2008 Rules and Regulations
Modified:
2/26/2008
By Chuck
Moddrell
Approved
2/27/2008 By:
Tom Nelson,
Doug
Hendrickson,
Chuck Moddrell
Scott Ackerman
Jeff Schlagel
John Gray
Kyle Patrick
Questions or comments may be addressed
to the USSBA Board of Directors through the following methods:
Contact Doug Hendrickson, President
509-266-4643 or via email to the Board of Directors through
the USSBA Website at: www.ussbaracing.com
Warranty Disclaimer:
The rules promulgated in this Rule Book are intended as guidelines for the
sport of Sprint Boating, and the rules relating to the safety of equipment are
the responsibility of each individual who participates in the sport of Sprint
Boat Racing under these rules. No
express or implied warranty of safety is intended nor may be inferred from the
publication of this document nor the compliance therewith.
NOTHING
CONTAINED HEREIN SHOULD BE CONSTRUED AS A GUARANTEE AGAINST INJURY OR DEATH TO
PARTICIPANTS, BY-STANDERS OR SPECTATORS.
The rules contained herein are intended
solely for the governance of USSBA sanctioned events and may or may not meet
the requirements for international competition.
For more information on international rules, please contact your local
UIM representative.
Table of Contents
2
3A
3B
4
5
6
Technical
Inspection:7
8
9
10
11
13A
13B
13C
13D
Nationals: 14
15
USSBA
Pre Race Technical Inspection Sheet: 16
:17
Sanctioned Points Race
Schedule: 18
(A) DNF: Did Not
Finish. Driver didn’t successfully
complete the designated course. Entering
a wrong channel, wrecking, beaching or otherwise needing assistance of the
safety crew constitutes a DNF. Receiving
a DNF during a qualifying round means no time is awarded to the driver for that
round. Receiving a DNF in every qualifying
round means no time is awarded and the driver does not qualify for the
elimination rounds. Receiving a DNF
during the elimination rounds automatically eliminates the driver from the
remainder of the event.
(B) DNS: Did Not
Start. Driver was unable to start a run
within the 5 minutes of a call to start.
Receiving a DNS during a qualifying round means no time is awarded to
the driver for that round. Receiving a
DNS in every qualifying round means no time is awarded and the driver does not
qualify for the elimination rounds.
Receiving a DNS during the elimination rounds automatically eliminates
the driver from the remainder of the event.
(C) DQ:
Disqualified. Any participant
disqualified from a sanctioned points event, by the sanctioning body or their
appointed representative, for any reason, immediately forfeits all entry fees,
prize money and points accrued for the event.
(D)
Chain Of Command: The Chain
of Command for problem resolution during an event will be as follows:
(1) Begin by
addressing the issue to the designated representative for your class.
(2) The class
representative will in turn address the issue to the Race Controller.
(3) During the period of time that the race
controller is resolving the issue, the race course will be red flagged and
closed, and remain closed until the issue has been resolved by the race
controller or the matter has been turned over to the USSBA board of directors
by the race controller.
(4) If the problem
can’t be resolved satisfactorily, the USSBA Officers and Board of Directors
will be consulted for a definitive and final ruling on the issue.
(A) All boats and drivers must
comply with the Associations technical inspection list, which will be updated once
per year, unless a serious safety situation is found.. Drivers and navigators must be current
members of the U.S. Sprint Boat Association.
Valid membership cards may be required for registration. All pit crew participants are encouraged to
become USSBA members.
(B) All drivers participating in
a point’s event shall be required to possess a valid U.S. Sprint Boat
Association driver’s license for the class they are competing in. These must be presented at race registration
if requested.
(C) Crew and boat registration
and technical inspection must be completed prior to launching boat.
(D) Minimum age for driver is 16 years; minimum age for
navigator is 16 years. Navigators under 16 may compete provided the
parent or legal guardian has given written consent. Proof of age may will be required.
(E) Each boat team shall consist
of a driver and a navigator.
(F) Once a driver and navigator
have registered for the event as a team, they will be the only participants
allowed to compete on that team. Driver
and navigator may not switch seats during an event. During an event a navigator can be replaced
for good cause, subject to the approval of the racing committee for that event,
as long as that navigator is a paid member of the USSBA. The navigator can only be changed during the
qualification rounds. No swapping will be allowed during the elimination
rounds. All other conditions must be met
for the replacement navigator with respect to forms, ID, age, and USSBA
membership.
(G) A racer can run in two different classes as
long as he is running two different boats, has been issued a drivers license
for each class the driver chooses to compete in, and has paid separate entry
fees for each class.
(H) The use of safety equipment,
specified within this document, is mandatory any time the boat is underway with
no exceptions. This will be strictly
enforced.
(I) Any driver wishing to test a
boat must do so away from the pits and course area. Local rules and laws must be observed at all
times.
(J) Boats will not exceed a speed
more than required to maintain forward motion in the pit area.
(K) No more than 2 teams per boat
will be allowed, unless otherwise approved by the race committee for that
event.
(L) All crews must attend drivers meeting prior
to the event. This means driver and
navigator. If attendance can't be met
you must appoint someone represent your team.
Ignoring this meeting (negligence) is grounds for disqualification.
(M) After starting order has been set, if for
good reason a boat cannot start in the order drawn, the race controller or
Launch Master will be immediately notified. Five minutes will be given after
the call to start to correct the problems and get staged. A DNS designation will be given if the 5
minute clock cannot be met.
(N) Sprint course planning and layout will be
done by at least one licensed USSBA driver who has past experience in course
layout, design, and course saftey. Any
protest of the course shall be done through the race committee. No one
except the race committee and race controller together may change or alter the
course.
(O) Prior to each event, 1 driver
from each class, will be appointed to be the representative for each class,
participating in that event. These
people will be announced at the drivers meeting. Any protests during the event will be taken
to the specified class representative, who will in turn address the issue with
the race controller.
(P) A minimum of 1 boat is
required to make a class.
17. Noise limits of the boats will be 98
DB as measured at a distance of 100 feet, 90 degrees to the boat. Every effort will be made by the race
officials to determine any restrictions prior to the event, to allow any
modifications of the boats prior to the technical inspection. The event organizer has sole discretion to
waive the noise limits for any event.
(Q) FLAGS/LIGHT TREE:
Green - Starter flag.
Red - Course closed.
Black - Disqualification, leave course.
(R) The staging area will be
identified. A raised green flag means
course is clear and the next boat has one minute to enter the staging area.
(S) Once the boat is in the
staging area, and at idle speed, the green flag will wave, signaling the boat
to begin. The actual timing will start
as the boat crosses a fixed reference poin
(T) If the boat fails to launch
due to a plugged pump intake grate, the driver may elect to waive off the run
and immediately return to the pit area and rectify the issue, after which
he/she will be given another attempt to start the run. Five minutes will be
given to correct the problem and get re-staged. If the problem cannot be
rectified and the boat re-staged within the 5 minute period, the boat will
receive a DNF for the round. A maximum of two restarts will be allowed per
round. No waive offs are allowed for
mechanical problems, the driver must attempt to run the course or return to the
pits and take a DNF.
(U) Drivers may switch boats in qualifying rounds
only. The boat that is raced during elimination rounds must have been
successfully qualified.
(V) The race officials have the authority to
investigate boats for the compliance of rules at any time during an event.
(W) Boat numbers must be requested from and
assigned by the USSBA Secretary and will remain the property of the participant
as long as the number is entered into at least one sanctioned event during the
past 2 seasons. If a number becomes
inactive due to non-participation, it can then be assigned to a new owner by
the USSBA Secretary.
(X) All event promoters and
tracks must schedule their race dates by a USSBA approved deadline in
order to hold a USSBA sanctioned points
event. All event promoters and tracks, scheduling a race after the deadline,
will only be allowed to schedule a USSBA sanctioned non-points event.
The deadline for scheduling a USSBA
sanctioned points race is January 31st for each respective year.
1. The boat must follow the exact course as
designated for the event.
2. Cutting the course or running the wrong
course will be a DNF with no time being awarded for that round.
3. If you miss a turn
during your run it will be scored as a DNF. You cannot go back and pick up the
course. The driver will exit the course immediately, via the shortest and
safest route possible.
4. If a boat runs aground, is stuck for more
than 20 seconds, is touched by the safety crew, or one of the occupants
unbuckles their safety harnesses the boat will receive a DNF for that run.
5. Upon receiving a DNF, the driver will exit
the course immediately, via the shortest and safest route possible.
6. At no time will a boat utilize the start
channel as a path back to the pits. Any
boat guilty of this will be immediately disqualified for the remainder of the
event.
1.
The boat must pass on the proper side of the colored buoys. (i.e. Red buoy passes to the right side of
the boat and white buoy passes to the left side of the boat.)
2. If the boat passes over a buoy and
the buoy does not show on the proper side of the boat, a 2 second penalty will
be assessed. If the boat misses a buoy,
a 10 second penalty will be assessed.
3. Cutting the course or running the
wrong course will be a DNF with no time being awarded for that round.
4. If a boat runs aground, is stuck for
more than 20 seconds, is touched by the safety crew, or one of the occupants
unbuckles their safety harnesses the boat will receive a DNF for that run.
5.
Upon receiving a DNF, the driver will exit the course immediately, via
the shortest and safest route possible.
(A) Boat drivers will accrue points throughout
the season at each sanctioned points event that they participate in. This system will lead to a season ending
champion in each class.
(B) Points are accrued in the class that the
driver enters in each sanctioned points event and will be totaled separately
for each class. The points a driver earns
in one class can’t be combined with points for another class.
(C) Points are awarded on the following scale for
each sanctioned points event, excluding the national finals race, in which all
points are doubled:
30 points for showing up and entering a boat
in the event.
60 points for successfully qualifying, plus
an additional:
64 points for successfully qualifying
fastest for each class.
4 points less for each subsequent
qualifying position. (i.e. 60 for 2nd, 56 for 3rd etc.)
300 Points for 1st place finish.
10 Points less for each subsequent finishing position (i.e.
290 for 2nd, 280 for 3rd). Points will be awarded to all boats in each class that
have run a successful qualifing round, from fastest in the elimination round,
to slowest in the qualifying round. (See Section 4-F)
(D) Any driver who fails to make it into the
elimination rounds will be placed and awarded points based on fastest
qualifying time with the following exception:
1D) Any superboat driver who has
been granted an emergency waiver to drive another boat must qualify that boat within 10% of the fastest
qualifing time of superboats for that race. If the driver fails to meet these
conditions, that driver will be awarded points for showing up and qualifing,
but will forfeit all placement points for that race. (Ref: Superboat
Class/Special Rules)
(E) In case of a tie, both drivers will be
awarded the same place points and then skip the next place in line. (i.e. tie
for 10th, both drivers receive 210 points and the next place awarded
is 12th)
(F) No placement points will be awarded to a
driver that doesn’t successfully complete at least 1 qualifying run.
(G) For scoring purposes, a DNF will score higher
than a DNS. Multiple DNF’s in a round
are considered a tie between those competitors.
Multiple DNS’s also constitute a tie between those competitors.
(C) A sanctioned race will consist of 4
qualifying rounds for each class unless the USSBA Board of Directors, based on
promoters input, determines that there are too many boats for a normal venue. . Order of running will
be as follows: ”slowest to fastest”, for each respective class, as determined by the
best time for all four qualifying rounds of the previous sanctioned points race
by the Secretary/treasurer or his/her designated representative The first 15 (fifteen) (as
determined by the largest class size) drivers to sign up, will draw a number.
The first number drawn will be assigned to the first line of the qualifying
sheet of all classes, the second number drawn to the second line..etc,
for all respective classes. The qualifying order for that race will be
determined by the lowest number drawn running first through the highest number
running last for all rounds of qualifying for that particular race event. A new
order will be drawn for each individual race event of the season.
All entrants must run in the specific order
of placement as determined by the Secretary/Treasurer, with the following
exception: entrants who fall under the 5 minute rule may be temporarily
replaced by the next boat in order as determined by the launch controller . No
entrant will be allowed more than one qualifying run during any round of qualifying Qualification rounds will then be followed by
slow boat out eliminations down to a 1st place finisher in each
class.
(D) At the completion of the qualifying rounds,
the top 8 boats in each class, based on fastest time, which successfully made a
qualifying round, will advance to the first elimination round. The boats will run in an order from slowest
to fastest.
(E) The elimination rounds will consist of one
each of the following rounds: (8 Cut) from 8 down to 4, (4-cut) from 4 down to
2, and (Championship) from 2 down to the winner with the following exception:
If there are less than 4 boats that advanced to the elimination round in any
class, and at the discretion of the class, the 8 cut may be eliminated and
continue with the 4 cut in order to preserve the equipment.
(F) All boats, in all classes, that have
successfully qualified for the elimination rounds, must start from the 8 cut
unless there are less than 4 boats in a particular class, and all drivers agree
to start with the 4 cut (See Section 5-C).
(G)
A DNF, DNS, or DQ will eliminate a boat from the elimination
round immediately, regardless of the elimination round it is in.
(H)
Sponsor rides will be held after the conclusion of each race and will be limited to 5 boats unless
agreed upon by the safety crew.
(A) No driver, crew member, or
race official shall consume any intoxicating alcohol or mind/physically
altering drugs during the 12 hour period prior to the start of any event.
Properly administered, prescription drugs, allowing operation of a boat/motor
vehicle are excepted
(B) Drivers and navigators may be
required to undergo drug testing upon any race officials request. All race officials must unanimously agree and
have good reason that testing is necessary prior to crew notification. Cost of testing is to be paid by USSBA, and
will be performed locally to the event.
(C) All drivers and navigators
will comply with any and all requirements of the insurance carriers.
(D) No alcohol, drugs, or smoking
is allowed in the "Pit Area".
Race organizer will provide a designated area for all boats, crews, and
necessary support equipment that will be known as the "Pit Area".
(E) No children under the age of
14 years will be allowed in the "Pit Area" during any event unless
accompanied, and under the close guidence of, an adult.
(F) All participants shall
conduct themselves in a sportsman like manner during the event. Failure to do so will result in penalties
imposed by the race officials, which may include removal of the offending
participant from the event.
(G) Participants are not allowed to challenge
race officials ( See Chain of Command); notify your designated class
representative for consideration of a conflict or problem.
(H) Verbal or physical abuses toward an official
will constitute an immediate fine of $50, (made payable to the USSBA) per
offense, and possible disqualification from the event (levied at the discretion
of the USSBA Board of Directors). Any
fine levied must be paid before the competitor is allowed to continue
participating in the event.
(I) Conduct that is deemed detrimental to the
sport of Sprint Boat racing or disruptive to the racing event will constitute
immediate disqualification from the event and loss of all points acrued during
the event.
A boat will be barred from competing in
an event if it does not meet with the technical requirements as specified
below. Any additional items not specifically
listed, but deemed unsafe by the Race Control Committee, must be satisfactorily
rectified before the boat will be allowed to compete in an event. Random
inspections of boats may be carried out during the race. Any boat that is found in violation of the
rules will not be allowed to run until the violations are corrected.
If at any time a boat rolls during an
event, it must be completely inspected and approved by the USSBA head tech,
prior to being allowed to re-enter the event.
(A) A sprint boat shall be defined as a single
hull, single engine (super boats are exempt from the single engine rule) boat, propelled by a
jet pump unit. The hull shall be
constructed of metal up to the deck line.
The deck may be metal or composite material, but must be permanently
affixed to the hull in a manner to add strength to the overall assembly. Length of the boat is measured from bow tip
to rear edge of the stern, not including the pump, with a minimum length of 12
feet and a maximum of 16 feet.
(B) Nitrous oxide
is banned from all competing boats.
(C) Non-reinforced plastic or
wood steering wheels are banned from competing boats.
(D)
Race numbers shall be affixed and legible on all boats and shall be at
least 7 (seven) inches in height.
Numbers shall be affixed to each side of the boat, between the cowl and
centerline of the roll bar. Numbers
should contrast with the color of the boat for ease of reading. Any boat running Methanol fuel must have a
Red letter “M” affixed to each side of the boat at least 7 inches in height.
(E) A functional electric bilge
pump is optional.
(F) All boats with enclosed motor
covers shall have an operable bilge blower.
(G) A fire extinguisher must be installed on each
boat, minimum size 2.5 lbs and must carry a minimum of a BC standards approval
label. Each fire extinguisher must be
equipped with an externally readable gauge, be securely fitted in mounting brackets, and must indicate that
it’s fully charged. Aerosol type extinguishers are not permitted. The fire extinguisher must be mounted inside
the driver/navigator compartment within easy reach of the driver, navigator,
and saftey crew. The fire extinguisher will be equipped with quick release mechanism that
will allow the extinguisher to be removed quickly from its mounting bracket.
Snap ties will not be allowed to secure fire extinguishers in place at any
time. Any fire extinguisher that has been previously activated will not be
allowed unless it has been re-charged and certified operational.
(H) Fuel cells or
tanks shall be securely affixed to the boat; through bolting or welding.
(I) All boats that use wet cell
type batteries must have an enclosed battery box securely affixed to the
boat. All types of batteries must be
bolted or clamped securely to the boat.
If a battery is being used that allows exposed terminals, those battery
terminals must be insulated.
(J) All boats must have a
functional starter installed.
(K) All boats must be equipped with an ignition kill switch, which must be located so that it is easily accessible to the driver and navigator while strapped in their seats and members of the safety crew from outside the boat. The kill switch must be clearly marked with a red arrow showing the off position. The battery isolation switch may also function as the ignition kill switch provided that it is properly wired to kill the engine when switched off. The battery isolation switch must also be