The Rules of Competition Pulling

Outlaw Rule Book (1998 season) This rulebook is out of date, please request a rulebook from OTTPA (http://www.outlawpulling.com) However, many general rules are similar or the same.

General Rules

1.                Contestants must be 18 years old or at least 16 years of age with parent or guardian consent.

2.                Obvious or excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages or usage of drugs will be grounds for disqualification.  No alcoholic beverages 3 hours before hooking to the sled.

3.                Any pulling vehicles left running with the operator in the seat will be disqualified.

4.                Pulling vehicles must be operated in a safe manner at all times within the confines of the track, pits and staging areas.  Judge has the right to stop and disqualify any vehicle not being operated in a safe manner.  All vehicles must pass a safety inspection.

5.                Driver must remain seated during pull.  Driver must have complete control of the vehicle at all times.

6.                If you are not registered one (1) hour before the starting time of the pull, you will be required to pay a $25.00 extra hook fee for that day, in addition to the regular hook fee, to go into your classes points fund.  If you are not registered before your class starts you cannot pull that day.  All pullers will draw a number to determine what position they will pull in, unless pre-called to have numbers drawn for you.

a.       If you have pre-entered a pull and are not there one (1) hour before the starting time of the pull-a number will be drawn for you and you will be obligated to use the number drawn.

7.                Contestant must pull at position drawn within three (3) minutes of time sled is in readiness; any delay will mean disqualification.  Judge may drop a contestant having mechanical problems to a later position.

8.                All vehicles must be in neutral or park (transmission selector) while being hitched or unhitched.

9.                Vehicle must be stopped immediately upon signal from flagman.  The pull shall be considered over when the forward motion stops.  All pull distances will be measured and the point of measure will be the front edge of the sled or reflector for laser.

10.            If a vehicle goes out of bounds, the vehicle is disqualified.

11.            Any weights or safety equipment lost while hooked to sled will be cause for disqualification. 

a.      No liquid weight allowed.

12.            Use of profanity or threats by any puller or member his pit crew toward any official or sponsor shall be cause for suspension of said puller and vehicle for the period of one (1) year, ten (10) days from date of occurrence.

13.            Excessive loss of liquid by a vehicle while in  forward motion during a contest will be cause for disqualification, unless due to internal breakage. All discharge tubes must vent outside frame rails in tract of rear tires or into a container.

14.            No one is allowed on the track except for track officials and contestants, track id defined as the area within ten (10) feet in any direction of contest course boundaries.

15.            Anyone found to be using nitro or nitrous oxide will be barred permanently.  Useable fuels:  gasoline, aviation gasoline, methanol and propane-absolutely no additives (i.e.: top lube, oils, etc.).  For the first infraction, the puller will be disqualified from that day's competition and will forfeit all money and points.  For the second infraction, the puller will need to present his or her case to the board; each case will be dealt with on an individual basis.

16.            All vehicles are required to drive into position on the track under their own power and leave under their own power at the discretion of the officials.  No riders on pulling or towing vehicles. All pulls must start with a tight hitch.  No jerking allowed.  All vehicles will have a workable reverse, but can be manually rolled  to or from the sled in case of mechanical failure only.

17.            All pullers must weigh at scales provided by the sponsoring organization and must abide by the weight shown of those scales.  All fuel tanks and other liquid tanks must be full before crossing the scales. Reweigh of vehicles will be at the discretion of the judges.

18.            All officially sanctioned contests must have available a dirt track not to exceed 300 feet, and not to be less than 25 feet wide. Spectators must be kept 25 feet or more from the track with a barrier.

19.            Entrants will be allowed a second pull if the first pull does not exceed 50 feet on courses 225 feet or less, or if pull does not exceed 75 feet on courses 226-300 feet.  (If the driver attempts to stop within these distances, but goes past to avoid being bumped by sled, he will be allowed to repull).

20.            Puller may have sled spotted on starting line wherever he desires if he notifies the judge in sufficient time to have the sled spotted in said location as the sled it returning to the starting line from the previous pull.  If preceding puller moves the sled any measurable amount, the next puller may have the sled relocated prior to his first attempt.

21.            The person who draws the lowest number will be the test puller, and may take his pull if weight machine is okay or he may immediately take his second pull or he may pull in 6^th position.  All previous pullers must follow puller with the lowest number drawn in order, following t he option taken by the first puller after each adjustment of the weight machine.

a.       In a pull off there can be a floating finish, contestant must pull as far as he can and each will be measured.

22.            The sled should be re-weighted before the 4^th vehicle pulls-or at the discretion of the sled operator and track officials.

23.            If the mechanical sled would break down during a class and cannot be repaired within a reasonable amount of time, that class will be pulled over starting with No. 1 puller.

a.       Once a class has been started, it cannot be stopped except in the case of mechanical difficulties with the sled.

24.            A minimum two (2) pound ABC with gauge dry chemical fire extinguisher secured to the vehicle and convenient to the driver is mandatory.

25.            All injection or butterfly shafts of blown engines must have dual return-to-idle arms and springs.

26.            All pulling vehicles must have an automatic ignition kill switch.  All ignition engines must have a kill switch in working order within easy reach of the driver.  All fuel injected ignition engines must have a fuel shutoff valve control within easy reach of the driver.  The breakaway switches will have attached to them a minimum of a two (2) inch diameter ring to be located approximately 2 to 4 feet above drawbar.

27.            No class jumping allowed.

28.            All automotive engines equipped with a non S.F.I. approved harmonic balancer shall be shrouded with ¼ inch steel no more than one (1) inch away in direction of rotation, 360 degrees, to be securely fastened with a minimum of two (2) ears, each extending on (1) inch in front of the hub. A bolt in the crankshaft to hold dampener puller is required.  All balancers or steel hubs required to have a retainer to restrict forward movement.

29.            A deflection shield is required on both sides of all engines.  Shield must extend the complete length of block casting and be securely fastened.  Shield to be made of aluminum or steel a minimum of .060 thick or safety blanket material. Shielding on all engines must extend from base of head or the uppermost point of piston travel to two (2) inches below bottom center of crankshaft throw and be securely fastened.

30.            All protests must be made before prize money is handed out. Protest fee is $25.00  for any rule except engine check.  If the protested vehicle is found to be illegal, all the prize money for that pull and points for the year are lost and the protestor is returned his protest fee.  If the protested vehicle is found to be legal, he (the protested vehicle) keeps the protest fee and all prize money, if any is involved.

a.       To protest engine size a $250.00 protest fee is required for a pump and/or teardown of engine

31.            Any vehicle running planetary rear-end must enclose entire driveline in a minimum of ¼ inch steel mounted to frame with adequate bracing.

32.            All competition vehicles must be equipped with working rear wheel brakes, except foot-wheel drive trucks must have working front wheel brakes.  All driveline brakes must have 3/8 inch steel, 360 degrees around brake components, and both ends must be closed with 1/8 steel or greater.

33.            A tow hitch minimum of six (6) inches ahead of the furthermost front portion of vehicle.  Three (3) inch diameter of hole preferable positioned horizontally and strong enough to push or pull at heaviest weight. Device to be used for no other purpose.

34.            All vehicles to have a primary independent mounted hitch of significant strength to retain the vehicle.  The hitch itself is to be painted orange.  Directly below primary hitch with and eight (8) inch minimum separation will be a secondary hitch, painted white.

35.            All throttles must be self-returning to the idle position when released.  Foot throttles require a toe strap.

36.            All drivers must wear a dot-approved helmet.  Drivers must wear 1 or 2 piece fire retardant suit.

37.            No portion of the vehicle or weights shall interfere with the sled or sled hitch during pull.

38.            All supercharger drive components must conform to SEMA specifications.  All superchargers shall have a workable pop-off valve or aluminum studs, and adequate restraint to prevent blower lift off.  All centrifugal blowers must have an adequate shield of ¼ inch aluminum of 3/16 inch steel.

39.            The use of torque converters, automatic shifts, etc. will be allowed during pull.  All vehicles with automatics must have reverse lock-out.  All vehicles shall be equipped with a neutral start switch, meaning the engine will only start when transmission is in neutral or park.

40.            Mechanical clutch equipped vehicles must have a SEMA approved explosion-proof bell housing and a "block-saver" steel plate between the engine and bell housing.

41.            Fully automatic transmission vehicles must have SEMA approved safety blankets covering not only the body of transmission but also complete bell housing portion.  Lenco transmissions are required to have approved explosion blanket.

42.            All rules will be enforced by the competition committee.  The competition committee, which is headed by the Vice-President of the Association, will strictly enforce all rules set up by the OTTPA and has authority to disqualify any puller if he is not meeting OTTPA specification prior to hooking to the sled.

43.            Violation of any rule shall constitute a disqualification.

44.            In the event of disputes, infractions, clarification, all decisions rendered by the judges will be final!

45.            Rules will be in effect until the next annual meeting.

Sleds

1. All sleds must be of a mechanical device with a rider on sled when it is in operation.  All sleds also must have workable brakes with a red light that comes on when brake is applied.

2. All sleds must be of a rigid design and stay on the ground to prevent excessive bouncing.

3. All weight transfer mechanisms and sleds, as a unit, must have passed a safety inspection by the North American Sled Owners Association and/or by OTTPA.

4. The sled hitch shall be a centered single design with a pivot design no to exceed 30 degrees nor less than 10 degrees.

5. The length of the hitch on an official sled shall be 36 inches for minis, 46 inches for truck and tractors (plus or minus ½ inch) measured from the point of hitch rearward to the point the chain attaches to the sled.  The sled point of hitch shall not be more than four (4) inches above ground level.

NOTE:  Hook for primary hitch to be painted orange.  Hook for secondary hitch to be painted white.

Truck General Rules

1. Seat belts are required and must be worn when vehicle is pulling.

2. Any owner that is found illegal by P&G and knows he is legal may prove himself by tearing down.  When any pickup is found illegal on cubic inch, the vehicle and owner will be suspended for sixty (60) days and loss of points for the entire season.

3. Drawbar must be equipped with a steel hitching device not more than 1 ½ inch by 1 ½ inch square (1 ½ inch stock); nor less than one (1) inch by one (1) inch square (1 1/8 inch round stock) and with a three (3) inch round hole-maximum of 3 ½ inch round hole.

4. A safety secondary hitch must be mounted horizontally on the vehicle twelve inches below the drawbar, to be painted white.

5. Primary hitch must be secured to vehicle frame and rigid in all directions.  No cables or chains allowed in hitch mounting.  Any movement of hitch up or down will not be allowed.  Hitch is to be painted orange.

6. Pulling point must be within 1 and 1 ½ inches from the back edge of hitch and no less than ¾ inches.

7. Hitch point to rear axle centerline must be a minimum of 36% of wheelbase for super stock or modified.

8. No cam type rear ends.

9. All drive line U-joints to be enclosed in 360 degrees shield 1/16 inch thick steel or 1/8 inch aluminum.  Shield should be close enough to joint to restraint any broken parts.  Joint should not be visible from side, top or bottom.

10. Each drive shaft must have a minimum of two (2) loops.  If vehicle has a shaft between transmission and transfer case no longer than 24 inches, one (1) loop, properly centered, will suffice.  Two piece shafts must have four (4) loops.

11. Loop location to be no less than six (6) inches and no more than twelve inches on a solid end of shaft and one (1) inch past stub on end with slip joint or three (3) loops evenly spaced so that if slip joint breaks, shaft cannot drop.

12. Loop material shall be made of steel no less than ¾ inch wide, 5/16 inch thick, if aluminum, minimum of 3/8 inch thick.  Maximum clearances to be two (2) inches horizontally and eight (8) inches both ways vertically.

13. If original vehicle has side doors, they must be on and closed.  Driver's door must be operational from inside.  Bumpers, tailgates, van rear doors are optional.  Truck bodies may be fiberglass complete body or components.

14. All weights must be securely attached to vehicle with leading edge of weight no more than sixty (60) inches in front of axle centerline.  Lose ballast (sandbags, rocks, unattached metal, etc.) no allowed.

15. No dual wheels, chains or studded tires allowed.  All tires must have rubber or rubber compound contact between tire and pulling surface.

16. Front and back glass or Plexiglas required.  Tinted or shaded windows hindering driver's vision front or back will not be allowed.

17. Any truck with engine-driven fan blade is required to have a fan shroud of 1/16 inch minimum steel, 360 degrees around blade.  Shroud shall be no more than one (1) inch from radiator core and ¼ inch past rear blade.

18. All pulling vehicles must be required to have a steel plate or billet flywheel.  The flywheel must be made of steel with the following mechanical properties:  Tensile strength of 60,000 PSI and yield strength of 40,000 PSI.  Any aluminum or magnesium flywheel that meets or exceed SEMA specs will be acceptable.  Clutch papers must be on file in the office and must be produced upon demand.  SEMA approved- new papers are due each year.

19. Any type of 1/16 inch metal shield to cover all axle bolts are mandatory and must be securely held in place.

20. All exhausts must discharge vertically or underneath and straight back.

21. Only one (1) automotive type engine per vehicle.

Pro Stock Truck

1. Tires must be street legal.  No tread alterations- no larger than 33 x 12.50 DOT approved.

2. Engine must be the same as make as vehicle.  Engine must be in stock location.  May only run OEM cast iron blocks with any cast iron heads or aluminum type heads except hemi type, OEM or aftermarket.  Any internal engine modification allowed.

3. Vehicle must retain original wheelbase plus or minus ½ inch and stock appearance.

4. All body components must retain original location on stock frame and factory production.  No raising of body components from original mounts.

5. Solid rear suspension allowed.

6. Edlebrock-type single four-barrel manifold required.  No tunnel rams.

7. Engine limit to 485 cubic inches.

8. Factory production running gears no larger than one ton.

9. Secondary safety hitch required, to be painted white.

10. Must run full hood, except for header cutouts.

MODIFIED TRUCKS 4X4

WEIGHT CLASS WILL BE 6200 LBS.

1. Any cubic inch displacement.  Engine must be naturally aspirated only.  No blowers or turbos.  Must be 4-wheel drive.

2. Must have hood in place, cut out for headers and injectors or carbs.  All side doors must be in place.  If roof is cut out, it must be replaced with sunroof or Plexiglass covering.

3. Pickup trucks must retain stock type metal box with full floor or wood or metal securely fastened to frame, or tanneau cover.  Box must be in original mounting position.  No flat beds.

4. Must retain stock wheelbase plus or minus ½ inch with axles centered in fender wells, cab and be in inches, but bed must be extended to 133 inches, but bed must be extended to maintain tires centered in fender wells.

5. Any automotive type axles, drivelines and gear ratios allowed.

6. Braking system must be foot operated hydraulic.

7. Engine must be located within confines of engine compartment.  All engine components behind grille.  Except high performance type starters crankshaft drive, rear of engine block may not be moved forward of centerline of front axle.  No altering grille location.

8. Vehicle must have a static weight of no less than 4300 pounds, without added weight and driver.

9. Outside edge of rear tires cannot be inside center of front tires or vice versa.  Tire size is limited to forty (40) inches in diameter maximum and eighteen (18) inches tread width maximum.

10. Mud flaps allowed.

SUPER MODIFIED 2 WHEEL DRIVE

WEIGHT CLASS WILL BE 6200 LBS.

1. If original vehicle has doors, they must be on and closed.  Funny car type body may be used with escape hatch in roof or back.  All vehicles must have complete firewall- no holes.

2. Tire size is limited to 18.4 x 16.1- nothing larger.

3. Exhaust must discharge upward.

4. All vehicles must have wheelie bars.  Wheelie bars must be two inches from the farthest point of the tire, with a five inch square pad on the bottom and able to support the weight of the vehicle.

5. Trucks must have a presentable bed or flat.

6. Weights cannot extend farther back than twelve inches from hitching point.

7. No fuel tank inside cab.  No fuel pressure gauges, fuel pumps or fuel line inside cab.

8. If battery is inside cab, it must be safely enclosed and securely fastened down.

9. No radiator or water hoses allowed in driver's compartment.

10. All turbo-chargers not under hood must be completely shrouded, except for inlet and exhaust pipes, with steel 1/16 inch or thicker.

11. Primary hitch must be rigid in all directions and solidly mounted to the vehicle frame.  Height point of hitch cannot exceed thirty inches.  Hitch to be painted orange.

12. Secondary hitch required, painted white.

13. Pulling point can be no more than 1 ½ inch from back edge of hitching device.

14. Must have blower or turbo.

15. Engine size is limited to 650 cubic inches with a blower no larger than a 14-71 hi-helix (roots) which has a rotor length of 19 inches.  No screw type blowers allowed.

NATURALLY ASPIRATED 2 WHEEL DRIVE

WEIGHT CLASS 6200 LBS.

1. Cubic inch limit 530.

2. All other rules same as open, except must be naturally aspirated.

TRACTOR GENERAL RULES

1. Minimum drawbar length is eighteen inches from center of rear axle with a maximum height of twenty inches, rigid in all directions.

2. Must have fenders or shield between driver and rear tires.

3. Must have wheelie bars capable of supporting weight of tractor.

4. Safety roll bar/cage is optional.  A weight allowance of 200 pounds to be given to board approved cages.  No weight given without approved roll bar/cage.  (Design at discretion of the builder.)

MODIFIED TRACTOR

WEIGHT CLASS 7200 LBS.

1. All automatic transmissions must have: new six strap approved blankets, and have reverse lockout.

2. All drivelines must be entirely enclosed in 5/16 inch steel or 3/8 inch aluminum and securely fastened to frame.

3. Total length of vehicle shall not exceed fourteen feet from center of rear axle.

4. Tire size shall not exceed 30.5 inches in width.

5. Engines limited to:  Three naturally aspirated automotive type or two automotive type 650 cubic inch limit with no larger than a 14-71 blower (no screw type) each motor or one marine or aircraft or industrial type up to 2500 cubic inches.  Turbines limited to military rating of up to 3000 HP.

PRO STOCK TRACTOR

WEIGHT CLASS 9000 LBS.

1. A pro stock tractor will consist of the following:

   1. Engine must be manufacturer designed block or the factory replacement block.  Billet cast or aluminum head allowed.

   2. Tractor must operate with hood and grille.

   3. All exhaust must be discharged upward.

   4. 3/8 inch diameter cross bolts are required in the exhaust on turbo engines.  No rain caps allowed.

   5. Only one turbo allowed.

   6. Diesel fuels only.

2. Rear weights cannot interfere with the hitching device or sled and cannot extend more than 3 inches past rear wheels and bottom weights to be no closer than twelve inches to top drawbar.

3. Length of tractor cannot exceed thirteen feet from center of rear axle to front of weights.  Wheel base 114 inch or stock location.

4. The motors, transmission, clutch housing and rear end must be in factory position, except final drives may be turned.

5. Tire size limited to 24.5 x 32.

6. Tractors must be equipped with wide front end with front wheels tracking rear wheels and must be equipped with fenders that must be as tall as the rear wheels and capable of supporting the driver.

7. Each driver must furnish a twisted clevice or hitching device with a three inch or larger horizontal inside hole diameter and must be welded or bolted to drawbar.

8. All pro stock safety equipment must be in place.

SUPER STOCK TRACTOR

WEIGHT CLASSES 5500,7500,9500 LBS.

1. All super stock tractor chassis will consist of the following:

   1. The stock engine block or OEM block that operates with the stock crankshaft for that model without any alterations.

   2. The stock transmission housing or manufacturers replacement.

   3. The stock final drive housing or the OEM engine block cannot be internally modified except for mounting of fuel injection pumps.  Internal webbing and water jackets are to remain intact with provisions to rebore engine block.

2. The tractor chassis and frame must remain stock from the rear of the engine block to the rear of the tractor.

3. The clutch housing, transmission case, rear end housing and axle housings must be OEM not aluminum replacement, but allowing clutch can in replacement of clutch housing and maintaining stock appearance.

4. Super stock tractors must have hood and grille in place as intended by manufacturer.

5. Super stock tractors will be limited to three pressure stages with a maximum of four turbo chargers.

6. All safety equipment must be in place.

7. Maximum tire size 30.5 x 32.

8. Component tractors allowed at 7500 and 9500 super stock competition under the following criteria:

   1. Allow installation of an aftermarket frame with an SFI-6.2 bell housing to replace the OEM clutch housing.

   2. Primary and secondary drawbar and rollcage, with five-point restraint harness, must be part of the aftermarket frame structure.

   3. Option to retain or replace original transmission housing.

   4. Option to retain or replace original differential and final drive housing.

   5. Engine block of given brand to remain consistent with that brand sheetmetal.

   6. Appearance to remain stock of given brand and model.

SUPER FARM TRACTOR

WEIGHT CLASS 9000 LBS.

1. No engine larger than 640 cid.\

2. OEM stock head for that brand series engine.

3. No overhead cams allowed.

4. Turbo exhaust bolt pattern no larger than 2.750 inches x 3.5 inches or 69 mm x 88 mm.

5. No altering of a housing to accommodate a smaller base.

6. A compressor measurement to be measured at the face of the wheel inlet of a maximum of 3.0 inches.  The wheel may be no larger than this measurement at the outlet.

7. An exhaust measurement to be measured at the face of the wheel outlet of a maximum of 3.0 inches.  The wheel may be no larger than this measurement at the outlet.

8. No double cut tires allowed.  Maximum 48 lugs allowed on 24.5 tire.

ECONO ROD TRACTOR

WEIGHT CLASS 6200 LBS.

1. Motor maximum 500 cid any cast iron block that was originally used in a car or truck, no marine or aftermarket blocks.

2. Heads-only OEM cast iron production heads, may do internal work on heads.

3. May use aftermarket intake manifolds except for tunnel ram type.

4. Any single 4 barrel carb.  May have a maximum of 4-inch spacers between carb and intake manifold.

5. Any differential type.

6. Fuel- any type pump gas or alcohol- NO NITRO or NITROUS OXIDE.

7. Tires- 24.5 x 32 maximum.

8. All vehicles must meet current OTTPA safety regulations.

OPEN TRACTOR

WEIGHT-        6500 LBS. MODIFIED TRACTORS

                        7500 LBS. SUPER STOCK TRACTORS

                        8500 LBS. SUPER STOCK TRACTORS

                        9500 LBS. SUPER STOCK TRACTORS

                        8500 LBS. ECONO ROD TRACTORS

                        7500 LBS. SINGLE BLOWN MODIFIED TRACTORS

                                                AND TWIN ASPIRATED

1.  All other rules are the same as in the tractor's regular class.