By Jim Allen
Auburn, CA … The Northern Auto Racing Club has experienced a busy off-season in preparation for the highly anticipated 29-event NARC 410 Sprint Car Series campaign in 2025. This involved enacting various rule modifications and updates, with a significant focus on enhancing driver safety and well-being in sprint car racing.
Many of the rule modifications align with those of the High Limit and World of Outlaw series, ensuring consistency across the racing series. A summary is outlined in the accompanying notes.
In addition, the NARC Advisory Board agreed to implement a new CAP (Competitive Advantage Program) Insurance policy for all drivers competing on this season’s tour. This $500,000 excess accident medical insurance policy activates after other insurance options are exhausted. The driver membership fees will increase to include the cost of the policy, with a discount for memberships processed before March 1st.
Medical insurance and costs reached viral status in 2024 with major accidents and injuries involving NARC-member drivers Chase Johnson, Angelique Bell, Dominic Scelzi, and Justyn Cox. Johnson and Cox were injured at non-NARC events. This policy covers all sprint car events a driver decides to compete in in the United States, not just NARC shows.
Similar mandatory type policies are already in effect with several other sanctioning bodies and tracks.
“Most drivers don’t realize that track medical insurance provides marginal coverage at best,” states series board member Brent Kaeding. “Depending on the track, it’s between $15,000 and $50,000 total, which barely covers an ambulance ride and one night in an ICU (Intensive Care Unit.) It’s enough to bankrupt about any household.”
Injured driver Chase Johnson also spoke in favor of the policy.
“This is a good thing for all of the NARC drivers,” said Johnson, who suffered a rehabilitating back injury at a High Limit event at Chico in August. “I’m proof that you can’t have enough insurance in a bad situation.”
In other series news, NARC announced that Andrew Kunas will be the official NARC announcer for the 2025 season. With 16 years of experience announcing for the ASCS Frontier Region and various tracks in the Pacific Northwest, the veteran is a valuable addition to the NARC staff.
Membership and insurance applications can be found at https://wp.me/P8HUv9-iG.
RULE SUMMARY
FIRE SUPPRESSION:
The Lifeline Fire Suppression system (and others) must be recertified every two years. This requires inspection of O-Rings, piston, bottle, bladder, and a tank refill. The cost is $230 at Kaeding Performance.
CAR:
A removable wicker bill, maximum height of 1 1/2 inches (1.5″), may be mounted on the rear edge of the top wing center foil. Wicker bill must be 90 degrees to the top of the center foil. Built-in wicker bills or gurney lips will not be permitted.
One (1) in-car shock adjuster is permitted in the cockpit.
Any header that is not straight out the back of the car with or without a muffler must be welded when the bend connects to the header and to the muffler.
An “In-axle tire inflation system” that is attached to a bleeder is legal. No remote/data changing is allowed.
SEATS:
The Northern Auto Racing Club highly recommends the use of a seat insert to increase the safety of the driver.
The seat should be mounted in four places to the chassis with minimum 3/8″ steel bolt and nut. It is highly recommended that mounting bolts do not exceed 3.5″ in total length. Grade 8 steel bolts are highly recommended. Mounting holes in seat must have a 1.5″ diameter mounting plate with a minimum thickness of .060″.
OTHER:
Cars are not allowed to “break traction” at any time during a caution period unless directly authorized by the Director of Competition over the radio. Any cars that do so may be moved to the back of the starting grid.
Cars involved in a race stoppage during the semi or main event that go to the work area will be given two minutes to make repairs once they reach the work area. This rule no longer applies once the semi or main reach the halfway point, or curfew issues come into play. There is no allotted repair time provided during the heat races.
If a car goes to their pit area instead of the designated work area during the semi or main, there is no two-minute time clock because we have no way to check your status. The car can return to competition at an appropriate time. There is no “courtesy time.”