Usac: Usac national rule changes and enforcements for 2020
 

1/23/20 11:37 AM USAC NATIONAL RULE CHANGES AND ENFORCEMENTS FOR 2020

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USAC NATIONAL RULE CHANGES AND ENFORCEMENTS FOR 2020

Speedway, Indiana (January 23, 2020)………USAC has announced rule changes and enforcements to be utilized beginning with the 2020 season for the USAC Silver Crown Champ Car, AMSOIL National Sprint Car and NOS Energy Drink National Midget series.

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ALL DIVISIONS:

In Silver Crown, National Sprint and National Midget competition, lapped cars will be sent to the tail of the field for all restarts during the feature event.

All radius rods must be one piece on cars for the Silver Crown, National Sprint and National Midget divisions in 2020.* No spring rods or shock dampers will be allowed.

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SILVER CROWN:

The weight rule for Silver Crown has been increased to 1,675 pound minimum, with driver. *Rules regarding added weight for aluminum blocks will remain the same.

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AMSOIL NATIONAL SPRINT CARS:

Split qualifying will be retained for 2020.* In the event of more than 36 cars in attendance, qualifying will be split into two flights.* Cars will only qualify against other cars in their flight and fill heats 1-2 or heats 3-4. *For lineup purposes, the fastest qualifier in the slower flight will be considered the #2 seed.* That will continue through the field and be used to grid feature lineups. Qualifying points will be awarded to the overall fastest six.

For the feature lineup, positions 7-10 will be filled by the heat race winners in order of heat races.* If a car in the top-6 feature invert wins a heat race, the available spots 7-10 are filled by qualification order of cars qualified for the feature event.

If there are 30 cars or less, three heat race events will be conducted.* If there are 31 or more cars in attendance, four heat races will be conducted.

The weight rule for Sprints has been increased to 1,375 pound minimum, with driver.

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NOS ENERGY DRINK MIDGET NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP:

In the National Midget division, no split qualifying will be held.

For the feature lineup, positions 7-10 will be filled by the heat race winners in order of heat races.* If a car in the top-6 feature invert wins a heat race, the available spots 7-10 are filled by qualification order of cars qualified for the feature event.

If there are 30 cars or less, three heat race events will be conducted.* If there are 31 or more cars in attendance, four heat races will be conducted.

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Over the years USAC has been pretty much set in their ways, as far as their format is concerned. While watching single car qualifying on a dirt track (especially on the Action Track, to me) is one of the greatest things in motorsports, the downside has always been that it pretty much sets the lineup in stone, no matter how hard a driver races in their heat. The exception being the change made in recent years that excluded B Main transfers from the invert. Several of these changes announced today are landmark ones, as far as I'm concerned. Ones that will have an immediate effect on the quality of the program. Especially the rule guaranteeing the worst a heat race winner can start in the feature is 10th. The driver that just so happened to have a bad qualifying attempt isn't necessarily buried all night long. There is a now a way they can redeem themselves and put themselves in a much better situation. It adds a whole new dynamic and and another dimension to the heat races. And the alternate seeding of qualifying flights makes the concept of 2 different flights make perfect sense now and is a true compensation for changing track conditions during the qualifying session.

Bravo, USAC. I think you've made some changes that will make the racing even better.

Jerry

I was hoping to see them go back to 8 car inverts in heats especially on half miles where the heats haven't been that good. Also, I think the cut off for 4 heats should be 28 cars instead of 30. I'd rather see 4, 7 car heats than 3, 9 car heats especially when they only invert 6. The 9th and 10th cars might as well not even be out there.

Re: Usac: Usac national rule changes and enforcements for 20
 

I generally like these changes. Also puts a lot of emphasis on a heat race win especially if you didn't qualify well.

Re: Usac: Usac national rule changes and enforcements for 20
 

For the most part the changes by USAC are good moves in the right direction and I agree with Jerry that the one with the heat winners starting seventh through tenth give an added incentive especially to someone who may not time trial well. The only change I do not like is moving the lap cars to the rear on every restart. My feelings are that the leader has worked hard to get by these other guys and put some distance between himself and his pursuers and you reward the chasers by taking away his hard work and move them back to his tail tank. Doesn't seem fair to me if you are the leader of the pack.

Bruce Eckel

Like most of it, but fans deserve more than 3 heats. 28 is the right number, particularly since most races are now on tracks less than 1/2 mile

Re: Usac: Usac national rule changes and enforcements for 20
 

Plus for those of you that were at Haubstadt when Mario Clouser unlapped himself after caution was amazing. That woulda never happened if he was moved to the back. Now I believe that there were around 10 laps or so to go, but just ask Dave Darland who saw how Clouser was running and followed suit. Turned out pretty good for Dave I'd say. Tough decision, we all want to see good racing,

I have mixed feelings on the lap cars. I agree it’s only fair if the leader worked past them everyone else should to but also like the point that it will probably lead to closer finishes. Also a thumbs up on the heat race winners from me

Re: Usac: Usac national rule changes and enforcements for 20
 

Pretty sure the previous rule was move lapped cars to the back only with 5 or less laps to go.

Re: Usac: Usac national rule changes and enforcements for 20
 

So who are the first 6?
Fast qualifiers who made it thru heats, or can a B-Main guy still start ahead of heat winner?