2024 Tazewell Speedway General Rules

 

THESE RULES ARE FOR ALL DIVISIONS AND WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED
 

GENERAL RULES AND CONDUCT

Tazewell Speedway is private property. Through your admission ticket you have been given authority and the right to be on this property in conjunction with racing activities. However, the management reserves the right to revoke and cancel this right at any time it is felt that your presence or conduct is not in the best interest of the sport of auto racing, your fellow competitors or the fans. We expect courteous conduct from all participants at all times. Each and every one of you has an image to uphold for the fans. We will not tolerate profanity in front of race fans or officials. At any time your dress, actions or conduct is not in the best interest of Tazewell Speedway, you must leave the grounds.

There will be no drinking of alcoholic beverages before, during, or after the racing program in the pits. Alcoholic beverages and controlled substances are not allowed at Tazewell Speedway property. Anyone caught with either of these on their person or in their equipment will be suspended up to two weeks for their first offense. A second offense may result in suspension for the season. In addition, any driver, car owner, or pit crew member caught drinking alcoholic beverages at any race will forfeit any money the car has won for this meet. Drivers are responsible for the entire crew.

No firearms are permitted on Tazewell Speedway property by anyone except uniformed police officers. The display or use of any type of weapon at any time will result in permanent suspension for all parties involved and will result in arrest of all parties involved.

Injuries received AT the track MUST be reported to officials BEFORE leaving premises. Failure to do so may result in non-payment of insurance claims. All claims MUST first be submitted to YOUR insurance carrier.

Any driver or crew member caught fighting or conducting inappropriate behavior may be suspended for up to FOUR weeks on the first offense. The second offense results in being permanently suspended. Anyone previously suspended for fighting has already used the first offense and is subject to permanent suspension based on the next offense. Drivers are responsible for their crew members. All incidents will be on a case by case basis. Fines or penalties maybe reduced or increased at the discretion of the track.

Any disagreement over technical questions or decisions will be resolved by the officials. When their decision is rendered, it is final and binding and no further discussion will take place.

As driver/owner, you are an independent contractor and assume all responsibility for all charges, premiums and taxes, if any, payable on funds you may receive for your participation at any racing events at the speedway. Arrangements of purse payments to anyone other than the driver must be made in writing PRIOR to race night.

In case of protest, payoff may be held until the following week.

Any car or cars caught illegal receives no money. Points are lost on the race in which you are disqualified. If a driver/car owner refuses to a tear down, they forfeit all monies and points for that night's events. Flagrant cheating will draw a substantial fine.

Any driver must be at least age 16 with a valid drivers license.

Pit Rules

The pit area is a restricted area set aside for the preparation of race cars in competition. Each driver, owner, or mechanic will sign a release and purchase a pit pass before entering the pit area. Each driver will be held responsible for the conduct of each member of his team. Violators as determined by track officials will be subject to disqualifications or suspension.

Tazewell Speedway reserves the right to refuse admittance to the pit area to any person considered to be unqualified or detrimental to the sport of auto racing.

Anyone found guilty of letting another person use their pit pass will be subject to being asked to leave the premises.

If you are injured, please notify an official immediately for proper medical attention.

In the event of a "rain-out" everyone must hold onto their ticket/pit-pass. These will be used for the next event. There will be NO REFUNDS.

1. The officials will determine all finishing positions and their decisions are final.

2. Track management reserves the right to: update, modify, add to or delete any part of this rule book at any time without prior notification.

3. No driver; car owner or mechanic will have any claims for damages, expenses, or otherwise against the track, its officials, or other competitors.

4. All participants must be at least fifteen years old and have a driver's permit or valid driver’s license, minors must have a signed notarized release from parent or guardian.

5. All drivers, car owners, mechanics, and anyone else attempting to entering the pits must sign a release and purchase a pit pass.

6. No one under the age of fourteen (14) will be permitted in the lower pit area.

7. All cars must travel at a slow, safe speed while in the pits and under caution on the track. If in the tracks opinion you are putting someone in danger you will be warned or parked. Track decision.

8. No driver may get out of his car on the track or infield to argue or discuss the race with track officials. Failing to abide by this rule will result in disqualification and/or suspension.

9. No work can be done to the race cars on the track. All work must be done in the pit area. Any car that enters the pits at any time after one complete lap will be required to go to the rear of the field or the rear of the lap they’re running on. If a car enters the pits for mechanical repairs because of a caution before the first lap is scored and is able to re-enter the race track before the 1 lap to go signal, said car will be allowed to regain its starting position. After the "ONE TO GO" signal, all cars coming back to the track must go to the rear.

10. No car owner, mechanic, or crew member will be allowed on the track at any time. If an official can’t repair the car you must go to the pit area for repairs. Failure to abide by this rule will result in the car being restarted at the tail-end of the field. Drivers are responsible for their crew members.

11. Any car that enters the track after the parade lap has started for the initial start will start on the
rear. If you have to go to the pit area after the initial start for repairs we will do everything possible to allow you to get your position back within reason When the lineup is rest and one to go is given you must start on the rear. Cars will be allowed to enter or leave the track in Turn 1 only. If the pit-area is blocked, the car may enter in another location if told to do so by a track official.

13. Any loose parts such as; sheet metal, bumpers, hoods, deck lids or any apparent unsafe condition of; wheels, tires, steering, or other mechanical parts and/or excessive emission of smoke or steam and any leakage of any fluids shall all be deemed reason for ejection from the racing event. In the case of ejection due to these conditions, the driver may return to the race with the same car ONLY when the problem is corrected.

14. All cars are subject to inspection by track officials at any time.

15. New cars with minor infractions may be permitted a courtesy run. Track officials will determine any penalties necessary to offset those infractions.

16. In the event of a caution on the final lap of the race, the race will be finished unless the track is blocked or officials feel someone is in danger in which case the race will be re-started with a green, white, checkered flag in that order, or if the time limit for that race has expired, track officials may elect to re-start race with green and white flags followed by the checkered flag.

17. A driver is permitted to compete in only two divisions per racing program.

18. A car is permitted to compete in only one division per racing program.

19. If a driver registers late, he will be placed on the rear or first Track discretion of a drawing order or in the last position to attempt to qualify. The track reserves the right to change qualifying procedure for any race night.

20. If a car misses the three minute time limit to be in the staging lane or is out of position for its qualifying number will be allowed only one timed lap of time-trials or may be disqualified if its class receives only one lap of time trials.

21. A driver change between qualifying and feature race will cause that car to be placed on rear of the feature race.

22. A driver change during feature race (initial green flag) will be considered a relief driver and the driver that started the car will receive the points that the car earns.

23. Points go with driver from week to week toward season totals. Drivers earn points according to where the car they started in the feature race, finishes in feature race.

24. Any driver found with any sharp objects on their car that is intended to cut a tire down on another car will be disqualified and suspended for a minimum of two weeks depending on the severity of the infraction.

25. Once the line-up has been set on the race track and a car pulls onto the racing surface, that car will automatically go to the tail-end of the field this being at the beginning of the race or after a caution. No Exceptions.

26. Any discrepancies in the finishing order must be taken up with the Race Director. All finishes will be posted ten minutes before the pay will be distributed. If you have a dispute with the finish have someone contact the race director immediately and the payoff will be held up until the dispute is settled. When the ten minutes are up all finishing positions will be final.

27. Any driver or crew member coming to the press box during a race to argue a call or scoring will be disqualified from all events that night including events that have already been completed. Driver will receive no pay or points for any event that night.

28. Layover Flag. If you're given the layover flag you are to move to the inside of the race track. If you fail to do so, the second time you receive the layover flag and you don't comply by the time you reach turn 1 a caution will be displayed and the car that didn't move over will be parked for the night. Whether you have been lapped or on the tail end of the lead lap you WILL BE REQUIRED TO MOVE DOWN. Also the leader or any other car lapping another car will be responsible for his own actions. If he dives to the lower lane and gets caught up in a accident and spins. He will go to the rear. Your warning will be given in the drivers meeting and there will be no discussion after the call has been made. Anyone taking advantage of the layover flag and passing a car you were racing with after he obeys the layover flag will also be parked.

29. After the race: No crew member, car owner, or anyone affiliated with the race car, is allowed to touch or approach their race car, or any other race car until after the car has crossed the scales. This could result in disqualification.

Sign-In

1. It is the responsibility of each driver to sign in and draw for qualifying order/starting order upon arrival at the racetrack.

2. A schedule will be posted at each race event indicating the time that the drawing will end.

3. Any driver failing to draw for qualifying position or any driver arriving after draw has closed will receive only one (1) qualifying lap unless you're in a class that receives only one lap, in which case you will not get to qualify, and will be added to the lineup according to track official's discretion.

Event Schedule

1. A schedule will be posted at each race event. The schedule may be revised in the event of unforeseen circumstances.

Practice

1. A schedule for hot laps (practice) by division will be posted at each race event.

2. Each division will be given one practice session. If a driver misses that session, he will not be permitted a make-up session.

3. Under no circumstances will a car from one division be allowed to practice with another division.

4. The track reserves the right to determine how many cars in each division will practice at a time and reserves the right to determine which cars are in each practice session.

Qualifying

1. Steel-Head Late Models will receive two (2) qualifying laps with the faster of the two laps being recorded as the official time.

2. Modified Street will recieve one lap qualifying.

3. Other divisions may qualify for special events. In the case of additional qualifying, an announcement will be made at the Drivers Meeting.

4. Any driver not in position according to his draw will be allowed only one qualifying lap.

5. Once a driver has crossed the start/finish line for the green flag there will be no wave-off and the official qualifying lap will have begun.

6. All divisions not qualifying will draw for starting position.

7. The track reserves the right to change qualifying procedure for any race night.

Time Limits

Will be used in the event of a unusally long race. The following procedure will be used.

1. If the race is currently under caution, the race will be completed under a green-white-checkered condition.

2. If the race is currently under green, the race will continue until the next caution, and then will be finished under green-white-checkered.

3. Track officials reserve the right to change the number of laps in a race as needed.

Race Starts

1.The pole car sets the pace on starts. It is the responsibility of the car on the outside of the front row to remain beside the pole sitter. No drag down starts, or fast paced starts. Moderate pace only. No laying back. Cars must remain in position until the green light under the flag stand is displayed. Any driver that "jumps the start" will be given 1 warning a second offence will be being bumped a row or may be penalized one or more positions; placed at the rear and/or penalized a lap. IF EITHER ONE OR BOTH FRONT ROW STARTERS DOES NOT TAKEOFF, WHEN THE GREEN FLAG IS THROWN, THEY WILL HAVE TO START AT THE TAIL-END OF THE FIELD ON THE RESTART. NO WARNINGS. NO EXCEPTIONS.

2. All original starts will be double file start upon the Flagman's command (waving of the green flag and/or green light).

3. A cone will be placed on the track between Turn 4 and the Start/Finish line. All race starts will be made when the pole sitter gets to the cone. The pole car must fire at the cone and not before. Firing before the cone will draw a warning. A second offense will draw a penalty and the offending driver will be put back one row.

4. There will be no passing or firing before the cone regardless of starting position.

5. If the caution flag comes out before all the cars complete the first lap, the race will be restarted using the original double file restart.

6. Any car going to the pit before the first lap is complete may return to his original starting position provided he is in position when the one-lap to go signal is given.

7. The track reserves the right to go to a single file start after three restarts.

Restarts

1. All restarts after the first completed green flag lap will be single file and will be lined up using positions held in the last completed green flag lap.

2. Single file restarts will be made with all lead lap cars being placed in front of all lapped cars. Lapped cars will line up behind all lead lap cars in the order they completed the last green flag lap.

3. On restarts, the leader must fire at the cone between turns 3 and 4. There will be no passing before the cone and no driver will be allowed to go below the cone.

4. Any driver passing before or going below the cone will be placed at the rear of all the cars. A second offense will result in removal from the event and the car will not be scored.

Caution Flag

TAZEWELL SPEEDWAY HAS A "NO JUDGEMENT" CAUTION RULE, WHICH MEANS, ANY CAR THATSPINS AND CAUSES A CAUTION TO BE THROWN WILL BE SENT TO THE REAR OF THE FIELD. UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT OR ROUGH DRIVING WILL NOT BE TOLERATED AND WILL BE DEALT WITH ACCORDINGLY.

1. All cars should immediately slow down upon seeing the caution flag and lights. The cars will be scored using the last completed green flag. There will be no racing back to the flag.

2. Any driver continuing to race after the caution is displayed will be subject to penalty including being sent to the rear, or disqualified from the event at the discretion of the Race Director.

3. All cars causing a caution will be sent to the rear of the lap they are running in.

4. The decision of who is involved in the caution will be made by the Race Director and will not be subject to review or reversal. Any driver or crew member coming to the press box during a race to argue such a call will be disqualified from all events that night. Driver will receive no pay or points for any event that night.

5. Any car going to the pits under caution will be placed at the rear of the field regardless of laps completed.

6. Any car causing three cautions will be sent to the pits for the remainder of the event and will not be allowed to reenter the race.

7. Any car intentionally causing a caution without a mechanical problem will be penalized one lap.

Driver Changes

1. A driver may drive in no more than two divisions per racing event.

2. Any driver change that has not been approved by the Race Director will result in car and driver receiving no points and no money for the night.

3. There will be no driver changes made after a race has received the first green flag.

4. Any driver change attempted after qualifying will result in car starting at the rear of the field.

5. Points will be given only to the driver starting the race.

Radios and Mirrors

1. Radios are not allowed in any class

2. Mirrors will not be allowed in any class

Penalties

1. Speedway officials will display the caution flag for any incidents considered to be rough driving.

2. The driver judged to be rough driving would be placed at the rear of the field for the first offense, suspended from the event for the second offense, and suspended for the remainder of the racing season for the third offense.

3. A car that intentionally hits or rams another car while under caution will be disqualified from an event. All points and pay for the night will be forfeited and the car and driver will be immediately removed from the premises.

4. Any physical confrontation, either on the racing surface or in the pits, will result in the aggressor being escorted from the Speedway, suspended from the next two racing events and a possible fine may be implemented before they are allowed to return. A second offense will result in suspension for the remainder of the racing season.

5. Any driver who enters another driver's pit area will be considered the aggressor. If the incident occurs away from either driver's pit area, both drivers may be considered the aggressor.

6. Drivers will be held responsible for the action of all crewmembers and the penalty may be applied to the driver if a crewmember is involved in an incident.

7. Any physical confrontation with an official of Tazewell Speedway will result in lifetime ban from Tazewell Speedway.

8. Speedway officials reserve the right to increase or decrease the above penalties based on the severity of the incident.

9. No one except Speedway officials is allowed on the racing surface at any time during the race. A crew member going out on the track will result in the immediate disqualification of the driver.

Safety Equipment

1. Fire extinguishers must be mounted in each car and must be in working order.

2. Battery must be securely mounted in a box or case of some kind. If it is inside the car, it must have a cover.

3. A 5-point racing harness is required in all cars. Date on belts should be no more than three (3) years old.

4. Racing seat is required. NO fiberglass.

5. Add-on weights must be made of lead only. They must be painted white, have the car number on them and be securely bolted to the car using a minimum of 2 bolts. Penalty will be starting at the rear of the field of the next feature.

6. Drive shaft must be painted white and have the car number on it.

7. A full fire suit is MANDATORY for every competing driver. Any driver not wearing a fire suit will not be permitted to race.

8. All drivers must wear a Snell-approved helmet. A full-face helmet is recommended.

9. A window net is recommended but not required.

10. Fire retardant gloves are highly recommended.

11. No electronic or computer devices or data acquisition systems or traction-controlled devices are allowed on the racetrack at any time.

12. Any weights falling off a car during a race will result in a disqualification against the car.

Flags

1. Green: The green flag is the indication for the racing to begin.

2. Yellow: The yellow flag is for caution, meaning there is some kind of hazard on the racing surface. When the yellow flag is displayed, racing stops. Any car continuing to race or failing to slow down as soon as a caution is displayed may be immediately disqualified from the event.

3. Blue: Yellow: The blue-yellow flag indicated that the leader and/or faster cars are closing on a slower car. The driver receiving the blue-yellow flag must move to the inside and allow the faster cars to pass on the outside. A driver who fails to move down after the move over flag is displayed will be given a warning. If the driver again fails to move down, he will be black flagged and removed from the race.

4. Black: The black flag is a consultation flag and indicates that the driver must come to the pits immediately for consultation with a race official.

5. Red: The red flag will be displayed when the track is blocked or in cases where safety is a factor. In the case of a red flag, all cars should stop immediately.

6. White: When the white flag is displayed, it means the leader has started his last lap. If on the white flag lap the caution is displayed, all cars, regardless of their location on the track, will slow down and maintain position. We will revert back to the last completed green flag lap and on the restart there will be a green, white, checkered finish.

7. Checkered: When a checkered flag is displayed, it means the race is completed. When the checkered flag is given to the leader, the balance of the field receives the checkered flag on the same lap.

Protests

If you refuse teardown, you will be suspended for two weeks. The protesting car will get ALL of their money back, The car refusing teardown will have the option to take the suspension or pay the track tech fee for said protest in order to avoid the suspension. He will also have to start in the rear for two races regardless what he chooses to do. A second refusal will be a one year suspension from the date of the last refusal.

Rule Book 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. 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 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 DOES 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 OFFICIALS. OFFICIAL’S DECISIONS ARE FINAL IN ALL CASES