Dirt Squirts Kart Club

Rules Package 2025

 

Four Fathers (Governing Body):

Jeff Conklin

Alan Gary

 Shawn Krause (Cooter)

Shawn Brown

 

Hierarchy:

Track and kart rules and regulations will be governed by the four, voted in, Four Fathers: Jeff Conklin, Alan Gary, Shawn Krause (Cooter), and Shawn Brown.  All questions and concerns regarding this document must be directed to one of these four individuals and they will be addressed properly.  The hope is that we will not have any need to discipline or remove drivers, and that when it is time to race, we do it with a common level of respect and self-governing that will always dictate a fun and fair race day.  With that said, the four fathers reserve the right to refuse anyone to race if violations support that.  All changes to this document and all voting related matters will be voted upon by the four fathers and are enacted with a majority vote, however in the situation where the vote goes to a tie then the entire present membership of the club less the four fathers will vote and majority vote will rule.  Full club membership voting will be conducted via text message or in person at a club event.  When conducted via text message only responses received within 24 hours will be tallied and when conducted in person only members present at that event will participate in the vote.  Four father positions must be nominated by one of the active four fathers then voted in by a full membership roll vote as above.

 

Membership:

This is a club, as the name indicates, and as such membership is required in order to race in a Dirt Squirts Kart Club event.  In order to obtain membership, you must request membership from one of the four fathers at which point it will go to a vote.  Membership voting is conducted in the same manner as above for rules.  A member may at anytime withdraw their membership by stating so to any of the four fathers and that member would require a new vote to reinstate membership.  As a member of the club, members are expected to participate in race day events and to assist as a volunteer as time allows.

 

Dates:

The 2025 season will be comprised of 8 points races, starting in late April 2025.  Race dates, locations, and times will be released on or before March 1^st. 

Races will start promptly at their scheduled time, late entries will be accepted on a case-to-case basis, anyone that misses the drivers meeting will start from the rear of the field in Heat 2 and in order of arrival.

The track will open for Hot Laps one hour before the races start, if you’re unfamiliar with the track it is recommended that you get to the track early enough to run some practice laps.  Race event location will be open one hour before the track opens and it is recommended that you take time to walk the track to inspect for anything you may deem a hazard.

 

Club Dues:

Each member is responsible to pay $40 in club dues for each season.  This cost is to cover the purchase of season T-shirts and to cover the cost of our end of year banquet.  Exceptions will be made for a driver whom only wishes to race one or two races in a season, in which case they may pay $10 per race event to participate.  Any driver that does not pay a full $40 in dues will not receive a T-shirt and will not be invited to the banquet at the end of the season.

Club dues are due prior to waiver signing which will take place prior to the start of the first race of the season.  Please plan to pay them at our practice session or at the first race, do not expect to drive without paying club dues.  Do not make us chase you down for club dues.

 

Race:

Disclaimer - Our ultimate goal is for everyone to be at the track by no later than 1 hour before the first heat race, there is a lot of track prep and setup that needs to happen.  It is not only the responsibility of the governing body to prep for race day but the membership as a whole.  The decision was made to never have more than 13 karts on the track racing at one time, doing the math we came up with the rules for determining lineups and order of operations. 

This will be a living portion of the document that may be changed if we find that things are not working as we planned.  Any changes made will be done with ample notification and utilize extensive input from drivers.

 

 

Order of Operations

 

When racing at any of the Dirt Squirts home tracks:

With at least 11 drivers present at the drivers meeting, the race weekend will consist of two Heat races and two Features.  If there are only 10 Karts ready and able to race prior to the beginning of the B Main, then there will only be one Feature race and the starting order will be determined by having the finishing order from the first heat make up the inside line and the finishing order from the second heat make up the outside row. 

When racing at any other tracks, we will follow the order of operations dictated by said track and races will be full field or single heat and single main.

*Heat Races - The starting grid will be determined by the lap times recorded during Hot Laps.  The first Heat will be made up of the odd speeds from fastest to slowest, the second Heat will be made up of the even speeds from fastest to slowest, this will split the field in half with a larger group in the first race to allow for any late arrivals.  Any late drivers would start at the back of the field of the second heat.  If we have 10 or fewer drivers then a single heat will be ran.  If we have between 11 and 20 then two heats will be ran.  If we have 21 to 24 drivers at the drivers meeting, then we will have three heats.  An equal number or drivers will be split into the heats with fewest drivers in the later heats.  If we have issues with the electronics then starting order will be determined by random draw.

*Feature Races – We will have an A Main and a B Main, A Main will be considered the Feature Race and will consist of the top half of the field from both heats, while the B Main will be made up of the bottom finishes of the heats.  We will only take 20 drivers into the Main events so any driver finishing the heats outside the top 20 has been eliminated for the day.  If the count is uneven, there will be more karts transferred to the A Main than B Main.  For example, with 13 karts, if there are 7 drivers in the first heat, the top 4 will move on to the A Main and start on what would be the inside line, while the 3 lowest finishes will compete in the B Main starting on the inside line.  The top half of the second heat will do the same as the first heat, competing in the A Main, but they will start on what would be the outside line, while the bottom half of the second heat will compete in the B Main starting on the outside line.  If three heats were run then order follows same pattern; heat 1=pole, heat 2=2^nd, and heat 3=3^rd.  The winner of the B Main will receive the transfer spot into the Feature race along with a 2 point bonus for the win.  The four fathers reserve the right to move to a single main event when they dictate there are too few karts to run two.

When the races begin, you are to slowly drive your Kart onto the track and begin making caution laps while finding your way to your starting position.  If you’re having trouble getting your Kart started, the flagman will wait approximately 2 minutes from when half of the karts have found their positions under caution.  Once all karts are in their correct starting position or the two minutes has expired the flagman will wave the green flag to start the race.

Any driver/team who is found purposely trying to hold up the start of the race will be signaled by the flagman and start from the rear of the field.

All races will have double file starts and single file restarts.  All starts and restarts will take place at a consistent speed. Front row karts are responsible for an even and clean start.

Starts and restarts will be at the exit of turn 3. The Flagman signals the start of the race when leader reaches start cone or start marking by waving the Green Flag.

Passing for the full field is allowed as soon as the leader crosses the Start/Finish line.

Absolutely no one except the flagman is supposed to walk on the track during an event, this can result in serious injury and possible penalties if considered flagrant .  Even the flagman needs to use their best judgment and only enter the track to remove debris or in an emergency, if you get hit by a Go-kart on the track, it’s your own fault!

Auxiliary flagmen may be posted around the course with Yellow & Red flags and radios to communicate with the Main Flagman.  Auxiliary flaggers are only allowed to help drivers in danger, right flipped karts, or to move Karts off track, then return immediately to your post.  Do not assist in repair or restart karts.  Drivers must restart their own kart.

If your Kart is broke down or stopped on the track, DO NOT exit the kart until it is clearly safe.  Once safe, your first priority needs to be moving your Kart off the track.  Anyone trying to repair or manually restart their kart while on the track will be sent to the rear of the field.  If you feel your Kart break, your natural reaction should be to steer it off track so as not to impede the race.

Laps Run Under Caution Count Towards The Overall Lap Count.

When the caution flag is displayed on any oval track, the leader needs to slow down to a reduced speed while the rest of the field files in their position single file.  As soon as the track is clear and the Karts are lined up properly, the flagman will resume the race by waving the green flag at the Start/Finish line.

Road course tracks will not have full course cautions unless there is a dangerous situation, this will be indicated by the main flagman waving the yellow, this will indicate a full course caution.  All other situations will be handled with localized cautions.  When a driver sees a caution flag on the road course, they are to proceed with extreme caution until they have made it safely past the hazard.  Do not attempt to make a pass while in a localized caution zone.

If the caution comes out during the final laps of the race, the field will line up for one attempt at a Green-White-Checkered finish.  These laps can be in addition to the initial total lap count.

Out of bounds will be indicated by brightly painted lines, covered tires or barrels, hay bales, or orange cones on the inside of the track or turn.  This will be self-governed and any driver who intentionally and/or repeatedly crosses the line will not receive points for the race.  DON’T CHEAT AND RESPECT THE PROPERTY BY STAYING ON THE DESIGNATED TRACK!!!

DO NOT under any circumstance attempt pit maneuvers, brake checks, and try to avoid tire contact as much as possible.  These Karts are going to hit one another, but everyone has invested a lot of time and money into their Karts, so it is expected that any contact outside the guidelines is unintentional.

Blocking is only legal between Karts on the same lap, you can block in an attempt to stay on the lead lap, but it is illegal to block anyone that has lapped your Kart.  If you have been lapped by the entire field you should not run the ideal line, at that point you should be on the outside of track and out of the way.

If you break down on the same lap as another Kart, the Kart furthest on the track takes the position, if you break down on a caution lap, whatever lap you finished last will be your finishing position, if you cannot make it to the starting grid before the 2 minute cutoff, you can enter the race at any time as long as you do so safely.  If you cannot get your Kart going prior to the White Flag, your Kart finishing position will be considered last place for that race.

Once the Checkered Flag has waved, all drivers must take one full cool down lap to allow the rest of the field to finish the race.  Leader should wait to do victory lap until last kart has finished cool down lap.

All track rules must be followed, this pertains especially to non-club tracks.  Drive extremely slowly through pit areas.  No alcohol is permitted in the pits at the non-club tracks.  It is expected that all drivers will respect the rules of these tracks and represent the club in a positive way.

 

Contact:

Intentional contact is illegal, penalties will be issued by the uninvolved four fathers for any contact deemed intentional.

Intentional contact – When two Karts come together due to an intentional act by one of the drivers.

Incidental contact – When two Karts come together through a racing incident, that is, neither diver intentionally drove into another kart and/or neither driver feels that the contact was intentional or harmful.

A driver who feels contact is intentional can submit their complaint in writing to any one of the four fathers, the complaint will be reviewed by four fathers not involved and any penalties will be considered retroactive for the race the incident happened.

If the four fathers deem the incident as intentional, they will then issue a penalty based on the criteria below.

Loss of 1 position – If the offender has no history and the result of the collision made no significant changes in the race.

Finish in last place – The contact was obviously intentional and the offender has a history of collisions or minor damage was inflicted to either Kart.

No points awarded – The race was significantly affected, either Kart suffered serious damage or the incident happened during caution.

Forcing someone off the track, even without physical contact, is grounds for a black flag.  This is up to the four father’s discretion.  Leaving the track to avoid contact does not count as being forced off the track.

Contact penalties will not be initiated, governed or enforced by the four fathers without a formal complaint being filed.  Any contact unaddressed will be simply referred to as a “Racing Incident”.

Karts/Safety:

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF YOU AND YOUR KART!!!

Motor restrictions (Big Block Series):

            Motor must be a 4 stroke, no 2 stroke engines are allowed.

            All motors must be carbureted and naturally aspirated, no fuel injection and no turbo chargers.

            Motors cannot have an overhead cam.

            459cc Honda Clone Engines:

Limited to Stage 1 Mods only (exhaust, intake, and carb jet), governor may be removed.

            440cc Honda Clone Engines:

Limited to Stage 1 Mods only (exhaust, intake, and carb jet), governor may be removed.

            420cc Honda Clone Engines:

Limited to Stage 3 Mods maximum (Stage 1, Stage 2, and Racing cam shaft, billeted fly wheel, and billeted piston rod).  No machined heads or any other modifications not listed here are allowed.

All motors above 230cc must be Honda or Honda clone engines (Predator, Lifan, and Duromax are examples).  Maximum of 459cc with above listed restrictions.

            Any motor under 230cc has no limits or restrictions, other those listed here.

Motor restrictions (Small Block Series):

This class is a lightly modified predator 212 class so the following mods only apply to the predator 212, however any unmodified 6.5hp or less engine will be permitted to race.

            Motor must be naturally aspirated.

            Stage 1 Mod (intake and exhaust) with governor removed is all that is acceptable.

            No carburetor restrictions.

Seatbelts are Required, 3 point admissible, 4 point or better preferred.

Helmets are required including face shield or goggles. 

*Action Park East, Champion Speedway, and Penn Can all require a full-face helmet, pants, and durable jacket.

Neck brace must be worn at all times when kart is on the track.

Kill switch must be located on steering wheel, dash area, or within easy reach of driver and function properly.

Karts are required to have roll bar or brush guard that would keep your kart from laying on top of you in the case of a roll over, and proper protection against bodily injury if there are accidents.

Karts require a live rear axle, independent rear suspension is illegal.

Karts are required to have working brakes, if it becomes apparent that you do not have functional brakes then you will be eliminated from the raceday until your brakes are functional.

Karts are required to have no more than a 3 digit number displayed where score keeper can see it, and your transponder must be securely mounted on the nose of your kart, unobstructed from overhead.

If you have Kart troubles and have to leave the race track, do so in the safest way possible utilizing pit road entry and exits properly.  If you return to the track after repairs, enter in the designated area when it is clear that you won’t impede the race, and get up to speed as fast as possible.

The points go to the Kart number, so back up Karts, or relief drivers are legal.  However, the Driver/Kart combination cannot change between the Green Flag and the Checkered Flag of an individual race.  The points will be awarded to the kart assigned to the transponder that is mounted to the nose of the kart as long as the kart has entered the race legitimately.

During each event, four fathers reserve the right to choose 2 kart numbers at random and a thorough inspection will be done to ensure the kart passes safety inspection.

 

 

Public Relations:

The Facebook page, YouTube channel, and the website dirtsquirtskartclub.com is for fun, such as adding pictures and videos, updating information and communications, but it can also be used for potentially adding racers, obtaining a permanent flagman, score keeper, and spectators.  Please refer any questions or concerns from the public to the four fathers so that we can ensure that only accurate and consistent information is given.

 

Score Keeping:

The starting position for the Heat races will be determined by lap times recorded during Hot Laps prior to the drivers meeting or by random draw.  If you win the pole position for either race, you’re responsible for running flags in the opposite race, this does not mean you have to do it yourself, only that you’re responsible for making sure the job is covered, your backup is the driver that starts fourth behind you.  If you qualify 2^nd or 3^rd, you’re responsible for keeping score, this works the same as flagman responsibility with the back up being the 5^th and 6^th place drivers.  This will work the same way for the feature races, your starting position determines your responsibility when you’re not racing.  Obviously, any dedicated Flagmen or Scorekeepers would dismiss this responsibility.

Green Flag: When the green flag is displayed the track is open for racing. The Green flag signifies the start of each race. Passing is not permitted before the green flag is displayed at the designated point.

Yellow Flag: CAUTION. When the Yellow flag comes out SLOW DOWN!  We DO NOT race back to the start/finish line. Stay in single file formation. If you do not cooperate you will be put to the rear of the field.

Red Flag: Stop as soon as safely possible but remain in your kart unless there is an unsafe condition.  An example would be fire or someone in another kart that needs immediate attention.  Any rollover that results in a kart that is no longer on its wheels (side or top) will result in a red flag and drivers should exit their karts to ensure there are no injuries and assist with getting the driver safe.

Black Flag: If you go by the flagman and he is pointing the Black Flag at you, you’re doing something wrong!  The Black Flag will be shown to anyone who is illegally blocking, going out of bounds repeatedly, or has any unsafe condition with them or their Kart.  If you see the flagman pointing the Black Flag at you in a closed fist, do your best to remedy the situation.  After being warned for no more than 2 laps, the flagman will wave the Black Flag towards you and your laps will no longer be counted.

White Flag: One more lap to the finish.

Green/White Cross, in a closed fist: Half way point in the race

Green/White Side by Side, in a closed fist: Two laps left

Checkered Flag: The race is officially complete.

If the flagman is holding the flag with the flag bunched up in a closed fist, this is not an active flag, this can be used to point drivers in the right direction, warn them of a possible infraction, or indicate lap numbers in the race.

 

Points:

The points will be awarded in the Feature Race from the first-place finisher to the final spot in the A Main Feature Race, this can go up to 11^th in points.  The B Main will pick up from the next available position and go through the finishing order to as far down as 20^th.  The B Main winner will forfeit the B main points and start in the transfer position with 2 Bonus Points.  Drivers who showed up but were eliminated due to position will receive 50 points if they remain at the race after elimination.  If you leave you forfeit the points.

 

Points based on finishing order:

 

1st Place	100 Points		8th Place	76 Points		15th Place	62 Points
2nd Place	95 Points		9th Place	74 Points		16th Place	60 Points
3rd Place	90 Points		10th Place	72 Points		17th Place	58 Points
4th Place	86 Points		11th Place	70 Points		18th Place	56 Points
5th Place	83 Points		12th Place	68 Points		19th Place	54 Points
6th Place	80 Points		13th Place	66 Points		20th Place	52 Points
7th Place	78 Points		14th Place	64 Points		20th – 24th	50 Points

 

The points are assigned to the number, so drivers who cannot make it to a race are allowed to have a fill in in driver drive a Kart with the points going to whatever number is assigned to the Kart. 

 

If you’re unable to find a fill in driver, each point awarded driver/number combination will be allowed 1 wash race for the season.  This means you can miss one full race for the season and this will be simply washed from your total, driver/number combinations who compete in all 8 races in 2025 will be able to wash their lowest scoring race from their season total.  Every Kart number that receives points for all 8 races will be required to wash 1 race from their total, this means the total points for every Kart number will be comprised of 7 races, the 8^th race will be washed away, including all bonus points.  Tie Breaker will go to the most feature wins followed by highest feature finish and so on.

 

There will be an 8 point bonus for any driver that makes it to every race in the 2025 season.  You do not need to compete in every race, but you do need to be a part of the race day activities, e.g. scorekeeper, flagman, etc.  If a driver cannot make a race but their kart is there with a fill in driver this still counts toward the attendance bonus.

 

If the four fathers decided that only a single heat will be ran on a race day then both the first and second place finishers for the heat race will receive Heat race win bonus.  This includes when a single heat is run at non-club tracks.

 

If a driver shows up to a race with their kart and is unable to race in their heat then they would automatically start last place for their feature.  If they are unable to start their feature race then they will receive last place points for the day.  If that driver chooses to leave the track then a -10 point DNS penalty will be applied to the last place points that would be awarded for the day.

 

Any driver that does not show up or shows up without their kart on a scheduled race day will receive 0 points for that day.  Showing up without a kart will still count toward attendance bonus.

 

5 bonus points will be awarded for a Heat race win.  First receives 5 bonus points and second receives 3 bonus points for single heat race.

 

2 bonus points will be awarded for a B Feature win.

 

8 bonus points will be awarded for perfect attendance.

 

****Four fathers reserve the right to make decisions on race day that are in conflict with this rule package as necessary to fit unforeseen circumstances.  All decisions like this will be voted upon and discussed openly to provide transparency for all drivers present.****