General Rules & Race Procedures

Participation in events at Southern Raceway is a privilege, not a right. Southern Raceway reserves the right to deny entry, remove, penalize, or suspend any driver, crew member, or individual whose actions are deemed detrimental to the racetrack, its officials, other competitors, fans, or the sport of racing as a whole.

All participants are expected to conduct themselves in a professional and respectful manner at all times, both on and off the racetrack. Failure to do so may result in penalties up to and including disqualification, removal from the property, suspension, or permanent loss of participation privileges. This includes behavior at the racetrack, on social media, or in any public or private setting that reflects negatively on Southern Raceway or the sport of racing.

Drivers are independent contractors and the sole representatives of their team. Each driver is responsible for their own conduct and the conduct of their team members, including car owners, crew members, and family.

Fighting at the event at any time will not be tolerated. Any individual involved will be subject to immediate disqualification, removal from the property, and may face suspension. Such actions may also be referred to local law enforcement and could result in criminal charges.

Any driver or team member engaging in unsportsmanlike conduct or any behavior that negatively affects the orderly conduct of an event or the interests of Southern Raceway may be penalized and/or suspended. This includes, but is not limited to, aggressive actions toward track officials, competitors, or team members, including arguing, yelling, raising one's voice, or any form of physical aggression. All conduct-related decisions by track officials are final.

Drivers and crew members may not consume alcohol of any kind until racing activities have been completed. The use of illegal drugs or controlled substances at any time on track property is strictly prohibited. Any driver or team member found to be under the influence of drugs or in possession of illegal substances will be subject to immediate removal from the property, disqualification, and/or suspension.

All drivers, crew members, and any individual entering the pit area are required to purchase a pit pass and sign a waiver for that event before entering the pit area. Pit passes are non-transferable and may not be shared, reused, or transferred between individuals.

Any person found in the pit area without a valid pit pass for that event and/or without a signed waiver will be considered trespassing and will be escorted off the property. Any driver found in the pit area without a valid pit pass and/or signed waiver will be escorted off the property and disqualified from the event.

If a crew member or any individual associated with a race team is found in the pit area without a valid pit pass and/or signed waiver, that individual will be escorted off the property and the driver of the team they are associated with will be disqualified from the event.

All drivers are required to have proper safety equipment at all times while on the racetrack. This includes, at minimum:

• A properly mounted and approved roll cage • A racing seat securely mounted • SFI 16.5 or 16.1 approved racing safety harness mounted per manufacturer's instructions • Snell-rated SA2015, SA2020, or SA2025 full-faced helmet • SFI-approved full fire suit

All safety equipment must be properly installed, maintained, and in safe working condition. All cars must go through pre-race tech and pass safety inspection before entering the racetrack. Any car deemed unsafe by track officials will not be permitted to compete until the issue is corrected.

It is the responsibility of the driver and team to ensure their car meets all safety requirements for their division. Track officials have the final authority in determining the safety of any car or equipment.

All divisions are required to use RACEceivers. It is the driver's responsibility to ensure they have a working RACEceiver and that it is programmed to the correct channel. That channel will be posted at registration, posted on the lineup board at all times, and will be announced at the drivers meeting.

All drivers are required to attend the drivers meeting held before hot laps at the pit board next to the staging area. Failure to attend the drivers meeting may result in the driver being required to start at the rear of their heat race.

All drivers must register and draw for starting position at the registration window located at the bottom of the tower directly behind the flagstand. Unless a time trial or alternate format is announced in advance, all divisions will draw for their heat race starting positions.

The initial feature race lineup will be set with all heat race winners to the front, followed by runners-up, and so on. Unless otherwise announced, a redraw, wheel spin, dice roll, or some other random chance method will be used to determine how many positions are inverted for feature races. Up to 12 cars may be inverted. If the invert exceeds the number of cars in the race, the entire field will be inverted. Any driver who did not start their heat race or any driver black flagged or disqualified during a heat race will not be included in the invert.

Drivers are responsible to know when their scheduled events are to begin. Drivers not in the staging area by the halfway point of the race immediately prior to their event may be placed at the rear at the discretion of officials. If you miss your heat race, you will not be placed in another heat.

All initial starts will be double file and start in the designated start zone. The driver on the inside of the front row (polesitter) starts the race at any point inside the start zone. All drivers must maintain a controlled pace and remain nose to tail in line with the car ahead of them until the polesitter fires.

The default restart format is Delaware Double File. The leader has the front row alone. Second place chooses inside or outside, with all remaining cars lining up opposite of the car ahead of them. Single file restarts may be used at any time at the discretion of the Race Director.

The leader controls the restart and must maintain a steady pace in the start/restart zone. The leader may fire at any point in the start/restart zone. If the leader has not accelerated by the end of the zone, the flagman will start the race.

If a caution occurs before a lap is completed, there will be a complete restart. If the caution is clearly caused by a single driver, that driver will be sent to the rear of the field. All other cars involved in the incident will be restored to their original starting positions. Determination of fault and lineup will be at the discretion of the Race Director.

Any driver jumping a start or restart or pulling out of line early will be penalized. If the start is allowed to proceed, the driver will be penalized two positions for each car passed either at the next caution or at the end of the race. If the Race Director judges that a jumped start or restart unduly affected other drivers, the start or restart may be called off, and the offending driver will be penalized a row for the next attempt to start or restart. If a driver jumps two starts or restarts in the same race, they will be disqualified.

During caution periods, all cars should immediately slow down and go single file. Once single file, cars will be moved into their proper positions using RACEceiver communication. Any driver who does not follow instructions will be sent to the rear of the field or may be disqualified after multiple warnings. Drivers must maintain a safe pace under caution. Excessive speeding or aggressive driving under caution may result in a penalty.

Preliminary races use a "one and done" rule. Any car stopped on the track when the yellow flag is initially displayed will be considered involved in the caution and will be done for that race. They will be scored as finishing behind the cars still running when the race returns to green. Finishing order when multiple cars are involved in a caution will be based on their running order on the previous lap.

In the event a caution is clearly caused by a single driver, other cars involved in that incident may, at the discretion of the Race Director, be permitted to restart at the rear of the field rather than being scored as done for that race.

Feature races will use a "two spin" rule. Any car deemed to have spun or stopped on their own twice during a feature race will be finished for that race. They will be scored as finishing behind the cars still running when the race returns to green. Determination of a "spin" or "stop" will be at the discretion of race officials. Any car stopped on the track when a yellow flag is initially displayed will be considered involved in the caution and will restart at the tail of the field.

Drivers may be penalized for rough driving that results in or contributes to a wreck, as determined by track officials.

In preliminary races, any driver deemed responsible for rough driving that causes a caution will be done for that race and scored as if they were involved in the caution. In feature races, any driver deemed responsible for rough driving that causes a caution will be penalized to the rear of the field.

For a second offense, and/or for actions deemed egregious, intentional, or overly dangerous, a driver may be immediately black flagged and disqualified from that race and/or the event, depending on the severity of the incident. Additional penalties, including suspension, may be assessed at the discretion of track officials.

In all preliminary races, any driver who stops for any reason after entering the racetrack (other than at an officials' request or during a red flag) will be disqualified from that race. Officials do not pull fenders or work on race cars in any way during preliminary races.

During features only, drivers may stop at the bottom of the track at the exit of turn four under caution to request a safety check or fender pull from track officials. This is a courtesy. Officials are only allowed to address minor safety concerns that can be performed by hand, such as pulling sheet metal away from tires or removing loose or dangerous components. Officials will not perform repairs, make adjustments, or provide tools or equipment.

Pit crews are not allowed on the track at any time, for any reason. If a car leaves the track during preliminary races, they are done for that race. In feature races only, all work on race cars should be done in the designated hot pit. No courtesy laps or time is given beyond the time it takes to clear any wrecks or debris, reset the field, and go back green. All cars entering the hot pit, whether during yellow or red flag, will restart at the back of the field if they return to the track before the race goes back green. No cars will be allowed to rejoin the field under green flag racing.

All lapped cars will be positioned at the back of the field for restarts.

All races, unless specified as a special event, will run under a time limit of one minute per scheduled lap (excluding red flag situations). A 6-lap heat race has a 6-minute time limit. A 15-lap feature has a 15-minute time limit.

Should any race exceed its time limit under green flag conditions there may be one attempt at a green/white/checkered finish only if the Race Director determines the race can return to green flag racing quickly. If not, the race is over at the caution flag and will be scored accordingly.

All laps, except the first, are considered complete and will be counted when the lead car crosses the finish line. Any car crossing the line prior to a yellow/red flag will be scored. All cars crossing after the yellow/red has been displayed will be lined up by their positions on the previous lap with the car(s) causing the yellow/red going to the rear of the field. This is not to be determined as "racing to the yellow." When the yellow or red is called, scoring is stopped and all drivers should get off the throttle as soon as it is safely possible to do so.

For the first lap to be considered complete, all cars must cross the line except if a caution is caused by a single car and that car is the only one not to cross the line. Also, if two or more cars spin or stop separately, and they are the only cars not to cross the line, the lap will be scored.

There may be some situations that occur that are not covered in this information. These are called Rare Instances. In the event that a Rare Instance occurs, decisions made by Southern Raceway officials will be final and binding.

All cars must go through pre-race technical inspection prior to competing each night and must pass a safety inspection before entering the racetrack. Technical inspectors may, as a courtesy, point out visible rule infractions; however, it is ultimately the responsibility of the driver and team to ensure their car complies with all rules for their division at all times.

At minimum, the winner of each heat race must report to the tech area immediately following their race. After each feature race, the top four finishers must report directly to the tech area for post-race inspection. Additional cars may be required to report to tech at the discretion of track officials. Failure to report immediately to the tech area after exiting the racetrack, or refusal to comply with inspection procedures, will result in disqualification.

Only the driver and one (1) crew member are permitted in the tech area. No other team members or unauthorized individuals will be allowed.

Tire and/or fuel samples may be taken at any time for laboratory analysis and compared against manufacturer-provided benchmarks. In the event samples are taken for laboratory testing, race payout for the affected finishing positions may be held until test results are received and verified.

Refusal to provide tire and/or fuel samples when requested by track officials will result in immediate disqualification.

All claims and protests must be made in accordance with the rules and procedures outlined for each division and/or the applicable sanctioning body. Southern Raceway officials will enforce claim and protest procedures as defined by those rules. Any claim or protest not submitted in the proper manner or within the specified time limits will not be considered.

Race payout is held at the registration window at the bottom of the tower directly behind the flagstand. Payout will be open until 30 minutes after the final race is completed or until post-race tech is finished. Payout must be claimed on race night.

All drivers are required to have a W9 on file with the racetrack before receiving any payout. It is the driver's responsibility to ensure that their W9 form is complete and correct.

Drivers may be required to show official identification to receive payout. If another person is picking up a driver's payout, that person must show the driver's official identification to receive the payout.