Sunset Speedway Thunder
Car, 2008
In co-operation with
Kawartha, Mosport,
Peterborough and Varney
Speedways
This set of rules is
designed as a basic guideline. All cars are subject to technical inspections
by random selection at the end of each race. Any part of the car not
specifically covered in these rules must remain stock.
The Thunder Car division
is open to any make of North American built automobile having a factory listed
wheelbase of 101" or more, for the make, model and year being raced. No
convertibles, four wheel drive vehicles or station wagons will be allowed.
Mosport permits full size trucks, Sunset permits compact trucks. The
word stock when used herein shall mean unaltered, as factory available and
produced by O. E. M. for the make, model and year of the car being
raced. That excludes all aftermarket "High Performance" parts,
and all decisions and rulings shall be based on data obtained from the
Canadian Service Data Book.
SPECIFICATIONS
APPEARANCE
Cars must not be
excessively rusted and must be presentable in appearance.
Cars that are considered
unsafe or improperly prepared will be rejected by the tech committee.
BATTERY
Must be located behind
the drivers seat securely fastened and in a sealed container e.g. a marine
battery container with lid if in driver’s compartment.
BODY
Body must be steel and
stock in appearance to the original vehicle, with no chopping, channelling or
sectioning allowed. Body must be complete with all doors, fenders, quarter
panels, hood, trunk and roof as well as both bumpers. All mouldings, door
handles, name plates and lights must be removed. Tires must be inside fenders
& scrub rails. Truck body alterations must be approved by tech.
A) BUMPERS
Bumpers must be mounted
in stock position with no sharp edges exposed. After market nose and tail
cones allowed. Chains or cables must be installed from the bumper to the frame
for safety reasons. A fabricated bumper reinforcement may be run but stock
bumper or cover must be over top. Tow chains or cables are required on both
front and rear bumpers.
B) GROUND CLEARANCE
Minimum frame and body
height is 6".
C) HOOD AND TRUNK LID
No hood openings
allowed. Inner hood and trunk lid bracing may be removed. If original hood /
trunk hinges are used, then 2 pins must be used, If not hinged, 4 pins are
required. Rear spoiler allowed but may not extend beyond rear edge of rear
deck panel and must follow the contour of the rear deck lid. Maximum 5"
by width of rear deck. No side pods or bracing of rear spoiler.
D) SCRUB RAILS
Side bars must extend no
further forward than the rear of front wheel opening, and no further rearward
than front of the rear wheel opening, maximum 1”x 2” welded or bolted to
roll cage. No sharp edges. When bolting on scrub rails, you must use carriage
bolts (or round-headed bolts), if hex head bolts are used, they must be
counter sunk. 14”X 40”16 gauge metal recommended to go between the cage
and the door skin.
E) WHEEL OPENINGS
Original wheel arches
may be removed/trimmed for tire clearance. Inner splash aprons in the front
fenders must be removed.
F) WINDSHIELD
Windshield is a must.
Windshields must be safety glass or lexan with 2 center braces and 4 safety
clips –2 at top of window and 2 at bottom of window. No plexiglass screens
or half windshields allowed. The top 5”of windshield must be kept clear for
Speedway division sponsors.
BRAKES
All four wheels must be
working. Rotors, calipers and spindles may be used from
different models. Single
piston steel calipers only. No brake biasing of any kind, including
valves, blocked lines etc. No brake lines allowed in the driver compartment.
Only factory stock rear disc brakes allowed if drum brakes not available for
that make and model and must run a 50 lbs weight
penalty on rear wheel
drives.
CHASSIS AND SUSPENSION
A) ROLL CAGE & FRAME
Must be stock steel
frame with no holes drilled for lightening. Front and rear sub or unibody
frames must be attached with 2 x 3 hollow or box tube with a minimum wall
thickness of .095. A full roll cage constructed out of 1 3/4 x .095 min. round
steel tubing is mandatory. Roll cage must be symmetrical in all directions. A
minimum of four horizontal door bars on the drivers side with a minimum of two
vertical bars between
each horizontal bar. “X”type bars will be allowed on passenger side. Left
leg protection bar must be installed between the roll cage and the left front
frame rail. Dash bar required, along with an “X”type member across and
behind driver. A so called “Petty”bar recommended to run from center of
cage to upper right front halo. A front engine bay hoop is allowed and may
connect directly to main cage. Bracing running from top of cage towards the
rear, should extend beyond fuel cell area before attaching to rear frame
rails. All welds must be electric or mig and will be subject to the approval
of tech inspectors. No offset cages allowed. All roll bars in the drivers area
must be properly padded and taped. All suspension mounting points must remain
in their stock locations. Front cross member may have snout removed and plated
for center link clearance. Structural X ing will be permitted in the
following areas of the chassis. Main frame rails may have X bracing under the
floor in the center section of the car. Rear clip may have X bracing above or
under the fuel cell area. Downward supports from main cage hoop to rear clip
may have X bracing. Rear frame sections may have 2”x3”replacement tubing
from top of kick-up rearward. Must retain original appearance.
B) SHOCKS
After-market racing
shocks will be allowed but must be non rebuildable, stock style steel shocks
in stock locations with stock style mounts.
C) SUSPENSIONS AND
FRAMES
All suspension and frame
components must be stock if not stated otherwise. No modification of stock
suspension locating points. Wheelbase must be a minimum of 101”. Springs and
steering components may be interchanged. All control arm rubber bushings may
be replaced with urethane or heavy plastic, steel, aluminum, or brass. Tubular
upper control arms permitted. Mono-ball type bushings will not be allowed. No
adjustable sway bars. Link kit lengths may vary side to side.
Springs may be stock or
after market with a minimum size of 4 inch outside diameter. Any and all
spring spacers, front and rear, must be non-adjustable (welded by fourth week
of racing). OEM rubber mounting adapters on rear springs will be allowed. Top
rear spring mounts may be manufactured but in stock location (non-adjustable).
Multi-hole spring shackles will not be permitted on leaf spring applications.
No “weight jacking”or weight transferring devices allowed.
D) WHEEL CAMBER
Strut cars may alter
front strut towers to adjust camber.
COOLING SYSTEM
No antifreeze permitted,
An overflow can must be installed on the firewall, behind
the right front
tire. Aluminum radiators permitted and electric fans permitted.
EXHAUST SYSTEM
Muffler(s) are
mandatory. Catalytic converter may be removed. Exhaust pipes must exit within
18" of the rear wheels. Pipes to be cut flush to the body and above the
frame rail or turned down at the exhaust end and exit under car. Exhaust pipes
should be firmly mounted high enough to avoid contact with the track surface
during racing conditions. The exhaust cannot have any sharp edges
or protrude outside of
the body line. Original cast iron exhaust manifolds only. No Ram Horn
manifolds or headers permitted. Maximum 2-1/4”O.D. pipe size before muffler
and maximum 3“after muffler. Magnaflow muffler #11215 (2-1/4”), #11216
(2-1/2”), or #11219 (3”) recommended (mandatory at Mosport). Enter step-up
to muffler to be a max. of 6”long. No e-vac system allowed.
FUEL
Pump fuel or track fuel
permitted. The gasoline shall not be blended with alcohols, ether or other
oxygenates. It shall not be blended with aniline or its derivatives, nitro
compounds or other nitrogen containing compounds. No NOS systems.
FUEL SYSTEM
A) FUEL CELL
Is Mandatory and must be
mounted in the center of the trunk area, with filler inside trunk. Fuel cell
maximum recommended capacity –15 gallons. The fuel cell must be separated
from the driver's compartment by an all metal firewall. There can be no
openings in the firewall and any holes must be filled in with metal. No filler
neck or fuel line is permitted inside of the driver's compartment. The
fuel cell must be firmly secured with steel straps to the floor of the
trunk. Minimum of two straps front and back, one side to side (straps
must be steel and a minimum of 1”x 1/8”flat strap or equivalent). A fuel
cell protection bar is mandatory. Minimum 1 ¾ inch O.D. .095 inches thick.
The bottom of the fuel cell may
be no lower than 13”from the ground to bottom of cell, and must be centered
in the chassis from side to side. No electric fuel pumps allowed unless on
fuel injected vehicles. All filler caps must be non-vented. No car will be
permitted to run if any sign of fuel leakage is found. The mounting of the
fuel tank is at the discretion of the tech inspector. Steel cased fuel filters
only. Cell ground strap and fuel cap attaching device are mandatory.
B) FUEL SHUT-OFF
There must be a fuel
shut off valve in working order and mounted in the rear firewall or window
parcel shelf accessible by safety personal. It must be brightly and neatly
marked "ON" and "OFF".
IGNITION & CHARGING
SYSTEM
OEM 12 volt stock
ignition, Must consist of stock or stock replacement parts only. No
aftermarket high performance ignition systems or printed circuit type
modules. Charging system is optional. Clearly marked KILL SWITCH
mandatory in main battery line or use of Ford solenoid is permitted. Clearly
marked KILL SWITCH to the ignition on each side of the dash is mandatory.
INTERIOR
With the exception of
the driver's seat, all upholstery materials and trim and padding must be
removed. Front and rear firewalls must have all holes and openings covered
with sheet metal. Area between fender and firewall must be filled with sheet
metal. Front firewall may be fabricated but must remain in stock location. Any
holes or openings in the floor pan or trunk area must be covered
with sheet metal.
Original floor pan must be retained on drivers side of interior. A
fabricated interior may be used on the passenger side of car. For transmission
clearance floor pan may be raised 12”above original position of drivers
floor pan. Passenger side floor may drop back down to original height or
maintain height of 12”to passenger door. Rear firewall may be fabricated.
Rear firewall may start behind seat at base of roll cage and extend rearward
to base of rear window opening. Rear firewall may not exceed height of rear
deck. Any and all fabricated interior must be built with a minimum of .022
gauge sheet metal. One stock interior mirror is permitted. No fuel or brake
lines or fuel filters permitted in the driver's compartment. No plastic gauge
lines. Roll bar padding is mandatory.
PAINT AND LETTERING
Only those cars who are
entered in the Thunder Car division and registered are permitted to prenumber
their car. Numbers of members must be on the sides of the car in large
(minimum 18") letters in a color that clearly contrasts to the paint job
on the car. All cars of non-members must have sides and roof clear so the
number assigned by the track official can be placed on the car. Sponsor's name
and logo may be placed any other place on the car. 4" number required on
right front of car. Vulgar words and expressions are not permitted.
RADIOS
No radios unless track
authorized one-way.
REAR AXLE
Welded locked rear ends
permitted. Steel Mini-spools are allowed. No posi, full aluminum or full
spools allowed. Rear end housings may be interchanged year to year. ( eg. 8 ½
“rear end may be used to replace a 7 ½ “rear end ).
SAFETY
A) HELMET & APPAREL
Driver’s fire suit is
mandatory. No coveralls. Driver and suit must maintain clean looking
appearance. Fireproof gloves, neck collar, balaclava, underwear, socks, and
shoes are recommended. No nylon shoes allowed. A Snell 2000 SA or newer
approved racing safety helmet and complete driver’s racing suit must be worn
in all practice and race events and until car is parked in pit area.
B) BELTS AND HARNESS
All cars must be
equipped with a quick release type, 5 point harness with a minimum 3" lap
belt and shoulder harness of 3", properly affixed to the roll cage or
chassis with aircraft quality bolts, no less than .375 (3/8) inches in
diameter. Head restraint strongly recommended. Seat belts must be dated and be
in excellent condition.
C) FIRE CONTROL
Cars must have a 2 ½
lbs minimum fire extinguisher with either a steel or aluminum
head mounted in a steel mounting bracket and must be bolted down, and within
driver’s reach with seat belts fastened. Fire extinguisher must be new or
serviced and inspected each year and dated no later than January 1st of the
current year.
D) SEAT
An aluminum racing seat
must be used, bolted to roll cage, not bolted to the floor. When
mounting seat use minimum 3/8”bolts with large washers to hold racing seat
to seat framework. Minimum of two bolts on the seat back and two bolts on the
seat bottom. Seat must be positioned completely to the left of the centerline
of the car. An approved head restraint must be made of some energy absorbing
material. Headrest side plates recommended.
E) WINDOW NET
Window net mandatory
with minimum 3/8 inch rod. Must have quick release.
TIRES
TRACK TIRE RULE WILL
APPLY, Specific track tire will be mandatory.
TRANSMISSION
You must use automatic
transmissions unless your engine size is 3.5 litre or less in which case you
may run a factory stock standard transmission, clutch and flywheel but scatter
protection must be used. No racing automatics. No after market valve bodies or
manual valve bodies allowed. Torque converters must be stock and be a minimum
of 11”diameter on V8s. Aftermarket shift kits and shifters permitted. All
cars must have a working reverse gear. Transmission coolers are
permitted but cannot be
mounted in the drivers compartment. Powerglide transmissions will be allowed
with a 50 lbs penalty. Driveshafts must be stock, steel and painted white. Two
steel drive shaft loops to fully enclose drive shaft are mandatory. Loops must
be no less than 2 inch wide and 1/4 inch thick and must be fastened to the
chassis front and rear.
WEIGHT
Maximum left side weight
53% and maximum rear weight of 45% with driver in car in 4 barrel carb cars.
55% left and 50% rear with 2 two barrel carb and 6 cyl. cars.
Minimum total weight 3150 lbs for V8s and 2800 for track approved V6s
including driver. 100 lbs penalty for fuel injected V8s. No topping up with
fuel after the feature. When adding ballast it must be in blocks of no less
than 5 pounds, bolted securely, painted white, be numbered and have min.
6”ground clearance.
WHEELS
No reverse or aluminum
type rim permitted. Steel only. Maximum rim width bead to bead: 8". Heavy
duty or racing rims may be run on all four wheels. Right front wheel MUST be a
racing rim. Minimum of 5/8”studs required.
WHEELBASE - TRACK WIDTH
Track width will be a
maximum of 64".
ENGINES :
BLOCK ASSEMBLY
Only engines that were
factory available for the make, model and year being run are permitted. No
modifications to engine block, cylinder head, crankshaft, camshaft or
connection rods unless specified. Maximum Cubic In. GM- 350 plus.040 for
clean-up
FORD- 351 ““
DODGE- 360 ““
Block may be zero
decked. No part of the piston can protrude above block deck.
PISTONS
OEM cast or forged
pistons allowed. No high performance pistons.
CAMSHAFT
OEM style Hydraulic cams
and lifters only, Double roller timing
chain
allowed.
Maximum Valve Lift: GM
410
Ford 448
Dodge 412
CARBURATION
Carburetor to be stock
only as from factory. Must bolt to original factory intake with no adapters.
The following are mandatory: two throttle springs running in two different
directions, throttle stop at the carb, solid linkage (no throttle cable) and a
toe bar. Cold air boxes are permitted, as long as they fit
under the hood. No air
ducting of any type allowed into the air box. CHRYCO may use quadrajet carb.
Fuel injected motors may be used if it is available in the make/model/year of
vehicle being run. Choke accessories may be removed. No adaptor plates
allowed. No truck carburetors. Rochester carburetor throttle body max. bore
diameter is 1-11/16”. Any stock boost (secondary) venturi allowed. No
GM Holley carbs.
COMPRESSION RULE
Maximum of 9.0 –1
Whistle up to 9.4 - 1 if checked hot.
CYLINDER HEADS
Must be stock for engine
being run, No head modification. NO DOUBLE BUMP
TYPE HEADS - NO 2.02
valves. No vortec V8 heads.
VALVES. Cylinder heads
may be changed from year to year provided they are not high performance. Stock
OEM rocker arms and ratio only. Screw in studs and guide plates are permitted.
Valve Size: GM Max. 1.94
intake and 1.60 exhaust
Cleveland Max. 2.04
intake and 1.65 exhaust
Windsor Max. 1.84 intake
and 1.64 exhaust
Chrysler Max. 1.88
intake and 1.60 exhaust
ENGINE MOUNTS
Solid engine and
transmission mounts are permitted but engine must remain in stock location or
equivalent.
FUEL PUMP
Stock location
mechanical pumps only unless running fuel injection.
HEIGHTS
Engine height will be a
minimum of 12 inches measured from ground to center of crankshaft.
INTAKE MANIFOLD
Original OEM cast iron
manifolds only. Only OEM type gasket allowed, no doubling of gaskets under
carb. No high rise or aluminum intakes.
VALVES
Valve stem diameter must
be stock. Stainless steel or stock type valves are allowed. No turning of
valve stems permitted. Undercut and light weight valves are not permitted. OEM
rocker arms and ratio only. Dodge may use adjustable rockers.
WATER PUMP
No aluminum pumps
allowed on GM, stock OEM replacement pumps only. Aluminum pulleys
allowed.
OIL PAN AND LUBRICATION
Extra capacity
aftermarket wetsump oil pans are allowed.