Track Rules

Section 1: General Information

63462. Official rules and car specification for all events of the Gulf Coast Modified Midget Association. The officials and representatives of GCMMA shall resolve any point not covered herein (board has final say).

63463. All drivers participating in a GCMMA event must pay a car registration / club fee at the cost of $30.00 per year. Members with an assigned slab space must register by April 1st or first points race in order to retain assigned slab.

63464. All cars entering will pay an entry fee, payable at the draw. Entry fees are $40.00 midget, $40.00 mini-late model, and $20.00 mini and mighty midget. Pit passes will be $ 20.00.

63465. Insurance regulations states no alcoholic beverages before or during the program in the pits.

63466. No un-sportsman like conduct in pits or on race surface. (Including foul language and obscene gestures.) Subject to fine and or suspension.

63467. No speeding in the pits whether race car or four-wheeler. Idle speed only. Insurance regulations state no one under the age of 16 may operate a motorized vehicle in the pits except for their registered racecar. All ATV’s must be registered with GCMMA insurance form.

63468. Top of pit board is for referee and videoing only.

63469. On arrival at the track, signing in should be the first thing done to insure proper insurance coverage. No refund will be given after sign in.

63470. GCMMA points shall be awarded to drivers in accordance with the following schedule;

A Feature Points

63477. 125 13. 50

63478. 115 14. 45

63479. 105 15. 43

63480. 95 16. 40

63481. 90 17. 38

63482. 85 18. 35

63483. 80 19. 33

63484. 75 20. 30

63485. 70 21. 28

63486. 65 22. 26

63487. 60 23. 24

63488. 55 24. 22

63492. Car owner/driver will register a car number to be used on that car. The number will be reserved for that car the following year if renewed by the deadline date of April 1, or first points race if not renewed the number will become open and no letters. All classes may run 1-10 from last years finishing points and standing position.

63493. Rain checks or refunds can only be considered after a track official has called the race.

63494. All midgets must meet NMMA chassis & safety specifications.

63495. All races will be conducted as GCMMA officials deem be in the best interest of the racing program.

63496. There will be no working on cars on the track surface during a yellow flag condition. No stopping on track under yellow conditions unless directed by an official or safety concern. Anyone pulling into infield will go the rear. Red/Yellow lights for lineup only.

63497. No one allowed at pit exit road between yellow pipe and pit side bleachers.

63498. No one allowed around racetrack outer perimeter during race.

63499. Re-Entering races; Cars that have left the track may re-enter the race from the infield on the front or backstretch. They must have all four tires on the racing surface before the start/finish line to be scored for that lap. Cars must be started and running in the infield before entering the track area. The race will not be allowed to continue as long as a car is dead on the track. Cars that leave the track and enter the pits will not be allowed to re-enter the race.

63500. The end of an event will be official when the lead car received the checkered flag, regardless of how many laps the following cars have completed. Spins or tangles by remaining cars after the checkered flag falls and able to finish the race will hold their positions and be scored in the order they crossed the start/finish line. The number of laps completed will score cars unable to finish the race.

63501. The car on the pole shall set a pace as determined by the flagman’s signals for the start of an event. All cars will dress by it.

63502. Original starts will be green-flagged by the flagman if the field is in order, coming out of the fourth turn. Passing will be permitted anywhere on the track when the green flag or lights are displayed. On original starts car or cars causing a complete restart will go to the rear of the field. At the discretion of track official. The remainder of the field will move straightforward in their respectable rows. Re-starts after one complete lap will be at the cone on the back straight away inline nose to tail till your entire car has to completely cleared the cone. Failure to follow this procedure will result in placement to the rear of the field.

63503. Each driver must be ready and on the hot grid when his/her event is called. If not he/she will be eliminated from the event.

63504. Spins or tangles in any event will call for a re-start. Car or cars causing the red/yellow flag will start in the rear. No fault yellows all cars involved will go to the rear. At the discretion of track official.

63505. From the start of the race to the checkered flag, the flagman controls the event. All drivers must watch and obey the flagman.

63506. All starts will be rolling starts unless otherwise specified .

63507. When entering or leaving pits, driver must use due caution.

63508. Driver may be subject to black flag or suspension from racing for any of the following: Foul driving, intentionally cutting the mark, unnecessary bumping, crowding, chopping, banking, charging corners, jumping the start, or rough driving.

63509. A driver whose machine is disabled before it reaches the finish line may not push or carry the machine across the finish line and be considered as having completed the race.

63510. Any car on or near the racing surfaces that delays the start or restart of any race, shall go to the rear of his/her race.

63511. No radio communications is allowed with the driver.

63512. Verbal protest to an official by a driver or any member of his crew will automatically disqualify car and driver for the complete program on that date. Drivers are responsible for their crewmembers.

63513. No impeding the flow of traffic on exit to pit road. Trophy dash winner to exit last.

63514. All animals must be on a leash to enter pit area.

63515. Scoring tower entrance limited to track officials. No Exceptions. Complaints should be referred to the referee.

63516. All midgets must have transponders located correctly on car (upper right hand corner of chassis) and working by the first heat race. Failure to do so will result in disqualification from the race.

Qualifying

1. Qualifying heat races will be held at all events.

2. The car count at the close of the drawing for the qualifying heats will determine the number of heats to be run. As each number is drawn for a car, that number will be posted and this procedure will be repeated until a number has been drawn for each car that wishes to compete. The lowest number goes to the pole of the first heat race, the next lowest drawn number goes to the pole of the second heat, etc. Once pole position in each heat is filled, the next lowest number goes to the outside front row of the first heat, etc. If there are an uneven number of cars to equally distribute between heats, the last cars will be place at the back of the lowest numbered heats. Any cars not represented at the drawing shall be placed at the rear of a heat race. Heat races will determine the starting position for the balance of the races scheduled.

3. If requested all competition cars will be expected to roll the racetrack surface prior to starting program. Those failing to do so will start at the back of the heat race.

4. Top 5 cars in all classes are required to go immediately to impound area after all main events. Only drivers allowed in impound area.

Heat Race and Passing Point Schedule

Finishing Position Points Awarded Passing Points

1 55 1 car@11/2 = 11/2 pts.

2 51 2 cars@11/2 = 3 pts.

3 47 3 cars@ 11/2 = 41/2 pts.

4 43 4 cars@ 11/2 = 6 pts.

5 39 5 cars@ 11/2 = 71/2 pts.

6 35 6 cars@ 11/2 = 9 pts.

7 31 7 cars@ 11/2 = 101/2 pts.

8 27 8 cars@ 11/2 = 12 pts.

9 23 9 cars@ 11/2 = 131/2 pts.

10 19 10 cars@ 11/2 = 15 pts.

5. The passing point system will be used to determine starting positions in feature events (optional at championship events and other races ). The driver will receive points for passing as well as finishing position with the driver accumulating the most points from heat races starting in the pole position. Any driver failing to draw for a heat race will not receive passing points, but only points accumulated through his finishing position in his heat race. In the event of a tie in passing point, the driver who first earned the points shall be aligned in front of any subsequent driver earning the same number of points. Passing points will be figured on the actual starting position on the final parade lap.

6. The lineup posted on the pit bulletin board when cars enter the racing surface for any race shall be the final lineup. In the event a car drops out of the lineup for mechanical reasons, the balance of the field shall move straight forward.

7. Any car not running at the reasonable racing speed may be subject to disqualification for safety reasons.

Flag Signals

63507. Green – Starting the race.

63508. Yellow – Caution

No passing. Do not race back to the starting line on a yellow flag condition. Slow to parade speed immediately, hold your position and close up single file, leaving one car length between cars. In the event that any mishap requires the use of the yellow flag, it may be displayed at any location on the track, and cars will be required to slow to parade speed immediately. The car(s) causing the mishap will start in the rear of the field, if able, and the rest will be realigned according to the last scored green flag lap. It will be permissible to stop the race and restart it again if flagman cannot determine the lineup order. There will be no working on cars on the track surface during a yellow flag. Any car that spins more than twice and causes the yellow flag will be eliminated from the remainder of the race. Finish position will be given according to the number of laps completed.

63522. Red-Stop at once.

Any accident occurring after the first lap has been completed and it is necessary to stop the race, the cars will be re-started in the order they finished the lap previous to the accident. The start will be single file. Any cars causing the mishap will be given position at the rear of the field if the Safety Steward considers the cars safe to start. If the race has gone 2/3 or more and in the opinion of the referee it is unsafe or unwise to continue, positions will be awarded in the order that the cars would have been restarted. During red flag conditions no one is allowed on the race surface except officials and rescuer teams until notified by race officials that pit crews may enter the racing surface.

63537. Yellow and Red (half and half diagonal) - Rolling Restart.

Re-form in an original lineup. To be used only after spins or tangles occurring in the first lap of an event. Car(s) causing the mishap will start in the rear when the yellow/red flag is displayed.

63552. Blue/Yellow Stripe – You Are Being Lapped.

For information to the driver that he/she is being lapped. It does not include the meaning “move over.” The driver may move over at his/her discretion or may continue to drive his/her groove.

6. Black – Leave race surface immediately. (All cars getting a black flag will be considered disqualified for that race. The exception being if you are black flagged for safety).

7. Checkered – Completion of event.

8. Violation of any flag signal will result in disqualification.

9. Warning lights are to be considered the same as a yellow flag.

10. A flagman or light must be on the backstretch to display a red or yellow flag condition.

Protests

63567. Protests will be taken only from a driver or car owner and then only if the protest is in writing and accompanied by the appropriate protest fee in cash to GCMMA Referee. In the event the protested car is found to be legal, the protest fee shall be given to the owner of the car protested minus a fee that shall be paid to the inspector.

63568. All protests must be filed within ten minutes after the completion of the last race of the evening. GCMMA or his representative shall decide upon all protests. Any appeal of official decision must be filed in writing within ten minutes of notification with GCMMA and forwarded to the GCMMA board of directors whose decision shall be final.

63569. No protest will be accepted on judgment decisions.

63570. In the event a car is protested and found to be illegal by the inspector, the driver and car protested shall have all points and money forfeited that were won during the particular race program in question and fined $500. This fine must be paid to GCMMA office before being allowed to compete-no set out.

Protest Fees ** (figures in parenthesis are filing fees)

63582. Motor tear down (heads off) and cylinders inspected: ** $300 ($100) Total of $ 400.00

63583. Check Bore & Stroke ** $150 ($50) Total of $ 200.00

Other technical protests: ** $100 ($50) Total of $ 150.00