WEBSTER CITY, Iowa—In joining with many of the other major dirt racing series and sanctioning bodies in America, the United States Modified Touring Series (USMTS) and United States Racing Association (USRA) have announced joint preventative measures to curb exotic and developing technologies in racing shocks and suspension.

Changes and clarifications to suspension rules occur in Article 8 of the USMTS and USRA regulations. Some notable additions and/or alterations include the following:

• Covers of any sort in any relation to the lift arm or pull bar are not allowed.
• Any new design of components pertaining to and/or containing shock absorber must be submitted to USMTS for approval before they will be permitted for use in competition. Manufacturer and/or competitor may be required to disassemble for complete inspection before instatement of new part is permitted.
• Only conventional-type (closed on one end) shock absorbers are permitted. Only single-shaft shocks are permitted. All shocks must be made of steel.
• Inerter shocks, J-damper shocks, active mass damper shocks and/or through-rod-designed shocks are not allowed.
• Electronically-controlled and/or monitored shocks by any means or methods are not allowed. Cockpit-adjustable shocks are not allowed.

“We do not get into the habit of amending rules during the season, but the reason that most tracks, sanctions and organization in motorsports reserve the right to do so is that in some instances it is best to act swiftly in high risk areas rather than let things spiral out of control,” said USMTS Technical Director Trevor Rash. “No matter how innocent something looks, with a little tuning and work it may become the next step towards a place we don’t need to be heading in the sport that we all love and count on to make our living.”

This month, several of the nation’s top dirt touring series and sanctioning bodies communicated an array of issues and ideas on this subject. In addition to those put in place by the USMTS and USRA, similar rules changes have also been implemented recently by the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series and World Racing Group, which includes the World of Outlaws Late Model Series and United Midwest Promoters (UMP) for both dirt late models and modifieds.

“The steps outlined in these new regulations are a sound start to keeping modifieds on the correct path for the future,” said USMTS President Todd Staley “We know that the natural creative minds and ingenuity of our competitors, as well as the manufacturers and builders involved in a technology-driven sport, will forever keep us on our toes. We have to be able to adapt and handle things swiftly when needed. Other times, we need to embrace change when we feel it is positive.”

Complete rules and regulations for the USMTS can be downloaded at http://usmts.com/ClientFiles/Downloads/2015-usmts-rules.pdf.

Complete rules and regulations for the USRA can be downloaded at http://www.usraracing.com/ClientFiles/Downloads/2015-USRA-Modified-Rules.pdf.

To learn more about the United States Modified Touring Series, visit www.usmts.com online or call 515-832-7944. You can also like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/usmts, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/usmts or subscribe to our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usmtstv.

To learn more about the USRA, visit www.usraracing.com or call 515-832-6000. You can also like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/usraracing, follow us at www.twitter.com/usraracing on Twitter and check out our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/usratv.