Rules Package 2025
Founding Five:
Peter Austin #88
Rick Arcidiacono #72
Cesar Gomez #45
Nick Twardosky #43
Curtis Christian #22
Tracks:
Race tracks will be contingent upon the approval of property owners who permit races to take place on tracks designed and named according to their specifications. Hierarchy:
Track and Kart Rules and regulations will be governed by the Founding Five members. All
questions and concerns should be directed to one of these five and they will be addressed properly. The hope is that we will not have any need to discipline or remove drivers, and that when it is time to race, we do it with a common level of respect and self-governing that will dictate a fun and fair race day. With that said, the founding five reserve the right to refuse anyone to race if violations support that. Dates:
The plan is for the first points race for the 2025-26 season to be held in the fall, then once every 4-6 weeks thereafter until late spring, giving us somewhere between 6-10 total points races for the season. Tracks and dates for the entire season will be set by mid-summer.
***Exhibition races will be held once we have enough drivers and a track for competition, the Founding Five should have a clear understanding of how these races will be run before bringing new drivers into the mix. If possible, a shortened first season might occur before the summer of 2025
Races will start promptly at their scheduled time, late entries will be accepted on a case-to-case basis, anyone that misses the drivers meeting will start from the rear of the field in Heat 2 and in order of arrival. The track will open for Hot Laps one hour before the races start, if you’re unfamiliar with the track it is recommended that you get to the track early enough to run some practice laps. Dues:
Each driver is responsible to pay $40 in club dues for each season. This is to cover the purchase of season T-shirts and to cover the cost of our end of year banquet. Club dues are due prior to waiver signing which will take place prior to the start of the first race of the season. Please plan to pay them at our practice session or at the first race. Race:
Disclaimer - Our ultimate goal is for everyone to be at the track by no later than 1 hour before the first heat race, there is a lot of track prep and setup that needs to happen. However, sometimes things happen and with the possibility of a growing number of drivers, we must have rules in place for such occurrences. Experience has shown that it is a good idea to never have more than 11 karts on the track racing at one time. With that number of drivers, below is rules for determining lineups and order of operations. This will be a living portion of the document that may change if we find that things are not working as we planned. Any changes made will be done with ample notification and utilize extensive input from drivers. Order of Operations
When racing at any of the home tracks:
With at least 11 drivers present at the drivers meeting, the race weekend will consist of two Heat races and two Features. If there are only 10 Karts ready and able to race prior to the beginning of the B Main, then there will only be one Feature race and the starting order will be determined by having the finishing order from the first heat make up the inside line and the finishing order from the second heat make up the outside row. When racing at any other tracks, we will follow the order of operations dictated by said track.
*Heat Races - The starting grid will be determined by the lap times recorded during Hot Laps. The first Heat will be made up of the odd speeds from fastest to slowest, the second Heat will be made up of the even speeds from fastest to slowest, this will split the field in half with a larger group in the first race to allow for any late arrivals. Any late drivers would start at the back of the field of the second heat. If we have 10 or fewer drivers then a single heat will be run. If we have between 11 and 20 then two heats will be run. If we have 21 to 24 drivers at the drivers meeting, then we will have three heats. An equal number or drivers will be split into the heats with fewest drivers in the later heats. If we have issues with the electronics then starting order will be determined by random draw.
*Feature Races – We will have an A Main and a B Main, A Main will be considered the Feature Race and will consist of the top half of the field from both heats, while the B Main will be made up of the bottom finishes of the heats. We will only take 20 drivers into the Main events so any driver finishing the heats outside the top 20 has been eliminated for the day. If the count is uneven, there will be more karts transferred to the A Main than B Main. For example, with 13 karts, if there are 7 drivers in the first heat, the top 4 will move on to the A Main and start on what would be the inside line, while the 3 lowest finishes will compete in the B Main starting on the inside line. The top half of the second heat will do the same as the first heat, competing in the A Main, but they will start on what would be the outside line, while the bottom half of the second heat will compete in the B Main starting on the outside line. If three heats were run then order follows same pattern; heat 1=pole, heat 2=2nd, and heat 3=3rd. The winner of the B Main will receive the transfer spot into the Feature race along with a 2 point bonus for the win. When the races begin, you are to slowly drive your Kart onto the track and begin making caution laps while finding your way to your starting position. If you’re having trouble getting your Kart started, the flagman will wait approximately 2 minutes from when half of the karts have found their positions under caution. Once all karts in in their correct starting position or the two minutes has expired the flagman will wave the green flag to start the race. On Track Activity:
*Any driver/team who is found purposely trying to hold up the start of the race will be signaled by the flagman and start from the rear of the field.
*All races will have double file starts and single file restarts. All starts and restarts will take place at a consistent speed. Front row karts are responsible for an even and clean start.
*Starts and restarts will be at the exit of the last turn before the Start/Finish Line. The Flagman will signal the start of the race when leader reaches start cone by waving the Green Flag. Passing for the full field is allowed as soon as the leader crosses the Start/Finish line.
*Absolutely no one except the flagman is supposed to walk on the track during an event, this can result in serious injury and possible penalties if considered flagrant. Even the flagman needs to use their best judgment and only enter the track to remove debris or in an emergency, if you get hit by a Go-kart on the track, it’s your own fault!
*Auxiliary flagmen may be posted around the course with Yellow & Red flags and radios to communicate with the Main Flagman. Auxiliary flaggers are only allowed to help drivers in danger, right flipped karts, or to move Karts off track, then return immediately to your post. Do not restart karts. Drivers must restart their own kart. If your Kart is broken down or stopped on the track, DO NOT exit the kart until it is clearly safe. Once safe, your first priority needs to be moving your Kart off the track. Anyone trying to repair or restart their Kart manually on the track will be sent to the rear of the field. If you feel your Kart break, your natural reaction should be to steer it off track so as not to impede the race.
*Laps Run Under Caution Count Towards the Overall Lap Count. When the caution flag is displayed on any oval track, the leader needs to slow down to a reduced speed while the rest of the field files in their position single file. As soon as the track is clear and the Karts are lined up properly, the flagman will resume the race by waving the green flag at the Start/Finish line.
*Road course tracks will not have full course cautions unless there is a dangerous situation, this will be indicated by the main flagman waving the yellow, this will indicate a full course caution. All other situations will be handled with localized cautions. When a driver sees a caution flag on the road course, they are to proceed with extreme caution until they have made it safely past the hazard. Do not attempt to make a pass while in a localized caution zone.
*If the caution comes out during the final laps of the race, the field will line up for one attempt at a Green-White-Checkered finish. These laps can be in addition to the initial total lap count.
*Out of bounds will be indicated by brightly painted lines, covered tires or barrels, hay bales, or orange cones on the inside of the track or turn. This will be self-governed and any driver who intentionally and/or repeatedly crosses the line will not receive points for the race. DON’T CHEAT!!!
*DO NOT under any circumstance attempt pit maneuvers, brake checks and try to avoid tire contact as much as possible. These Karts are going to hit one another, but everyone has invested a lot of time and money into their Karts, so it is expected that any contact outside the guidelines is unintentional.
*Blocking is only legal between Karts on the same lap, you can block in an attempt to stay on the lead lap, but it is illegal to block anyone that has lapped your Kart. If you have been lapped by the entire field you should not run the ideal line, at that point you should be on the outside of track and out of the way.
*If you break down on the same lap as another Kart, the Kart furthest on the track takes the position, if you break down on a caution lap, whatever lap you finished last will be your finishing position, if you cannot make it to the starting grid before the 2 minute cutoff, you can enter the race at any time as long as you do so safely. If you cannot get your Kart going prior to the White Flag, your Kart finishing position will be considered last place for that race.
*Once the Checkered Flag has waved, all drivers must take one full cool down lap to allow the rest of the field to finish the race. Leader should wait to do victory lap until last kart has finished cool down lap.
*All track rules must be followed, this pertains especially to non-club tracks. Drive extremely slowly through pit areas. No alcohol is permitted in the pits at the non-club tracks. It is expected that all drivers will respect the rules of these tracks and represent the club in a positive way. Contact:
*Intentional contact is illegal, penalties will be issued by the uninvolved founding five for any contact deemed intentional. Intentional contact – When two Karts come together due to an intentional act by one of the drivers.
*Incidental contact – When two Karts come together through a racing incident, that is, neither diver intentionally drove into another kart and/or neither driver feels that the contact was intentional or harmful.
*A driver who feels contact is intentional can submit their complaint in writing to any one of the founding five, the complaint will be reviewed by founding five not involved and any penalties will be considered retroactive for the race the incident happened. If the founding five deem the incident as intentional, they will then issue a penalty based on the criteria below.
*Loss of 1 position – If the offender has no history and the result of the collision made no significant changes in the race.
*Finish in last place – The contact was obviously intentional, the offender has a history of collisions or minor damage was inflicted to either Kart.
*No points awarded – The race was significantly affected, either Kart suffered serious damage or the incident happened during caution. Forcing someone off the track, even without physical contact, is grounds for a black flag. This is up to the Founding Five’s discretion. Leaving the track to avoid contact does not count as being forced off the track.
*Contact penalties will not be initiated, governed or enforced by the Founding Five without a formal complaint being filed. Any contact unaddressed will be simply referred to as a “Racing Incident”. Karts/Safety:
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF YOU AND YOUR KART. Big Block Series Motor restrictions:
No 2 Stroke motors. All motors must be carbureted and naturally aspirated, no fuel injection. No overhead cams.
459cc Honda Clone Engines:
Limited to Stage 1 Mods only (exhaust, intake, and carb jet), governor may be removed.
440cc Honda Clone Engines:
Limited to Stage 1 Mods only (exhaust, intake, and carb jet), governor may be removed.
420cc Honda Clone Engines:
Limited to Stage 3 Mods maximum (Stage 1, Stage 2, and Racing cam shaft, billeted fly wheel, and billeted piston rod). All motors above 230cc must be Honda or Honda clone (Predator, Lifan, and Duromax are examples). Maximum of 459cc. Any motor under 230cc has no limits or restrictions, other than listed here. Small Block Series Motor restrictions:
This class is a lightly modded predator 212 class so the following mods only apply to the predator 212, however any unmodified 6.5hp or less engine will be permitted to race. Motor must be naturally aspirated. Stage 1 Mod with governor removed is all that is acceptable. No carburetor restrictions. All Karts and Drivers:
*Seatbelts are Required, 3 point admissible, 4 point or better preferred.
*Helmets are required including face shield or goggles.
*Neck brace is highly recommended and should be worn at all times when on the track.
*Kill switch must be located on steering wheel or dash area and function properly.
*Power steering is illegal.
*Karts are required to have roll bar or brush guard that would keep your kart from laying on top of you in the case of a roll over, and proper protection against bodily injury if there are accidents.
*Karts require a live rear axle; independent rear suspension is illegal.
*Karts are required to have working brakes, if it becomes apparent that you do not have functional brakes then you will be eliminated from the race day until your brakes are functional. Front brakes are illegal.
*Karts are required to have no more than a 2 digit number displayed where score keeper can see it, and your transponder (Once we have them) must be securely mounted on the nose of your kart, unobstructed from overhead.
*If you have Kart troubles and must leave the race track, do so in the safest way possible utilizing pit road entry and exits properly. If you return to the track after repairs, enter in the designated area when it is clear that you won’t impede the race, and get up to speed as fast as possible.
*The points go to the Kart number, so back up Karts, or relief drivers is legal. However, the Driver/Kart combination cannot change between the Green Flag and the Checkered Flag of an individual race. The points will be awarded to the kart assigned to the transponder that is mounted to the nose of the kart as long as the kart has entered the race legitimately.
*During each event, founding five reserves the right to choose 2 kart numbers at random and a thorough inspection will be done to ensure the kart passes safety inspection. Public Relations:
Once we have established our club’s name, drivers, and tracks, we will create a social media presence. Social media is for fun, such as adding pictures and videos, updating information and communications, but it can also be used for obtaining sponsors, potentially adding racers, obtaining a permanent flagman and spectators. Sponsors will receive an advertising package that will consist of a banner to be displayed at our races, stickers for our Karts, plugs on our social media and a T-shirt with all sponsors listed at the end of the season. Our namesake sponsor will have the Championship trophy named after them. Money obtained from sponsors will be used for items such as a transponder system, cones, barrels, safety equipment, paint, and other racing supplies.
***Our club should be Invite ONLY! Do Not Make Track Info Public! Score Keeping:
The starting position for the Heat races will be determined by lap times recorded during Hot Laps prior to the drivers meeting. If you win the pole position for either race, you’re responsible for running flags in the opposite race, this does not mean you have to do it yourself, only that you’re responsible for making sure the job is covered, your backup is the driver that starts fourth behind you. If you qualify 2nd or 3rd, you’re responsible for keeping score, this works the same as flagman responsibility with the back up being the 5th and 6th place drivers. This will work the same way for the feature races, your starting position determines your responsibility when you’re not racing. Obviously, any dedicated Flagmen or Scorekeepers would dismiss this responsibility. Green Flag: When the green flag is displayed the track is open for racing. The Green flag signifies the start of each race. Passing is not permitted before the green flag is displayed at the designated point. Yellow Flag: CAUTION. When the Yellow flag comes out SLOW DOWN! We DO NOT race back to the start/finish line. Stay in single file formation. If you do not cooperate you will be put to the rear of the field. Red Flag: Stop as soon as safely possible but remain in your kart unless there is an unsafe condition. An example would be fire or someone in another kart that needs immediate attention. Black Flag: If you go by the flagman and he is pointing the Black Flag at you, you are doing something wrong! The Black Flag will be shown to anyone who is illegally blocking, going out of bounds repeatedly or has any unsafe condition with them or their Kart. If you see the flagman pointing the Black Flag at you in a closed fist, do your best to remedy the situation. After being warned for no more than 2 laps, the flagman will wave the Black Flag towards you and your laps will no longer be counted. White Flag: One more lap to the finish. Green/White Cross, in a closed fist: Half way point in the race
Green/White Side by Side, in a closed fist: Two laps left
Checkered Flag: The race is officially complete. If the flagman is holding the flag with the flag bunched up in a closed fist, this is not an active flag, this can be used to point drivers in the right direction, warn them of a possible infraction, or indicate lap numbers in the race. Points:
The points will be awarded in the Feature Race from the first-place finisher to the final spot in the A Main Feature Race, this can go up to 11th in points. The B Main will pick up from the next available position and go through the finishing order to as far down as 20th. The B Main winner will forfeit the B main points and start in the transfer position with 2 Bonus Points. Drivers who showed up but were eliminated due to position will receive 50 points if they remain at the race after elimination. If you leave you forfeit the points. Points based on finishing order:
1st Place 100 Points
2nd Place 95 Points
3rd Place 90 Points
4th Place 86 Points
5th Place 83 Points
6th Place 80 Points
7th Place 78 Points
8th Place 76 Points
9th Place 74 Points
10th Place 72 Points
11th Place 70 Points
12th Place 68 Points
13th Place 66 Points
14th Place 64 Points
15th Place 62 Points
16th Place 60 Points
17th Place 58 Points
18th Place 56 Points
19th Place 54 Points
20th Place 52 Points
*The points are assigned to the number, so drivers who cannot make it to a race are allowed to have a fill in in driver drive a Kart with the points going to whatever number is assigned to the Kart.
*If you’re unable to find a fill in driver, each point awarded driver/number combination will be allowed 1 wash race for the season. This means you can miss one full race for the season and this will be simply washed from your total, driver/number combinations who compete in all races will be able to wash their lowest scoring race from their season total. Every Kart number that receives points for all races will be required to wash 1 race from their total, this means the total points for every Kart number will be comprised of all scheduled races minus their lowest points accumulated race, this race will be washed away, including all bonus points. Tie Breaker will go to the most feature wins followed by highest feature finish and so on. There will be a bonus for any driver that makes it to every race in the season. You do not need to compete in every race, but you do need to be a part of the race day activities, e.g. scorekeeper, flagman, etc. If a driver cannot make a race but their kart is there with a fill in driver this still counts toward the attendance bonus.
*If the founding five decided that only a single heat will be run on a race day then both the first and second place finishers for the heat race will receive Heat race win bonus. This includes when a single heat is run at non-club tracks.
*If a driver shows up to a race with their kart and is unable to race in their heat then they would automatically start last place for their feature. If they are unable to start their feature race then they will receive last place points for the day. If that driver chooses to leave the track, then a -10 point DNS penalty will be applied to the last place points the would be awarded for the day.
*Any driver that does not show up or shows up without their kart on a scheduled race day will receive 0 points for that day. Showing up without a kart will still count toward attendance bonus.
10 bonus points will be awarded for a Heat race win. 1st and 2nd place receive the bonus for single heat race events.
2 bonus points will be awarded for a B Feature win.
1 bonus point per scheduled race will be awarded for perfect attendance for a total that matches scheduled race count, this is an all or nothing bonus.
****Founding Five reserves the right to make decisions on race day that are in conflict with this rule package as necessary to fit unforeseen circumstances. All decisions like this will be voted upon and discussed openly to provide transparency for all drivers present.****
