IMCA Announces New Claim Rules

Found this recently. Quite interesting.

New engine claim procedures for next season aimed at following intent of original IMCA rules


VINTON, Iowa – New guidelines for engine claims made at IMCA sanctioned events in 2011 are designed to follow the intent of rules introduced along with the Modified more than three decades ago.

Drivers will have to purchase a 2011 competitor’s license by April 1, or accept a claim to receive a claim card. No engine claims can be made on the first two track point nights and drivers will not be allowed to claim following the second night if they have not competed at all previous weekly sanctioned events.

Any driver who initiates a legal claim must compete the following week at the same facility or they’ll be issued claim refusal penalties specific to their division.

The exception to that rule is if the next sanctioned event is a special race at which no points are awarded or those specifically identified as such in a release or releases sent by IMCA.

“All these changes have justification. We’ve put a lot of research into this since suspending the existing claim rules during the 2010 season,” explained IMCA Vice President of Operations Brett Root. “It continues to be our belief that most drivers who make engine claims do so under the original intent of the rule, to discourage unnecessary spending on engines and to prevent engine costs from becoming so high they can’t afford to be competitive.”

“When you have drivers who buy licenses in July or August, race twice, claim a motor and then never come back, it’s hard to justify the intent of the rule,” he added.

While taking a hard look at the number of claims made in recent seasons, another driving force behind the revised procedures was the Internet.

“When the first claim rules were established in the late 1970s, things like the Internet and auction sites like eBay didn’t exist. It was more difficult to turn the claim into a revenue source,” Root said. “The claim was never meant as a way and means to buy and sell engines. It was and should be intended to keep costs down and make the sport more affordable for the greatest number of drivers possible.”

Not allowing claims the first two weeks of the point season is intended to eliminate confusion as to who can claim, particularly when the track is newly IMCA sanctioned or ran under a different sanction the previous year.

“Our rules had allowed claims to be made on opening night, by drivers who had finished in the top 20 in points at that track the previous year,” Root said. “Unfortunately, there were several instances where claims were allowed to be made when they should not have been. The new procedures should prevent that from reoccurring.”

Also of note:

•No driver may claim the same driver more than once during the current calendar year.

•Should one or more of the initial top four finishers be disqualified, no driver advanced into the top four can claim or be claimed.

•Drivers making claims must present their claim card; a receipt for a license purchased by April 1 cannot be substituted.

•No claims can be made on season championship night.

•IMCA reserves the right to refuse to issue a claim card, to revoke a claim card or claiming privileges, or deny a claim when deemed necessary to do so.

Dollar amount of cash claims for Modifieds is $1,050, and $550 for Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks, Northern SportMods and Southern SportMods. Those dollar figures go up to $1,550 and $1,050 at designated specials.

Hobby and SportMod drivers both have crate or claim engine options next season.

Beatrice Speedway Revamps Website

The new www.beatricespeedway.com launched recently.

It's a big improvement over last year's site, with more media, photos and news. Really good work. I hope to make it down there for the Spring Nationals, as I've grown fond of shooting down there.

Check it out.

"Mini E" raceway takes form

Here's a shot of the kart track at Eagle Raceway, from their Facebook page.

If anyone has a shot of the new 1/4 mile at I-80 (NRP), please send it to me (email is in the site info on the right).

The new season

I had noticed that it's less than a month before racing starts up in Nebraska - the annual USMTS Spring Thaw at Junction Motor Speedway takes place the first week of March - it's either in the 50's and spring-like or winter still lingers; sometimes both in the same weekend.

But I'm excited. Given that my work has a peak around Chili Bowl time, that's been out of the question for several years, so this race is my first visit back to the track in four months. I'll admit, it's a bit of a shakedown cruise for the cameras and getting in the swing of the season.

A few things this year:

1. I WILL get online photo ordering active this year - may not be by USMTS time, but definitely in time for the regular season. I'm putting some touches on it now and thinking about pricing.

2. I think I'll open up to some more frequent posting, not so much long editorials, but thoughts during the week - a few sentences in a twitter or 'facebook status' style format. The long editorials will stay.

3. One of the other things I'll finally do are some interviews for the site. Either sit downs, or 'five questions with' where they answer the same thing, or...

4. Ads - I'm working on pricing, but it's coming.

-Jason

I-80 Speedway 2011 Tentative Schedule

I-80 Speedway 2011 Tentative Schedule

April
1 - Spring Thaw: LM, Pro-Am, B-Mod, Sport Compact, A Mods
2 – Spring Thaw: A Mods, MLRA, Hobby Stock
8 – 360 Spring Nat: Sprints, SLMR, Pro-Am, Sport Compact, B Mods,
9 – 360 Spring Nat: Sprints, LM, Pro-Am, B-Mod, Sport Compact
May
1 - Weekly Show: LM, Pro-Am, B-Mod, Sport Compact
8 – Weekly Show/SLMR: SLMR, LM, Pro-Am, B-Mod, Sport Compact
15 -- Weekly Show: LM, Pro-Am, B-Mod, Sport Compact
22 - Weekly Show: LM, Pro-Am, B-Mod, Sport Compact
26 – Sprints, LM, Pro-Am, B-Mod
29 – Alphabet Soup: MLRA/NCRA, A Mods, Sport Compact
June
7 - Two Dollar Tuesday: LM, Pro-Am, B-Mod, Sport Compact
12 - Weekly Show: LM, Pro-Am, B-Mod, Sport Compact
19 – Weekly Show/SLMR: SLMR, LM, Pro-Am, B-Mod, Sport Comp.
22 – Charlie Clark: A Mods, B Mods, Hobby Stock
26 - Weekly Show: LM, Pro-Am, B-Mod, Sport Compact
July
1 - Midwest Trifecta: MLRA/NCRA, Sprints, A-Mods
10 – Weekly Show/SLMR: SLMR, LM, Pro-AM, B-Mod, Sport Comp.
17 - Weekly Show: LM, Pro-Am, B-Mod, Sport Compact
21 – Weekly Show + Silver Dollar Nat. Practice
22 – Silver Dollar Nationals: MLRA/NCRA, A-Mods (Qualify)
23 – Silver Dollar Nationals: MLRA/NCRA, A-Mods ($25,000 to win)
31 - Weekly Show: LM, Pro-Am, B-Mod, Sport Compact
August
7- Weekly Show/SLMR: SLMR, LM, Pro-Am, B-Mod, Sport Comp.
14 – Weekly Show/A-Mods: LM, Pro-Am, B-Mod, Sport Comp. A Mods
21 – Weekly Show/Hobby: LM, Pro-Am, B-Mod, Sport Compact, Hobby
28- Weekly Show: LM, Pro-Am, B-Mod, Sport Compact
September
2 – All-Star Weekend: MLRA, Sprints, A Mods, Hobby
4 - All-Star Weekend: LM, Pro-Am, B-Mod, Sport Comp. A Mod, SLMR
23 – Cornhusker: LM, Pro-Am, B-Mod, Sport Comp, A Mod, Sprints
24 - Cornhusker: LM, Pro-Am, B-Mod, Sport Comp, A Mod, MLRA
25 - Cornhusker: LM, Pro-Am, B-Mod, Sport Comp, A Mod, SLMR,
A-Mod, Hobby

(Schedule Subject to Change)

New Poll

In light of Fox Sports Chairman David Hill's request for NASCAR to shorten its shows to fit in a four-hour broadcast window, I'd like to ask: as a fan (or as a racer), how long should a regular, weekly show (not special) run? That is, from first green to last checkered? No pre-race or "trailer races" after.

Oh, and the last paragraph of that article should be of concern - trust me, even NASCAR has a tough time against the NFL juggernaut. Moving races to Saturday nights has been one of the biggest concerns I've heard from promoters courting fans. But then, that's what DVR is for, right?

-Jason

Final Sprint Car Poll Numbers and a thought

Here's how you voted out of 113 total votes. My comments are in red. 

More Purse Money 16 (14%) I heard this one often, especially in terms of pay in the middle of the field

New line up procedures 5 (4%) This never came up in casual conversations. Interesting.

Change the rules (motor/wing/tire, etc) 28 (24%) But to what rule? I've also heard that there's a concern about being ASCS compliant / competitive more often than anything. My take - if they insist on ASCS rules because anything less would make them uncompetitive, make ASCS show participation mandatory...hmmm?

Fewer Shows 7 (6%) I think this is related to the last.

Track Conditions 25 (22%) This is the one I've heard most in conversation.

More point fund money 6 (5%) I think this is very important to some teams. But, I don't think this is the deal-breaker or the savior of the class.

Nothing, it's just the economy and it will come back 26 (23%) read below 

In the end, I think the economy's impact is very understated and is overlooked. Mainly, because unlike all the other options - there's nothing you can do to change this. Sometimes I feel that all the thrashing about over money and rules is just so we can feel good, trying to get some sense of control over all of this when the real problem is something we don't have much control over. 

 -Jason