2000 Rules & Regulations

Basic Rules

· Competitors may use the program material of their choice.

Additional Guidelines:

· The program material being played must originate from a conventional source unit.

· Tone generators, frequency multipliers, harmonizers, etc. are prohibited.

· Competitors must use the official dB Drag Racing competition CD at all multi-point events.

· Competitors are limited to playing frequencies of 80 Hz and below at all multi-point events. If a competitor's highest SPL is achieved at a frequency of 81 Hz or higher, the competitor’s score will be disallowed.

· Adjustments to the sound system are allowed during competition.

· The program material must be reproduced using loudspeakers. Compressed air, explosive devices, etc. are expressly forbidden.

· The contestant’s vehicle may be running during competition as long as the following conditions apply:

· Operation of the vehicle or sound system must not endanger the judge, competitor, or spectators.

· The vehicle’s parking brake must be set.

· The wheels must be chocked.

· The hood must be closed.

· The maximum engine idle speed must not exceed 2000 RPM.

· A remote “kill switch” must be easily accessible from outside the vehicle for those competitors that are bolting (clamping, strapping, etc.) the doors of the vehicle closed during competition.

· The contestant must be outside of the vehicle during judging and all doors, windows, and other openings to the vehicle must remain closed during this time.

Exception - Competitors may remain inside of the vehicle during competition provided:

· They wear adequate hearing protection at all times. Removal of the hearing protection while inside of the vehicle will result in immediate disqualification.

· The competitor’s maximum SPL never exceeds 140 dB. A measured SPL in excess of 140 dB will result in the competitor’s score being disallowed.

· After the judging starts, the contestants have 30 seconds to achieve their highest Sound Pressure Level (SPL).

· Contestants may not open their vehicle during this time. If a contestant opens his or her vehicle during judging, the competitor shall be disqualified.

Passenger Compartment Guidelines

· The passenger compartment and listening / measurement compartment shall be one and the same. (Intent: Measurements should be taken inside the passenger compartment.)

· No partitions or other barriers may divide or compartmentalize the passenger compartment. (Intent: The listening environment should approximate that found in a typical vehicle.)

· The windshield and front doors to the vehicle must function as an unobstructed boundary to the passenger compartment. (Intent: The listening environment should approximate that found in a typical vehicle, where the doors and the windshield act as “walls” to the listening environment.)

· The extent to which modifications to the passenger compartment are allowed is limited by the division a competitor is competing in. (See the section entitled, “Competitor Classification System” below for a complete listing of competition divisions and classes.)

For clarification purposes, the dBDRA uses the term “modifications” to describe changes to the vehicle that have been made in order to accommodate the sound system or improve the competitor’s score.

Some examples of modifications include:

· Replacing the OEM glass

· Replacing the OEM dashboard

· Replacing the OEM seats

· Reinforcing the door panels

· Floor build-ups and roof build-downs

Commercially available sound damping materials such as Dynamat, Noisekiller, etc. are not considered to be a modification when used in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Street Division Guidelines

· Modifications to the passenger compartment are prohibited.

· The competitor may not remove the seats from the vehicle.

· Nothing in the sound system may interfere with the normal use and / or operation of the vehicle.

· Subwoofers mounted in the rear-deck are acceptable.

· Speaker walls are prohibited.

· If the vehicle is a pick-up truck and the subwoofer enclosure is mounted behind the seat, compliance with the “string test” is not required.

· The source unit must be installed in the dash.

Super Street Division Guidelines

· No modifications in front of the trailing edge of the door jamb are permitted.

· Speaker walls are acceptable.

· Competitor’s may remove their seats from the vehicle during competition.

· The OEM alternator may be replaced. Additional alternators are prohibited.

Extreme Division Guidelines

· Competitor’s may remove their seats from the vehicle during competition.

· Floor build-ups, roof build-downs, and foot well modifications are acceptable.

· Center consoles must not exceed the height of the dashboard.

· Nothing must obstruct the driver’s (or passenger’s) view through the windshield or side windows. (Windshield bracing and floor-to-roof bracing is acceptable.)

· The floor-to-roof brace(s) is limited to a maximum aggregate width of 6 inches. (To determine compliance with this guideline, find the widest point on each of your braces. Next, add these width’s together. The total value must be 6 inches or less.)

· The passenger compartment must accommodate 2 average size adult passengers, sitting side by side, in a traditional seating arrangement. (Intent: The passenger compartment of the vehicle should approximate that of a typical vehicle.)

Additional Guidelines:

· For clarification purposes, we define an average size adult as someone who is 5’-6” tall.

· While seated, the distance between a passenger’s knees and chin shall be at least 12 inches. (Compliance with this rule can be verified by laying a mic jig across the passenger’s knees and then measuring the distance from the center of the jig to the passenger’s chin.)

· The size (air volume) of the passenger compartment may not change during competition. (For example: The subwoofer enclosure can not move forward, airbags may not be deployed, etc.)

· The cabin of the vehicle may not be “pressurized” or “de-pressurized” with a gas or fluid of any type. In addition, the air inside of the cabin may not be replaced with a gas or fluid of any type.

· Nothing must interfere with the placement of the microphone or the use of the microphone jig.

· All reflective surfaces, with the exception of the windshield and dashboard, must be located a minimum of 1 microphone jig length (13 inches) from the microphone capsule. (Intent: Reflective surfaces shall not interfere with the measurement equipment.

Vehicle Guidelines

· The vehicle must be driven into and out of the judging lanes.

· The vehicle must remain in the same configuration as when it was driven into the judging lanes. In other words, panels that flip down to cover foot well openings, removable panels, etc. are prohibited. (The only exception is that a small panel may be used to cover the stick shift in vehicles with this type of mechanism.)

· The size and location of the vehicle’s doors must not be altered.

Additional Guidelines:

· The door jambs may not be modified in order to pass the “string test” (see below).

· As a minimum, the vehicle must have a door for the driver and another for the passenger. Each of these doors must be located in the traditional locations for the driver and passenger. (i.e. Opposite sides of the vehicle.) Exception: Vehicles that were originally manufactured with only one door. (i.e. Mail delivery jeep.)

· The OEM glass in the windshield and / or side windows to the vehicle may be replaced with another material as long as that material approximates the size, location, and functionality of the original equipment. (i.e. Plexiglas, bullet-proof glass, or another fully transparent material.)

Additional Guidelines:

· The “slant” of the replacing material must approximate that of the OEM glass.

· The transparent viewable area of the replacement material must be equal to at least 80% of the frontal surface area of the OEM glass.

· There is no limit to the number of external windshield braces that may be used as long as their existence does not violate any other rules.

· The officiating staff must be afforded a clear view inside of the vehicle when looking through the windshield and side windows of the vehicle.

· A secondary windshield and/or windows may be used in conjunction with the OEM glass as long as the maximum distance separating the two materials does not exceed ¼ inch at the center of the windshield and/or window.

· Side windows do not need to be operational. (They don’t need to roll up or down.)

Audio Equipment Guidelines

All of the audio equipment used in the competitor’s sound system must satisfy the following guidelines:

General Limitations:

· All audio equipment must be designed for use in auto sound applications (12 volt).

· All audio equipment must be (or have been) commercially available.

· All amplifiers must be linear in nature.

Additional Guidelines:

The amplifiers used in the sound system should be designed for audio reproduction. For clarification purposes, the amplifier’s output waveform should be a close facsimile to that of the input signal. In addition, the amplifier’s output magnitude should be proportional to that of the input signal. All of these guidelines apply to frequencies between 20 and 80 Hz.

· No embedded active power sources (such as batteries) may reside inside of the amplifier.

· All subwoofers must be designed for audio reproduction.

Installation Guidelines

· Sound producing devices must not interfere with the measurement equipment. This includes, but is not limited to; horns, wave guides, vents, or other devices that are deliberately placed in close proximity to the microphone capsule. (Intent: Nothing shall interfere with the measurement equipment.)

· All loudspeaker enclosures, and/or baffle boards, with the exception of those mounted in the kick-panels or doors, shall be located behind an imaginary plane that stretches from the trailing edge of the driver’s door to the trailing edge of the passenger door.

Additional Guidelines:

Compliance with this rule may be verified by using the following test: Two judges position themselves on opposite sides of the vehicle. A string (or wire) is passed through the open doors of the vehicle. Both judges pull the string so that it is taught. Next, the judges move the string in unison so that the string slides along the trailing edge of each judge’s respective door jamb. If the string does not touch the enclosure (or loudspeakers), then the test passes.

· The sound system in the vehicle must be powered by the vehicle’s primary electrical system.

Additional Guidelines:

· The primary electrical system is defined as that which runs all of the electrical components in the vehicle.

· The vehicle’s charging system must be powered by the engine. (External generators, nuclear reactors, fuel-cells, etc. are prohibited.)

· The maximum voltage of the electrical system is 18 volts DC.

· All of the components in the sound system (with the exception of an external podium or source unit) must be located within the vehicle proper. (This includes, but is not limited to, alternators, batteries, amplifiers, enclosures, and speakers.)

Points Accrual

Eligibility for competition at the dB Drag Racing World Finals is based upon a competitor’s points accumulation throughout the season. To accrue points, a competitor must be a member of the dB Drag Racing Association and the contest must be an officially sanctioned event. (Officially sanctioned events can be found on our event calendar at www.dbdragracing.com.)

Points will be awarded as follows:

First Place: 8 Points

Second Place: 7 Points

Third Place: 6 Points

Fourth Place: 5 Points

Fifth Place: 4 Points

Sixth Place: 3 Points

Seventh Place: 2 Points

Eighth Place: 1 Point

· While competitors may switch competition vehicles at any time, at least 50% of the competitor’s qualifying points must have been earned with the vehicle that will be competing at the Finals. (For example: If 100 points are required to qualify for the Finals, at least 50 points must have been earned with the vehicle that will be competing at the Finals.)

Special Provision:

If a competitor’s vehicle is totaled in an accident or is stolen, the dB Drag Racing Association may, at the competitor’s request, transfer all of the competitor’s points to a different vehicle providing the competitor can prove that an accident or theft actually occurred. Typically, a copy of the police report and a copy of the insurance claim will suffice.

· If a competitor is a show promoter (or is employed by a show promoter), at least 50% of the competitor’s qualifying points must have been earned at shows other than his own (or his employer’s).

· Points are “non-transferable” between competitors.

· Proof of vehicle ownership must be available for inspection at all multi-point events. Failure to provide proof of ownership may result in disqualification.

Competitor Classification System

Competitors are classified by the number of woofers in their system and the extent to which their vehicle has been modified. For specific limitations regarding vehicle modifications for each division, refer to the section entitled, “Passenger Compartment Guidelines” earlier in this manual.

Street Division

· 1-2 Woofers, 12-inch maximum diameter - 600 Watts RMS maximum total power.

· 3-4 Woofers, 12-inch maximum diameter - 1200 Watts RMS maximum total power.

Super Street Division

· 1-2 Woofers

· 3-4 Woofers

· 5-8 Woofers

· 9+ Woofers

Extreme Division

· 1-2 Woofers

· 3-4 Woofers

· 5-8 Woofers

· 9+ Woofers, 0-5K Watts

· 9+ Woofers, 5K-10K Watts

· 9+ Woofers, 10K-50K Watts

Specialty Division

Exhibition

This is an exhibition only class. Competitors are not eligible to win the Extreme Cup or set overall dB Drag Racing SPL World Records.

Competitors must compete in the Exhibition Class if they meet one or more of the following criteria.

· Vehicles with more than 50,000 Watts of power.

· Manufacturer owned vehicles.

· Vehicles using sound system components that were not originally designed for auto sound applications or that are not commercially available.

· Commercial vehicles.

Enduro

Open Unlimited – 30 second average SPL. Otherwise, same rules as dB Drag Racing.

Important:

The classes listed above are the recommended standard classes for dB Drag Racing. Typically, all of these classes will be offered at multi-point events. However, if there are fewer than 8 entries in a given class, or if the event is a single-point event, the show promoter may, at his discretion, combine one or more classes in order to fully populate the elimination brackets. In any case, the number of classes offered, and their specific breakdown, is at the discretion of the show promoter.

When power classifications are used, amplifier power will be determined by the highest continuous RMS power rating as published by the amp manufacturer.

This information will be collected from:

· Owner’s Manuals

· Literature

· Price Sheets

· Advertisements

· Web Sites

The dB Drag Racing Association reserves the right to test and classify new amplifiers that may be introduced during the course of the season or amplifiers that are rated in a deliberate attempt to circumvent the power classification process.

Note: Each competitor may compete in one, and only one class at each dB Drag Racing event. (Competitors may not enter the same vehicle in more than one class at a dB Drag Racing event, nor may a competitor enter more than one vehicle at the same show.)

Vehicle Audits, Rules Infractions, Penalties

The dB Drag Racing Association reserves the right to “audit” a competitor’s vehicle in order to verify compliance with the rules. During an audit, the competitor will be asked to show and/or explain various features of the vehicle and it’s sound system.

Audits may include (but are not limited to) the following…

· Inspection of the vehicle’s electrical system.

· Inspection of the vehicle’s sound system.

· Inspection of the sub-woofer enclosure.

· Inspection of the dash board, foot wells, center console, headliner, and door panels.

· Inspection of the “podium”.

If the competitor denies the officiating staff’s request for an audit, the competitor’s score(s) shall be nullified and the competitor shall be disqualified from the event.

If a rules infraction is discovered during the course of the competition, the competitor may be disqualified from the event based on the severity of the infraction and the current status of the competition.

· If the rule violation is an honest, minor infraction, the officiating staff may issue a warning and then ask the offending competitor to take the appropriate action in order to address the violation. If the infraction is exposed prior to the elimination rounds of competition, the competitor’s qualifying score shall be nullified and the competitor may be allowed to re-qualify once the infraction is rectified. If the infraction is discovered during the elimination rounds of competition, the offending competitor shall be disqualified from the event.

· If the rule violation is an honest, major infraction, the offending competitor shall be disqualified from the event.

· If the violation is deliberate and/or fraudulent in nature, the competitor shall be disqualified from the event. In addition, the dB Drag Racing Association reserves the right to further ban the competitor from competition in dB Drag Racing events for a period not to exceed 1 year.

· Any competitor that is caught tampering with, disabling, or destroying another competitor's system shall be immediately disqualified from the event. Furthermore, infractions of this nature will result in lifetime banishment of the competitor from dB Drag Racing competition.

· Any competitor that is caught tampering with, disabling, or destroying the SPL measurement equipment shall be immediately disqualified from the event. Furthermore, infractions of this nature will result in lifetime banishment of the competitor from dB Drag Racing competition.

World Records

A dB Drag Racing staff member must be present to establish World Records.

Any time a competitor posts a score that could potentially result in a new World Record, the following procedures shall be undertaken to ensure the validity of the score…

· The competitor’s vehicle (and podium) shall be immediately impounded by the dB Drag Racing officiating staff.

· The officiating staff will then perform a mandatory Vehicle Audit.

· The SPL measurement equipment shall be inspected and tested for proper operation. If it is determined that an equipment malfunction has occurred, the competitor’s score shall be nullified. Once the problem with the equipment has been rectified, the competitor’s vehicle will be re-judged.

· The officiating staff must unanimously agree that the competitor’s score is a valid score. If the officiating staff cannot reach a consensus on the validity of the score, the competitor’s score shall be nullified. Depending upon the nature of the dissent, the competitor may be re-judged or disqualified as circumstances dictate.

Miscellaneous

· All rules will be enforced based upon their intent and the ruling of the head judge is final.