1. General

• Every driver must hold a valid state driver's license and be registered for the event before going on track.
• All drivers, passengers and crew sign the event waiver. Drivers sign online during registration, and the track may require its own waiver at the gate.
• Attendance at the morning drivers meeting is mandatory. Miss it and you sit out the first session.
• Only registered drivers may drive a car on track. Passengers are allowed only in instructor-approved ride-alongs and HPDE Advanced or Expert groups, and must be 16 or older with a signed waiver.
• Zero tolerance for alcohol or drugs until the track goes cold for the day.
• Speed limit in the paddock is 10 mph. Hot pit lane is 25 mph.

2. Run groups & passing

A point-by is a clear arm signal out the window or a turn signal, pointing to the side the faster car should pass on. The passing car always holds the responsibility to complete the pass safely. Group moves happen at the discretion of the chief instructor.

3. Tech inspection

You complete a self-inspection when you register. At your first event of the year, a tech official checks the car and the safety equipment your discipline needs, and puts an annual sticker on the windshield. The sticker covers the car for the rest of the calendar year. If you change the car's safety equipment, or enter a discipline that needs more equipment, bring the car back to tech. No sticker, no track.

4. Safety equipment

Required and recommended items by discipline. The registration form checks these automatically.

R = required · r = recommended · Helmets must be Snell SA2020 or newer, or FIA 8859/8860. Motorcycle (M) helmets are not allowed.

5. Flags

Wheel-to-wheel flags, as used in WTCC races (Sporting Regulations section 8). When WTCC runs with another sanctioning body, its flagging rules apply on track.

6. Time Attack

• Best single lap from all timed sessions sets your result. Transponder required.
• Classes are set by tires, aero and power-to-weight. Drivers may bump up a class but never down.
• Aero is measured from the side view. Wings over 60 inches wide or above roof height move you to Modified or Unlimited.
• Laps under a yellow flag in that sector are removed. Four wheels off means that lap is removed.
• Top three per class may be impounded for a power check on the dyno or scales.

7. WTCC (wheel-to-wheel)

• Every car is homologated on one of two rule books and follows it in full, with no mixing: the 2027 WTCC Class Technical Rules & Regulations or the 2027 Gridlife GLTC Technical Rules & Regulations. They replace every other qualification for entering WTCC.
• Both set a minimum weight with driver of Comp HP ÷ 0.08 × (100% + the path's balance percentages for engine, drivetrain, aero, chassis and tires), and a maximum tire width from that weight. Only each path's listed tires are allowed.
• Gridlife GLTC: at most 245 whp and 3,800 lb. WTCC: at most 3,600 lb, an SCCA or other vehicle logbook, and race numbers 1 to 199.
• Both paths follow the WTCC and Gridlife Competition Safety Rules. Where another rule book the car follows (Gridlife GTCR, SCCA GCR section 9 or other) differs, the stricter rule applies.
• Comp HP is peak wheel horsepower from a DynoJet dyno, recertified every two years or after changes. Cars are weighed after races and can be dyno'd at any event.
• Pick the path for each car in My Garage. The car editor works out its minimum weight and tire width, and registration checks the car against its path.
• Qualifying lap times are hidden until the session ends.
• Every driver needs a competition license: a Circuit Club license with the Wheel-to-Wheel endorsement, or an SCCA, NASA or Gridlife competition license.
• No-contact series, zero tolerance. The stewards review every incident and any contact brings strict penalties. An incident is rarely one driver's fault alone, so every driver involved can be penalized.

8. Event rules for WTCC drivers

These apply at every WTCC weekend alongside the Sporting Regulations and your car's homologation rule book. Officials may add rules on the day when a situation calls for it, and anyone can be removed from an event without a refund. A car that doesn't meet these rules doesn't go on track.

Every driver must

• Be at least 18 on the first day of the event. There are no exceptions for WTCC races. Drivers aged 16 or 17 can drive Track Days (HPDE) only, with a parent or guardian on site to sign the track's minor waiver.
• Hold a valid state driver's license and a competition license accepted for WTCC (listed in the WTCC section above).
• Have a paid entry for the event and sign the event waiver online when registering.
• Attend every required meeting, including the WTCC drivers meeting each race weekend.
• Pass tech before going on track: annual tech for the season, plus a re-check after any change to the car.
• Follow these rules and any instructions officials give before or during the event.

Paddock and track facilities

• Walking pace on the grid and in the paddock.
• Jack stands need solid bottom plates or go on wood so they don't sink into hot asphalt. Use drip pans; don't spill fuel or fluids on the pavement.
• Damage to walls, barriers, tire walls or other track structures, and fluid clean-up on the track, may be billed to the driver or car owner.

Fuel and fluids

• Refuel only in the proper area, from approved containers, with a fire extinguisher within reach. Dispose of used oil and fluids where the track says to.
• Run water in the cooling system, with a small amount of water wetter if you like. Antifreeze only in freezing or near-freezing conditions, because it makes the track slick if it spills.

Tech inspection

• Bring the car to tech exactly as it will run: race tires and pads fitted, loose items and unpinned floor mats out, storage areas empty, and cameras and other mounts installed and secure. Anything mounted outside the car is checked again before each session.
• The car needs a tow hook or strap, and you need to know how a tow truck hooks up to it, or it fails tech.
• Common failures to fix first: corded or rubbing tires, loose lug nuts or bolts, brake lights out, play in the pedals, steering or throttle cable, cracked rotors, worn wheel bearings or ball joints, fluid leaks of any kind, low pads, loose body panels or wings, a battery not held by OEM-quality or better tie-downs, loose or chafing wiring, an unsecured ECU, check engine lights (emissions-only codes excepted), engine knock, frayed belts, a loose or missing gas cap, and low oil.
• Every car needs an exhaust, at least a turned-down b-pipe. No open headers. Cars over the track's sound limit can be refused track time.
• If you know about a problem with the car, tell an official and don't go back out until it's fixed. Knowingly running a car with a dangerous problem can cost you your track privileges.
• A car that fails tech is inspected again after the fix. Bring tools, spare pads, fluids and parts. A car that can't pass tech doesn't run, and there are no refunds for non-compliant cars. Keeping the car safe is the driver's responsibility.

On track

• Never cross the blend line when joining the track.
• Keep arms and hands inside the car.
• If something goes wrong with the car, pull off the racing line safely and predictably. Stay in the car unless it is on fire or a corner worker or emergency crew tells you to get out. If you must leave it, move away from the track surface or toward a corner station without crossing the track.
• Track conditions change all the time. Staying within the limits of the car and the surface is the driver's job, and fluid or debris doesn't excuse going off.

9. WTCC and Gridlife Competition Safety Rules

Both homologation paths, WTCC Class and Gridlife GLTC, follow these competition safety rules. Where another rule book the car follows (Gridlife GTCR, SCCA GCR section 9 or other) is stricter, the stricter rule applies. They are based on Gridlife's competition safety rules for wheel-to-wheel racing (gridlife.club).

Authority

• The Motorsport Director has authority over all racing, and the rules are read for their spirit of intent. Event supplemental regulations can override them. Input is welcome, but the rulings of the Motorsport Director and the event stewards are final.
• Rule changes take effect immediately unless noted otherwise.
• Track sessions stop for weather only for lightning within 1 mile of the track or ice on the track. Rain alone doesn't stop racing.

Drivers

• Wheel-to-wheel drivers need a racing license from a major recognized organization, or must complete a competition school.

Vehicle

• Lights: at least two working, easy-to-see brake lights at all times, or the car can be black flagged. After dark, at least one working headlight and two working brake lights. Extra lights are fine if they aren't a hazard to other drivers; no distracting roof lights. Reflective tape is encouraged.
• Mirrors: at least two working rear-view mirrors. A good rear-view camera can replace one.
• Tow hooks: at least one front and one rear, labeled or easy to find, strong enough to pull the car free. Labeled, easy-to-reach factory tie-down points are acceptable.
• Sound: each track sets its limit. Cars found too loud, by measurement or by complaints, must add muffling or are refused.
• Fuel tank: an OEM-quality factory tank only where it sits behind the driver and ahead of the rear wheels. Fuel cells must be hard or rotary-molded plastic, or a bladder inside a well-built steel box, fully attached to the shell or cage and separated from the driver by a steel or aluminum bulkhead.
• Fuel lines: rubber or aluminum lines in the cabin must be shielded from the driver and kept off sharp edges. OEM-quality steel hard lines or braided stainless lines are allowed in the cabin if mounted well and as far from the driver as possible.
• Driver gear:
  • Head and neck restraint (HANS, NEXTGEN or similar; SFI 38.1 or FIA 8858).
  • A multilayer driving suit covering neck to ankles and wrists, SFI 3.2A/5 or higher or FIA 8856-2000; one-piece recommended. Fire-resistant underwear is recommended.
  • Snell SA2020 or newer, or FIA 8859/8860, helmet; no motorcycle helmets.
  • Fire-resistant gloves, Nomex socks and fire-resistant shoes, all without holes.
  • A fire-resistant balaclava is recommended, and required with facial hair.
• Harnesses: 5-point or more (or brand-specific anti-submarine designs), SFI rated and in date by its SFI tag, and never more than 10 years since manufacture. No undated or unlabeled belts, UV fading or weld burns. Every mount into sheet metal is backed by large plates.
• Window net: a driver's side window net is required, SFI 27.1 and in date. Center nets are encouraged.

Driver behavior

• Conduct: drivers, crew and everyone on site keep to the highest standards of sportsmanship. After any incident with a car or barrier, follow the safety team's instructions and don't return to competition until the stewards approve. No alcohol or drugs during track hours; anyone who breaks this is removed without a refund.
• Racing room: give every car room to keep all four wheels on the pavement, in corners and on straights. Dive bombs and moving over on a car until it leaves the track are not allowed.
• Contact: contact that visibly damages either car brings a black flag to contact impound, where the steward sorts it out with both drivers and reviews video when available. Avoidable or intentional contact can cost finishing position, trophies, prize money and contingency, and contact can never improve a finishing position. Putting a car into a barrier can mean paying for the barrier repair.
• Passing: every pass must be made with no contact at all. The passing driver anticipates what can go wrong first, and the car being passed leaves racing room.
• Safety vehicles: when the safety crew is working on track under double yellows, slow to about 40 mph (or whatever is safe in that area) and pass the safety vehicle only as its driver signals.
• Stopping on track: avoid stopping on track. If you must, stop near a corner station or a gap in the barrier, and leave the car only when a safety worker says so, or right away if it is on fire. Don't stop in tall dry grass.
• Incident reviews: ask for a review within 45 minutes of the session ending, with evidence such as video and the time or lap, delivered to Impound.

10. Roll Cage Rules

A full roll cage is required for wheel-to-wheel racing, on both homologation paths, as part of the WTCC and Gridlife Competition Safety Rules. These are minimums, and overbuilding is encouraged. Cages built to another recognized body's rules (SCCA, IMSA, FIA and similar) may be accepted or given time to be brought up to spec; bring a copy of the rules your cage was built to.

• Welds: high quality, full penetration, fully around every tube and main mounting plate.
• Bends: smooth mandrel bends with no visible crush.
• Padding: SFI-rated high-density padding wherever the driver could touch the cage. No soft foam.
• Main hoop: as close to the body as possible, with rear braces from near the top bends down to the strongest mounting area. Cars where rear braces can't be routed (Fiero, 914, Del Sol and similar) may attach to the factory shoulder-belt mounts with a diagonal "Petty bar" to the front passenger footwell plate.
• Diagonal: at least one diagonal inside the main hoop, from the passenger-side floor near the hoop's foot up toward the driver-side top bend (within 12 inches of the bend).
• Harness bar: at the right height for the driver's harness, joined to both sides of the main hoop and to the diagonal.
• Forward hoops: follow the A-pillars and roofline, using any of Gridlife's three accepted layouts, tied back to the main hoop.
• Door bars: at least two bars through each door area from the main hoop to the forward hoop (X bars, NASCAR-style or double straight bars).
• Mounting plates: at least 0.080 inch thick and up to 100 square inches, placed toward the outside of the floor and shaped to the chassis where possible.
• Bolt-in cages: only for cars holding a current SCCA or other logbook. They need sandwich plates where possible and at least three 5/16 inch Grade 8 or better bolts per plate.
• Extra tubing: load-bearing tubes match the main cage size; tubes only adding stiffness may be smaller. No ERW tubing.

10. Sporting Regulations

How WTCC wheel-to-wheel races are run: conduct, contact and penalties, driver meetings, passing, race starts, yellow flags and full course cautions.

11. Transponders

Every session needs a working transponder registered on your entry: your own (MYLAPS X2 compatible, charged, on an active subscription) or a rental picked up at driver registration. Going on track without your registered transponder is a DSQ for that session. Missing transponders count per driver for the season:

1. 1st: DSQ for the session.
2. 2nd: DSQ, and you must rent a transponder and pay a $25 late fee before you go back out.
3. 3rd: DSQ, and you sit out your next race.
4. 4th and later: DSQ, and you must attend the novice drivers meeting at your next registered event.

12. Drift

• Open Drift runs on the dedicated drift course only. No drifting on the road course.
• Pro-Am qualifying is judged on line, angle and style. Top 16 go to tandem battles.
• Hydraulic handbrakes and lock kits are allowed. Tire changes must be done in the paddock.

13. Sound limits

Measured at 50 feet from the track edge. Three violations in one day means you are parked for the day.

14. Conduct & penalties

Be the person others want to share a paddock with. Harassment, discrimination, reckless driving in the paddock and abuse of officials or volunteers are grounds for removal without refund.

15. Protests & appeals

Protests must be filed in writing with the race director within 30 minutes of provisional results posting, with a $100 fee refunded if upheld. Technical protests of another car's classing require the protester to cover the teardown cost if the car is found legal. A dyno protest puts the protested car on the dyno; if it passes, the protester pays the $125 compliance pull fee; if it fails, its driver receives the stewards' penalties and pays the $125 compliance pull fee. Protests are anonymous: only the race stewards and organizers see who filed one. The class polices its own eligibility: for a technical or dyno protest the stewards pick a fellow WTCC competitor to evaluate the protested car, the evaluator takes their findings to the stewards, and a steward confirms the result.