Street Machine Drag Challenge: The rules

All the rules and regulations that govern Street Machine Drag Challenge

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Street Machine Drag Challenge 2023 will take place between Tuesday 10 October and Saturday 14 October 2023.

We will be starting and finishing at the same location: Dragway At The Bend in South Australia. This will allow long-distance travellers to tow to The Bend and leave their tow vehicles and trailers in a safe location. There will be 24-hour security, but Street Machine magazine and Dragway At The Bend take no responsibility for these vehicles.

To ease congestion on the first day of racing, we will be doing check-in at The Bend on Monday 9 October.

The Drag Challenge 2023 schedule will be:

  • Monday 9 October: Check-in, Dragway At The Bend, Tailem Bend, SA
  • Tuesday 10 October: Day One, Dragway At The Bend, Tailem Bend, SA
  • Wednesday 11 October: Day Two, Sunset Strip, Mildura, Vic
  • Thursday 12 October: Day Three, Heathcote Park Raceway, Knowsley, Vic
  • Friday 13 October: Day Four, South Coast Raceway, Portland, Vic
  • Saturday 14 October: Day Five, Dragway At The Bend, Tailem Bend, SA

Five days of racing on four tracks, and over 1600km of road driving!

THE BASICS

The event is open to four-wheel vehicles of any year, make or model. No bikes.

  • Current licence and registration are required; we may need to see these before the event starts. No dealer plates allowed.
  • Competition vehicles must have functional headlights, tail-lights, brake lights, turn signals, a horn and a rear-view mirror while driving on the road. Headlights must be of OE-type design.
  • Vehicles that do not meet ANDRA safety rules for their ET and speed may be prevented from making further runs, but we will accept their timeslip. All drivers will require an ANDRA or IHRA licence (and make arrangements for suitable licence conversion based on the track sanctioning body), and it must be suitable for the performance level of their competition vehicle. Cars quicker than 10.00sec will require a competition licence and a current tech inspection sticker.
  • ANDRA will be offering a Single Event Licence (SEL) for those with IHRA licences. If you have an IHRA licence you will need to organise this with ANDRA.
    This SEL is $120 and is for those racers who require a licence/logbook for vehicle’s quicker than 10.000 secs (1/4 mile) / 6.369 secs (1/8 mile), and all that is required is proof of a medical (so an IHRA one is accepted) and an ANDRA Tech Inspection, which can be arranged ahead of the event.
  • Any type of fuel may be used, but if it’s something exotic you’ll have to find some way of carrying extra fuel safely (maximum of 200 litres to be carried, plus the car’s tank capacity). No fuel lines running from trailers.
  • People caught doing burnouts or engaging in any other threatening or anti-social behaviour that brings the event into disrepute will be disqualified. There will be no warnings. If you are caught doing something illegal or dangerous, you will be disqualified and prevented from entering future events. We cruise, we race and we have fun – let’s not screw it up.

NO CAR TRAILERS, NO SUPPORT VEHICLES

Towing your car to Dragway At The Bend for check-in day is fine, but once
competition starts on Day One, the only reason your car will be anywhere near a car trailer or support vehicle is if you’re out of the competition. You will not be able to access your tow vehicle and/or trailer from the start of racing on Day One until the end of the competition on Day Five – unless you’re out. This includes on the open road, at fuel stops and at motels. No tow cars or support vehicles!

  • Vehicles may not be led or followed by support vehicles of any kind. A support vehicle is one used to: supply (or with the intent of supplying) anything to help or rescue a competitor’s car, or carry anything for a competitor including luggage, tools, fuel, repair parts, spares, marquees, sleeping bag or swags, and helpers or crew. Vehicles towing just-in-case car trailers are also not allowed. We’ll give armbands to entrants and their passengers/helpers, and anyone found working on a car without an armband will get that car disqualified. Armbands will be issued on an ‘as-needed’ basis up to the maximum useable seating capacity in the vehicle. So if your vehicle is loaded up to the max and only has two seats available, you get two armbands.
  • All vehicles must be driven under their own power during the entire Drag
    Challenge competition and may not be towed, trailered or pushed by another vehicle at any time. The only exception is in the event of an emergency where a vehicle needs to be removed from the roadway, or a dangerous situation (e.g. beside a busy road). In this case, assistance may be used to move the car a short distance to a safe area – for example, to the next truck parking area. This doesn’t mean you can tow the car 50km to the next town; only tow it to the closest safe place. Safety is paramount. If your car breaks at the track, it can be towed back to the pits for repairs.
  • A Drag Challenge phone number will be supplied to all participants. If an entrant wishes to withdraw from the competition by loading the vehicle on a trailer or using an illegal support vehicle, the number must be messaged immediately to notify staff of the withdrawal. Also SMS the number supplied if you have to move the vehicle for safety reasons as outlined above.
  • Each competition vehicle may tow a single-axle trailer no more than 190cm high (measured from the ground to trailer top vertically at the axle centreline). This includes the height of anything carried on top of the trailer. Trailers may not contain any components that contribute to the cooling, charging, oiling or fuelling of the competition vehicle while the trailer is in motion. It is up to the entrant to make themselves aware of all road rules (including capacity limits) pertaining to safe loading and towing of trailers.
  • The competitor must race the vehicle they have entered. If you show up with a vehicle that wasn’t on the entry form, we reserve the right to refuse entry. Simply put, if you break your car, talk to us about it beforehand and we can make an arrangement. Don’t show up in your mum’s Camry or a hire car. Competition cars may have multiple drivers entered (if additional fee is paid), but drivers must only drive one competition vehicle – a driver cannot race multiple vehicles.
  • Entrants must attend scrutineering/check-in on the date and at the times
    allocated. If you don’t make it to scrutineering, you will be deemed to have
    withdrawn from competition – no refunds.
  • Entrants and crew must have a zero blood alcohol reading during competition. Entrants and crew may be tested at any time. Outside of competition hours, the legal limit for drivers is 0.05 blood alcohol concentration. No drinking and driving.

WORKING ON COMPETITION VEHICLES

  • Drag Challenge competitors may borrow or buy parts, tools and supplies from each other and may help each other with manpower.
  • We understand friends and spectators will want to follow along, but crew/helpers may not lead or follow in separate vehicles. Everyone in a Drag Challenge vehicle will get an armband and anyone seen helping a car without an armband will disqualify that vehicle. All Drag Challenge crew must travel in an entered vehicle for the entire trip. You can swap seats with other helpers, but you can’t hitch a ride in your friend’s Camry because it’s more comfortable.
  • Crew/helpers may leave a competition vehicle at any point in the journey, but if they wish to re-join the competition vehicle, it must be at the same point at which they left it. Crew who show up at the track in any vehicle other than a competition vehicle will disqualify the competition vehicle written on their armband, unless they surrender that armband immediately.
  • While you can’t have a team of helpers following along, you can enlist the help of professional businesses along the route – for example, RACV for roadside assistance, or perhaps a local transmission shop, but they will have to work on the car where it is. Where a car has broken down, you can remove parts and get a lift (Uber, taxi or a fellow competitor) to a place where the parts can be repaired, or a mobile mechanic can come to you.
  • If an entrant breaks down and cannot complete the event, they can attend each day as a spectator free of charge. If they manage to repair their entered vehicle, they can possibly make exhibition passes later in the event – at the race director’s discretion. If they continue the journey in the entered vehicle or switch into another entered vehicle, they can help other racers. If they switch into a non-entered car and become spectators, they cannot help other racers.
  • Ordering parts or fuel and having them delivered to hotels during Drag Challenge is allowed, but this will have to be organised by the entrant. There are no fuel deliveries allowed to the tracks.
  • Swapping engines so that one is used for the drag strip and another for on-road drives is not allowed. The same engine block is to be used for the entire competition.
  • Radial tyres, for those classes that require them, will need a manufacturer’s metric size on the tyre (e.g. 275, 235, etc). Radials or any other types of ‘street/strip’ tyres with imperial measurements (e.g. 28×9) will be put into the Outlaw class.
  • All competition vehicles must run competition tyres (slicks or drag radials) on the track. No hard-compound street tyres are allowed (maximum treadwear number of 100 allowed) – this is to preserve the track preparation. Vehicles found on non-competition rubber in the staging lanes will be disqualified immediately.
  • All-wheel-drive (Nissan GT-R, Ford Territory, etc) vehicles must compete in the Outlaw categories and use competition tyres on every wheel when racing.
  • Maximum tyre size in the Six-Cylinder class is a 275 radial. Six-cylinder vehicles with radials larger than 275, or slicks of any size, must compete in the Outlaw categories.

THE ROUTE, THE CHECKPOINTS

  • The on-road drive is part of the Drag Challenge competition, and following the specified route is mandatory. Traffic, potholes, wet weather, wildlife and winding roads should be expected. Drive accordingly and be safe at all times. If you leave the route for any reason, you must re-join the route at the same location.
  • Each day’s drive has at least one mandatory checkpoint. Each entrant is required to take a photo of their car at the checkpoint and show it to Drag Challenge officials when they hand in their timeslip the next day. Please take your photo and move on so other entrants have space to take their photos.
  • Preferred hotels may be listed, but competitors are not required to stay at these hotels and may stop anywhere they wish along the way, even their own house, as long as the entire route is followed.

RACE PROCEDURES

  • Competitors are required to sign in and get scrutineered at Dragway At The Bend on Monday 9 October. Tech inspection and registration will be open at 10am that day (TBC).
  • The top of the vehicle’s windscreen must be clear for event sponsors’ stickers. If there are existing stickers in place, we will apply our sticker over them.
  • Drag Challenge competitor vehicles should be void of large sponsorship signage. Lettering or logos must be less than 150mm tall on the side or front of the cars and are limited to a single sponsor, company or name. Signage deemed to be ‘ambush marketing’ will be asked to be removed; entrants refusing to do so will be disqualified. Retro lettering on gasser-style or vintage muscle cars is allowed.
  • Signage on competitor vehicle’s rear windscreens, trailers and roof racks is open, but should not bring the event into disrepute or attract the wrong kind of attention.
  • Competitors may be scrutineered at each drag strip before running. It is up to the entrant to ensure their vehicle will pass tech inspection at each track for their ET and speed capabilities. ANDRA licences will be the only race licences accepted at The Bend, Mildura and Portland; Heathcote will be running under IHRA sanction.
  • The track opening times may vary from track to track; check your event schedule for the running times. Adjustments may be made to the schedule pending unforeseen circumstances, but we will try to keep you informed of any changes.
  • Competitors will be allowed to make as many passes as they wish each day on a first-come, first-served basis, until the race director announces the staging lanes are closed. Drag strip sessions may be divided into run groups. Times and details will be announced at the daily drivers’ meeting and may change from day to day, depending on conditions.
  • Each competitor must complete each track day within the specified times to remain in the 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 drag strip pass will be given an ET of 20 seconds (and a speed of 50mph) for the day. If a competitor misses a track day and is out of the running, they may be able to make exhibition runs during the remaining days of Drag Challenge if time allows.
  • Any entrant who was unable to make a pass because of rain or other issues outside the control of the entrant (this does not include car breakage) or race director, but made it to the staging lanes before the planned competition time cut-off, will score an automatic 20-second time. If the day is rained out before three-quarters of the field has made one pass, we will eliminate the whole day’s competition and move on to the next track. If more than three-quarters of the field has made a pass, the results will stand.
  • It is the competitor’s responsibility to hand in their timeslips to the specified Drag Challenge official before the nominated cut-off time each day. We will not chase your timeslip. If we do not have your timeslip at the end of the day, you will be disqualified. Once a timeslip is handed in, no other timeslip for that competitor will be accepted that day.
  • Route maps to the next track will be provided once a competitor has handed in their timeslip. We do not supply route maps to non-competitors, or entrants who haven’t handed in their timeslip.
  • If a day of racing is rained out, competitors are still required to drive the entire route, make their mandatory stops, and must check in during the specified hours at the drag strip in order to remain in competition. Here they will also receive additional information about the schedule and driving directions to the next track. If the final day is rained out, the results will be calculated from the previous days of racing.
  • Protesting another racer requires filling out an official protest form (available from the event director) detailing the rule infraction, submitting a $100 fee, and supplying evidence including photos or video. If the protest is proven correct, or negated by forfeiture of the protested entrant, the $100 is returned. If the protest is not upheld, the $100 goes to the racer being protested. No further discussion will be held.
  • Each entrant may only compete in one car and one class. You must state your intended class when registering. Class changes are not allowed after the first day of racing. We do allow multiple drivers, but the drivers must be licensed for the tech speed of the competition vehicle. The primary driver (the entrant) will be listed in the results regardless of who ran the completed times.
  • The winner is the car with the lowest combined ET during the event. Quarter-mile mph averaged over the entire event will be used as a tiebreaker.

CLASSES

OUTLAW BLOWN

For vehicles that run a radial tyre wider than 275, or slicks of any
size, or all-wheel drive, and with superchargers, nitrous or turbos – or any
combination thereof.

OUTLAW ASPIRATED

For vehicles that run a radial tyre wider than 275, or slicks of any
size, or all-wheel drive, and with no forced induction at all.

RADIAL BLOWN

For vehicles that run a radial tyre ranging from 275 to 245, running
superchargers, nitrous or turbos – or any combination thereof.

RADIAL ASPIRATED

For vehicles that run a radial tyre ranging from 275 to 245, with no
forced induction at all.

235 BLOWN

For vehicles that run a radial tyre 235 or narrower, running
superchargers, nitrous or turbos – or any combination thereof.

235 ASPIRATED

For vehicles that run a radial tyre 235 or narrower, with no forced
induction at all.

SIX-CYLINDER

For six cylinder-powered vehicles that run a radial tyre 275 or
narrower, running superchargers, nitrous or turbos – or any combination thereof.

8.5 RADIAL

For vehicles that run a radial tyre ranging from 275 to 245, running
superchargers, nitrous or turbos – or any combination thereof – with an 8.5-second class index.

9.5 RADIAL

For vehicles that run a radial tyre ranging from 275 to 245, running
superchargers, nitrous or turbos – or any combination thereof – with a 9.5-second class index.

DIAL-YOUR-OWN

For entrants who don’t wish to compete in the ‘tyre classes’. Dial
Your Own racing is all about consistency, so we will be looking for the most
consistent car across the five days of racing. Your quickest and slowest times from the five days will be used to calculate your spread; the car with the smallest spread at the end of the week will be the class winner. We will be measuring the spread down to as many decimal places as necessary to determine a result. Entrants can make as many passes in the time allowed as they like, but they must provide one timeslip to the nominated Drag Challenge official before each day’s cut-off time. We reserve the right to limit passes if weather or other factors come into play and we need to get other cars down the track.

Because we will be competing at both eighth-mile and quarter-mile tracks, we will have to adjust some times to suit. All eighth-mile times will be multiplied by 1.555 to create a quarter-mile time; this applies to Portland and Mildura tracks only (TBC).

EXAMPLE

Racer A runs 11.520 at The Bend, 7.43 at Mildura (x1.555=11.553), 11.583 at Heathcote, 7.50 at Portland (x1.555=11.662), and 11.55 at The Bend again. His quickest time is 11.520 and the slowest is 11.662, which gives him a spread of 0.142.

Racer B runs 10.985 at The Bend, 7.032 at Mildura (x1.555=10.935), 11.012 at Heathcote, 7.072 at Portland (x1.555=10.997), and 10.962 at The Bend on the last day. Her quickest time is 10.935 and the slowest is 11.012, which gives her a spread of 0.077.

In this scenario, Racer B would be the winner.

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

The iconic camshaft trophy and wall hanging goes to the overall winner, which is the entrant with the lowest combined ET of the competition, and their vehicle will be named Australia’s Quickest Street Car for 2023.

There will be first- and second-place trophies for each class. There may be other prizes depending on sponsor support, which may include: Quickest Without A Trailer, Quickest Holden-powered, Quickest Ford-powered, Quickest Mopar-powered, Quickest Chev-powered, and Quickest Six overall.

We also have several clubs for entrants that achieve high levels of performance and also complete the event. These include the Seven-Second Club, Six-Second Club and 200mph Club, as well as the Four-Second Club for cars running over the eighth-mile (time must be run at an eighth-mile track). New members to any of these clubs will be awarded the appropriate prestigious cap upon entry – one cap per competitor per club.

If you have any questions or comments, please direct them to Scott Taylor at
[email protected].

Good luck!

More Drag Challenge info:

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