution to return to the track surface.  If the driver is able to return to the track surface under caution, he/she will be placed at the rear of the field.  Any scored laps that were completed during his/her absence would put him/her down that number of laps.  If no laps were scored (completed), then he/she would return without losing a lap.  Restarts will be double file for two attempts.  The third attempt will be single file.  All restarts will start coming out of turn 4 between the chalk lines.  A cone is used and the green flag will be presented when the leader is inside the chalk lines.  No passing until after passing the cone on front straight away.

 

General Race Policy

1. Any car that does not maintain starting formation will go to the rear.

2. Any car that draws three cautions in any race for any reason will have to take it to the pits.

3. Anyone stopping to argue with officials will be black flagged and sent to the rear of the field or disqualified and sent to the pits at the discretion of the track officials. 

4. Maximum car field is 24 unless approved by track officials. 

5. No one from the pits will be allowed on the track surface at any time unless instructed to do so by the pit steward.  Disobeying this rule will result in disqualification of car associated with person entering the track.

6. No car repairs of any kind on the track.  Go to infield or pits for repairs. 

7. A black flag will be given if there appears to be a problem with your car.  If you get the black flag, go to the pits.

8. If you are disqualified for any reason, you will not receive any money or points for that night.

9. If you spin another car, you will be charged with a caution and sent to the rear.  Any car that causes a caution three times will be black flagged and sent to the pits.

10. No laps will be scored that are run in the infield.  You will not be scored if you cross inside the poles.

11. Except on the final lap, there is no racing back to the caution flag.  Cars will be lined up in the order they were scored on the last green lap.

12. When the leader takes the white flag, there will be no yellow flag.  You will race back to the checkered flag.  If you spin a car on the last lap, you will be scored last on the lead lap and the car that did spin will be scored where he/she was running.  If there is danger to a driver, or the track is completely blocked, it will be red flagged.  It will be the track officials’ decision to restart the race or score the race on the last completed lap.  TRACK OFFICIALS’ DECISION WILL BE FINAL!

13. If a car has its nose up to the driver’s door, then he has the right to his lane.  NO CUTTING DOWN OR UP!

14. If, in the judgment of officials, the leader is spun intentionally on the last lap, he/she will be declared the winner and the car causing the spin will be moved to last place.

15. No nitrous oxide in any class.

16. All cars are subject to weight check or inspection at any time by the track officials.

17. Drivers cannot switch from one division to another without authorized permission.

18. All drivers will be paid according to laps completed.  You must complete one (1) lap to be paid.

19. Payoff on RED/CHECKERED flag will be same as restart.

20. Upon taking the checkered flag for the feature race, exit the track in Turn 2 and proceed to the scales for weigh-in unless given other instructions for a post-race technical inspection.  Upon clearance from the scales, move to the Winner’s Circle for photos.

 

Time Limit

Regular Program races are 8 laps for heats in all classes.  Features are 15 laps for all classes except 2 Barrels and Compact Front Wheel Drives.  2 Barrel and Compact Front Wheel Drives will run 20 lap features.  All feature races will be timed with the exception of the Compact Front Wheel Drive class.  The time limit will be according to the number of laps plus 5. For example, a 15 lap feature will have a 20 minute time limit, 20 lap feature will have a 25 minute time limit, etc. Heat races will have a 10 minute time limit. Compact Front Wheel Drive class will not run heat races. They will line up for their feature by the pill draw.

 

Time Trials:

Classes will time trial from time to time. It will be at the track’s discretion and classes will be chosen randomly for qualification. Time trials will consist of the driver completing two laps.  Drivers will line up in the infield and qualify according to the draw.  The fastest lap time will count for qualification.  Drivers will exit the track upon taking the checkered flag and proceed to the scales to be weighed.

 

 

The Flags and Signals:

  1. Green Flag – (green light) means “RACE”.  At Winchester Speedway, we only race under green conditions.
  2. Yellow Flag – (yellow light) means “CAUTION”.  Slow down immediately, hold position and watch for instructions.  When the yellow light is turned out, be ready for start or restart.
  3. Red Flag – (red light) means “STOP”. Something is wrong.  If a lengthy delay occurs, the race director may allow cars to return to the pits without penalty.
  4. Black Flag – means “consultation”.  Leave the track and check with the officials.  The black flag cannot be ignored.  Failure to respond twice means disqualification.
  5. Blue Flag with Diagonal Stripe – means “move over”.  Do not stop racing, but hold your line or get out of the way.  Leaders are moving up on you.
  6. Crossed Flags – means “halfway” point of the race.
  7. White Flag – means “one more lap” to race.
  8. Checkered Flag – means the race is finished.

 

 

Conduct

 

  1. Conduct of any driver, car owner, or crew member that is considered unsportsmanlike in the continuance of the event shall be subject to a fine, suspension, or barred from further competition at Winchester Speedway.
  2. The driver alone will be held responsible for the conduct of his/her crew members.  The driver alone shall be the sole spokesman for his/her car in any matters pertaining to the race and must talk to track officials in charge.
  3. Any driver, car owner, mechanic, or crew member who verbally abuses or ridicules a track official or person under track orders shall be subject to fine, immediate suspension, and/or loss of all prize money and points or jailed.
  4. Any driver, car owner, or crew member who climbs on the flag stand without being instructed to do so will be fined $300 and/or barred or jailed.
  5. Any fines or suspensions must be settled with speedway officials before a driver, car owner, or crew member will be allowed to participate in another event at Winchester Speedway.

 

 

Scales

The winner of each heat race and the top three finishers in each feature must go across the scales and meet the minimum weight requirements and pass tech inspection.

 

 

 

Race Results

Race results will be posted on the bulletin board on the pit concession stand wall nearest the scales for 10 minutes.  If you differ, follow the protest policy.

 

 

Protest Policy

  1. Protest for alleged violation of rules may be filed by drivers only.
  2. Protest will be accepted along with US currency to cover the cost of the said protest.
  3. Protest must be made to the official at the scales.  Valid protests must occur at the scales immediately following the conclusion of the feature. No protests allowed after the cars have cleared the scales.
  4. Only the winner of a feature race can be protested or claimed and the protester must have finished in the top 5 of that feature and taken the checkered flag on the lead lap.
  5. Official has the right to recognize the validity of a protest and reject any protest.
  6. Upon filing protest, the protester must move his/her car to the Claim Area.  The car under protest will then be brought to the Claim Area and both cars will be inspected.
  7. After protest fee has been posted and accepted, no withdrawals and no refunds.
  8. Only the driver, owner, and crew chief of each car will be allowed in the Claim Area along with the technical inspector. NO EXCEPTIONS!
  9. If a driver refuses to tear down after being protested, he/she is considered to be illegal and loses all points and money accumulated for the racing event.
  10. Any visual protest must be made no later than 15 minutes prior to the start of the first feature of the evening.
  11. Any driver making a visual protest will submit to the same protest being done on his/her car.
  12. Only one visual on one car per driver allowed for that night’s racing program.
  13. Carburetor and distributor may be checked as visual but will also be considered as part of a top engine protest.
  14. No driver is eligible to protest or claim if he/she has brought out two caution flags.
  15. No driver may protest or claim the same driver more than once during the season.
  16. Claim or protest refusal:
    1. 1st offense – lose all points and money accumulated for the racing event and forfeits the right to post any claims or protests for the rest of the season.
    2. 2nd offense – lose all money accumulated for the racing event, lose all points accumulated for the entire season and pay a $500 fine before returning to competition.

 

 

Protest Fees

  1. $300 to check TOP part of V-8 engine.  $150 to check top part of 4 cylinder engine. Track retains $50.00.  Includes bore and stroke, pistons (top), heads, intake, camlift, any porting or polishing, lifters and carb.
  2. $150 to check BOTTOM of motor.  Track retains $50.00.  Pull oil pan to make sure all parts are stock or meet rules.
  3. $550 to check all of motor.  $350 to check all of motor and clutch in Pure Stock and Mini Stock classes only. Track retains $100.  Includes bore and stroke, crank, rods, pistons, heads, intake, camlift, lifters, any porting or polishing of heads, including compression and carb.
  4. $75 to check porting and polishing of heads.  Track retains $25.  Head or heads stay on motor.
  5. $50 to inspect 4412 carburetor on 2 Barrel Late Model. Track retains $25.
  6. $50 to check cranking compression.  Track retains $25.
  7. $100 to inspect flywheel, torque converter, and transmission.  Track retains $50.
  8. Track retains the right to check any engine at any time.
  9. $50 to remove valve cover on 4 cylinder engine to check valve train.  Track retains $25.
  10. $250 to protest ignition box (msd) for traction control.  Box to be sent to manufacturer.  All testing expenses plus $25 to be retained.
  11.  Front wheel drive class will have a complete car exchange rule. $500 to exchange. Claimer must be on the lead lap and finish in the top five. Only the winner can be claimed. Refusal to exchange will result in a $100 penalty and two week suspension. A driver can only be claimed once per year.

 

 

 

 

 

Points Structure

 

Feature Races                                   Position Finished                   Points Awarded

                                                                        1                                              85

                                                                        2                                              80

                                                                        3                                              78

                                                                        4                                              77

                                                                        5                                              76

                                                                        6                                              75

                                                                        7                                              74

                                                                        8                                              73

                                                                        9                                              72

                                                                        10                                            71

                                                                        11-24                                       70

 

*70 points to start feature.

 

 

Heat Races                                                     1                                              10

                                                                        2                                              8

                                                                        3                                              7

                                                                        4                                              6

                                                                        5                                              5

                                                                        6                                              4

                                                                        7                                              3

                                                                        8                                              2

                                                                        9                                              1

                                                                        10                                            1

 

 

* 1 point to start heat