When the ADRL announced the creation of their new Supercar Showdown class we were excited and more than a little interested to read the rules. As of today, our interest has been satisfied because the ADRL unveiled the official rules for the class and we scoured over them. The initial impression we have is very positive. It seems as though a lot of care and thought went into crafting these regulations and it is all there in black and white. From the race procedures (an 8-car field qualified on a sportsman ladder) to the allowed modifications (not much!) this is a class intended to showcase the hardest running production vehicles in the world, and not just those from Detroit!
Bret Kepner, Tim McAmis and the crew at ADRL laid provisions in the rules for mid-engine cars as well because there are rumors that exotic cars will also be a part of the fray. The class really has the potential to showcase some of the most bizarre and bizarrely entertaining side by side, heads up combos you could imagine on the strip. It will be riotous to see a Lamborghini or some other super high buck machine square up against a Mustang, Camaro, Challenger, SRT8 Jeep, etc.
Here are some of the high points. A link to the complete rules is posted below!
Only cars of the 2011 model year and newer are allowed (except for Mustangs, Challengers, and Camaros which can date back to 2008). As of the 2014 season, only cars built within the last five years will be allowed to run in the class.
The body of the car cannot be altered visually. Any aerodynamic aids on the car must have been factory available (Mistu Lancer Evolutions have little vortex generators on their roofs for example).
The firewall cannot be altered, aside from patching holes left from removing A/C equipment, etc.
As far as suspension mods, the whole factory front suspension must be in place and heim joint equipped tie rods can be used. Out back, there is decent amount of creative freedom allowed, meaning that a solid axle can be swapped in where IRS resides. We spoke to Bret Kepner about this and the reasoning is that the Ford, Dodge, and Chevy drag offerings all have solid axles of the non-factory ilk so there is no reason to penalize other cars by not allowing the same modification.
Weight: Naturally aspirated V8 cars can weigh 3250lbs – Naturally aspirated cars with more than 8 cylinders can weigh 3400lbs and turbocharged/supercharged cars can weight 3550lbs
Carbs are 100% prohibited!
In the motor, not a lot can change and the stuff that can is for longevity’s sake and not really for a performance advantage. Aftermarket rods and pistons can be used of the same compression and weight of stockers. Cylinder head modifications are verboten other than screw in rocker studs, bronze valve guides, etc. You can have an overbore of 0.075.
All the cars will run on gasoline.
Click here for the complete rules!
