2015 Keystone Nationals
Greensburg, PA
Limited Weld class rules
General Rules
1. All Drivers must sign in and register.
2. All rules will be enforced, follow them, or you will not run.
3. Any driver or pit crew member disobeying the rules, or acting in an unsportsmanlike manner will be disqualified / banned from future derbys.
4. All drivers are to obey track officials at all times.
5. No pit crew members or spectators are allowed on the track at any time.
6. Any driver or pit crew member consuming or under the influence of drugs and alcohol will be ejected off the grounds/ arrested.
7. If your car does not pass inspection, and driver is unwilling to make changes in 3 attempts, you will not run.
8. All drivers must attend a mandatory drivers 'meeting.
9. All controversies and concerns should be addressed at drivers' meeting in a civil manner.
10. Officials decision is final!
Driver safety
1. D.O.T Helmets, seat belt and eye protection must be worn at all times during competition.
2. Long sleeve shirts and pants must be worn during competition.
3. If any of the above items become loose or come off, the competition will be stopped, and if these items cannot be placed back on the driver, you will be disqualified.
4. Seat belt is mandatory.
Types of cars
1. All American made automobiles will be permitted except the following:
2. No 1973 and older Imperials or Imperial sub-frames.
3. No jeeps, suburbans, limos, wedged sedans or smash top wagons.
During competition
1. There will be a 1 minute contact rule, if you do not make a competitive hit on another car in 1 minute, you will be disqualified.
2. No hits on the driver's door.
3. Do not use your driver's door as a shield or stop sign.
4. No holding or double teaming. This will result in a disqualification.
Car Preparation
1. All glass, headlights, tail lights, all carpet, head liners, door panels, soft chrome, mirrors, door handles, plastic, fiber glass, metal header panels and backseats must be removed. Cars must be swept clean before entering the grounds.
2. All decking in the rear of station wagons must be removed.
3. All cars must have working breaks.
4. All trailer hitches and braces must be removed.
5. NO PROFANITY ON ANY PART OF THE CAR.
6. Any size battery may be used, 2 maximum. Battery must be relocated to passenger floor board and properly secured in a battery box.
7. Metal boat tank or metal fuel cell may be used. Fuel tank must be relocated to back seat area and properly secured.
8. NO PLASTIC FUEL TANKS
9. All cars must have an air filter.
10. NO WELDING ANYWHERE, EXCEPT WHERE PERMITTED.
Cages
1. Four bar cage, maximum size 6” in square, round or c-channel permitted.
2. Halo bar is to be attached to seat and/ or side bar only.
3. Halo bar must run straight up and over the roof and no further back than the rear seat bar.
4. Halo bar is allowed to be bolted or welded in 3 spots to the roof, using 3” x 3” x ¼ tabs and 5/8 bolts max.
5. Dash bar must be at minimum 5”in. from the firewall and at minimum 5”in. above the transmission tunnel when measured from the center of the car. The dash bar must run straight across, no contouring to the firewall.
6. The back seat bar should be no further back than where the rear kick panel meets the floor board.
7. Door bars cannot extend any further than the firewall.
8. 4 square mounting plates for cage will be allowed, 8”x 8” max. These plates or any part of the cage cannot be tied in to any body mounts.
9. One Full floating gas tank protector will be allowed, 24”in. wide 6”in. x 6”in. max.
* No pinning, welding, bolting, etc. to body or frame
* G.T.P. will be attached to seat bar only.
10. Two 4”in. x 4”in. max drop legs may be installed vertically from cage to sheet metal only. These bars may only be attached to either the side door bars or rear seat bar.
* Drop legs cannot be attached to frame, body mounts or body mount washers.
11. Cage gussets must attach to 4 bar cage and cannot exceed 18”in. max length.
12. Windshield bars may only be attached to roof sheet metal and firewall sheet metal. These bars must be within 6”in. max of the windshield lip area and 3” max on the fire wall area.
* Windshield bars may not be mounted any closer together than the width of engine exhaust headers and may not be connected.
* One front windshield bar at a minimum; two max in front. These bars may not be connected to the halo bar or to each other. One rear window bar maximum in rear!
* Maximum windshield bar(s) and rear window bar size will be 2”in. x 1/4 round, square, or flat.
13. Rear window bar on sedans/wagons may only be attached to roof 6” in. max and on speaker deck/trunk lid/tailgate seam 6” in. max. Rear window bars on wagons must go to tailgate not floor sheet metal.
14. Windshield and rear window bars will be mounted to sheet metal only.
15. NO KICKER BARS.
Frame
1. No frame seam welding, pinning or plating, creasing, shaping, or welding except where rules permit. Any additional welding will result in disqualification.
2. For coil sprung cars you may add a hump plate. These may be ¼" X 6" X 22" centered in the hump, they will be measured from the top center of the hump and must start no lower than the center of the frame. Hump plate must be at least 2" from rear end housing. On 1977 and newer GM’S you may use a ¼ “ X 6” X 30 hump plate measured the same way. For leaf sprung cars you may add a hump plate also. These may be ¼" X 6" X 11" centered in the hump and measured the same way as all other cars.
* Officials decision is final!
3. No Imperial sub frame swaps 73' or older allowed. Re-stubbing/clipping and rust/frame repair must call no exceptions.
4. Frames must be:
* GM/GM
* Ford/Ford
* Chrysler/Chrysler
5. All cars may be tilted. They may be tilted at the firewall area and/or at the cross member area and no adding metal.
6. Frame repairs on pre-run cars or frame rust repairs must call.
7. Cross members:
* Custom made transmission cross member max size will be: 2”in. x 2”in. This is the outside dimension.
* Cross member mounts max size will be : 6”in.
* Cross member must be straight across and attached to frame rails only, and can only be welded at the ends.
8. One chain link per frame rail, 3/8 max. may be welded to the rear frame behind the axle to be used for #9 wire or chain from rail to rail.
*4 loops of wire or one 3/8 chain.
9. Core support mounts may not be moved. You can cut the front of the frame off to mount the front bumper but do not remove the core support mount or bracket. You may however move the core support bolt (see hood section).
10. Y-frame Chrysler (only):
* If you use factory body mount bolts, you can maintain factory spacing.
* If you choose to upgrade to 5/8 body mount bolts, you must maintain 1in. spacing at the firewall and core support.
* All thread for core support use may have 3”in. x 3”in. x ¼ plate over existing body mount hole for core support, one per side.
* You may also use a 4”in. x 4”in. x ¼ plate at the top of core support for all thread to pass through, one per side.
11. All cars can be welded from the transmission cross member forward, 1 seam of your choice only (per frame rail), 1/2”in. wide bead max, with a single pass!
Body Mount
1. 5/8 x 5”in. bolts max. Body mount bolts can only pass through one layer of frame.
2. 3”in. washer inside frame max.
3. Body mount spacers as follows:
* 1”in. thick min, 3”x 3” in. wide max.
4. 2 extra body mounts are allowed at builder's discretion, must be done in factory fashion, following body mount rule. Extra bolts must be ran from the dashboard fire wall body mounts back.
5. Core support mounts may pass through both sides of frame, through core support and hood, 1”in. all-thread max.
* This counts for 2 of the 6 hood mounting locations. (See body rule for other 4)
Body
1. No inner seam body welds (this includes the inside of the doors).
2. All doors may be welded solid, 3”in. x ¼ strapping max.
3. Driver's door reinforcing must be done on exterior of door, and not to extend any further than door strapping.
4. Hoods must have two 8”in. x 8”in. openings minimum.
* Openings may be re-bolted, but no more than eight 3/8 bolts total per hood and trunk lid.
5. You may have six 4”in. x 4”in. x ¼ plates welded to body for hood mounting purposes.
* Hood bolts may be 5/8 max with 4”in. washer. Except core support bolts can be up to one inch max!
6. Maximum body mount washers size inside body cannot exceed 4”x 4”.
7. Trunks and tailgates may be equally stitch welded using a standard on and off pattern, maximum size plates will be 5”x 3” (plate size must match the on and off spacing pattern).
8. Trunk lid on sedans must have two 10”in. inspection holes, either in the trunk lid or in the trunk floor.
9. Station wagons must remove both access panels in tailgate box permanently.
10. Pay close attention to this: This rule will be enforced:
* Altering quarter panel height will be almost impossible to correct, and we as inspectors, cannot help you. This is your one and only warning, and one and only chance to do it correctly. Potentially, abusing this rule could ultimately decide whether you’re able to run.
11. Trunk lids may be dipped 10”in. max along with speaker deck. Speaker deck can be removed and front side of trunk welded.(all trunk strapping rules apply).
* No shifting trunk lids.
* No wedging.
12. Tailgates on wagons may be pushed down and welded. See rule #11 for welding strap reference.
* Body line creasing or enhancing will be permitted.
* Do not fold creases over, creating a double, triple effect.
13. Wheel well lips can be cut and folded, absolutely no welding is permitted.
* You may bolt wheel well lips using four 5/8 bolts with 2”in.Washers.
14. Sheet metal patching on body will be limited to factory thickness and cannot be any thicker then 16ga.
*You must call first, before any patching is deemed necessary.
* Sheet metal patching will be in a 1”in. on 1”in. off spot weld pattern.
15. EXCESSIVE PATCHING MEANS EXCESSIVE CUTTING.Officials decision is final....
Bumpers
1. Any automotive (car) bumper of choice, No homemade bumpers.DEC bumpers are accepted.
2. Must have chrome shell and backing plate.
3. All work must be done inside.
4. You may cap ends, no inspection hole required.
5. Bumpers are expensive, weld them up and build them to last (front or back).
6. Bumpers may be hard-nosed.
* You may have a 6”in. x 9”in. x ½” bumper mounting plate (for hard nosing).
*12”in. bumper bracket, 12”in. bumper shock inside frame, or 12”in. x 4”in. x ½” plate.1 of 3 only.
*frames will be drilled to verify length of bumper shock inside frame, if using this method.
8. Bumper shocks may be pushed in and welded.
9. You may have two 6”in. x 3”in. x ¼ straps from bumper to core support or tail light/ tailgate assembly. Choose wisely how you weld them on in order to benefit your car the most.
10. Maximum bumper height 24”in. to bottom.
11. Minimum bumper height 12”in. to bottom.
Suspension
1. Homemade or after-market shocks accepted, but must be mounted in factory location, and not to be used as extra body mounts.
2. A-arm swaps accepted.
3. Any OEM (automotive) or after-market spindles accepted.
4. No upper A-arm bracket swaps, must use factory A-arm bracket for that car.
5. Upper a-arms may be folded down to frame and welded with no metal added or one 2 in by 2 in strap from a-arm to frame on each side of the a-arm or one 3”in. x 3/8 strap per side will be allowed from lower control arm to coil spring bucket, only welded to 2”in. of coil spring bucket.(One out of these three options will be acceptable per car).
6. No leaf spring conversions.
7. Any OEM (automotive) or after-market trailing arm accepted. Must be mounted using factory or factory like brackets, cannot strengthen frame, officials decision is final.
8. No packaging tray swaps allowed.
9. Coil springs may be held in with wire or chain, no welding.
10. If leaf spring packs are altered, main leaf must remain on top.
* 7-5/16 springs per side max. with a 2”in. stair step min.
11. Factory like shackles accepted, no solid shackles. Shackles must be working.
12. Eight 2”in. wide clamps total ( 4 per side).
13. Rear end must remain on top of leaf springs.
14. No flat stock leaf spring packs.
15. Flat stock limited to: main spring only. *Call with questions.
16. Sway bars can be bolted to lower a-arm and mounted directly to bottom side of frame using no more than 2”x 4” per frame rail of weld, plate or tubing.
*No Homemade sway bars, Factory OEM automotive only.
Drive Line
1. Any motor, transmission, or rear end of choice.
2. D.P, engine cradle, transmission protectors, ultra bells, rear end back braces, sliders, are all accepted. The transmission can only be bolted to the cross member using one bolt, just as the factory intended. If when mounting the engine to the frame, be careful not to make this a gusset from the inner frame rail to the back side of the frame cradle (officals decision is final). Feel free to ask the officials for advice on how to mount and fasten these protectors for maximum performance.
3. Transmission cooler must be properly secured inside car.
4. Solid fans require a hood being used covering fan.
5.You are only aloud 2 engine mounts and each engine mount cannot be any larger than 9”inX9”in
6. Engines may be tied down in one of these manners:
* if no DP and cradle is used you can have 4 chains 3/8 max, 2 chains can go to the engine cradle and 2 chains can go to the frame. They may be connected to the frame and/or engine cradle by welding two continuous links per chain and there cannot be more than 3” in welded to the frame and/or engine cradle. The chain must stay linked together and cannot create a bar affect. Each chain can only be 18” in. in length.
* If a DP and/or cradle is used you can only have two chains 3/8 max. They may be connected to the frame or engine cradle by welding two continuous links per chain and there cannot be more than 3”in welded to the frame. Or engine cradle. The chain must stay linked together and cannot create a bar effect. Each chain can only be 18” in. in length.
Wheels/Tire's
1. Maximum wheel and tire size will be no larger then 7.50 x 16.
2. Wheel weights must be removed.
3. Tires can be any tread design and any ply rating.
4. Screwed,Glued,Doubled,Tripled,Foam filled Tires accepted.
5. Valve stem guards,Rim guards,Bead locks,Side wall protectors and Solid wheels accepted. Bead locks are to be max 22” in outside diameter.
Ford 2003 and newer
12. On 2003 and newer fords you may use an 80 and newer ford rear wheel drive car steel cradle only and must be put in like the factory intended using only the factory brackets.No other metal may be added A ARM BRACKETS MUST BE 98 AND NEWER FORD BRACKETS ONLY. They must be in factory location and can not be moved forward. You may use a 3" spacer from the bottom of the frame to lower A-arm where the spring goes you may not alter frame in any manner other than attaching factory brackets with a single bead of weld. You can not add any type of spring pockets to frame. All factory holes in front of A arms must be open. Nothing may be welded on top of frame over the holes in front of frame. On 03 and newer fords you can not shorten the front of the frames. A ARMS must be 7 ½” behind the rear factory holes in frame in the front TO THE FRONT EDGE OF A ARMS (THE FACTORY CRUSH POINT ) A ARMS must be from a passenger car no truck or van A ARMS will be permitted
Misc.
1. Expanded metal may be used on core support, 1/8”in. max, to be bolted or welded (if welding, extreme creativity may result in a requested alteration). Air conditioning condenser can be bolted or welded in 8 places only. 3/8 bolts max. with 1”in. washers.
2. Core support to fender bars accepted, 2 only (1 per side). 3/8 bolts max, no welding!
* 18”in. long x ¾ outside diameter max.
3. Radiator must be mounted in factory location, using #9 wire, 1”in. wide banding, ratchet straps, rope, or 2 pieces of 3/8 all thread.
* No homemade radiators.
4. After market steering columns and tie rods accepted.
Rule questions and clarification contact: Chris Firster (724) 877-9999
Promotional and event questions: Bo Lockwood (814) 590-4173