Small Car rules & regulations

Fernie Lions Demolition Derby 2025

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

SMALL CAR

OFFICIAL & ONLY SMALL CAR RULES & REGULATIONS

• 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.

SMALL CAR PREPARATION RULES

TECH INSPECTIONS WILL BE PERFORMED BY QUALIFIED MECHANICS

• 1. Car Type: American, Canadian, or foreign cars may be used. No convertibles.
• 2. Wheelbase: Wheelbase must be 106” or less. No SUVs, all-wheel drives, or 4x4s.
• 3. Glass and Loose Objects: Remove all glass, plastic, ornaments, lights, and bulbs. The vehicle must be clean of loose objects and glass before tech inspection.
• 4. Upholstery: Remove all upholstery including head liner (except front seat). Air bags must be removed. Seat must be securely anchored.
• 5. Doors and Door Reinforcements:
  • a. ALL DRIVER DOORS MUST BE PAINTED WHITE.
  • b. A cage may be built around the driver from sturdy, easily assembled material bolted to the vehicle body only.
  • c. Both the driver and passenger doors must be reinforced with 2”x 6” channel iron, I-Beam, grader blades or box steel. Minimum thickness 3/16”, maximum width 10” tall.
  • d. Doors may use a maximum of four 6” welds spaced 6” apart. No solid seam welding of doors.
  • e. For safety, ends of bars must be rounded.
  • f. Door bars must be bolted only through the entire door/doorpost or fender with a good size washer. 1” bolt is recommended.
  • g. Door bar can extend a maximum of 4” ahead of the front fender/door seam and must end no further than the center of the rear tire.
  • h. If either the driver or passenger door bar falls off, you will be disqualified from the heat.
  • i. All doors must be securely fastened shut with strong metal bars OR chains with a bolt OR welded shut.
  • j. A front dash bar is recommended and a rear cross bar behind the seat is mandatory.
  • k. Hard top vehicles may run a bar from cage to roof to act as a B pillar.
• 6. Seat belt: Seat belt must be securely fastened.
• 7. Cross-Brace: All vehicles must have an inside cross-brace behind the front seat, extending from the window ledge on the driver's side of the frame to the opposite side window ledge. For example: a 6x6 wood post or 2” sch40 pipe min. This is to help stop the seat from falling back and to help stop side-crushing of the vehicle. Car must also have a steel bar or 6x6 post that extends from the floor to the roof for rollover protection.
• 8. Fuel Tank: Gas tank must be in the back seat area. The gas tank must be steel OR approved plastic fuel cell and securely ratchet strapped down using a minimum of two straps and four heavy duty eye-bolts and large washers. (2024 was the last year for OEM tanks. Now an approved smaller tank is required for safety reasons).
• 9. Batteries: Batteries must be relocated to the front seat area or rear seat area and must be tied down and covered with rubber. A RUBBER FIRE SHIELD MUST BE PLACED BETWEEN BATTERY AND GAS TANK.
• 10. Trailer Hitches: No trailer hitches are permitted.
• 11. Reinforcement: No reinforcing or modifications on body, frame, wheels, bumpers, or radiators. Vehicle must remain stock. Excessive welding will have to be removed at the tech inspector’s discretion.
• 12. Hood: Hood must remain in stock position.
• 13. Radiators: Radiators may not be moved. For environmental reasons, only water is allowed in the cooling system. No hydraulic oil.
• 14. Batter Plates: Batter plates may not be used.
• 15. Exhaust Pipes: Exhaust pipe may be cut off but will remain extended behind the firewall to back of driver’s seat OR pipe may protrude a minimum of 12” above the hood.
• 16. Repairs: When repairing damaged vehicles, no material stronger than stock parts must be used.
• 17. Motor: It is strongly recommended that the motor be chained or bolted down. You may chain the motor in a maximum of two spots.
• 18. Rear View Mirror: The stock rear view mirror may be left in the vehicle.
• 19. Wheel Wells and Bumper: Stock wheel wells and bumpers may be used.
• 20. Fuel: No fuel other than pump gas may be used.
• 21. Weighting Down: No weighting down of the vehicle, including no sandbags or calcium in the tires.
• 22. Rim Size: No rim size larger than OEM. All wheel weights must be removed.
• 23. Hood:
  • a. Car hoods are mandatory and must remain in their original position.
  • b. You must have a hole in the hood to extinguish a fire.
  • c. Hoods must be fastened in a maximum of 6 places. Bolts, chains or a combination of both may be used. Single wrap of chain only. Two of the 6 bolts can go through the frame.
  • d. Maximum bolt size is 1 ¼”.
  • e. Maximum washer size is 6”x 6”.
• 24. Trunk:
  • a. The trunk must remain in its original position and may be bolted, chained, or welded in a maximum of 6 places. 2 of the 6 places can go through the frame.
  • b. Maximum bolt size is ¾”.
  • c. Maximum washer size is 3”x 3”.
  • d. Maximum 6 fastening points on all cars, can use 4” welds spaced 6” apart.
  • e. See diagram for clarification.
• 25. Shocks: Original shocks must be used. No steel bars instead of shocks. No crushing of shocks for more height.
• 26. Transmission Cooler: A transmission cooler may be used and must be securely mounted in the rear seat area. Cooler lines must be metal through the cockpit area.
• 27. Suspension: Suspension must be able to travel up and down.
• 28. Engine Oil Coolers: No engine oil coolers allowed unless original equipment.

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 FROM ALL RACES AND MUST LEAVE THE DERBY GROUNDS IMMEDIATELY.