Full-Size Car Rules & Regulations

Fernie Lions Demolition Derby 2025

OFFICIAL & ONLY FULL SIZE CAR RULES & REGULATIONS

IMPORTANT: NOTHING OTHER THAN WHAT IS LISTED BELOW WILL BE ALLOWED

FULL SIZE CAR

1. NO ALCOHOL OR DRUGS: No driver or pit person is allowed on the track or in the pit area under the influence of alcohol or drugs. If caught, you will be disqualified from all races and must leave the derby grounds.
2. Age Requirement: All drivers must be 16 years of age or older. Participants under the age of 19 require parent/guardian approval, signature, and attendance.
3. No Co-Pilots: ABSOLUTELY NO CO-PILOTS IN VEHICLES.
4. Clothing: Long-sleeved shirts, jackets or coveralls, long-legged pants, and gloves are mandatory. Fire suits are strongly recommended.
5. Helmets and Eye Protection: Helmets and eye protection are mandatory.
6. Driver Safety: The driver must keep arms and head inside the vehicle during the event.
7. Pit Area: Only the driver and 3 pit persons will be allowed in the pit area per vehicle.
8. Race Start: The referee will wave the flag and sound the horn.
9. Race End: The race is over when the horn sounds and the flag is waved vigorously.
10. Field Marshals: Field marshals will be stationed on four corners of the track with fire extinguishers and flags. In the event of a fire or injury, all participants must remain in their vehicles until the horn sounds and all vehicles are stationary.
11. Flags: Each vehicle must be equipped with a flag. When the flag is displayed, the vehicle can be hit. If the flag is not displayed, the vehicle cannot be hit.
12. Active Participation: A vehicle must hit another vehicle every 90 seconds or will be disqualified by the referee.
13. Driver Door Hits: Intentional hits on the driver door will result in disqualification at the discretion of the referee.
14. Overturned Vehicles: In the event a vehicle is overturned, the derby will be stopped until it is righted. Whether or not the vehicle remains in the heat is at the discretion of the judge.
15. Intentional Dogging: Any vehicle intentionally dogging will be disqualified.
16. No Sandbagging: No warnings will be given. This will result in immediate disqualification.
17. Disabled Vehicles: When a vehicle becomes disabled or timed out, the driver must remove their flag, signaling the vehicle is out for the remainder of the heat. Hitting a vehicle with a flag down may result in disqualification at the judge’s discretion. Failure to remove the flag after timing out will lead to disqualification from further heats. In the final heat, if the flag is not removed, the driver will be removed from the vehicle, and it will be open to hits by remaining vehicles.
18. Battery Use: A vehicle cannot run on its battery to keep moving. The vehicle will be disqualified.
19. Referee Decisions: In the event of a disagreement between the referees, the head referee will be brought in, and their decision is final.
20. Disqualification: In case of disqualification, a referee will point to the car with a red flag. The driver must immediately break their flag, which eliminates them from that heat.
21. Post-Heat Procedure: After the heat, vehicles must be moved from the pit immediately. Tow trucks will be standing by to assist.
22. Vehicle Removal: Drivers are responsible for removing their vehicle after the race. Drivers will be billed $100.00 and will not be invited back if this rule is not adhered to.

FULL SIZE CAR PREPARATION RULES

TECH INSPECTIONS WILL BE PERFORMED BY QUALIFIED MECHANICS

General Preparation

1. Original Frame and Body: Must be used.
2. Removal of Materials: All glass, plastic, and pot metal must be removed. Nothing may remain in the bottom of the trunk or doors. Rear seats in all cars must be removed.
3. Outer Hardware: All outer hardware must be removed – door handles, mirrors, chrome, mouldings, screws, and fiberglass.
4. Driver Door: Must be padded on the inside and painted white.
5. Front Seats: Must be securely bolted to the floor; however, these bolts may NOT go through the frame. You must have a functioning seat belt. Seats must be mounted within 5 inches of the original front seat bolts.
6. Flammable Materials: All flammable materials must be removed from the car other than safety padding and the driver’s seat.
7. Weight Addition: No adding weight to the vehicle, no packing, stuffing of frames, trunks, passenger doors, or under floor decking.
8. Trailer Hitches: All trailer hitches must be removed.
9. Vehicle Restrictions: No 1973 or older Imperials, Le Barons, Ambulances, Hearses, Sedagons, Suicide Lincolns, or Limousines allowed.
10. Rule Compliance: Build to the rules. Don’t overbuild and expect to cut to the rules. If anything is added to the inside of the frame other than what is specified in the rules, you will immediately fail inspection and not be allowed to compete.

Aftermarket Parts Allowed

• Metal gas tank
• Transmission cooler
• Brake and gas pedal
• Shifter
• Battery box
• Steering column up to the steering box
• Drive line
• Driveline brake
• Lower saddle cradle
• Seat and seat belt

These parts must not touch or come close to touching the frame or any sheet metal deemed as reinforcement.

Post-Race Inspection

Post-race inspection will be thorough, and all these items will be re-inspected along with other areas that may be invisible in the initial inspection. Post-race inspection will include all the items looked at in the initial inspection. So, you need to be right when you get here, right after the heat, right after the grudge, and right after the feature.

Hoods Must Be Open for Inspection: Hood must be with the car for inspection.

Cages and Door Bars

1. Cage Material: All cage material must be no larger than 6” O.D., unless specified for a specific rule. Side door bars, minimum 2”x6” and max 12”. Cage must also be a minimum of 4” off the floor everywhere. No cage material may be within 6” of the firewall and must be a minimum of 4” off the transmission tunnel. All bars must be straight.
2. Dash Bar: You may have a single bar (with no extensions) across your dash area to replace your dash.
3. Cage or Door Bars: You may run inside cage or outside door bars, NOT BOTH. Outside door bars may not exceed 72” in length and not pass the front door seam by 6”.
4. Vertical Roll Loop/Halo or Upright: Must not exceed 4” O.D. behind the seat located above the rear seat bar. Halos must be fastened to the roof in 2 locations at least 24” from the center. If it leans towards the back window, you will fix it at the track.
   • Halo Bars: Must be in a direct vertical line with the seat bar. They must be vertical. Halo bar can be welded or bolted to the floor but not attached to the frame or body mount in any way. Max plate size for mounting is 6x6”.
   • Upright Post: You may have a single upright post behind the driver’s seat, must have a max 10”x10” plate attached to the roof, welded or bolted in. Upright post must be mounted vertically and in such a way it will not bend (e.g., gusseted).
5. Gas Tank Protector: Can be used. It cannot attach to anything other than your rear seat bar. It must be centered between frame humps. Cannot exceed 30” O.D. wide. It must be a full 4” away from rear sheet metal which cannot be removed or hammered back for clearance. Must be 4” above all floor sheet metal, measured from the highest flat area in the rear seat area. One 12” gusset per side from rear seat bar to the protector can be used. No bars can be run from Halo to the protector.
   • Wagon Gas Tank Protector: In a wagon, the rear gas tank protector cannot be any farther from the rear seat bar than 30” O.D.

Doors

1. Door Seams: Must be welded using 1/2” round or 3” wide by 1/4” thick flat bar. Welds must be 6” weld, 6” no weld.
2. Tailgate: On a wagon, the tailgate is considered a door.
3. Non-Welded Doors: If not welded, doors must be bolted or chained closed.

Bumpers

The intention of this rule is to allow you to mount the bumpers in such a way that they are less likely to fall off. Upon inspection, if it is determined that you have exceeded the intention of the rule, you will be given the opportunity to correct it in order to compete. If you are not willing to correct it, you will be disqualified. Officials have the final say.

1. Stock Bumpers: Only stock O.E.M bumpers from passenger cars may be used.
2. Bumper Swaps: Bumper swaps are allowed; they may be flipped over, and the ends trimmed.
3. Compression Style Bumpers: May be seam welded, but no metal added inside or outside.

Ways to Mount a Bumper: You have 2 options for mounting the front and rear bumpers. Pick one only!

1. Stock Brackets and Shock Tubes: Use the stock bumper bracket or brackets and shock tubes in the exact location and manner they were intended to be in from the factory for the car being used. You can weld the bracket to the frame, weld the shock tube, and to the backside of the bumper. No metal added. You may not swap bumper brackets and/or shock tubes/beams.
2. Flat Plate Mounting: Remove ALL the factory brackets and shock tubes and in their place weld a 10” x 4” x 1/4” flat plate to the outside of the frame and weld it to the backside of the bumper. If you need to square up the frame to get a good plane to weld the bumper to, do this by cutting off as little of the frame as needed. Impala frame horns that hold the shock tube may be used on non-Impala cars but must be welded over the factory body mount hole. May not use plate if using this option.

Frame

1. Body Mounts: All body mounts (“pucks”) (rubber biscuit and cone) must be in place. You may not remove bolts and place washers on either side. Exceptions will be made for the all-thread in the trunk and in the core support areas below.
2. Seam Welding and Frame Swapping: No seam welding, no frame swapping in any way. Y frame cars can have the Y closed and seam welded closed, no added material.
3. Frame Notching or Dimpling: Frames may be notched or dimpled between the 2 rear frame mounts; however, do not touch the frame with a hammer anywhere else and no heat treating the frame.
4. Frame Rust: Frame rust is to be handled on a case-by-case basis with officials. Email and you will be put in touch with one.
5. Front Frame Alterations: Absolutely no cutting, welding, bending, adding to, or altering the front frame in any way other than what is specified. THIS IS CAUSE FOR DISQUALIFICATION. No subframe swaps allowed.
6. Tilting Fomoco Cars: You may tilt 1980-2002 Fomoco cars at the crush box under the firewall. You must only cut the factory weld, tilt the frame, then re-weld the seam with a max 3/8 bead. No material added.

Hood, Trunk, and Body

1. Creasing: Only quarter panels and fenders may be creased. All body panels must be in near original position vertically.
2. Body Rust Repairs:
   • Floor Pan: Repairs allowed using sheet metal of the same thickness as the body to fix rust holes only. No skinning of the entire floor.
   • Pillars: Repairs allowed on the pillars only. A piece no bigger than 14” by 14” may be used. At least one 1” inspection hole must be in the sheet metal for inspection. Do not cover more than the rusted area.
3. Hood Inspection: Hood must be open for inspection and closed prior to being flagged. Max 20-3/8 bolts to hold hood skin together where it has been cut.
4. Hinge Springs: Must be removed. Trunk must have a 12” hole cut in for inspection.
5. Stock Location: Trunk lid and hood must be 100% in stock location.
6. Wagon Decking: All decking in wagons must be removed.
7. Trunk Modifications: Trunk may be tucked or dished. If the trunk lid is pushed down in the center, it must be at least 12” off the trunk floor body at mount elevation.
8. Wheel Wells: May be bolted with 6 3/8” bolts.
9. Trunk Bolts: Trunk may have two 1 1/4 bolts, one per frame rail, that go from the trunk lid to the frame. The body mount may be removed in the location that all thread goes through.
10. Trunk Welding: You may weld the trunk in 3 places on the driver’s and passenger’s side. Use 6” lengths of 1/2” rod welded in the seam or 3” wide by 1/4” thick flat stock. Six 6” welds total.
11. Hood Securing: Hood may be secured closed in 6 places, including the two 1 1/4” threaded rods at the core support bolt location. Threaded rod may have 3 nuts.
12. Rusty Trunk Floor: If the trunk floor is rusted away, you may run the trunk lid against the trunk floor. Bolt it down with 6 bolts. Two may pass through the frame at the body mount location. Max bolt size 1”, max washer size 3”x3”.

Engines, Transmissions, and Rear Ends

1. Engine Swaps: Engines may be swapped but must remain as close to the original position as possible. A hole may be cut for the distributor. Engine mount pads can be welded to the factory engine cradle only. You may weld one chain link to the engine frame cradle and use chain or cable to secure your motor. You may have one on the left and right side. No welding or bolting to the frame rails.
2. Engine Saddle Cradle: If using an engine saddle cradle, it may only be fastened to the factory engine cradle and not the frame rails. No strap, cable, or chain. Lower cradle only, no front plates or mid plates. Pulley protector can be used but must not be in contact with the sway bar or core support.
3. Rear Ends: Any direct bolt-on factory 5 lug rear ends of passenger car origin may be used. You may interchange make and models. No braced, hybrid, 8 lug, or floater rear ends are allowed. The only welding allowed is to add factory coil or leaf mounts, coil spring perches, and spider gears. No full float axles.
4. Transmissions: Stock housing transmissions must be used. No steel bells, aluminum bolt-on bells, steel tails, plated pans, skid plates, or braces. No transmission protectors.
5. Transmission Crossmember: If using a tube and not a factory crossmember, you can weld 2” angle iron no thicker than 1/4” and no longer than 8” to the side of the frame to support the crossmember. You must remove the stock crossmember if you run the angle iron. If you replace the stock crossmember, it can be no larger than 2”x2” material. The crossmember must be one piece and straight from side to side and up and down under the stock mount on the transmission. Frame extensions on Cadillacs must not come in contact with the crossmember, angle iron pieces, or transmission during or after the event.
6. Pulley Protectors: Pulley protectors may not contact the frame, sway bar, or core support. No front plate or mid plate.

Suspension and Steering

1. Stock Components: Suspension must be stock components from a car legal in this class, nothing locked or welded solid. Steering u-joints allowed. Center link may be lowered.
2. A-Arms and Control Arms: Front A-arms and rear control arms may not be reinforced or modified. Must run the STOCK leaf pack for leaf cars. Max 4 leaf clamps per side.
3. Coil Springs: Coil springs may be welded to the axle only and may be doubled or shimmed.
4. Suspension Raising: Tires, springs, and spring spacers may be used to raise the car’s suspension.
5. Chaining of Humps: Chaining of humps is optional. If doing so, you may only use 2 chains, single wrapped (one per frame rail). May not go through the body.
6. Leaf Springs: No duct taping of leaf springs. No converting coil spring cars to leaf springs.
7. Bumper Height: Max front and rear bumper height to the bottom is 22” and max low on the rear is 15” to the bottom.
8. Welding A-Arms: A-arms may be welded down. 2 per side, 2”x4”x1/4” max size. Trailing arms may be lengthened or shortened but not reinforced.
9. Spindles and Upper A-Arms: Must be stock OEM components. Must mount in factory location. No re-engineering the way steering or suspension mounts to the car.

Windows

1. Window Bars: You may have 2 window bars in the front, no more than 18” from window center, or 3/8” chain. Only one rear window bar allowed.
2. Bar Size: Bars may not be bigger than 36” long by 3”x3”.
3. Bar Attachment: Bars may only be attached directly to the sheet metal or with a mounting plate no bigger than 4”x4” by 3/16” angle or plate on the roof, cowl, speaker deck, or trunk. Plate cannot be mounted (bolt or weld) on the trunk lid itself.
4. Station Wagon Tailgate Windows: If using rear window bars in a station wagon, tailgate windows are treated as a rear window but must be mounted at the top of the tailgate, and the tailgate must be in the original closed position.
5. Window Openings: No wiring or chaining of any window openings.
6. Halo Bar and Cage Components: Window bars may not be attached to the halo bar or any cage components.

Radiators and Radiator Supports

1. Radiator Type: Only OEM style passenger car radiators may be used. Aluminum racing radiators of the same style may be used.
2. Radiator Attachment: Radiator must be attached to the core support in stock location.
3. Mounting: Radiators may be mounted in such a way to hold the radiator in place, not strengthen the core support. No added metal may be used to mount the radiator.
4. Cooling Capacity: You may not add cooling capacity. No supplemental cooling devices allowed (electric fans are allowed).
5. Pulley Mounted Fan: If using a pulley mounted fan, it must be covered by hood or sheet metal.
6. Engine Coolants: Only water may be used for safety reasons.
7. Radiator Loops: Radiator loops may be used.
8. Radiator Support Location: Radiator supports must remain in the stock location.
9. Seam Welding: Radiator core support seam welding is NOT allowed.
10. Support Welding: Radiator supports may not be welded to the frame, bumper brackets, bumpers, or anything else.
11. All-Thread: You may have up to 1¼” all-thread, it may go from the hood to the frame, but must go through the front body mounts. One per frame rail.
12. Support Spacers: Radiator support spacers may not exceed 6” length and 3” width. No welding to the frame.

Fuel Delivery Systems

1. Fuel Tank Type: Metal marine type tank, metal fuel tank, or derby type metal fuel tank is required.
2. Tank Capacity: 10-gallon max tank may be used.
3. Original Gas Tanks: Original gas tanks must be removed from the car.
4. Tank Mounting: You must have the gas tank securely mounted behind the driver’s seat with bolts, metal straps, or chain. No seat belts or pull tie straps may be used.
5. Fuel Lines: Fuel lines must run inside the car, not under the car along the frame. Fuel line must be inside a protective line within the engine compartment.
6. Electric Fuel Pump: If using an electric fuel pump, you must bring it to the inspector’s attention at tech. Electric fuel pumps are allowed. The on/off switch must be easily accessible and clearly marked with bright paint. An “E” will be attached to the rear pillar during tech to identify the electric fuel pump.
7. Fuel Type: Automotive pump gas only. NO ALCOHOL TYPE FUEL MAY BE USED.

Batteries

1. Securing Batteries: Batteries must be secured inside the car and covered, unless you are using a gel cell battery.
2. Battery Box: The battery box must be made out of metal and bolted to the floor. Bolts may not go through or around the frame. Seat belts or pull-type tie downs may not be used.
3. Floor Patching: Rusted out holes in your floor sheet metal may be patched where components will be mounted or for driver’s safety with sheet metal only. You may not patch clean and solid floors.

Tires and Brakes

1. Tire Restrictions: No split rims, homemade rims, or studded tires allowed. Max wheel and tire size is 16”. Max 14 ply tire.
2. Wheel Centers: No full wheel centers. Small wheel centers no larger than 8” only. May have a valve stem protector. No foam-filled tires and no wheel weights. No doubled tires.
3. Brake Functionality: All cars must be able to demonstrate the ability to stop at any time. If your brakes do not work, you will not compete.
4. Tire Changes: You may not change tires after inspection without the official's consent.

Air Cleaners

Air Cleaner Requirement: You must have an air cleaner over the carburetor at all times during the event.

Frame Repair for Rusted Frame or Pre-Ran Cars

1. Plate Size: Plate size is 4”x6”x1/4”.
2. Repair Visibility: A repair must be visibly required before it is allowed.
3. Number of Plates per Repair: 2 plates per repair.
4. Maximum Plates: Max total plates is 8.
5. No Plate Welding Between Heats.

No refunds will be given if any of the above rules are not adhered to.

Race winners may be subject to a post-race inspection.

Remember: No driver or pit person is permitted on the track or in the pit area under the influence of alcohol or drugs. If found in violation, you will be disqualified immediately.