2008 Southern Modified Rules

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 expressed 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 reasonable and appropriate 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 deviations of these rules is left to the discretion of the officials.  Their decision is final.

 

1. SAFETY EQUIPMENT – Rules apply at all times car is on track.  Snell-rated SA95 or SA2000 helmet required.  Roll bar padding required in driver compartment (Fire retardant recommended) SFI-approved full fire suit, fire retardant neck brace, gloves and shoe 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, 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 mark “OFF” and “ON”.
2. FRAME – OEM complete, 1964 or newer, 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, except: weight jack in original center line of spring tower allowed; frame may be cut a maximum of 36 inches 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 inches, maximum 112 inches, both sides.  Maximum overall width (front or rear) shall not exceed 78 inches 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 1.75-inch O.D. tubing, with a minimum wall thickness of .095-inch 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-inch O.D. and .083-inch 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-inch O.D. and .083-inch wall thickness, and one top door bar, minimum 1.5-inch O.D. and .083-inch wall thickness.  Steel door plate, 18 gauge or .049-inch minimum thickness, must be securely welded to outside of door bars and cover area from top door bar to bottom door bar and from rear hoop down-post to 5-inches in front of seat.  Must be visible for inspection.
5. BODY – Must be same width, front to rear and parallel to OEM frame.  Engine compartment must remain open (no side panels).  Hood must be enclosed at rear.  No panel in front of right door to engine compartment.  No inner panels.  No car covers.  Must have front windshield and rear window support posts.  Driver and passenger side windows must have at least 12-inch opening, measured at center of window, between lowest point at top of window, whether roof or roll cage, and highest point at bottom of window whether interior or body.  May use Lexan in sail panels.  May use full windshield.  Must be fiberglass full size roof, rounded in all directions.  No wings or spoilers.  Maximum 4-inch plastic skirting allowed on bottom of doors and quarters.  No reflective doors or quarter panels.  Outside of tires must be widest part of car.
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.  Maximum .125-inch aluminum, or .010-inch steel, complete floor pan required.  Aluminum high-back seat only and must be bolted in 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, canisters and pumps.  Oil coolers must not protrude above interior.  Accumulators cannot be mounted between driver and left-side door bars.  No devices that would enable driver adjustment to alter wheelbase or for weight jacking while car is in competition.  No mirrors or reflective sun visors.
7. FRONT SUSPENSION – All components must be steel, unaltered OEM, in OEM location, and replaceable by OEM parts, except: tube-type upper A-frames with or without aluminum/steel cross shaft, and mounts can be moved; OEM replacement  lower A-frames must be right and left and of same design; rubber, nylon or steel lower A-frame bushings, no offset or bearing type; welded or bolted shock mount on lower A-frame.  Lower A-frame mounts and bolt holes must be in OEM location.  OEM ball joints only.  Sway bar must be unaltered OEM.
8. STEERING – All components must be steel, unaltered OEM, in OEM location, except: outer tie rod end and adjustment sleeve may be replaced by minimum .625-inch steel rod end and steel tube; spindles can be ground for brake caliper clearance only; unaltered OEM replacement Pinto spindles; with bolt on spindle savers allowed; steel steering shafts and knuckles only; steering quickener, steering wheel and quick release may be aluminum; cockpit steering may be modified, must be kept on left side.  No rack and pinion.
9. SHOCKS – One steel, non-adjustable, unaltered shock per wheel.  One additional shock allowed on rear suspension.  No bumpers or stops.  No threaded body, front coil-over, air or remote reservoir shocks.  No Schrader valves.  Front half may be shielded.  $50 claim per, one or all may be claimed per event, counting as one claim on card, following shock claim procedures and penalties.
10. SPRINGS – Steel only.  One coil and/or leaf spring per wheel only.  One additional spring allowed on pull bar or lift bar, may be progressive.  Any coil spring must be at least 4.5 inches O.D.  No torsion bars or air bags.
11. 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/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.  No chains (except in front of lift bar) or cables.  Minimum 19-inch long panhard bar, measured center to center.
12. REAR END – Any steel approved OEM passenger car or truck rear end allowed.  Safety hubs (floater) allowed.  All components must be steel, except lowering blocks, axle cap and drive flange.  Inspection hole in housing is required.  Full steel spool, steel mini spool or welded rearends only.  Steel axles only.  No quick change devices, or cambered rear ends.  One piece drive flange only.  No torque dividing differentials.  No scalloped ring gears.
13. BUMPERS/RUB RAILS – (See diagram) Steel only.  Bumpers must be used both front and rear at all times and welded, or mounted with minimum .375-inch bolts.  Must be minimum 1.25-inch O.D. tubing, .065 wall thickness on front - .095 wall thickness on rear.  Two-bar front bumpers must be mounted frame-end to frame-end, no wider than width of material outside frame horns with bottom loop parallel to ground.  Top bar must be directly above bottom bar, minimum 6.5-inches apart, measured center to center.  Rear bumper and nerf bars can be no wider than tires.
14. TIRES/WHEELS –  American Racer tire, G-60 (KK704)  stamped  or unstamped on sidewall or Hoosier G-60 or Hoosier 84.0/9.0-15.  No softening, conditioning, siping/grinding or grooving of tires.  No re-caps.   Aluminum or steel spacers only.  May use  beadlock on right rear only.  External, steel beadlock only and it cannot make wheel any narrower than 8 inches and no wider than 8.75 inches.  Must use only steel bolts.  One foam type or plastic mud cap allowed on right rear only.  Rim-mounted bleeder valves allowed.
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, mini. .810-inch 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. All exhaust must go through mufflers, two per car, one per header.  No exhaust sensors.
17. FUEL SYSTEM – Mechanical or belt driven fuel pump only and must be mounted at front of engine.  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 ten inches above ground.  Must mount with minimum two .125-inch thick solid steel straps, two inches wide around entire cell.  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 of right side of cell.  Limit of one fuel filter.  No cool cans.  No top flow air cleaner housings.  One naturally aspirated 2- or 4- barrel carburetor only.  No adjustable carb spacers.
18. FUEL – Gasoline or alcohol. Racing fuel allowed. NO performance enhancing additives.  Upper cylinder lube allowed.  Fuel sample may be taken from any car at any time.  Penalty for illegal fuel is disqualification from event and $250 fine – first offense.
19. WEIGHT – Minimum weight limit of 2,450 pounds, no tolerance, after race with driver in the 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 inch bolts.  No titanium, magnesium or carbon fiber products.  No gun-drilled, tubular, hollow bolts or studs.  Steel fasteners only.
20. BATTERY/STARTER – One 12-volt battery only, must be shielded and securely mounted between frame rails.  Must have capability of starting without being pushed or pulled.  Must leave initial staging area on demand, unaided or go to the rear of that race.  Reverse-mount starters with OEM case transmissions only, 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.  Only 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 electronic traction control devices ($10,000 fine).
22. TRANSMISSION/DRIVESHAFT – Must have at least two forward gears and one reverse, plus a neutral position.  With engine running and car in still position, must be able to engage car in gear and move forward, then backward.  OEM production type or track approved after-market transmission allowed – two speed, three speed, four speed and automatic.  No five speed (or more) transmissions, “in and out” boxes, or quick change devices allowed.  Functioning shift levers must be in OEM location on all OEM production type transmissions.  All belt drive pumps must be mounted on front of engine.  Flexplates must be full, steel, unaltered OEM or OEM replacement.  Flywheel/flexplate must bolt to engine between clutch assembly and crankshaft and all driveline components within bellhousing must rotate while car is in any gear.  Transmission must be one of the following designs:

MANUAL: Must have a standard OEM case and working disc-type clutch or approved cone or disc-type coupler inside an explosion-proof steel bellhousing. One flywheel only, minimum 8.5 inches in diameter.  Diameter of clutch disc must be a minimum of 5.5 inches.  Clutch assembly must be steel, except housing, which must be steel and/or aluminum.  Bellhousing can have only a hole for throwout bearing lever or hose, must be 270 degrees around top of clutch and flywheel area.  Standard or reverse mount starter allowed, must directly engage flywheel.

AUTOMATIC: Must remain in OEM or OEM replacement case, with a functioning OEM appearing pump.  Must have approved scattershield.  Scattershield must be constructed of minimum of .124-inch by three-inch steel, 270 degrees around flexplate.

AFTERMARKET:  Must be track approved, aluminum case, with internal clutch.  Must bolt to explosion-proof steel bellhousing, and use full, steel, unaltered OEM or OEM replacement flexplate with starter mounted in OEM location.  No coatings or paint allowed on transmission case.

DRIVE SHAFT: Minimum two-inch diameter steel drive shaft and must be painted white.  Steel slip-yokes only.  360-degree drive shaft loop required and must be constructed of at least .25-inch by two-inch steel or one-inch tubing, mounted six inches back from front U-joint.

23. ENGINE COMPARTMENT – Rear of engine (bellhousing flange) must be mounted at least 72-inches forward from centerline of rear axle.  Engine offset must be kept within 2-inches of centerline of front crossmember with engine level.  Minimum 11-inch engine height from ground to center of crankshaft.  Radiator must be mounted in front of engine.  Cooling system may be modified.  Overflow tubes must be directed to ground between frame rails.
24. ENGINE SPECIFICATIONS – Any American make engine allowed.  Steel heads, block and oil pan only.  OEM block only, except: No GM Bowtie, Ford SVO or Chrysler W-2 blocks. Flat tappet cam/lifters and stud-mounted rocker arms only.  No stud girdles.  No mushroom lifters, cannot alter lifter bores.  OEM firing order cannot be changed.  All engines must be able to be used in conventional passenger car without alterations.  Engine mounts cannot be removed or altered.  Castings and fittings must not be changed.  No machine work on outside of engine.  “Wet” oiling system only.  External oil pumps go with engine if claimed.
25. ENGINE CLAIM: (A) $525. and SWAP cash claim on engine, flywheel and balancing plates - $25 of this goes to the wrecker for pulling engine.  (B) Claim does not include: (1) clutch; (2) pressure plate; (3) bellhousing; (4) headers; (5) carburetor; (6) starter; (7) motor mounts; (8) oil/temperature sending units; (9) carburetor spacer; (10) fan and pulleys; (11) clutch ball; (12) clutch arm; (13) throw out bearing; (14) dip stick; (15) water pump; (16) fuel pump, rod and plate; (17) distributor; (18) plug wires; (19) water outlet and restrictor (20) breathers.

 

            The official claiming area is the flag stand, or wherever track designates. C. Claim          must be made immediately after the "A" main race finishes (checkered flag). D.       Engine must be completely removed within one (1) hour from time claim is made    and driver agrees to sell. E. Only the driver may make the claim.  Driver must    have money, and claim form, and paycard in hand (cash only). F. The claiming driver must be on the same lap as the driver being claimed. G. Only the top two       cars may be claimed. H. Who can claim: On opening night of the race season, all           drivers are eligible to claim as long as they ran 50% of the races at said track the    previous year and all can be claimed. On the second night of racing, only drivers        that raced the previous night of racing are eligible to claim. On the third night of racing, only drivers that raced the previous two nights are eligible to claim.   During the remainder of the season, the driver making the claim must have raced        at this race track the previous three (3) nights of racing. I. Drivers may only claim           two (2) engines per race season, or one more than he has been claimed. J. A driver             can claim another driver’s engine only once during the year. K. In the case of         multiple claims on the same engine, draw will be held with claiming drivers to      determine who gets claim. L. Refusal to sell forfeits all cash, trophies, and points    for the season.  If claim is refused, claim is not held  against driver. Driver     refusing to sell his or her engine the first time is fined $500.00. Driver refusing to             sell their engine the second time is fined $750.00, and suspended for one week. Driver refusing to sell his or her engine the third time is fined $1000.00 and   suspended for three (3) weeks. Driver refusing to sell for the fourth time will be suspended for the remainder of the season, and will not be allowed back until a     $2000.00 fine is paid. M. Any sabotage discovered in removal of a claimed     engine will result in suspension for the remainder of the year.. Drivers are held    accountable for actions of crews while engine removal is taking place. The claim             will be disallowed and money returned to the claimer. Any visual inspection of            engine being claimed or swapped deemed illegal will be treated as sabotage.

Any interpretation or deviations of these rules is left to the discretion of the       officials. Their decision is final.