Pumpkin Smasher: Bone Stocks

GENERAL NOTES:

The Delaware Speedway Chaos Car division is designed to be a safety conscious, low-cost, fun-level division.  Events that Chaos cars compete in will be varied and are centered on having fun in a controlled, low-cost environment.  Chaos Director John Houghton can be reached at (519) 652-5068 Ext 201 or john@delawarespeedway for general inquiries.

READ THE RULEBOOK BEFORE BUILDING A CAR OR RUNNING AN EVENT!
Reading the rulebook can save time & money and prevent headaches at your event.  It may be the most important 6 pages you read this year as this rulebook contains detailed construction guidelines & safety rules.

Quick Reference Guide to Common Questions:

Learn to build a model chaos car by watching us build one!  Search www.youtube.com for “Chaos Car Build Part 1”.  The videos run about 45 minutes total but are well worth the time when getting prepared to compete.

Proper Roll Cages are a critical part of the safety package in your racing vehicle.  If you have never attempted a roll cage before SEEK ASSISTANCE.  A proper roll cage and safety system is your best line of defense in the car.

Safety First!  Because Chaos Cars are bone stock vehicles, you won’t be spending money on performance.  Instead, spend money on the correct safety equipment.  Proper helmet, belts, fire suit and roll cage as outlined in the safety section of this book.  IF YOU ARE UNCLEAR, ASK.

A Chaos Car should not cost more than about $1,500 to prepare including all safety equipment.  Some can be built for as little as $500  If it costs more than that you are doing it wrong.  One way many teams have reduced costs is to share the ride with friends (more fun!)

ATTENTION:  CONTACT JOHN HOUGHTON AT THE SPEEDWAY OFFICE TO DECLARE YOUR INTENT TO COMPETE, GET ON THE MAILING LIST AND ENSURE YOU HAVE THE MOST UP TO DATE INFORMATION.  REMEMBER: REGISTERING EARLY SAVES TIME & MONEY.

DRIVER ELIGIBILITY

Minimum Qualification: Drivers must be 18 years or older before competing in the Delaware Speedway Chaos car division unless prior parental consent forms and approval from Delaware Speedway officials have been completed.

Signed waivers are required for ALL competitors in the Chaos Car series NO EXCEPTIONS.

MECHANICAL RULES

Vehicle: Open to any “compact” make/model of front-wheel drive 4 or 6 cylinder production car with the following notes:
-FRONT WHEEL DRIVE ONLY.
-Rear-wheel drive & Four-Wheel Drive vehicles are not permitted.
-NO turbos / superchargers.

These cars will be COMPLETELY stock.  THEY ARE NOT FULL RACECARS OR SPEED MACHINES.  If you wish to compete in full race competition, there are five other great divisions for that!  Just because an item isn’t addressed in the rulebook does NOT mean that it is legal.

Steps will be taken to slow vehicles which are deemed “overly competitive” to even competition.

ALL cars must be “stock” year, make, and model with no modifications. This includes all engine components, drive train, suspension, and cooling system – cooling system must use water ABSOLUTELY NO ANTIFREEZE.

AIR BAGS: Both passenger & driver’s side airbags must be removed.  NOTE: Use caution when removing air bags.

Castor (tilt of king pin), Camber (vertical tilt of tire): Should be completely stock.  If vehicle has been damaged in a previous event resulting in issues maintaining stock angle, it should be reported to the official in charge.

BATTERY: Must be securely fastened.  (If mounted in the interior of the car, battery must be fastened securely to the floor behind driver’s seat).  Battery must be covered.  Cover must be fastened independent of the battery hold down. REMEMBER – Batteries are heavy and full of acid. In the event of an accident, insecure batteries could severely injure a driver.

DASH, SEAT & UPHOLSTERY: Stock dash may remain in place.  Carpet and additional stock seats must be removed.  Driver seat may remain stock however it is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED to be replaced with proper approved racing seat attached to roll cage.

EXHAUST SYSTEM: Cars must run stock-type mufflers.  Catalytic converters may be removed.

FIREWALLS: All holes in firewall must be filled.

FUEL & TANK:  Stock tank may be used in stock location.  Additional shielding must be installed under the tank.  Small fuel cell in trunk is recommended.  If used, parcel shelf and panel behind rear seat back rest to be completely sealed with minimum 22 gauge steel.   OE Fuel Injected cars must have a fuel pump shut-off switch mounted in the car and clearly labeled for emergency personnel.

PLASTIC / GLASS COMPONENTS: Plastic & Exterior trim should be removed.  Stock bumper covers may remain in place.  All stock headlights and taillights must be removed as these can break causing debris on the track.

RADIATOR: Any rad that will fit within the stock rad cradle is allowed.  Water only, no anti-freeze.  A screen may be securely mounted in front of rad to protect it from debris.

ROLL CAGE & GLASS:   Car must have full roll hoop mounted securely to the floor behind the driver’s seat with a cross brace from side to side, interior door bars are permitted on both drivers and passengers side.  Complete four-point roll cage is mandatory.  All interior door bars must be padded where the driver may come in contact with them.  Inner door panels are recommended be removed to accommodate space for door bars.  Minimum size of tubing or pipe allowed is 1 1/2″ Outer Diameter, 0.95” thickness minimum.  WATER PIPE IS NOT PERMITTED.

SPRINGS: No racing / lowering / performance springs.  Springs must have same number of coils, and coil diameter as stock.  Same spring rate side to side.

TIRES: Tires must be standard street tires.  All tires are subject to approval of official in charge.  Absolutely no shaved or treated tires will be permitted.  Purchasing of new tires is not encouraged and may result in a vehicle being designated “overly competitive” and starting the event with a penalty.

TRUNK RELEASE:  Quick hold-down release for fast trunk entry must be devised for emergency access to trunk.

WHEELS:  Original equipment (O.E.) passenger wheels as supplied with car only.

WINDSHIELD:   If stock windshield is to be used, center bar must be installed in windshield opening, of minimum 1” x 1/8” flat stock mounted between the dash bars and the upper halo bar of the roll cage. Alternately, competitors may use lexan window or a screen with Minimum of two interior support beams (No Plastic) no more than 1 inch wide and 1 inch deep to follow contour of inside windshield are mandatory.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  CONSULT CHAOS CAR OFFICIALS REGARDING PROPER ROLL CAGE CONSTRUCTION IF YOU ARE UNSURE BEFORE INSTALLING IN YOUR VEHICLE.  THE ROLL CAGE IS A CRITICAL SAFETY COMPONENT.

REINFORCEMENT BARS: No added reinforcement bars other than around the driver’s compartment will be allowed.  Cross-bars between strut towers (front & rear) will be permitted no larger than 1” steel tubing welded or bolted securely.  Defensive rub-rails  have been permitted to protect tires and extend the operating life of vehicles.  Examples of what is permitted can be found on a number of existing Chaos Cars.  Consult with Chaos Director prior to installation.  Photos of permitted rails are included on the next page.

OTHER: All doors must be welded or bolted. Wheel arches may be radiused for clearance, but stock appearance must be retained. The tech committee may reject cars that are considered improperly prepared. No sheet metal screws or aluminum nailed rivets please!

SAFETY EQUIPMENT STANDARDS

All safety equipment must be inspected and approved by Delaware Speedway officials prior to the vehicle going on to the racetrack.  Safety specs for Bone Stock Chaos Cars may differ to standards at other tracks because of speedway size.

Belts: Five-point safety belts and shoulder harnesses are mandatory.  Belts must have been manufactured in the last 5-years and carry an SFI rating.  The speedway strongly recommended belts manufactured in the last 3 years.  Seatbelts must be in good repair with no visible damage (ie. Cuts, oil stains, sun damage etc).

Helmets:
-Full face Snell SA 2005 or greater.  SA (Special Application) rated helmets differ from normal helmets as they are rated for multi-impact and are fire retardant.  Speedway will work existing competitors and on finding affordable sources for Snell SA rated helmets.  Helmets CAN be found affordably and are a CRITICAL piece of safety equipment.
-Nomex neck collar mandatory.

Fire Suit: Minimum SFI 1 rated Nomex or Proban single-layer or greater fire suits are mandatory.

Gloves and Footwear: Fire retardant gloves are mandatory. Leather shoe or boot or fire-retardant race shoe mandatory.
No nylon sneakers.

Window Net: Driver’s side window net is mandatory.

VEHICLE APPEARANCE

LETTERING:  Crew is to name the vehicle and paint the name PROMINENTLY on the side of the vehicle with large and bright enough writing & symbols that it could be read by a child.  NOTE: Vehicle names MUST be appropriate for the family / kid-friendly audience – inappropriately named vehicles will not be permitted to compete.  Drivers may be permitted to use a car # if visiting from another track.  Note: vehicle name should be creative and not simply the name of the sponsor of the vehicle.  Delaware  Speedway may make exceptions to this rule for special promotions (ie. charity draw vehicles).

ROOF SPACE:  The division title sponsor reserves the roof of the vehicle for sponsor decal and scoring card.  This decal will be provided to competitors and MUST be displayed on all vehicles competing in any event.  Selected events may call for drivers to carry a small numbered card on their roof.

THEME CARS: Decorated theme cars are allowed AND encouraged.  Additional lighting & non-stock appearance components (such as wings, flags, roof lights, floor lights, props etc) are generally permitted but must be approved before competition and well secured to the vehicle.  Pyrotechnics on vehicles are not currently permitted.

RULES OF THE EVENT

FORMAT: Formats for each event will be different and varied and are normally kept secret until the day of the event, except in the case of Bone Stock specials where the number of laps will be released.  The series has a set of general courses that are used in combination for Chaos events.  Special formats are announced separately.  Courses are made up of obstacle cars placed on the speedway as well as barrels and pylons to mark the course as necessary for either the Chaos or Bone Stock requirements on the day.

RACING RULES:

Contact between cars is permitted, but should be in the spirit of fun and not be malicious or intentionally damaging to cars or drivers.  For competitors having difficulty determining what is and is not acceptable contact, a general guideline to keep in mind is “door to door”, “bumper to bumper”.  Competitors are encouraged to be aware of driver’s side door of other cars when entering obstacles – - if the officials believe you did not follow this guide line you may be penalized.

Drivers are not permitted to “wait” for a competitor to come around the track with the purpose of ending their day, or make contact with other vehicles / drivers in the pits.

Drivers who are caught failing an obstacle (damaging and obstacle or failing to complete it properly) may be penalized with a penalty flag (depending on whether the event is a Chaos or Bone Stock format).  The penalty flag is a black pirate flag.  Receiving penalty flag requires the driver to take an extra rotation around a barrel turn, or, in the case of Bone Stock events, travel down pit road to clear the penalty.

Drivers who fail to clear a penalty or whose conduct has become a hindrance to the smooth running of the event will receive a black flag.  Drivers receiving the black flag are required to exit the course and report to the pit area.

Delaware Speedway officials may regulate certain areas of the course as “non-contact zones” if a challenging obstacle has been placed in that area.

Drivers must be present at the pre-race briefing to be eligible to draw for starting position.  Missing the pre-race briefing without the permission of speedway officials will result in that team starting at the back of the event and may result in possible disqualification from the event.  Missing the meeting also makes the driver ineligible for random draws / special bonus prizing.

INTRODUCTIONS & PRACTICE LAP:

Driver’s enter the course one at a time to theme music from the entrance area which is generally in turn four of the main speedway.  Drivers are to angle park as shown, with their left tire in line with the side door of the car ahead of them.

Following the introductions drivers may be signaled to take one slow practice lap around the course.  This allows the drivers to see where the obstacles are placed, and allows the fans to see how the course operates.  DO NOT RACE OR MAKE CONTACT WITH OTHER CARS ON THE PRACTICE LAP.  Once a full circuit has been completed, drivers are to line up 2X2 in the starting zone.

RED FLAG PROCEDURE

-If a vehicle is stopped on the race track and the driver in some manner signals they wish to exit the race, or the vehicle is a particular hazard to the event, a red flag will be thrown.
-IMPORTANT:  Never remove safety equipment (seatbelts, helmet, etc) until the safety crew has come to you.
-Corner lights will flash yellow (momentarily) to signal that the red flag is about to occur.  Drivers should begin to slow down and stop as quickly and safely as possible.
-Drivers are to hold their position on the race track until the event resumes.  Moving on a red flag will result in a penalty flag being issued.
-In the interest of event “flow”, disabled vehicles may be left on the course during an event if deemed to be in a reasonable position.  In larger events, the vehicle may be removed, but an obstacle car will likely be put in its place.  The driver may signal to officials that they wish to exit their vehicle and the red flag will be thrown drivers are not to exit their car during the race.

NOTE: Chaos Cars is NOT a demolition derby.  It has more in common with an old-school Enduro event from the 1990s.  Have fun – - but keep in mind that everyone wants to make sure each car can start the next race event!

PRIZE MONEY & REGISTRATION

-Purse structure varies depending on event-type and number of participants.
-Bone stock prize money and registration programs announced separately as part of those formats.
-An advanced registration program will be available enabling competitors discounted entry to the events.
-Competitors with leads for increased prizing or product prizing from sponsors are encouraged to pass those leads on to the speedway.  Prizing sponsors are rewarded with tickets and special recognition at events.

DELAWARE SPEEDWAY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO IMPOUND ANY CAR FOR INSPECTION. REFUSAL TO COMPLY WITH REQUEST MAY END IN EXPULSION OF DRIVER AND/OR OWNER, FINE OR PENALTY AND/OR SUSPENSION.  ALL DECISIONS BY PIT STEWARDS, CHIEF TECHNICAL INSPECTOR OR DELAWARE SPEEDWAY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS WILL BE FINAL.

ALL RULES SUBJECT TO INTERPRETATION BY OFFICIALS. RULE BOOKS WILL BE ISSUED TO MEMBERS. ALL EQUIPMENT NOT GOVERNED BY THE AFOREMENTIONED RULES ARE TO BE SUBMITTED TO DELAWARE SPEEDWAY, NOT LESS THAN 30 DAYS PRIOR TO THE DATE OF INTENDED USAGE. NO EQUIPMENT WILL BE CONSIDERED APPROVED BY REASON OF HAVING PASSED THROUGH INSPECTION UNOBSERVED. RULES APPLY TO ALL RACE EVENTS.

General Inquiries may be sent to:
Chaos Director: John Houghton
(519) 652-5068 Ext 201
john@delawarespeedway.com