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Southern Modified Promotions Rules

DISCLAIMER AND WAIVER OF LIABILITY

The following rules are for the SMP Open Wheel Series. Interpretation of, or amendment to, these rules may be made, however, at any time in the interest of fair competition. The rules and regulations set forth herein are designed 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 licensees are deemed to have complied with these rules and regulations. They are intended only as a guide for the conduct of the sport and are in no way a guarantee against injury or death to participants and/or others involved. SMP does not warrant or guarantee, in any way the safety or fitness of any race car. This is a dangerous sport. You are risking your life by participating in any fashion. The SMP and its officers, representatives, officials, promoters, members, and/or sponsors will not be held responsible or liable for injuryor death.


GENERAL RULES

1. SMP race rules and regulations shall apply at all SMP sanctioned events.
2. SMP officials shall have full authority over race cars at SMP sanctioned events. At the discretion of the SMP official /s in charge , any competitor may be disqualified for rules violations, or hazardous equipment, or hazardous actions.
3. All SMP vehicles are subject to inspection by an SMP official at any time. The driver is required to bring the car to the official area in order to be allowed to participate. Only under extreme conditions will SMP officials inspect cars in their own pit. Approval of an SMP participant's race vehicles; or other equipment; by an SMP official inspector shall mean only that the vehicle is approved for participation in a competitive event; and shall not be construed in any way to mean, or imply that the inspected SMP vehicle is guaranteed to be mechanically sound or safe. Be it further known and understood that SMP: and SMP officials shall not be held liable for any mechanical failure nor for losses, injuries or death from same.
4. Any un-sportsmanlike conduct by a driver, car owner, pit crew member, agent, etc., shall be grounds for disqualification and/or punitive action; including, but not limited to any and/or all of a combination thereof: probation, suspension, fines, loss of any and/or all points, loss of any and/or all purse/prize money; which shall be by vote of the SMP board, for certain undesirable behavior, as determined by the SMP board. Any driver or their car owner, pit crew member, agent, etc., who is in another drivers pit, or at another drivers car, shall be considered at fault in the event of an altercation. SMP drivers are responsible for the conduct and actions of their car owners, crew members, agents, etc.



SPECIFIC SMP OPEN WHEEL RULES

1. SAFETY EQUIPMENT: Rules apply at all times car is on track. Snell-rated SA95, SA2000 or SA2005 helmet required. Roll bar padding required in driver compartment (Fire retardant recommended). SFI-approved full fire suit required. Fire retardant neck brace, gloves and shoes required. Recommended: Fire retardant head sock and underwear; head and neck restraints; collapsible steering shaft. Driver-side window net required, minimum 16"x20" ribbon or mesh style, and must be mounted so latch is at top front of window. Minimum three-inch wide five point safety belt assembly required (Y-type shoulder harness not allowed), must be mounted securely to roll cage, recommended to be no more than one year old. Kill switch required within easy reach of driver and must be clearly marked ‘OFF’ and ‘ON’. ***The SMP will give a 25 lb. weight break to anyone racing with a HANS device or a full containment seat.

2. FRAME: 1964 or newer OEM perimeter American rear-wheel drive passenger car frame only. No sports car frames. Frame must be full and complete, cannot be widened or narrowed, and must be able to support roll cage on both sides, exceptions are: weight jack in original center line of spring tower allowed; frame may be cut a maximum 36" forward from center of rear end housing; horns may be removed in front of steering box; front crossmember may be notched and boxed for radiator and/or steering clearance; maximum seven-inch wide opening in side of spring tower for spring removal. Maximum two inch wide by four inch tall frame stiffener may be welded directly to outside of left side frame rail. Minimum wheelbase 108", maximum 112", both sides. Maximum overall width (front or rear) shall not exceed 78" from outside of tire to outside of tire. No part of frame can be lower than four inches from ground except front crossmember.

3. ROLL CAGE: Must consist of continuous hoops, minimum 1.5" O.D. tubing, with a minimum wall thickness of .095" for main cage, frame-mounted in at least six places, low carbon or mild steel recommended. Must consist of a configuration of front, rear and top hoops connected by tubing on sides or side hoops. Driver’s head must not protrude outside cage with helmet on. Roll cage must be securely supported and braced with minimum one cross bar in top halo. Foot protection bar required. Main cage no further forward than rear of engine. All bars forward of cage must be lower than hood.

4. DOOR BARS: All driver side door bars and uprights must be minimum 1.5" O.D. and .083" wall thickness. Minimum three driver side door bars, parallel to ground and perpendicular to driver, and welded to front and rear of roll cage. Passenger side must have at least one cross door bar, horizontal or angled, minimum 1.25" O.D. and .083" wall thickness, and one top door bar, minimum 1.5" O.D. and .083" wall thickness. Steel door plate, 18 gauge or .049" minimum thickness, must be securely welded to outside of driver side door bars and cover area from top door bar to bottom door bar and from rear hoop down-post to five inches in front of seat. Must be visible for inspection.

5. BODY: IMCA Type Body Rules. ROOF RAKE with a MAX of 5" *NO Tolerence*! 68" maximum deck width *NO Tolerance! ***2" fins on nose, not to extend farther back than the leading edge of the hood. No other lips, fins, or wings allowed. No portion of the nose piece is to extend byond the front bumper and must be at least 7" from the ground. No belly pans or tunneling inside of body or under the car. **At tracks where spoilers are allowed "per track rules", 6 " max (of material) spoiler will be allowed, with no more than 2 side supports and 2 center supports. Center & side supports to be no more than 5" tall and 20" in total length, towering from a max of 3" at the front to the back.

6. DRIVER COMPARTMENT: Must have minimum three windshield bars in front of driver. Lexan or aluminum cowl panel in front of driver can be no wider than cockpit and no farther back than steering wheel. Minimum .125" aluminum, or .060" steel, complete floor pan required. Aluminum high-back seat only and must be bolted in, using minimum 0.375" bolts, next to left side frame rail and ahead of rear tires. Bottom of seat can be no lower than bottom of frame rail. Driver must be sealed off from track, driveline, engine, fuel cell, cannisters and pumps. Oil coolers must not protrude above interior. Accumulators cannot be mounted between driver and left-side door bars. No driver-adjustable devices allowed while car is in competition except brake adjuster. No mirrors of any kind.

7. FRONT SUSPENSION: All components must be steel, unaltered OEM, in OEM location, and replaceable by OEM parts, exceptions are: tube-type upper A-frames with or without aluminum or steel cross shaft, and mounts can be moved. Lower A-frames must be right and left, and of same design. Lower A-frame mounts and bolt holes on frame must be in OEM location. OEM ball joints only. Sway bar must be unaltered OEM. Fabricated A-frames must be OEM replacement. ***Tubular lowerA-frames of stock replacement design are permitted.

8. STEERING: No rack and pinion. All components must be steel, unaltered OEM, in OEM location, exceptions are: outer tie rod end and adjustment sleeve may be replaced by a minimum .625" steel rod end and steel tube; spindles can be ground for brake caliper clearance only; unaltered, OEM replacement Pinto spindles with raised cast; bolt on spindle savers allowed; steel steering shafts and knuckles only; steering quickener, steering wheel and quick release may be aluminum; driver compartment steering may be modified, must be kept on left side. Spindles must be right and left, and of same design. Idler arm, pitman arm, and center link must match frame.

9. SHOCKS: One steel bodied shock per wheel. No external adjustments allowed. Schrader valve shocks permitted. One shock per wheel...means one shock, including the left rear! Gas charged sliders are not allowed.

10. SPRINGS: One steel, non-progressive coil spring per wheel only. Steel or composite leaf spring allowed. One additional spring allowed on pull bar or lift bar, may be progressive. Any coil spring must be at least 4.5" O.D. No torsion bars or air bags.

11. REAR SUSPENSION: No independent rear suspension. All components must be steel. No covers allowed. All trailing arms/link bars must be solid tubing. Rear of frame may be altered to accept leaf or coil springs. Steel coil-over eliminators, or steel or aluminum coil-over kits allowed - must conform to shock and spring rules. One mechanical traction bar (pull or lift, not both). Rubber bumpers allowed only on panhard bar and mechanical traction bar. No sway bar.

12. REAR END: Any steel approved OEM passenger car or truck rear end (housing and carrier) allowed. Safety hubs (floater) allowed. All components must be steel, except lowering blocks, axle cap, drive flange. Inspection hole required in housing. Full steel spool, steel mini spool or welded rear ends only. Steel axles only. No cambered rear ends. One piece drive flange only. No torque dividing differentials. No scalloped ring gears. Quick change is optional: Steel tubes, hubs, and birdcages only!

13. BUMPERS: Steel bumpers must be on front and rear at all times and welded, or mounted with minimum .375" inch bolts. Must be minimum 1" O.D. tubing, .065" wall thickness on front - .095" wall thickness on rear. Two-bar front bumper must be mounted frame-end to frame-end, no wider than width of material outside frame horns and with bottom loop parallel to ground. Top bar must be directly above bottom bar, minimum 6.5" apart, measured center to center.

14. TIRES/WHEELS: American Racer (G-60 KK704) or IMCA approved Hoosier G-60's or Hoosier G60 Non Stamped. No softening of tires is allowed. Siping or grooving of tires is allowed. Aluminum or steel spacers only. External, steel bead lock only and it cannot make wheel any narrower than 8" and no wider than 8.75". Must use only steel bolts. Right front beeadlocks are ok.

15. BRAKES: Must be steel approved OEM, operative four wheel, drum or disc. Must maintain minimum OEM dimensions for hubs/rotors and calipers, cannot be lightened. Bolt pattern may be changed. Larger studs allowed. Rear rotors may be aftermarket, minimum .810" thickness. Vented rotors only, no scalloped rotors. No brake shut-off or pressure sensitive devices. One proportioning device allowed, front to rear only. Brake lines must be visible.

16. EXHAUST: Round tube headers only. All primary header tubes must enter directly into one collector, at same point, at end of header. **Try-Y headers are permitted.

17. FUEL SYSTEM: Mechanical or belt driven fuel pump only. Racing fuel cell required, maximum 32 gallon capacity, must be in minimum 18 gauge steel container. Cell must be securely mounted behind rear axle, between rear tires, minimum of four inches ahead of bumper, minimum of 10" above ground. Must mount with minimum two solid steel straps around entire cell, two inches wide and .125" thick. All cell mounts must be steel, securely welded to frame/cage. Protective tubing must cover rear and extend past both sides of cell. No part of cell shall be lower than protective tubing. Fuel cell vents, including cap vent, must have check valves. Pick-up must be on top or right side of cell. Limit of one fuel filter. No cool cans. One naturally aspirated two- or four-barrel carburetor only. No adjustable throttle bore carburetor spacers.

18. FUEL: Gasoline or alcohol. Racing fuel allowed. NO performance-enhancing additives. Upper cylinder lube allowed with alcohol only.

19. WEIGHT: Minimum weight limit of 2,350 pounds, no tolerance, after race with driver in car. No weights and/or loose objects in driver compartment or outside body. Weights must be securely mounted to frame or roll cage and painted white with car number on it. Must be attached with at least two .5" bolts. No titanium, magnesium or carbon fiber products. No gun-drilled, tubular, hollow bolts or studs. Steel fasteners only. ***50 lbs. must be bolted in front of the motor plate if running aluminum heads. No burn off for the feature races.

20. BATTERY/STARTER: One 12 volt battery only, must be securely mounted between frame rails, and positive terminal must be covered. Car must have capability of starting without being pushed or pulled. Car must leave initial staging area on demand, unaided, or go to rear of that race. See transmission rules for specifics.

21. GAUGES/ELECTRONICS: No transmitting or listening devices, timing retard controls, or digital gauges (including tach). No electronic monitoring computer devices capable of storing or transmitting information except analog tach. No adjustable ignition control boxes. One 12 volt ignition box allowed, must be out of driver’s reach. No additional ignition accessories allowed. Only change allowed to ignition box is one high-end rev-limiter setting. This setting can be changed through one chip only, or an internal setting inside box. No magnetos. No electronic traction control devices.

22. TRACTION CONTROL:(A) Use of any type of "traction control" is absolutely forbidden in any SMP sanctioned event. For purposesof clarity, "traction control" shall refer to any device, controlled by mechanical, electrical, and/or computercontrolled, either by in car, attached to car, or by a remote means. No data gathering or recording devices.No cockpit or driver controlled ignition timing or fuel delivery devices. (B) SMP officials may inspect any car they suspect could be benefiting from the use of "traction control"devices at any time. Driver/crew of car called to be inspected are expected to cooperate (in a sportsman-likemanner) with inspector/s; and may be required to jack up car, remove wheels, panels/covers, and install jackstands to make safe the inspection process. Failure to cooperate with inspector/s will be considered an indictment of guilt on the SMP competitors part, and competitor will be found in violation of this rule. No exceptions. No follow up inspection for this violation. (C) SMP maintains the right to confiscate any part/s they suspect as "traction control" from any car, at any time, for as long as it would be necessary to determine if said part/s is or is not classified as an illegal "tractioncontrol" device. If device is found to be legal, device will be returned as soon as practicable to owner. If part/sare found to be "illegal", part/s are sacrificed to the SMP.