High Plains Midgets

2010 GENERAL RULES

• All participants must conform to all High Plains Midget Rules. Any midget, sportsman midget, Ford Focus midget, Kenyon midget, TQ midget, upright mini sprint (no side winders), lightning sprint, or midget lite may compete if it adheres to the following specs.

• Any driver/team that competes in more than one (1) High Plains Midgets sanctioned event (or weekend), must become a member of the Association. Any driver must be a High Plains Midget (hereon HPM) member to earn championship series points. All championship points follow the driver, no matter what car they may compete in.

• All drivers must be at least 16 years old. All drivers under the age of 18 (eighteen) must have a waiver of liability signed by the drivers’ parent/guardian. All drivers must attend the track pit meeting. Any driver failing to attend the track pit meeting will have to start at the rear of the field in their designated heat race. In a situation that there is no heat race, then the driver will have to start at rear of designated feature (either the "B" or "A" feature).

• Any car may be inspected at any time during the event by the Technical Directors to determine the general legality of the car, to include safety concerns, i.e.; safety restraint systems, roll cage damage, steering and/or suspension damage, fuel containment damage, as well as any other safety related concerns. Items of a “competitor protest-able” nature shall be left to the protest process. At the end of the feature event, the top three (3) finishing cars shall proceed directly from the racetrack to the designated impound/scale location for post race tech. inspection. Failure to proceed directly to the scales will result in a disqualification for that feature event. At the completion of the main event, the alternate driver (fourth place) will draw a poker chip. All of these chips would include a technical requirement, i.e. Fuel, or no additional tech. This would be done post race only, not at the beginning of the race night or at the beginning of the race. The 4 poker chips values will be labeled: 3 chips - Fuel; 1 chip - blank.

• No two-way radios or electronic communication devices shall be used by any driver or team. Exception: Tracks that require the use of a "Raceceiver".

• ROOKIES – Since 2010 is the initial “season” for the HPM, no drivers will be eligible for any “Rookie-of-the-Year” honors. Starting in 2011, any Member who has never competed in more than three (3) HPM events since the Association was originated in 2010, no matter what kind of previous racing experience, shall be considered a Rookie. Rookie drivers must place a brightly-colored streamer (preferably day-glow orange) on the rear of the roll cage of the car and will start at the back of the field for three (3) complete racing programs (unless cleared by the Pit Steward or Competition Committee). Any and all rookies who wish to compete for "Rookie of the Year" honors, must declare those intentions at the start of the given season, and must complete the requirements of starting from the rear of the field for the first five (5) complete racing programs in that given season. At the discretion of the Board of Directors, a rookie not wishing to compete for “Rookie of the Year” honors, and showing their competence in their driving abilities, the three (3) race obligation may be waived.

ALL “ROOKIE” DRIVERS MUST ATTEND A ROOKIE ORIENTATION SESSION BEFORE BEING ALLOWED TO RACE.

HPM race procedures and rules can be superceded by “local track” rules and operating procedures by promoter/track officials.

• NUMBERS

No duplicate car numbers will be allowed within the Association. All car numbers must be approved by and registered with the Association. Numbers will be reserved no longer than the November 1^st following the previous season if not renewed. No three digit numbers (due to track scorekeeper provisions). In such case that duplicate numbers occur, a letter/number will be added to the car that has not competed with the High Plains Midgets. Notice will be given to all other attending members of a car and/or number change for any driver.

Numbers must be legibly displayed on both sides of tail tank with 12” numbers. A minimum 10" number must be displayed on the nose of the hood.

• STAGING

All cars must be in the staging area and lined up correctly for their races. If not in line, you will be placed on the tail or refused entry to the race.

• FLAGS

l YELLOW FLAG

In the event of a yellow flag, scoring will revert to the last lap completed. If a yellow flag is thrown on the first lap, a complete restart will ensue, with the drivers involved in the yellow flag restarting in the back of the field. This pertains to all races.

l RED FLAG

Depending on track rules, you may work on a car during a red flag; however, you cannot refuel or add oil to the motor. In the event of a red flag on the last lap, the race will not be restarted. The order of the finish will be the order in which the white flag was taken. The car or cars causing the red flag will be scored last.

l BLACK FLAG

The black flag will be pointed as a warning. If the flag is waved at you, you will exit the track as safely as possible. If you spin out twice on your own, if you drive in a reckless manner, or if you hot-lap during warm-up laps preceding a race, you will be black flagged. Any car emitting excessive oil, water, fuel or smoke will be black flagged from the race.

l CHECKERED FLAG

The checkered flag indicates the conclusion/finish of the race, when the lead car crosses that imaginary line, regardless of how many laps the rest of the cars have completed.

• EXITING THE TRACK

After the initial green flag, if you exit the track during a race, and are in the infield, you may re-enter in a safe manner. If you exit the track and go to the pits, you may not re-enter the track. Exception: those tracks with a “hot pit” area.

• RESTARTS

During a start or restart, a driver who jumps cars (positions) will be placed back in the final scoring sheet two spots for every car jumped. Those who flagrantly jump cars or drive unnecessarily rough will be disqualified and scored last in the race.

Any driver/car needing a push to restart its engine (on the track) shall restart the race at the rear of the field.

• PIT AREA

The space in the pit area occupied by the driver is his for the race. You are not allowed to enter that space unless you are invited to do so. A Fire extinguisher is required for each car in the pit, and should be located for easy access, and should be inspected every 6 months.

• DISPUTES

All disputes involving racing procedure that develop at track-side must be settled by the HPM officials. Should any participant have a complaint with a race track official or administrator, he will immediately bring it to the attention of an official or officer who will, in turn, deal with the necessary parties and bring the problem to a conclusion. Under no circumstances shall a participant directly approach the racetrack staff.

Any fighting, un-sportsmanlike conduct, drinking, or use of drugs by a driver or any member of his pit crew will result in immediate suspension of that driver for the remainder of the racing season

SPECIFICATIONS

ENGINE -- Engine shall be any that fits into a midget. The rules are structured to allow a lack of traction to balance the playing field. If aluminum block, dry sump, laid over type engines prove detrimental to competition and the spirit of sportsman midget racing, a restrictor program may be instituted.

• Any automobile engine up to V6 configuration (no in-lines of 5 cylinders or more allowed).

• 4-Cycle motorcycle engine allowed. Minimum 750cc. Maximum 6-inch offset; measured C/L of motor to C/L of frame.

• Any “national class” race engines, engines that qualify under the rules/guidelines of USAC, RMMRA, Poweri, etc., or are produced or built by a/any major race engine builder, ie., Gaerte, TRD Toyota, Esslinger, Pink, Fontana, new style Chevy (except EcoTech), Stanton MOPAR, etc. will pill draw for starting positions from the rear of the field in heat races. Those cars will line up at the rear of the field in the feature according to their heat race finishing position. Those cars will be required to utilize full size midget tanks (no mini sprint tanks), full of fuel as they enter the track for both the heat race (s) and the feature.

• Electric self-starting engines – Any car equipped with a starter push started on the track, must start/restart from the rear of the field.

• Naturally aspirated: carburetors or fuel injection. Fuel injection may be either constant flow or EFI. EFI systems may be comprised of either OEM or aftermarket throttle bodies, injectors and ECU. No ram air systems allowed.

• No turbo chargers or superchargers allowed.

• No traction Control is allowed in any form.

DRIVE TRAIN

• Direct drive with quick-change rear end. Drive shaft must be enclosed with a torque tube. Torque tubes must have a torque tube hoop or tether strap.

• Chain drive is allowed. Chains must be properly guarded. If within the frame rails, the chain guard must be minimum 14 gauge stainless steel, 12 gauge mild steel, or 3/32” tempered 2024 aluminum, and designed to completely shield and protect the driver and the fuel tank (if the fuel tank is in line with the chain) from the chain. The guard must be designed to prevent the chain from entering the driver’s compartment.

MUFFLERS

• All cars must have a muffler capable of keeping the noise level at or below 98 decibels.

ROLL CAGE

• Car must have a full containment roll cage. Recommended -- minimum 1 1/4" OD X .095; Wall: 4130-N tubing. If car has a bolt on cage, it must be securely bolted to the main chassis. Highly recommended – 1 3/8” OD x .095 wall 4130-N tubing. High recommended – roll bar padding around the drivers head in the “halo” area.

HEAD CLEARANCE

• Driver minimum head clearance: 3" measured to the top of the cage, with driver belted in (in racing position), helmet in place, with driver in full upright, seated position. A roll over bar may be installed to gain this clearance. The roll over bar must be constructed of the same material as the main hoop, and installed as to NOT impede the easy removal of the driver in case of emergency.

WHEELBASE

• Minimum: 65"; Maximum: 76"

APPEARANCE

• Car is to resemble a midget/sprint car, particularly the hood and tail. No side pods allowed, nerf bars (kick offs) may not be enclosed in any fashion. No wings, excessive body or “sail” panels allowed.

COCKPIT

• Driver's feet are required to be behind the firewall and the motor. Engine may not be mounted beside the driver.

• No chassis altering devices allowed from inside the cockpit during an event, i.e. computer controlled shocks, torsion bar/blade adjusters, etc. (Exception: brake proportioning valves, Dial-A-Jets, high-speed bypasses) If a visiting car is equipped with cockpit adjusters, adjusters must be disabled by taping, tying or removing handles.

• Ignition/fuel pump switch and fuel shutoff valve are required and must be within drivers reach with arm restraints on. The switch and fuel shutoff valve must be clearly marked ON/OFF and must disconnect electric fuel pump (if they exist) and ignition.

BRAKES

• Hydraulic brakes capable of sliding both rear wheels at racing speeds are required. Front brakes recommended.

BUMPERS

• Front and rear bumpers and nerf bars are required. Nerf bars cannot be wider than the rear tires and cannot have sharp edges or corners, or exposed tubing edges. Nerf bars (kick offs) may not be enclosed in any fashion

STEERING

• Steering gear is mandatory. Rack and pinion steering is acceptable. Go-cart type steering is not allowed.

• Steering Wheel must have a quick-release fastener (no pins). Release hub may not contain any plastic parts.

FUEL TANK/BLADDER

• Fuel tank must be an approved manufactured fuel tank and bladder required on all cars, and must be well secured behind the driver and/or under the body tailpiece of the car (if not a midget/sprint car type tank), and must be equipped with a tip-over valve.

• Fuel System: subject to the approval of the technical committee.

FUEL

• Gasoline (pump or racing type), Ethanol or Alcohol fuel (methanol). Non performance enhancing fuel lubricating additives are allowed (ALKY brand by Sunoco – blue in color).

• NO Nitro, Nitrous Oxide or Oxygenated agents (propane, butane) are allowed, or may be introduced into any portion of the fuel/air induction system. The fuel/air induction system includes, but is not limited to, the fuel tank/bladder, all fuel lines and fittings, fuel filters, fuel pump, fuel pump regulator, fuel rail, pill holders, carburetors, throttle bodies, air stacks, air box, air filter(s), Dial-A-Jet, barrel valve(s), directly into the intake ports in the head, or directly into the combustion chamber.

TIRES & WHEELS

• Wheels must be 13" in diameter only.

• Tires are to be minimum of 62" circumference.

FIREWALL

• Cars must be equipped with a metal firewall completely separating the engine from the driver's compartment.

WEIGHT

• For 2010, no minimum weight indicated, but if it is determined that due to any/an unfair competitive advantage, a weight handicap system could be instituted by Tech. Committee. Cars can add ballast, but it must be securely bolted to the frame. NO wire, hose clamps, etc. can be used to secure ballast. This rule will be reviewed in the future.

FLOORPAN

• Cars must have a floor pan that extends from the front of the seat to the firewall.

SEAT

• Seat must be an aluminum racing seat with lateral side support. Right side head support is required (head rest or cage net) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED – ie. Full containment seat. Fiberglass or homemade seats are not allowed. Seat must be bolted to the chassis in a safe manner with a minimum of three (3) 5/16” grade 8 bolts with lock nuts. No Dzus style fasteners will be allowed. A helmet pad is required behind drivers helmet if not a high back seat.

BATTERY

• Battery must be mounted securely to frame or floorpan. Recommended – dry or gel type. No wire or rubber cords can be used as hold-downs. High recommended -- Lead/acid type battery should be encased in a marine style cover.

RADIATORS/COOLERS

• Radiators and/or oil coolers must be located in a shielded area outside the driver's compartment and cannot extend above or be located behind the driver's head.

FUEL VALVE (optional)

• Fuel valve must be located as close as possible to the fuel tank. Valve must be operable from rear wheel area without requiring tools or removal of any parts for access. Remote operation from cockpit is allowed. All fuel shutoff valves must be clearly marked as to the “OFF” position, so that safety workers clearly understand which way to shut off fuel flow in the vent of an incident.

DECALS

• All cars registered with HPM must display a current High Plains Midgets decal on the right side panel (cowl area).

• All HPM championship points fund sponsor decals shall be affixed to the car where they are visible from the front or right side to receive points and/or monies.

DRIVER SAFETY

ALL DRIVERS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE THE FOLLOWING IN USE EVERY TIME THEY ARE IN THEIR CAR ON THE TRACK:

• SA2005-rated SNELL, (or SFI 31.2), full-face helmet is required (M-rated helmets are not allowed).

• Approved “NOMEX” or equal fire suit. Single-layer suits must have fireproof underwear. Fireproof gloves, socks, shoes. Head sock (or skirt) optional, but recommended. SFI-5 rated fire suits and NOMEX underwear are highly recommended.

• Three-inch lap and shoulder harness, and sub belt are required. Belts must be attached to car in a safe manner as approved by the technical directors and must not be over three (3) years old.

• Arm restraints and neck collars are required. Head and neck restraint system is highly recommended.

• Fire extinguishers are required for each car in the pit, and may be inspected every six (6) months.

• Race cars utilizing alcohol for fuel must have water available in the pits.

• Kill switch is required within the driver's reach when restraints are on. Main power switch must be clearly marked as to the “OFF” position, so that safety workers clearly understand which way to shut off electrics in the event of an incident.

• Cage nets on the right side of cage are required. Cage nets on left side are recommended. Cars equipped with correctly mounted full containment seats are exempt from the requirement for a cage net. Full containment seats shall be mounted with a minimum of 4 - 5/16 grade 8 bolts with lock nuts.

• Any two (2) Safety/Technical Directors have the right to disqualify any car judged to be unsafe until corrections are completed.

• After any on-track crash, two (2) Technical Directors will need to inspect the damaged car (or cars) before being allowed into the next racing heat or feature or event.

PROTEST

Only race officials or driver/owner of a car can protest another car in his class. You must specify the part of the car you are protesting (i. e. engine, weight, or fuel only). A $150 cash protest fee is required, given to the director of the competition within 15 minutes of the feature.

The car will be inspected by the Technical Directors to determine legality of the car. The final decision will be made and enforced by the Technical Directors. The owner/driver is responsible for removing parts to be inspected.

• If the car is legal, the owner/driver will keep the $150 fee.

• If the car is found to be illegal, the protester will receive his money back.

• If the car is found to be illegal or if the owner/driver refuses to allow the inspection, he will lose points and money for that event, and the driver will lose points from the previous two (2) races. The driver will further be suspended from racing the next two (2) races.

KEEP YOUR CAR LEGAL!!

Heat Race (s) & Feature Format

1. First night, the pill draw for the heat race lineup will be held at the track office. Pills to be drawn by the drivers at the pit meeting, and the lineup will be written on the lineup board at that time. low # - pole, low # 3, low #5, etc. for 1^st heat; low #2 pole, low #4, low #6, etc. for 2^nd heat. No more than 10 cars per heat. If more than 21 cars in attendance, then a third heat may be required. (In the case of three heats, low #3 will be on pole, every third # succeeding, etc), exception: Rookies (see "Rookie rule" in General Rules). All cars equipped with an engine less than 900cc must start at the rear of the field for both heat (s) & feature (s).

2. From second night on, all heats will be determined by incoming points average, lined up totally inverted, with new drivers carrying no points average lined up to the rear, excluding rookies (see "Rookie rule" in General Rules). Points average is determined only by feature points acquired, divided by features competed in, with the exception of any feature DNS.

3. B-Mains (when needed) are lined up "HEADS UP" with the highest finishing non-qualifiers to the front.

4. First night, the winner of the first heat will draw a "chip" at the official lineup board to determine how many rows will be inverted for the feature event. There will be three (3) chips, a "5", a "6", or "All" (full field inversion, exception -- "Rookies"). The remainder of the field will be lined up "heads up" after the front rows are inverted. On various occasions, a fan (out of the grandstands) may be used to draw the number to be used for the inversion.

5. From second night on, when two heat races are run, the top 10 qualifiers will be inverted for feature line-up according to points average (number of total feature points scored, divided by number of races run). When three or more heat races are run, the top 12 qualifiers will be inverted for feature line-up according to points average. The remainder of the field will be lined up "heads up" after the front rows are inverted, excluding rookies (see "Rookie rule" in General Rules). Any DNS (0 points) in any previous feature, will not calculate into any racer's points avg.

6. Any new driver that qualifies and does not yet have a points average shall be lined up in the 11th position on a ten (10) car invert, and in the 13th position on a twelve (12) car invert.

7. Heat race or sign-in points DO NOT calculate in the points average. Points average is determined only by feature points acquired, divided by features competed in, with the exception of any feature DNS.

8. Points average will also determine the line-up for rookie contenders for their first three (3) events, and will apply as stated above thereafter.

Penalties

Failure to proceed directly to tech area/scales – Disqualification for the feature. Owner/driver receives no points and no money.

Illegal fuel or additives – Disqualification for the evenings results. Owner/driver receives no points and no money. Owner/driver will be suspended for the next two event.

Decisions of H.P.M., the Colorado 1200 Outlaws and/or El Paso County Speedway Officials are final and binding without exception.

READ THIS: If there is an item not covered or you’re not sure about something in these rules, have it approved by a HPM tech inspector, or track promoter. Additional information call: 1-719-683-5638.