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.