2024 Harvey County Fair Demo Derby – Bolt & Chain Rules
Entries are open to men and women who have a valid driver’s license. In the interest of safety and in fairness to all contestants, the following rules and regulations will prevail:
DRIVERS ENTRY AND FEES:
1. All drivers and pit crews must be 18 years of age or have a notarized permit by a parent or guardian. ID must be shown by both the minor and signing adult at check in. Notary paper work must be done prior to entry! There will be no notary available at the derby.
2. All drivers and pit crew must sign a release form prior to derby.
3. Drivers must furnish his/her own car.
4. A maximum of six (6) sponsors per car.
5. Drivers may enter each heat but must have a different car for each heat.
6. Each car will pay an entry fee. The entry fee will include two pit passes, one driver & one car. The fee is as follows – $40 the day of the derby.
7. Additional pit passes will be available for $20 ea.
8. Anyone entering the pit area must provide a valid state ID.
9. **NO ONE UNDER THE AGE OF 16 WILL BE ADMITTED TO THE PIT AREA AT ANYTIME BETWEEN 11AM TO THE END OF THE DERBY! Anyone under the age of 18 must have notarized paper work with them at the time of check in along with the signing adult & both presenting a valid ID.
PARTICIPATION REGULATIONS:
1. Drivers may maneuver forward and/or backward.
2. If the driver does not hit another car aggressively within 1 minute, that driver will be disqualified.
3. DO NOT play possum & NO TEAM DRIVING!
4. Drivers must attend a drivers meeting approximately one-half hour prior to the start of the derby.
5. All protests must be submitted by a driver in writing to the official with a minimum of five (5) driver’s signatures along with $50. If the car is found to have cheated the $50 will be returned. If the car is found to be legal, the $50 will be given to the driver in question.
6. No pit persons allowed in show arena during a heat.
7. Cars must be inspected between 2:00 and 5:30 PM. There will be NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE. The Derby will start at 6:30 PM.
8. If any car is found to be illegal during inspection they get two chances to fix it correctly, the THIRD time the car has to be inspected it will cost $50 for it to be looked at again.
9. No drivers or pit crew members under the influence of liquor or any illegal substance will be allowed to participate or enter the exhibition area. County and Sate Law prohibit the consumption or possession of any alcoholic beverage or cereal malt beverages on property owned by city, state or governmental subdivision.
10. Only one (1) work vehicle per car entry in pit area. NO TRAILERS INSIDE PITS DURING CHECK IN. Please drop trailers outside of pit area away from spectator parking.
11. Cars are subject to re-inspection before prize money or trophies are handed out. THE TOP FIVE (5) CARS WILL NOT LEAVE THE ARENA AFTER THE FINAL. THESE CARS WILL BE INSPECTED AGAIN BY OFFICIAL AND DRIVER ONLY, BEFORE ANY PRIZE MONEY IS AWARDED.
12. If you have any questions give us a call. If the rules don’t say it, don’t do it. Official’s decisions are final!
13. Roof Sign maximum 24” x 24” is mandatory.
PREPARATION OF CARS
No screws are allowed on outside of car. No wedging, no sedagons, no jeeps, no Vans/mini Vans, no trucks(ranchero and El Caminos are considered trucks), no carryalls, no hearse, no limos, no convertibles, no Suicides, No Edsels, no Desotos, no imperials 73 and older or imperial subs. No Ford Thunderbirds 1971 or older, No sub changes. All glass, chrome, pot metal, lights, carpet, headliner, back seats, fiber glass and anything else that is flammable must be removed before reaching the exhibit area. (Do not break glass down in the doors.) Trunks must be empty of all debris, spare tire rims, parts, etc. Wagons must have spare tire flap removed or hole cut in it for inspectors to see.
ABSOLUTELY NO welding besides what is stated in these rules. All 9 wire must be tied to the car so not to fall off in the arena. UNLIMITED 9-WIRE. This does not apply where rules specify how much wire you can use, i.e. doors and bumpers or where used for reinforcement. All 9 wires will be located inside of cars. You cannot attach the 9 wires from the roof back to the back bumper. No prior weld cars maybe cut loose to run the bolt, wire and chain class. No frame or body seam welding this will be automatic disqualification and forfeit entry fee money.
MANDATORY—-Car must have number on the roof with name on roof above front doors. Use your choice of number. You must have a roof sign with minimum of 12 inch numbers on both sides of sign. No profanity allowed on cars.
FRONT BUMPERS: If using a factory bumper, it may be loaded or stuffed. Homemade or Factory Replicas front bumpers are permitted. If you choose to manufacture a homemade bumper, it must conform to the following size limits: It can be no larger than 8”x 8”. The point must taper over an area of at least 32” wide and can not exceed 12” wide (front to back). The point may only extend out 4” from the flat part of the bumper, this will be strictly enforced. Judges decision is final regarding bumpers.
ATTACHING BUMPER: You can either BOLT or WELD the bumpers on— YOU CAN’T DO BOTH–NO CUTTING THE FRAMES DOWN! DO NOT CUT ENDS OF FRAMES DOWN. On some GMs just fold the tab over with a hammer to square the end of the frame up—we do NOT want you trimming the frame—When using bolts to hold on front bumper, you cannot use the all-thread as a kicker or supporting or structuring the front end– JUDGES DECISION is final.
OPTION # 1: They can be wired, chained from mount to mount. You may remove brackets but cannot add any. You can put bolts or chain anywhere between the mounts to the car, 6 bolts 1 inch max 16 inches long per piece may be used to bolt front and rear bumper on. No welding of shocks or brackets. Brackets must be stock to the car you are running. No changing the mounting brackets for the make, model and year of car is allowed. Brackets must be in stock mounting position on frame.
OPTION #2 Bumper brackets must remain stock for that car. You can weld your factory bumper bracket to the frame to its stock location (do not alter or move the bracket forwards and backwards and bumpers can be welded solid to the bracket—-NO ADDED METAL THIS WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED, NO PLATING ON MOPAR Y FRAMES.You are allowed to collapse the factory bumper shock and weld it closed. . You can remove the bracket completely or cut it flush with frame and hard nose the bumper directly to the frame/bracket and weld it solid, however; you CAN NOT cut the end of the frame down as clearly stated above (i.e. Crown Vics) or alter the core support location in any fashion. Core support bolts must remain to stock location. You are still allowed to 9 wire and chain bumper from mount to mount.
RADIATORS: It must be an automotive radiator, remain stock, and in the stock location. No homemade radiators allowed. Radiator over flow hoses must be pointed at the ground and fastened so they cannot shoot water towards officials or other drivers. The core support cannot be altered at all. You may run 4 strands of 9-wire from front bumper to the core support. You can only wrap 4 times around per stand!!! No not make homemade radiator support brackets (i.e. angle iron/flat strap or flat strap)–no excessive use of spray foam– Judges may ask you to remove if they are unable to inspect the supports of the radiator.
FENDERS: Fenders may be trimmed and 10 bolts may be used per fender. Bolts are to be no bigger than 3/8 with washers no bigger than 1 inch outside diameter. You may have 2 wraps 4 strands of 9 wire from fender to fender in front of radiator not connected to bumper. This wire must be ran behind or in front of wire from core support or hood to bumper.
HOOD: Hood must remain in the factory position with no sliding forwards and folding down over the front.. 6 hood bolts allowed but only 2 may go through the core support and must be bolted to the frame not welded in. When install bolts at the core support, you must leave the factory rubbers in place but can pull out all other hardware. Bolt MUST BE RUN VERTICALLY– Or you can weld your bolts to the core support with no more than 3″ down from the top of the core support or fender ABSOLUTELY NO ADDED METAL WHEN WELDING JUST WELD THE BOLT lN. Judges decisions are final if the bolt is serving to hold the hood down versus reinforcement. This rule will be strictly enforced. Bolts must not be any bigger than 1 inch with hood washers no bigger than 5 inches outside diameter. You must have 2 holes cut in the hood big enough for fire extinguisher. Not directly over carburetor. You may use 20bolts around header holes no bigger than SAE 3/8 with washers no bigger than 1 inch.
SUSPENSION: Suspension must remain stock. No welding on the shocks, no trailer hitches, special lifts, aftermarket tire rod ends–stock only, special blocks, air shackles, air shocks. Air lifts must be deflated. Screw in spring spacers ok. Shocks ok if after market. No homemade shocks.
A-ARM: You may use 9 wire A-arms or bolt down with 5/8 max bolt with 1 ½ od washers. Or you may use 1 3/8chain 1 wrap around a-arm to frame per side. There is one other option which will be that you can add two 8 inch long by 2 inch wide straps that can only run vertical and can be welded 3 inches on the frame and 3 inches on the A-Arm. This can only be done on the top A-Arm. Do not lay these straps horizontal and weld. It will not be allowed
2003 and new Fords—since the arms cannot be swapped out and they are aluminum, you can add 6 inch long by 2inch square tubing and it can be welded to the springs to give you height to the front end. This must be laid in the spring vertical and not horizontal.
BODY MOUNT BOLTS: They must be factory. Bushings must be factory. If missing a body bolt, you may use factory size bolt for fix. If bushing is missing, you may wire mount with 9 wire. Do not remove rubber mount or you will 9wire it or load it and not run.
FRAME: Absolutely no welding/seam welding is allowed on frame. –No PINNING do not bolt thru the frame and attach a chain to it,—use 9 wire, NO TILTING–No reinforcing of frame whatsoever. You can notch the frame. You may pre-bend frame. You may NOT put a fix-it patch on a fresh car. You may patch or fix the frame with a max of 6–6x4x1/4 plates per car. Three patches are allowed per frame rail uni-body cars will be considered 1 frame rail per side. There must be visible damage to the frame, i.e. tear or bend. A patch may not be closer than 1 inch to another patch, which means 1 inch between welds on patch. If you have to patch after your heat and have 6 plates, one must be removed before one is added. If you have a pre-ran car and add plates, we must be able to see the damages to the frame. If not, you will be cutting it. No seam welding.
BODY: No seam welding and no patching is allowed. Pre-denting is okay. Body must be stock to frame to model of the car.
ENGINE: Engine swaps are allowed. The lower engine mount may be welded or bolted with three 3/8″ bolts to the frames cross-member. You can make modifications when mounting examples GM to Mopar or GM to Ford but it has to be mounted similar to how the original motor was mounted from the factory. Which means it can only be bolted to the car frame and has to have rubber mounts between the car frame and engine mount. The mount must be located in the same location as stock mounts. No moving motors back. Absolutely no metal to metal contact between the car and engine mount . No pulley protectors or anything the inspectors see as a pulley protector. You may use 2 chains to retain one on each side or use two straps, 2 in. by 3/16 thick to hold motor in. It can ONLY be welded to TOP of frame no more than 3 inch long weld. The strap cannot be farther forward than the stock mounted water pump. You may use header pipes. If welded you may not add any material other than the strap. No pulley protectors, distributor protectors, Header protectors, Only lower cradle is allowed. No metal fan shrouds, or carburetor protectors allowed.header pipes are allowed. The motor mount brackets can not go under the pan and connect to each other.
TRANSMISSION: Transmission coolers are allowed. They must have double clamps on all rubber to steel lines. No transmission protectors allowed. Aftermarket steel bell housing is allowed must be to factory specs. Transmission may have chain to secure. Cross member must be bolted in. If you don’t have a cross member you may use a piece of 2x4x1/4” C-Channel and it must be bolted in with a max 4-3/8 bolts with 1 inch washers in factory cross member location. All transmission lines will be strapped down to the body for safety, ex- use cable ties. No exceptions-do not alter cross member location that can be considered reinforcement of car.
WINDSHIELD BARS: Cars must have at least 2 bars attached from the roof down to the dash area to prevent the hood from coming in. You may use chain or 2 in. by 3/16 steel bars welded no more than 4 inches on roof or firewall area. NO BARS FROM THE BACK WINDOW.
DOORS: Driver’s door may be welded solid with a strap no bigger than 3 inches, on the outside only. On the driver’s only, you may reinforce inside the car however you want as long as it does not attach to the frame and does not go past door seams of driver’s door more than 8 inches and is deemed safe by inspectors. You must have a safety bar welded or bolted. If bolted, must have 4 bolts through bar to body. Bar cannot go past door seam by more than 8inches. All other doors may be chained up to 6 places per door or wired 6 places per door. On wagon’s tailgates, NO WELDING is allowed.
CAGE: You may have a cage with two side bars, one on the driver’s door and one on the passenger door; and two cross bars, one behind the seat and one at the dash. The cage cannot extend past the dash area in the front and must be 6 inches away from the fire wall. The back bar must be no further back than 12 inches behind the front seat or rear door seam, i.e. 2 door cars. This can be welded in. Absolutely no kickers are allowed. You may have 5 down bars. Only 4 down bars can go to the frame and the 5th one can only go to sheet metal. You may have a halo bar it cannot be any farther back than the seat bar. A halo cannot connect to the windshield bars or the roof sign. You may have a gas tank protector connect to seat bar going around tank, it must not be closer than 4″ from sheet metal for safety. If you decide to go to the frame on the 4 down bars, Please read this rule and follow it to a tee. The two front downbars can not go past the inside front door seam. The rear down bars to the frame needs to be 6 inches in front of the body bolts inside the car which is located in the back seat area.
BATTERY: The battery must be in the front passenger side and MUST be covered with something nonflammable like rubber tube, rubber floor mat, etc. Batteries must be secured so they don’t move. 2-12 volt batteries max.
GAS TANKS: A maximum of 7 gallons of gas is allowed. Fuel cells/metal boat tanks must be placed in back seat area and properly secured. NO STOCK TANKS. Fuel cells must be secured so there is no movement. (Do not use bungee cords for this.) If tank is not secure you will not be running. Fuel cells must have secure caps and be leak proof. All fuel lines must have no leaks. Stock gas tanks must be removed or have holes in them and washed out.Tanks MUST be covered with non-flammable material. Tank must be mounted in center or behind driver’s seat and can have a protector connected to cage for safety–4″ from sheet metal. (Heavy duty plastic racing fuel cells are allowed. All fuel lines will be strapped down to the body. Use zip ties if needed.
STEERING COLUMN/BRAKES/SHIFTER: The steering column must be put in stock location and can be swapped out with homemade steering column with removable steering wheel and allowed X1 steering knuckle. Brakes must work. You may use a bolt in pedal assembly in the driver’s floor board and must be bolted to sheet metal only. If issues with brakes, you can use a brake assemble that attaches to the drive shaft to rear-end. (ie pinion brake) must use stock driveshaft components,. You may put shifter on the floor or attached to the tranny. A cable shifter is ok.
REAR ENDS: Rear ends must be Stock OEM passenger car housing 5 lug max, axles maybe changed to spline of choice.. No floater rear ends. Rear end swaps allowed example- GM to Ford but Must be a stock car rear end housing or you may build a rear end with stock rear end components with NO additional reinforcement allowed. Locking of the rear ends permitted. Stock mounting for make, year, and model of car required. No braces/back braces, gussets, axle protectors, and axle savers are NOT allowed. You may use a 3/8 chain around frame and to axle 1 wrap only. You may 9 wire or chain lower coil spring to spring pocket. After market gears and Axles in rearend are allowed.. Rear-end control arm mounting bolts must be in factory location with factory equivalent material—no additional reinforcement. Please read this rule closely as it is something that potentially can’t be fixed/remedy day of show.
DRIVE SHAFTS: You may use a stock OEM for the transmission and rear-end —SLIDERS are allowed, Pinion Brake also allowed.
TRAILING ARMS: They must be factory with absolutely no reinforcing, shortening, or lengthening–MUST BESTOCK.
TRUNK: You can use 4- 1 in. bolts in trunk and 2 may go through frame with washers no bigger than 5 inches outside diameter or you weld no longer than a 3” pass the all-thread to the side of the frame versus going through the frame. You MUST leave the rubber body mount in and remove all other hardware when installing trunk bolts.Trunk lids must remain on factory hinges. Tucking or V’ing of trunk lid is allowed, but absolutely no wedging. You may chain or 9 wire or bolt with 3/8 bolts with 1 inch od washers up to 10 places total on deck lid, if bolting it can only go through drip edge. Wagon gates are considered same as deck lid when bolting also wagons can attach their all-thread to the frame going through the roof between rear tires and back gate area in 2 places. NO MORE THAN50% OF TRUNK LID MAY BE TUCKED.
BACK BUMPERS: Must be in stock location and can be bolted on per Option #1 or you may only weld bumper brackets to frame and also the bumper to brackets. You may run 4 strands of 9-wire from rear bumper back through the tail light holes and around the trunk. You can only wrap 4 times around per stand!!! 4″ x4″ square tubing may be used or a factory loaded bumper.
TIRES/ Wheels: Any tire allowed up to 16 inch, Tire inside of tire is okay. No fluid allowed inside of tires. No valve stem or lip protectors allowed. no wheel weights. Make sure you remove them even from your spares. Weld in centers are allowed maximum of 9 inch diameter and 3/8 thick. Maximum of 16 inch wheels will be allowed. NOFORK LIFT WHEELS or IMPLEMENT WHEELS– Automobile wheels only with no reinforcement.
Thank you for taking the time to read the rules! Please build to the rules and we look forward to seeing all of you this season! Let’s have some fun and put on a good show for the crowd!
If you have any questions, please contact:
Jesse Hamm
620-381-4762