Hot Rod Magazine recently announced the rules for Drag Week. These rules will stand for a couple of years so prospective competitors can build a car to race and know it will have a home when the project is completed. There are a few tweaks here and there but the big news is the addition of a daily impound in the pits that will place a competitor (or competitors?) into a specific area where only the driver and passenger are allowed to work on their car. Also, the only tools allowed will be those that traveled in with the car. The idea behind this rule is obviously to weed out competitors who are using support vehicles (which are banned) or additional clandestine help to aid them in running their junk. As it says in the rules, there will be people in impound each day and the same person can face impound more than once throughout the week.

This year’s starting and ending point is historic Tulsa International Raceway in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The track was hailed by competitors and magazine guys alike for a near mirror perfect racing surface and honkin’ traction. We’re looking forward to being there, right in the thick of the action from September 10-14, 2012!

Here’s the full copy of the 2012 Hot Rod Magazine Drag Week rules!

2012 HOT ROD DRAG WEEK™ OFFICIAL RULES

THE BASICS

•The event is open to four-wheel vehicles of any year, make, or model.

Motorcycle-based vehicles are not allowed.

•Current license, registration, and proof of insurance are required. No dealer plates allowed. No rental cars allowed.

•Vehicles in competition must have functional headlights, taillights, brake lights, turn signals, horn, and a rearview mirror. Headlights must be of OE-type design.

•All vehicles must meet NHRA safety rules for the e.t. and speed they are capable of, and drivers must be IHRA or NHRA licensed if required. Drag Week™ officials will not accept time slips that are quicker or faster than the car’s tech’d legal e.t. and mph. Running quicker than the safety equipment allows is cause for disqualification at the discretion of the race director.

•Vehicles with rule variations may be classified at the race director’s discretion.

•Any type of fuel may be used.

•Equipment rules apply to both the street and track portions of the event.

•Any participant found under the influence of alcohol or narcotics is subject to immediate disqualification and removal from the event. Likewise, unsportsmanlike conduct may result in disqualification or removal.

NO TRAILERS, NO SUPPORT VEHICLES

•Vehicles in competition may not be led or followed at any distance by support vehicles of any kind. A support vehicle is one used to supply, or with the intent of supplying, any rescue efforts or to carry anything for a competitor, including luggage, tools, fuel, repair parts or spares, and helpers or crew. Support vehicles towing just-in-case trailers are not allowed. Motorhomes are not allowed.

•All vehicles must be driven under their own power during the entire Drag Week™ competition and may not be towed, trailered, pushed, or hauled at any time. The exception is the event of an emergency in which a vehicle needs to be removed from the roadway or other dangerous situation, in which case assistance may be used to move the car a short distance to a safe area, for example, to the next highway exit.

•A Drag Week™ phone number will be supplied to participants. If an entrant wishes to forfeit the competition by loading the vehicle on a trailer or otherwise enlisting an illegal support vehicle, the number must be called to immediately notify the staff of the forfeiture.

•Each competition vehicle may tow a single trailer up to 12 feet long from ball to tail and 6 feet high from ground to top, including the height of anything carried on top of the trailer. Alternately, a U-Haul 4×8-foot box trailer may be used. Trailers may not contain any components that contribute to cooling, charging, oiling, or fueling the competition vehicle while the trailer is being towed.

WORKING ON COMPETITION VEHICLES

•Drag Week™ competitors may borrow or buy parts, tools, and supplies from each other and may help each other with manpower. However, vehicles entered with the obvious intent of supporting another competitor with parts, tools, supplies, or manpower subject both entries to disqualification at the race director’s discretion. It is not our intent to keep friends from helping friends but to prevent entries from acting as support vehicles for other competitors.

•Helpers may not lead or follow in separate vehicles.

•Drag Week™ officials may, without notice, require competitors to set up their pit spot in an impound area for observation during track days. In impound, no one but the driver and passenger may work on the car without permission from Drag Week™ officials. In impound, no parts, tools, or supplies that were not carried in the car or the car’s trailer may be used without permission from Drag Week™ officials. At least one Drag Week™ competitor will be placed in impound during each track day. Some competitors may be impounded multiple days.

•Ordering parts and having them delivered during Drag Week™ to fix unforeseen problems is allowed.

•Swapping engines so that one is used for the dragstrip and another for the on-road drives is not allowed. One long-block is to be used for the entire competition, barring the need for impromptu repairs.

THE ROUTE, THE CHECKPOINTS

•The on-road drive is part of the Drag Week™ competition; following the specified route is mandatory. Traffic, potholes, and winding roads should be expected.

•Each day’s drive has at least one mandatory checkpoint. Each entrant is required to carry a digital camera that must be used to photograph the car at each checkpoint. Each competitor’s camera will be checked each day to verify that participants have passed through all the required checkpoints.

•Host hotels will be posted on HOTROD.com. Competitors are not required to stay at host hotels and may stop anywhere they wish along the way as long as the entire route is followed.

RACE PROCEDURES

•Competitors are required to sign in and get in the tech inspection line at Tulsa Raceway Park before 2 p.m. Central time on September 9. This is a firm cutoff time. Tech inspection and registration will open at 8 a.m. on Sunday, September 9.

•Tulsa Raceway Park will open its gates around 8 a.m. on Monday, September 10. There will be a mandatory driver/passenger meeting held before racing begins. Drag Week™ competition begins at the close of the meeting.

•Tulsa Raceway Park has a space where trucks and trailers may be left behind during Drag Week™ competition. Competitors must secure their trucks and trailers there before the start of the drivers’ meeting on September 10. Access to the area will not be available until after the close of Drag Week™ racing on September 14, with the exception of racers who have forfeited the competition and need to pick up their rigs during working hours.

•Competitors may be tech’d at each dragstrip before running. All drivers must be present.

•The tracks will be open from roughly 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Monday through Thursday and from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Tulsa Raceway Park on Friday, September 14. Schedule adjustments may be made pending unforeseen circumstances.

•Competitors will be allowed to make as many passes as possible each day on a first-come, first-served basis until the race director announces that the staging lanes are closed.

•Every competitor must complete each track day within the specified times to remain in competition. To complete a track day, a competitor’s car must stage under its own power and take the green light. Entries that take the green but are unable to complete a full dragstrip pass will be given an e.t. of 20 seconds for the day. If a competitor misses a track day and is out of the running, he may be able to make exhibition runs during the remaining days of Drag Week™ if time allows.

•It is the competitors’ responsibility to hand in their time slips to the specified Drag Week™ staffer each day before leaving the track. Once a slip is handed in, no other time slip will be honored that day.

•Route maps to the next city will be provided only once a competitor has handed in his or her time slip.

•No competitor may depart the track for the next city until 1 p.m. each day. Competitors may leave the track and return, but all cars must be at the track at 1 p.m. to be checked out as the caravan of cars departs. Racers who need to remain at the track after 1 p.m. will also be checked out. Listen for announcements, as the 1 p.m. departure time may vary depending on conditions.

•In the event that a day of racing is rained out, competitors are still required to drive the entire route and must check in at the dragstrip during the specified hours.

•Protesting another racer requires filling out an official protest form detailing the rule infraction, submitting a $100 fee, and supplying evidence, including photos or video. If the protest is upheld or negated by forfeiture, the $100 is returned. If it is not upheld, the $100 goes to the racer being protested.

•Each entry may only compete in one class. You must state your intended class when registering, and class changes are not allowed after the first day of racing.

•For classes other than Daily Driver, the winner is the car with the lowest average e.t. over the week; average mph is used as a tiebreaker.

UNLIMITED CATEGORY

Unlimited is Drag Week’s™ most radical class and has no restrictions on modifications.

CLASSES

•Engines of all displacements and with or without power-adders all run one class.

PRO STREET CATEGORY

Pro Street is for traditional, back-halved, big-tire cars with a non-stock rear suspension configuration.

BODY

•Must use an all-steel, OE body shell and doors. OE Corvette bodies are allowed.

•Firewall must be in the stock location. Firewall may be smoothed and notched for distributor and valve-cover clearance.

•Must have stock floorpans between the firewall and the forward edge of the wheel tubs.

•Body must maintain the OE profile (no top chopping, and so on). Hoodscoops and deck spoilers are allowed.

•Any composite windows must appear stock and use stock moldings. No window supports visible from outside the car.

•One-piece front clips are prohibited.

INTERIOR

•May not have driver set back past the stock location.

CHASSIS

•Must use stock framerails forward of the firewall, with two exceptions: 1) Aftermarket front-clip kits that replace the stock framerails forward of the firewall are allowed, but they must be commonly available from a recognized manufacturer and must be designed to bolt in place on the stock frame or unibody; and 2) In some cases, fabricated rectangular-tube framerails may be allowed at the race director’s discretion; email detailed photos to [email protected] for pre-event verification.

•Engine may not be set back past the stock firewall location.

REAR SUSPENSION

•The rear suspension must use a non-stock parallel four-link, ladder bars, a conversion from IRS to solid axle, or other significant departure from the stock suspension concept. Exception: Cars that were originally equipped with leaf springs may retain them if they are moved radically inboard to fit extra-wide, traditional Pro Street–style tires.

TIRES

•Pro Street cars must use tires on the dragstrip that are greater than 11.25 inches wide at the tread, as measured installed and on the ground with a go/no-go gauge. DOT drag radials may not be used.

CLASSES

•There are two classes within Pro Street: Power Adder and Naturally Aspirated.

MODIFIED CATEGORY

Modified is for stock-frame, small-tire cars with a non-stock rear suspension configuration.

BODY

•Must use an all-steel, OE body shell and doors. OE Corvette bodies are allowed.

•Firewall must be in the stock location. Firewall may be smoothed and notched for distributor and valve-cover clearance.

•Must have stock floorpans between the firewall and the forward edge of the wheel tubs.

•Body must maintain the OE profile (no top chopping, and so on). Hoodscoops and deck spoilers are allowed.

•Any composite windows must appear stock and use stock moldings. No window supports visible from outside the car.

•One-piece front clips are prohibited.

INTERIOR

•May not have driver set back past the stock location.

CHASSIS

•Must use stock framerails forward of the firewall, with two exceptions: 1) Aftermarket front-clip kits that replace the stock framerails forward of the firewall are allowed, but they must be commonly available from a recognized manufacturer and must be designed to bolt in place on the stock frame or unibody; and 2) In some cases, fabricated rectangular-tube framerails may be allowed at the race director’s discretion; email detailed photos to [email protected] for pre-event verification.

•Engine may not be set back past the stock firewall location.

REAR SUSPENSION

•The rear suspension must use a non-stock parallel four-link, ladder bars, a conversion from IRS to solid axle, or other significant departure from the stock suspension concept.

TIRES

•Modified cars must use tires on the dragstrip that are no greater than 11.25 inches wide at the tread, as measured installed and on the ground with a go/no-go gauge. Tire edges may not be shaved or cut to meet the 11.25-inch maximum. Drag radials with a metric width labeling of no greater than 325 mm may be used if the tread width is no greater than 11.5 inches.

CLASSES

•There are two classes within Modified: Power Adder and Naturally Aspirated.

SUPER STREET CATEGORY

Super Street is for small-tire cars with bolt-on–style rear suspensions; this class has fewer restrictions than Street Race. Vehicles in Super Street must have modifications that prevent them from running in Street Race.

BODY

•Must use an all-steel, OE body shell and doors. OE Corvette bodies are allowed.

•Firewall must be in the stock location. Firewall may be smoothed and notched for distributor and valve- cover clearance.

•Must have stock floorpans between the firewall and the forward edge of the wheel tubs.

•Body must maintain the OE profile (no top chopping, and so on) but may use hoodscoops. Deck spoilers are also allowed.

•Any composite windows must appear stock and use stock moldings. No window supports visible from outside the car.

INTERIOR

•Must have driver and passenger seats.

•Must use the stock dash structure.

•May not have driver set back past the stock location.

CHASSIS

•Must use stock framerails forward of the firewall. Aftermarket front-clip kits that replace the stock framerails forward of the firewall are allowed, but they must be commonly available from a recognized manufacturer and must be designed to bolt in place on the stock frame or unibody.

•Engine may not be set back past the stock firewall location.

REAR SUSPENSION

•The rear suspension may use aftermarket components, but they must be commonly available from a recognized manufacturer, and they must bolt in place on the stock frame in the original pickup points. Minor welding as instructed by the parts manufacturer is allowed. Variances may be allowed for homebuilt components if they are deemed by the race director to meet the spirit of the rules; email detailed photos to [email protected] for pre-event verification.

•Bolt-in or weld-in parallel four-links, ladder bars, non-stock watts links, non-stock wishbones, and non-stock track locators are prohibited.

•Panhard bars may only be used on cars factory-equipped with Panhard bars and must be located in the stock brackets.

•The rear suspension must retain the stock concept: OE leaf-spring cars must use leaf springs, OE triangulated four-link cars must use triangulated four-links, OE torque-arm cars must use torque arms, and so on.

•Cars factory-equipped with coil springs may use coilover conversions.

•Relocated shock and coilover mounting points are allowed, and the mounts may be custom fabricated.

•Typical mini-tub techniques, such as relocating leaf springs inboard, are allowed.

•Weld-in rear sway-bar kits are allowed.

•IRS-to-solid-axle conversions are not allowed. Exception: Mustang Cobras that came stock with IRS may use solid axles if stock Mustang triangulated-four-link suspension is used.

TIRES

•Street Race cars must use tires on the dragstrip that are no greater than 11.25 inches wide at the tread, as measured installed and on the ground with a go/no-go gauge. Tire edges may not be shaved or cut to meet the 11.25-inch maximum. Drag radials with a metric width labeling of no greater than 325 mm may be used if the tread width is no greater than 11.5 inches.

DRIVETRAIN

•Lenco-type transmission prohibited

CLASSES

•There are three Super Street classes based on engine displacement and induction: Small-Block Naturally Aspirated, Big-Block Naturally Aspirated, and Power-Adder. Naturally Aspirated classes may not use power-adders of any kind. Power-Adder classes may use nitrous, superchargers, turbochargers, propane injection, or any combination thereof. Small-Block classes are 430 ci and below. Big-Block classes are 431 ci and above, including Mopar Hemis, big-block Chevys, big-block Fords, or FE Fords of any displacement. Winners’ engines may be pumped to verify displacement. The Modified Power Adder class is for engines of all displacements.

STREET RACE CATEGORY

Street Race is for cars with OE bodies and frames using bolt-on performance parts and is Drag Week’s™ most restricted class. Cars in this class may not run an e.t. quicker than 8.50. IMPORTANT: Street Race competitors posting an e.t. quicker than 8.50 at any time are subject to disqualification or reclassification to the Super Street category.

BODY

•Must use an all-steel OE body including doors, fenders, and trunk lid or hatch. Only the hood and bumpers may be aftermarket fiberglass or carbon fiber. OE Corvette bodies are allowed.

•Firewall must be in the stock location. Firewall may be smoothed and notched for distributor and valve-cover clearance.

•Must use stock steel floors from the firewall to the rear bumper. Spare-tire wells may be cut out and filled.

•Widened or fabricated wheel tubs are allowed.

•Firewall must be in the stock location. Firewall may be smoothed and notched for distributor and valve-cover clearance.

•Body must maintain the OE profile (no top chopping, and so on) but may use hoodscoops. Deck spoilers must be of OE design for the year/make/model of the body.

•All windows must be made of safety glass, with the exception of pickup and El Camino/Ranchero rear windows.

INTERIOR

•Must have driver and passenger seats and a fully upholstered interior. A headliner is optional.

•Must use the stock dash structure.

•May not have driver set back past the stock location.

•May not have intercoolers or water tanks aft of the firewall.

CHASSIS

•Must use the complete stock frame or subframe(s) from bumper to bumper.

•Subframe connectors, tubular transmission crossmembers, and bolt-in tubular front crossmembers are allowed.

•Rear framerails may be notched and boxed for tire clearance but must be in the stock location, must remain structural as intended by the OE manufacturer, and may not be supported or reinforced by non-original methods (though a custom upper- shock crossmember that spans from framerail to framerail is allowed).

•May not use a rollcage design that includes the use of a Funny Car–type protective structure around the driver.

•Engine may not be set back past the stock firewall location.

FRONT SUSPENSION

•The front suspension may use aftermarket components, but they must be commonly available from a recognized manufacturer and they must bolt in place on the stock frame. Minor welding as instructed by the parts manufacturer is allowed. Variances may be allowed for homebuilt components if they are deemed by the race director to meet the spirit of the rules; email detailed photos to [email protected] for pre-event verification.

•Non-stock strut conversions are prohibited.

•Aftermarket or fabricated front suspensions or front clips that replace the stock framerails forward of the firewall are prohibited.

REAR SUSPENSION

•The rear suspension may use aftermarket components, but they must be commonly available from a recognized manufacturer, and they must bolt in place on the stock frame in the original pickup points. Minor welding as instructed by the parts manufacturer is allowed. Variances may be allowed for homebuilt components if they are deemed by the race director to meet the spirit of the rules; email detailed photos to [email protected] for pre-event verification.

•Bolt-in or weld-in parallel four-links, ladder bars, non-stock watts links, non-stock wishbones, and non-stock track locators are prohibited.

•Panhard bars may only be used on cars factory-equipped with Panhard bars and must be located in the stock brackets.

•The rear suspension must retain the stock concept: OE leaf-spring cars must use leaf springs, OE coil-spring cars must use coil springs in the stock location, OE triangulated four-link cars must use triangulated four-links, OE torque-arm cars must use torque arms, and so on.

•Rear coilover conversions are not allowed.

•Relocated shock mounting points are allowed and the mounts may be custom fabricated.

•Typical mini-tub techniques, such as relocating leaf springs inboard, are allowed.

•Weld-in rear sway-bar kits are allowed.

•IRS-to-solid-axle conversions are not allowed. Exception: Mustang Cobras that came stock with IRS may use solid axles if stock Mustang triangulated-four-link suspension is used.

STEERING

•Rack-and-pinion conversions are allowed.

TIRES

•Street Race cars must use tires on the dragstrip that are no greater than 11.25 inches wide at the tread, as measured installed and on the ground with a go/no-go gauge. Tire edges may not be shaved or cut to meet the 11.25-inch maximum. Drag radials with a metric width labeling of no greater than 325 mm may be used if the tread width is no greater than 11.5 inches.

DRIVETRAIN

•Turbochargers may not be located aft of the firewall.

•Lenco-type transmission prohibited

CLASSES

•There are four Street Race classes based on engine displacement and induction: Small-Block Naturally Aspirated, Small-Block Power-Adder, Big-Block Naturally Aspirated, and Big-Block Power-Adder. Naturally Aspirated classes may not use power-adders of any kind. Power-Adder classes may use nitrous, superchargers, turbochargers, propane injection, or any combination thereof. Small-Block classes are 430 ci and below. Big-Block classes are 431 ci and above, including Mopar Hemis, big-block Chevys, big-block Fords, or FE Fords of any displacement. Winners’ engines may be pumped to verify displacement.

GASSER/AFX

Gasser/AFX is for retro-style doorslammers of the early ’60s. Body styles are restricted to ’28 to ’67 American cars and trucks and Anglias. The style includes a nose-high stance or solid front axle conversion, a drastically altered wheelbase, radiused rear-wheel openings, retro lettering, and period-correct wheels. Muscle-era cars will need more modifications than just stickers and nostalgia wheels to qualify; they can’t just look like Stock or Super Stock cars. The cars that will be allowed in this class must have an appearance that’s approved subjectively by the Drag Week™ tech committee. We very strongly encourage approval prior to the event; send photos of the car to [email protected].

BODY

•May be steel or fiberglass. Replicas must be faithful to the original car.

•May not use modern graphics, wings, spoilers, or hoodscoops.

CHASSIS

•The frame may not have round-tube main rails.

•May not have a lowered stance.

FRONT SUSPENSION

•May not be strut-style

TIRES & WHEELS

•Must use tires on the dragstrip that are no greater than 11.25 inches wide at the tread, as measured installed and on the ground with a go/no-go gauge. Tire edges may not be shaved or cut to meet the 11.25-inch maximum. Drag radials with a metric width labeling of no greater than 295mm may be used.

•Wheels may have a diameter no greater than 16 inches.

•Wheels must be traditionally styled; no billet.

DRIVETRAIN

•Lenco-type transmission prohibited

ENGINE

•Must use American engine families from ’67-and-earlier model years.

•EFI may only be used on traditional stack-type injection manifolds or on traditional-appearing supercharger hats.

• The only power-adder allowed is a non-screw-type roots supercharger up to 8-71. No turbos or nitrous.

NOTE: This is an experimental class. The rules may change next year.

HOT ROD

Hot Rod is for ’28 to ’48 American cars and trucks in the styles of the ’40s to the ’60s. Cars in this class may not have a modern appearance and may not appear in the Gasser style or they will be placed in the Gasser/AFX class. The cars that will be allowed in this class must have an appearance that’s approved subjectively by the Drag Week™ tech committee. We very strongly encourage approval prior to the event; send photos of the car to [email protected].

BODY

•May be steel or fiberglass. Replicas must be faithful to the original car.

•Fenders, running boards, hoods, and hood sides may be removed.

•Chopping, sectioning, and customizing are allowed, but the car must retain a traditional appearance.

•Modern graphics not allowed.

•Wings and spoilers not allowed.

CHASSIS

•The frame may not have round-tube main rails.

•Engine may not be set back past the stock windshield location.

FRONT SUSPENSION

•Fenderless cars may not have independent front suspension.

•Any IFS conversion must be double-A-arm style

TIRES & WHEELS

•Must use tires on the dragstrip that are no greater than 11.25 inches wide at the tread, as measured installed and on the ground with a go/no-go gauge. Tire edges may not be shaved or cut to meet the 11.25-inch maximum. Drag radials with a metric width labeling of no greater than 295 mm may be used.

•Wheels may have a diameter no greater than 16 inches.

•Wheels must be traditionally styled; no billet.

ENGINE

•Must use American engine families from ’62-and-earlier model years.

•EFI is not allowed.

•Turbos, superchargers, and nitrous are not allowed.

NOTE: This is an experimental class. The rules may change next year.

DAILY DRIVER CATEGORY

•Daily Driver has no limitations on drivetrain or body modifications.

•Cars quicker than 10.80 are not allowed in Daily Driver, and e.t. slips quicker than 10.80 will not be accepted.

•Throttle stops and bracket-racing electronics of any kind are not allowed.

•Daily Driver is based on an Open Comp format. Each car’s five-day average e.t. will be used to determine qualifying position on a 32-car ladder for a bracket race on the final day of Drag Week™. At tracks with e.t. slips to four decimals, all four will be included; if only three decimals are on the e.t. slip, the fourth decimal will be zero. The e.t. averages will be taken out as many decimal places as required to determine qualifying. Ties will be broken by average mph. The race on the final day will be a 32-car field on a Sportsman ladder (1 races 17, 2 races 18, and so on) and a 0.500-second full tree. Normal breakout and first-or-worst rules apply. Each car’s dial-in for every round (the dial-in cannot be changed between rounds) will be the five-day average minus a tenth, so a weekly average of 12.20 gets a dial-in of 12.10; in the event that a car averages 10.89 or quicker, the dial-in will be 10.80. Any run quicker than 10.80 will be considered a “worst” and will lose the round. The bracket-race winner will be the overall Daily Driver Champ. In the event of a rainout on the last day, the winner will be the quickest car with the best consistency throughout the week.

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

HOT ROD Drag Week™ jackets go to the winners of 14 classes: Unlimited, Pro Street NA, Pro Street PA, Modified NA, Modified PA, Super Street Small-Block NA, Super Street Big-Block NA, Super Street Power-Adder, Gasser & A/FX, Hot Rod, and Daily Driver. One of those classes will produce the lowest average e.t of the week, and that car will be named HOT ROD’s Fastest Street Car in America. HOT ROD also gives a jacket to the competitor who most exemplifies The Spirit of Drag Week™.  Any entrant who exceeds 200 mph in the quarter-mile on any day of competition other than the first day will become a member of the Drag Week™ 200 MPH Club. The Second and Third Place finishers in each class get plaques, plus one for the quickest average e.t. in Daily Driver. There are special performance awards for the lowest average e.t. in the following categories: Quickest Without a Trailer (for the competitor who did not haul a trailer during the event), Quickest Street Rod (’54 or earlier), Quickest Ford, Quickest Mopar, Quickest Pontiac, Quickest Olds, Quickest Buick, Quickest AMC, Quickest Diesel, Quickest Six, and Quickest Four-Banger. Other sponsor prize packages will be announced.