2024 General Procedure Rules
RACE PROCEDURES
Race Lengths:
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- 75 laps – Late Models
- 40 laps – Late Model Twins
- 25 laps – Chargers
- 20 laps – Mini Stocks
- 35 laps – Super Trucks
- 35 laps - Limited Late Models
- 15 laps – Vintage Cars
- 20 laps - Legend Cars
- 15 laps - Bandolero
- 10 laps - Bandolero (B-Main)
- 15 laps - Thunder/Lightning
- 20 laps - Street Stocks
Field Size:
If the car count for any division is 28 cars or less, the main event lineup will be set purely off of qualifying times.
If the car count is between 29-40, then the top 20 from qualifying times will lock in and 21-40 will be delegated to a 25 lap B main with the top 8 finishers advancing. All others will not make the main event and will receive an attendance payout. Cars that transfer from the B main will have the option to run the same tires, buy new tires for the main event, or change to tires that were purchased from FMS during the race weekend.
If the car count is 41 or more, then the top 20 from qualifying times will lock in and 21st on back will be delegated to two (2) 25 lap B mains with the top 4 advancing from each. All others will not make the main event and will receive an attendance payout. Cars that transfer from B mains will have the option to run the same tires, buy new tires for the main event, or change to tires that were purchased from FMS during the race weekend.
The race promoter will have the option to add up to two (2) provisionals making up the starting field of 30 cars.
Qualifying / Tech / Starting Lineup:
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- All main event lineups will be determined by Euro-Qualifying.
- The order in which you qualify will be set by overall practice times. Qualifying order will be invert order of practice times.
- Euro Qualifying will be in groups of 3 for 3 laps each group. You don’t have to run every lap but once you enter pit road, you will not be allowed to go back out.
- For tech, there will be certain times each week when you must be in tech line. If you are not in tech line by the mandated time, you are subject to have your fastest time forfeited in the Euro-Qualifying session. Your second fastest lap will stand as your fastest.
- If qualifying is cancelled, the lineup will be determined by transponder times of the final practice session.
Start of race:
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- The front row starts the races. They will start the race when both cars reach the starting line and launch together.
- The pole-sitter has the choice of which line he/she wants to start.
- All weaving back and forth to get heat in the tires is to stop after passing the one to go signal at start/finish line.
- Stay abreast with the pace car as it hits pit road. With the shorter distance on pit road, the pace car driver will reduce speed by 5 mph. No slowing, weaving back and forth, or brake checking coming to the start box. Drivers are to maintain the same line and speed.
- If a driver jumps the start, he/she may be entitled to a penalty.
- No passing before the start/finish line. All cars are to stay in their respected line (inside vs outside) and pass the start/finish line before breaking out to make a move.
- If you advance or make a move to advance your position before getting to the start/finish line, you will be warned and later penalized for repeat offenses. Those who advance their position will be given one lap to give the position back. Failure to do so will result in a black flag drive thru penalty.
- Cars should only be two wide when passing the start/finish line on starts and restarts unless there is a mechanical issue.
- If a car falters with an apparent mechanical issue, you may take evasive action to avoid it. If positions are gained in doing so, race controls will survey the instance to determine if there was indeed a problem with the faltering car.
- If the green flag lap is not completed, the field will have a total restart with same starting positions as initial start. Only cars not eligible to start in same spot will be ones who were involved in the caution, hit pit road, or receive a penalty.
Restarts:
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- All restarts will be double file.
- Restart lineups will revert back to the last fully completed green flag lap prior to the caution.
- All weaving back and forth to get heat in the tires is to stop at the one to go indication from the flag stand.
- When the pace car enters pit road as the field comes to the restart, the front row must maintain caution speed and stay abreast with the pace car. No slowing, weaving back and forth, or brake checking. Once the front row reaches the start line, the flagman will throw the green flag and both cars should accelerate together off the line. This will be closely monitored and could result in a black flag penalty.
- No passing before the start/finish line. All cars are to stay in their respected line (inside vs outside) and pass the start/finish line before breaking out to make a move.
- If you advance or make a move to advance your position before getting to the start/finish line, you will be warned and later penalized for repeat offenses. Those who advance their position will be given one lap to give the position back. Failure to do so will result in a black flag drive thru penalty.
- Cars should only be two wide when passing the start/finish line on starts and restarts unless there is a mechanical issue.
- If a car falters with an apparent mechanical issue, you may take evasive action to avoid it. If positions are gained in doing so, race controls will survey the instance to determine if there was indeed a problem with the faltering car.
- THE INITIAL START AND ALL RESTARTS WILL BEGIN AT THE RESTART LINE. THIS LINE IS MARKED WITH A CONE ON THE OUTSIDE FENCE,
AND A TRACK OFFICIAL STATIONED ON THE INSIDE BEHIND PIT WALL. WHEN THE FRONT ROW GETS TO THIS LINE, THE FLAG-MAN WILL
WAVE THE GREEN FLAG. BOTH CARS MUST BREAK AT THE SAME TIME, UNLESS THERE IS AN UNFORESEEN ISSUE, AS IN A MECHANICAL
FAILURE. ANY DRIVER THAT JUMPS A START WILL RECEIVE A WARNING FIRST, THAT WILL BE GIVEN OUT DIRECTLY UNDER THE CAUTION
THAT HALTS THE RACE FOR THE MISSED START. THE NEXT OFFENSE WILL RESULT IN A BLACK FLAG PENALTY.
Flags:
- Green Flag – Racing is underway or resumes. (Starts / restarts)
- Yellow Flag – Caution is out. Slow down and maintain pace car speed, no passing.
- Red Flag – Racing session will be stopped, either for extensive cleanup of a caution, rain, or to end a practice session. Crews will be allowed to work on their cars on pit road under red flag conditions.
- Black Flag – Signifies a penalty to a particular car. Penalty typically results from jumping a start or restart, safety infraction, reckless driving, etc.
- Blue Flag w/ Diagonal Yellow Stripe – Courtesy flag shown to slower cars asking them to yield to the faster lead cars approaching.
- White Flag – Indicates the final lap of the race.
- Checkered Flag – Indicates the end of the race.
Cautions:
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- If a caution comes out before the first lap is complete; there will be a complete restart. The only cars who will not return to their original starting position will be the cars involved in the wreck.
- Once a caution flag comes out, there will be no racing back to the line. The field will be frozen and the lineup will go back to the last fully completed lap.
- Caution laps will not be counted.
- If you come to a complete stop during an accident, you are deemed part of the caution. Race controls will monitor all situations and deem which cars were involved.
- IF A DRIVER IS THE CULPRIT FOR THREE (3) CAUTIONS IN A RACE, THAT DRIVER WILL BE PARKED FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT IN THAT
RACE AND ALL OTHERS THAT FOLLOW. (THIS DETERMINATION IS GIVEN WHEN THE DRIVER IS DEEMED THE "AT FAULT REASON" FOR
THE CAUTION FLAG.) - All cars deemed part of the caution will have to restart in the back. You will not be able to go back to your previous position.
- Each competitor involved in a caution that cannot drive their car back to the pits will be required to speak with the speedway EMTs before returning to the pits.
- If a competitor stops on the track to deliberately bring out a caution, then he / she will be subject to a 1 lap penalty.
- IF THERE ARE THREE ATTEMPTS TO COMPLETE A PARTICULAR LAP IN A RACE AND CAUTIONS CONTINUE, THE FIELD WILL BE DELEGATED
TO SINGLE FILE RESTARTS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THAT RACE.
Free Pass Rule:
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- At the time the caution comes out, the first car behind the leader one (1) lap down or more will be deemed the Free Pass car (as long as they were not the cause of the caution). The Free Pass car will stay in their position throughout the caution period, until directed to either pass the pace car or drop to the tail of the field and have their lap added manually. The Free Pass car can pit but must restart on the tail of the field. No free passes in the last 10 laps of the race.
Red flag:
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- Working on cars will be allowed under red flag conditions. With the short distance of weekly races, we want to allow all teams their best chance to finish the race and stay on the lead lap.
Black flag:
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- If you receive a black flag, you must pull into the pits to serve your penalty. The driver will have three laps to serve the penalty. After three laps scoring will stop for that driver.
- If you do not honor the black flag, your scoring card will be pulled.
- If the race has concluded and the driver has not responded to the black flag, the Race Director has the ability to remove completed laps from the driver.
End of Race:
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- There will be three attempts at a green, white, checkered finish.
- If the leader takes the white flag and a caution comes out, the field is frozen and the race is over. Results will come from the last completed lap outside of those involved in the wreck. They will be scored at the tail end of the lead lap.
Inspection:
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- The top 5 qualifiers from each division will report to tech after their qualifying session at each event for post qualifying / pre race tech.
- After the completion of every race, the top three finishers are required to come to the tech / scale area for post-race inspection. FMS officials may randomly select another car from the finishing order for post-race inspection as well.
- If you finish in the top three and do not report to the post race inspection, you will be disqualified and receive no points or pay out for the evening.
- FMS officials have the right to inspect any car, even if not in top 3 results, after a race.
- After a race, competitors will be allowed to top off fuel, add a maximum 1 quart of engine oil and 1 quart of water.
- At the track scales, there will be a maximum of two attempts to ensure weight is correct. If a particular car is under the required weight after the first pass, that car / team will have one attempt to top off the allowed fluids and roll back on the scales. If the car continues to fall under the required weight, they will be deemed illegal by being too light.
- The track has the liberty to protest and inspect any item on a race car on or before a race event.
- If a competitor protests another, he/she must finish within 3 positions (Front or Back) of the car they want to protest. The protest must be reported in writing to the head tech inspector with assigned fee and signed by the driver; all within 15 minutes after the checkered flag of the race.
MINI STOCK PROTEST FEES
$ 100 for bore and stroke (If this is the protest, the head comes off but the protesting team is not allowed to look at anything dealing with the head.)
$ 300 for head, carburetor, intake, spacer, and bore and stroke
$ 500 for entire bottom end of engine including clutch and flywheel
$ 900 for entire car, bumper to bumper
CHARGER, STREET STOCK, and THUNDER & LIGHTNING PROTEST FEES
$ 400 for top of engine (intake, heads, bore and stroke)
$ 1000 for top and bottom of engine (intake, heads, bore and stroke, crank shaft rods, and pistons)
$ 125 for any item not included with engine (transmission, rear end, chassis)
LATE MODEL AND SUPER TRUCKS PROTEST FEES
$ 500 for top of engine (intake, heads, bore and stroke)
$ 1200 for top and bottom of engine (intake, heads, bore and stroke, crank shaft rods, and pistons
$ 125 for any item not included with engine (transmission, rear end, chassis)
Florence Motor Speedway has the ability to confiscate any part that fails to be in compliance with the track rules. If a competitor refuses to have their race part confiscated, he/she is subject to disqualification. The speedway will retain 25% of the protest fee with the remaining 75% going to either the protester if protested car is found ILLEGAL OR going to the protested car if their car is found LEGAL.
(FROM NASCAR RULE BOOK) All matters pertaining to protests shall be handled by Track Officials. If a NASCAR Member who is a Competitor believes that another Competitor has or will obtain a significant unfair competitive advantage by some action that the Member believes is in violation of the Local Track Rules, the Member may protest such action to a Track Official. The protest must be made in writing by the Competitor (or his/her crew chief if the Competitor is a driver and is on the race track) within 15 minutes after the checkered flag is displayed signifying the completion of the Race. Any VISUAL protest must be in writing and given to the Head MBS Tech Official along with $200.00. If car
in question is found legal series will keep protest money. If car is found ILLEGAL, $150.00 will be
returned to protester.
Protest to Motor - must be in writing and presented to FMS Head Tech Official within 15 min of completion
of race.
(FROM NASCAR RULE BOOK) The Track Officials shall decide whether the matter is subject to protest, and if so shall decide the protest as promptly as possible, and shall inform the parties to the protest of the decision. The Track Official may decline to accept a protest, even if the matter were otherwise subject to protest, if he/she determines that the alleged rule violation is so insubstantial as to not provide the Competitor with a significant competitive advantage over other Competitors. A decision that the matter is not subject to protest is final and non-appealable. In deciding the protest, the Track Official may take whatever action he/she deems appropriate to further the interests of fairness and finality in competition results. Such action includes, but is not limited to, revising the official Race results, imposing penalties (disqualifications, suspension or fines, and/or loss of finishing position(s) in the Event), awarding or subtracting points, or taking no action. The protesting NASCAR licensed member, or his/her appointed NASCAR licensed representative will be permitted to be present during the inspection process of the protest. Any additional rules violations, not related to the protest, found during the protest inspection process are subject to disqualification or penalties.
(FROM NASCAR RULE BOOK) Protests will not be accepted that are directed to a decision of a Track Official or Supervisory Official on any subject not specifically provided for in these rules or the Local Track Rules. Such subjects include, but are not limited to, timing and scoring decisions, inspection decisions and Race procedure decisions.
(FROM NASCAR RULE BOOK; for Sections, refer to NASCAR RULE BOOK) The decision by the Track Official with respect to a protest is final and non-appealable, unless the decision of the Track Official results in the issuance of a penalty by NASCAR pursuant to Section 12. In that event, only the imposition of the penalty shall be subject to further review in accordance with Section 14.
Penalty Structure:
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- There will be penalties handed out for on track or off track incidents that is deemed detrimental to the sport of auto racing. The penalty structure for offenses is as follows:
- 1st Offense: Probation for decided number of races and possible fine of $ 250.
- 2nd Offense: Suspension for decided number of races and fine of $ 500.
- 3rd Offense: Indefinite suspension and fine of $ 1000.
Tires:
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- All tires will be picked out by a Florence Motor Speedway Track Official.
- If a scuff tire is deemed not to be safe for race conditions, then another tire will be issued in place of the unsafe one.
Late Models will be required to purchase 4 new Hoosier F-45s for all races. Once it’s your turn to get tires, you tell the tire official what size you want, and he will grab that size randomly for you to speed up the picking out process. This will give everyone equilibrium on tires.
Everyone will qualify on the 4 sticker tires.
On 75 lap races, everyone will start the race on the same four tires you qualified on. No tire change will be permitted during the race unless the approval of a track official is given.
For twin races, you must start race one of the twins on the 4 new tires you qualified on. If you run 25 or fewer laps in race one, then you must start race two on the same four tires, one lap down at the back of the pack. There will be a chance in a support division for competitors to get the minimum required laps on their tires for race two. These competitors must have met minimum race pace for 25 laps however. Tire rotating will be allowed. This is the fairest method and it will also resolve the issue of teams having an advantage on tires for race two. In race two, those who started one lap down will be eligible for the free pass rule but only after halfway will you be eligible, after lap 20. If you run 26 or more laps in race one but do not finish, you will be able to start race two on the lead lap. No tire change will be permitted during the race unless the approval of a track official is given. If you make a tire change with the approval of a track official, you will be required to start at the back of the lead lap cars for race two. The official will select which tire out of your pit can go back on the car.
On the twin races, Late Models will be staged against the outside pit wall after twin race one. Teams will be allowed a work session right after the race up until the start of twin race two.
Super Trucks / Limited Late Models will be required to purchase 4 new or “A” scuffs on race days that designate 4 new. Teams will be allowed to buy either 4 new or some new and some “A” scuffs. On events that designate 2 new, teams will be required to purchase 2 new or 2 “A” scuffs. Teams will be required to turn in 2 scuffs at the end of each race event to be used at the next date.
Chargers will be required to purchase 4 scuff tires each race.
Mini Stocks will be given the OPTION to purchase up to 2 new Hoosier 800 tires each week and check in the other 2 tires for a small inspection fee of $10 each tire.
Once your tire is in the scanner for 2024, you will not have to check it in any more prior to races. These tires are however subject to inspection anytime by FMS officials.
All new tires purchased MUST be run the night of purchase. This will solve the issue of people banking new tires to run with 4 new at a later date.
Fuel:
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- All competitors must purchase a minimum amount of race fuel at each event. Late Models will be 10 gal, Super Trucks and Chargers will be 5 gal, and Mini Stocks will only be required to purchase 3 gallons of race fuel.
- Fuel is subject to being checked at any time by FMS officials. When checked, the fuel must be track fuel to be deemed legal.
Driver / Team Rules:
- The driver for a team is solely responsible for any and all matters pertaining to a race event. The driver assumes responsibility for the actions of his/her car owner and team members and may be subject to disciplinary action as a result. At all events, the driver assumes responsibility for assigning and directing the activities of all crew members, and others assigned to the racing team.
- Unpaid fines for the car owner, driver, crew chief, crew members, and others assigned to the racing team may be collected by Florence Motor Speedway by deducting same from the purse or point fund earnings of the driver.
- Use the blend line when coming on the race track in practice and races.
- All transponders MUST be on the car / truck before going out on the race track for practice. Transponder location will be in a transponder bag around the right rear axle tube.
- If a roll call is given at the driver’s meeting; any driver not present may be given a penalty to be issued in qualifying.
- Pit road speed limit is same as pace car speed (35 mph). This speed is to be followed at all times (practice, qualifying, races).
- No antifreeze allowed. If antifreeze is found in a race car, competitors are subject to a $100 fine.
- No tire soaking or switching tire barcodes. If caught doing so, competitors will be fined $1000 and subject to possible suspension.
- No tungsten weight allowed. You will be disqualified from the race event.
- All drivers should be on time to compete in qualifying and races for which they are scheduled. Any driver or car not ready to compete when called during qualifying will be docked their fastest lap if not ready with assigned group. If still not ready for next group, he/she will forfeit their qualifying effort and start last in the main event. Any driver or car not ready to compete within five (5) minutes of the time called for their race may be sent to the rear for the initial start.
- A driver may not attempt to qualify more than one (1) car in a single qualifying session. A car may only make one (1) attempt per session unless otherwise authorized by the track officials.
- When two (2) or more cars have the same qualifying times, the starting position for the race will be determined by the next fastest lap of that driver.
- Florence Motor Speedway does follow the “Free Pass” rule. After the yellow flag is displayed, the first eligible car one (1) or more laps down to the leader, will be given one (1) lap back. The eligible car will be instructed to line up behind the caution vehicle. When the one (1) to go signal has been given the eligible car will be instructed to pass the caution vehicle in order to gain one (1) lap back and will restart at the rear of the field. A car is not eligible to receive the “Free Pass” when, in judgement of track officials, the car was involved in, or the reason for the caution. Under these circumstances, the “Free Pass” will not be awarded to any car.
- Changes of the driver at any time must not be made without advance notification to and approval by the track officials. If a driver change is made while the red flag is displayed, it must be approved by a track official and that car will be required to relinquish its position and move to the rear of the field when the race is resumed.
- If a driver wins two (2) races in a row, that driver will start no better than 5th at the next race for their respected division. This rule will be enforced per every two (2) wins in a row. Once starting 5th or worse, the two wins in a row rule will reset for that driver.
- When a driver change is made during a race, the points for that car will go to the initial driver who started the race.
- No one other than track officials will be allowed on the race track during a race (under any flag condition). If any type of work is to be done to a car, it must be done in the pits. Any car that has a team member or representative come out onto the track failing to comply with this rule will be given a one lap penalty. This penalty will be served on pit road.
General Rules
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- No fighting or verbal abuse will be permitted to race officials and speedway staff. Local police will be brought in and you will be subject to a $500 fine by the speedway and possible suspension.
- No weapons or drugs allowed on track property. If found with either, you will be fined $500 and local police department will be called. When the local authorities are called, you are subject to possible suspension.
- No glass bottles allowed on track property. All will be confiscated and subject to a $100 fine.
- Kids 12 and under will not be allowed on pit wall or pit road while practice or races are taking place.
- Please place all garbage in trash cans located in various spots around the facility.
Contact FMS
ADDRESS
836 E Smith St, Timmonsville, SC 29161
info@fmsspeedway.com