USRA Tuner body rules

The Tuner keeps its OEM (original factory) bumpers in the factory spots, with one fabricated option up front. (Rules 1.4, 1.6)

Nose

• Rule 1.4 The OEM bumper covers should stay on, or you can run the Five Star Bodies nose piece (#51001-41051-x). (Rule 1.4)
• Rule 1.4 A tubular front bumper (see Bumpers) has to be covered with a plastic nose. (Rule 1.4)
• Rule 1.4 Capping. Capping means closing the gap between the bumper and the fender. Rule 1.4 says that if you take the OEM bumper covers off, the bumpers have to be capped to the fenders. (Rule 1.4)
• Rule 1.6 Rule 1.6 says to cap the front and rear bumpers to the fenders across the bumper's width, and it says nothing about the covers. (Rule 1.6)

Bumpers

• Rules 1.4, 1.6 Location and mounting. Every bumper, tube or OEM, goes in the stock OEM location and is welded, chained or cabled to the frame. (Rules 1.4, 1.6)
• Rule 1.4 Stock bumpers. Run approved OEM bumpers front and rear. (Rule 1.4)
• Rule 1.4 Tubular front bumper. In place of the OEM front bumper, you can fabricate one from tubing up to 1.50 in outside diameter (OD), with a wall thickness of no more than 0.083 (the rule gives no unit). The rear bumper stays OEM. (Rule 1.4)
• Rule 1.6 No reinforced bumpers. No sharp edges on the bumpers or on any bolts. (Rule 1.6)

Bars ahead of the radiator

• Rule 1.5 Frame horn bar. You can run 1 horizontal bar, up to 1.75 in OD, tying the front frame horns (the front ends of the frame rails) together ahead of the radiator. (Rule 1.5)
• Rule 1.5 Radiator bar. You can add 1 more bar, up to 1.25 in OD, to protect the radiator. Keep it behind the bumper, inside the body and no wider than the OEM frame horns. (Rule 1.5)
• Rules 1.4, 2.6 Tow hooks. A tow hook is required at the front and at the rear. (Rules 1.4, 2.6)

The hood stays the OEM part and has to be fastened down securely. (Rules 1.1, 1.2)

Hood

• Rule 1.2 You can gut the hood: take out the inner bracing and keep the outer skin. (Rule 1.2)
• Rule 1.2 The hood insulation comes out. (Rule 1.2)
• Rule 1.2 The inner fenders stay in. (Rule 1.2)

Air cleaner and scoops

• Rule 7.6 You can run an aftermarket fresh-air pipe and air filter. No ram air, and no direct outside air feed. (Rule 7.6)

Engine placement

• Rule 13.1 The engine and radiator stay OEM, in the OEM location for the car's year, make and model. (Rule 13.1)

The doors stay shut for good, and the cage's door bars inside them carry a steel plate on the driver side. (Rules 1.2, 2.2)

Doors and quarter panels

• Rule 1.2 Weld or bolt every door shut securely. (Rule 1.2)

Skirts and ground clearance

• Rule 1.2 You can add skirting (a strip along the bottom edge of a panel), as long as the car still looks OEM. (Rule 1.2)

Rub rails and nerf bars

• Rule 1.6 Rub rails (strips along the body side that take contact): steel or Lexan (clear polycarbonate sheet), up to 1 in wide by 2 in tall, bolted flush to the body. (Rule 1.6)
• Rule 1.6 No sharp edges on the rub rails. (Rule 1.6)
• Rule 1.6 Apart from the rub rails, no bar can stick out past the outside edge of the body. (Rule 1.6)

Door bars and door plate

• Rule 2.2 Door bars: at least 3 horizontal bars on the driver side and 2 on the passenger side. (Rule 2.2)
• Rule 2.2 Both sides need vertical braces running from the top door bar to the bottom one. (Rule 2.2)
• Rule 2.2 Door bar tubing: at least 1.5 in OD with a 0.095 in wall. (Rule 2.2)
• Rule 4.1 You can cut the inside of the doors only as far as you need to clear the door bars. (Rule 4.1)
• Rule 2.2 Door plate: at least 18-gauge (0.049 in) steel, welded securely to the outside of the driver-side door bars. (Rule 2.2)
• Rule 2.2 The plate covers from the top door bar down to the frame, and from the rear down post (the rear vertical cage tube beside the driver) forward to 5 in ahead of the seat. It has to stay visible for inspection. (Rule 2.2)

The windshield opening gets bars and the driver's window gets a net. (Rules 4.1, 15.5)

Pillars and windshield

• Rule 4.1 Windshield bars. At least 3 windshield bars in front of the driver. (Rule 4.1)

Windows and visors

• Rule 1.2 Remove all the glass. (Rule 1.2)
• Rule 1.2 Front and rear sun visors: up to 7 in. (Rule 1.2)
• Rule 1.2 You can close the opera window (the small rear side window on some coupes). (Rule 1.2)

Window net

• Rule 15.5 A driver-side window net is required: ribbon or mesh style, at least 16 in by 20 in. (Rule 15.5)
• Rule 15.5 Mount it to the roll cage so the latch sits at the top front of the window. (Rule 15.5)
• Rule 15.5 You can attach a visor to the net, up to 4 in tall. (Rule 15.5)

The fuel system stays complete and unaltered OEM for the car's year, make and model, apart from the changes below. (Rules 7.1, 7.3, 7.4, 7.5, 7.6)

Trunk lid

• Rule 1.2 Fasten the trunk lid or hatch down securely. (Rule 1.2)

Fuel cell and rear firewall

• Rule 7.3 Tank ahead of the rear axle. You can keep it, with a shield installed underneath. (Rule 7.3)
• Rule 7.3 Tank behind the rear axle. Replace it with a fuel cell of up to 8 gallons in a metal fuel cell container, moved up above the floor in the trunk area. (Rule 7.3)
• Rule 7.3 Fuel cell mounts: at least 1 in square tubing, or 2 solid steel straps around the whole cell, each 2 in wide and 0.125 in thick. (Rule 7.3)
• Rules 4.1, 7.4 Rear firewall. The factory rear firewall stays in, with no holes, and a metal firewall or cell cover has to sit between the driver and the fuel cell. (Rules 4.1, 7.4)

• Rule 7.4 The fuel cell vent, including the cap vent, needs a check valve. (Rule 7.4)
• Rule 7.4 If the cell has no aircraft-style positive-seal filler neck and cap, fit a filler rollover valve of the flapper, spring or ball type. (Rule 7.4)
• Rule 7.5 With an aftermarket fuel cell, you can add an external electric fuel pump. Wire it to the ignition switch. (Rule 7.5)
• Rule 7.6 Fuel lines that run through the driver compartment must be steel. No cool cans (a can of ice the fuel line runs through). (Rule 7.6)

A Tuner keeps its factory floor pan and front firewall; you can't fabricate your own. (Rules 1.2, 4.1)

Firewall and floor

• Rule 1.2 Floor pan: OEM steel only, unaltered. (Rule 1.2)
• Rule 4.1 No holes in the front firewall. (Rule 4.1)
• Rule 4.1 Seal the driver off from the track, engine, transmission and fuel cell or tank. (Rule 4.1)

Dash and interior sheet metal

• Rule 4.1 No gutting in the driver compartment, except what you cut away to clear the roll bars and door bars. (Rule 4.1)
• Rule 1.2 Dash. Rule 1.2 says you can take the dash out or leave it in. (Rule 1.2)
• Rule 4.1 Rule 4.1's gutting ban makes no exception for the dash. (Rule 4.1)

• Rule 4.1 Take out all flammable material. (Rule 4.1)
• Rule 4.1 Keep the interior open. (Rule 4.1)

• Rules 4.1, 4.4 No mirrors of any kind, rearview included. (Rules 4.1, 4.4)
• Rules 4.3, 4.5 No air bags, and the radio comes out. (Rules 4.3, 4.5)
• Rule 4.2 No loose objects or weights in the car. (Rule 4.2)

Seat position

• Rule 4.1 Use an aluminum high-back racing seat, bolted securely to the roll cage with 0.375 in bolts and washers. (Rule 4.1)

Cage-to-body fit

• Rule 2.1 A 6-point, full-perimeter roll cage is required. (Rule 2.1)
• Rule 2.1 Cage tubing: at least 1.5 in OD with a 0.095 in wall. (Rule 2.1)
• Rule 2.1 The rear hoop needs X bracing, and rear kickers (diagonal braces from the rear hoop toward the back of the car) are required. (Rule 2.1)
• Rule 2.1 Halo cross bar: at least 1.25 in OD, across the top halo (the top hoop of the cage over the driver). (Rule 2.1)
• Rule 2.1 You can run a forward brace bar from the main cage to the front strut tower. (Rule 2.1)
• Rule 2.1 Electric weld the cage in and attach it with adequate plating. Recommended: plating of at least 0.25 in. (Rule 2.1)
• Rule 2.1 No iron, square tubing or galvanized pipe or fittings, and no brazing or soldering. (Rule 2.1)
• Rule 2.5 With the helmet on and the driver belted into the seat, the top of the driver's head can't stick up above the cage. (Rule 2.5)
• Rule 2.3 Pad every roll bar within the driver's reach with a material officials accept. (Rule 2.3)
• Rule 2.3 Recommended: fire-retardant padding. (Rule 2.3)
• Rule 2.4 The installation and workmanship have to be acceptable to officials. (Rule 2.4)

Every Tuner is built from a donor car: a street car whose body and frame you convert into the race car. Start with a front-wheel-drive compact. (Rules 1.1, 1.3)

Front-wheel-drive compacts are usually unibody cars, with the body and frame built as one welded structure and a front subframe carrying the engine and front suspension.

Which frame

• Rule 3.1 Subframes stay stock and unaltered. (Rule 3.1)

Allowed frame changes

• Rule 5.2 You can run a brace bar between the strut towers, front and rear. (Rule 5.2)
• Rules 1.5, 2.1, 5.2 No other bracing on the front end. The exceptions are the cage's forward brace bar to the front strut tower (under Cage-to-body fit) and the frame horn bar and radiator bar (under Nose and bumpers). (Rules 1.5, 2.1, 5.2)

Wheelbase and weight

• Rules 1.2, 3.2 Wheelbase (center of the front hub to center of the rear hub): 107 in max, with no more than 1 in difference from side to side. (Rules 1.2, 3.2)
• Rule 14.3 Car weight: at least 2,300 lb. A car under the minimum can't race unless you bring it up to weight by putting OEM parts back in their factory locations. (Rule 14.3)
• Rules 14.1, 14.2 No ballast of any kind. Anything officials call ballast has to come off. (Rules 14.1, 14.2)

Any front-wheel-drive compact car with a 3- or 4-cylinder engine can race. It stays strictly OEM, and the body stays unaltered and OEM in appearance. (Rule 1.1)

Allowed bodies and kits

• Rule 1.1 Not allowed: station wagons, convertibles, the Honda CRX and two-seat sports cars. (Rule 1.1)
• Rule 1.3 The VIN (vehicle identification number) has to stay clearly visible and unaltered in at least 1 of its OEM locations. A car with no VIN can't race. (Rule 1.3)

Panel materials

• Rule 1.1 Every body panel stays the OEM part. (Rule 1.1)
• Rules 1.2, 1.4, 1.6 The add-on and replacement body pieces the rules name are the Five Star Bodies nose piece (#51001-41051-x), the plastic nose over a tubular front bumper and the bumper capping (Nose and bumpers), the sun visors of up to 7 in and whatever closes the opera window (Roof, pillars and windows), and the skirting and steel or Lexan rub rails (Doors and sides). (Rules 1.2, 1.4, 1.6)
• Rule 3.3 No titanium parts anywhere on the car. (Rule 3.3)

Cutting and gutting

• Rule 1.2 Strip out all the glass, the exterior lights, the chrome, the plastic trim and the hood insulation. (Rule 1.2)
• Rules 1.1, 1.2, 4.1 No other cutting or gutting. You can gut the hood (Hood and engine bay) and cut the inside of the doors to clear the door bars (Doors and sides); for cutting inside the driver compartment and for the rulebook conflict over the dash, see Interior, firewall and floor. (Rules 1.1, 1.2, 4.1)

Numbers and appearance

• Rule 1.7.1 Numbers. Every car carries large, readable numbers on both sides, on the roof, on the nose and on the rear panels. (Rule 1.7.1)
• Rule 1.7.1 Side numbers. These should contrast with the body color and be at least 18 in tall and 4 in thick (the width of each stroke). (Rule 1.7.1)
• Rule 1.7.1 Roof numbers. These should be at least 20 in tall and 4 in thick. (Rule 1.7.1)
• Rule 1.7.2 Advertising. Officials can assign, approve or turn down any advertising, sponsorship or similar deal tied to an event, for the public image of the sport or of USRA. (Rule 1.7.2)
• Rule 1.7.2 Neat cars. Every car must look neat, and officials approve each car to race. By racing, you agree to follow their decisions on this. (Rule 1.7.2)