03/03/2025
2025 Hobo Rules
ABSOLUTELY NO REFUNDS! ***
NO PASSENGERS!!!!
Call Junior Cardwell 1660-216-4251 for any questions
General Driver Rules & Expectations:
- ALL RULES MUST BE FOLLOWED OR YOU WILL NOT RUN
- Driver must be 18 years of age and have a valid driver’s licenses. Ages 16-17 must have a notarized permission slip and some form of identification. The person that signs in as the driver for the event must be the driver.
- Drivers must wearseat belt, helmet, fire suit jacket and long pants while participating.
- ALL drivers must attend the drivers meeting.
- During event you are given 1 minute to make an aggressive hit or will be disqualified.
- You MUST run a roof sign.
- Drivers are not allowed to drink alcohol before they participate. If found with alcohol in system you will not run, no exceptions. ZERO TOLERANCE RULE!!!
THIS IS NOT A SET OF RULES BUT A SET OF GUIDELINES OF HOW TO BUILD YOUR CAR. IF IT DOESN’TSAY YOU SPECIFICALLY CAN DO SOMETHING THEN YOU CAN’T! THIS IS A SET OF GUIDELINES OF HOW TO BUILD YOUR CAR. IF IT DOESN’T SAY YOU CAN SPECIFICALLY DO SOMETHING THEN YOU CAN’T!!!
Car Preparation:
- No Fresh Paint or Undercoating on the frames at all. No buffing or grinding frames or bodies except where
welding is specifically allowed in these rules. No painting in the interior of the car.
- All cars must be stock, unless modification is stated in the rules.
- All glass, plastic, chrome, and interior must be removed from car before arriving to the derby.
- All trailer hitches and braces must be removed.
- Batteries must be moved to passenger front floorboard. They must be properly secured and covered.
- You must have a number in bright colors on each front door and must have at least the size of a 15”x15” sign on the roof of your car with car number on it for judging and recognition of the car. You cannot use the roof sign to strengthen the car.
- All cars must have working brakes when you cross the ramp. If the car is not able to exhibit the ability to stop it will not be inspected.
- NO welding other than what is mentioned in this set of rules. If your car is found with any weld, other thanwhat is allowed, and you refuse to fix it to the judge’s satisfaction, you and your car will not run!!
- Any American make car can run with the following exceptions: NO 1970 or older Lincolns and NO
1973 or older Chrysler Imperials or Imperial sub-frames, 4x4, ambulance, hearses, trucks,
limousines, etc…
BODY
- Remove all glass mirrors and plastic. Remove all decking in wagons Vehicles must be swept clean of all debris. No sedagons, ZERO crease enhancement, ZERO sheet metal or frame shaping, forming, or folding. Deck and Hood must be 100% in stock location and open for inspection.
-Fasten trunks, tail gates in 8 places, 2 strands of #9 wire. You may run 2 pieces of 5/8 all thread through factory body mount hole, up through the trunk lid. This will count as 2 of you 8 tie downs. You may weld doors 6 inches total on each vertical seam only 2”x1/8” Strap. Drivers’ door may be welded solid - 2” x 1/8” strap. Do not weld hood or trunk!
- Hoods may have a total of 6 tie downs 2 being the core support all thread. Angle iron 2” long may be welded to fender and hood to bolt through. Bolts no bigger than ½ “
-Body mounts and spacers to remain stock and in place. If they are broken or rusted out, a single piece #9 wire may be substituted. No body bolt changing allowed. DO NOT EVEN TOUCH THEM, IF YOU TOUCH THEM YOU WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE CLASSED UP!!!!!!Exception: You may replace two front body mounts with two 5/8" threaded rod with eight 3inch washers and 4 nuts, Bottom nut and washer must be inside frame and may extend through hood. ZERO welding allowed to mount this rod. If you would rather run a spacer instead of washers use a 2”x2”x6” tube but do not weld to core support or frame.
#9 wire, chain, or 1/8”x3” a-frame required in front windshield in two spots.
TIRES/WHEELS
Tires no bigger than 16 inches, No split rims, No studded tires. Doubled tires are ok. Foam Filled tires and solids are ok. Wheel centers are allowed.
FRAMES
-NO welding on frames allowed. No suspension modifications allowed. Must remain strictly stock. ZERO aftermarket parts. You may use 2 twist in spring spacers per side (store bought, no homemade)or 1, ½” bolt per side to hold a arm down. You may use a single strand #9 wire to hold coil spring to rear end and leaf sprung cars may use 4 single strands #9 wire as leaf clamps.
Drive Train:
- ANY drivetrain allowed with the following criteria. Use motor of choice, motor must be in stock location. Distributor Protectors are NOT allowed. Mid Plates are NOT allowed. Lower Cradles are allowed but must attached to a factory engine mount, with rubber bushing attached to frame. The factory engine mounts are the only way of tying the motor down.
-NO Distributor cap protectors or Full cradles!! YOU are allowed a front lower. You may run the front plate for the engine cradle but cannot extend back at all. This is to try and save motor mounts do not abuse this rule. Header Protectors are allowed, Piece of 4X4 ¼” welded around header ONLY and cannot connect to anything. No other protectors allowed on motor or in motor area No tr**ny protectors, stock mounting only, stock crossmembers only that came with the car or 2x2x1/4” angle iron. No modifications to transmission case or braces.
Rear ends
-Rear End Swaps Allowed: Rear ends must be OEM factory 5 lug. Can swap Ford to Chevy etc. No bracing allowed. No coil spring to leaf spring conversions or leaf spring to coil spring conversions. Slider driveshafts are allowed. Must run factory leafs.
-You may run 1 piece of 3/8” standard chain from rear end around the frame or through coil spring OR 2 strands of #9 from rear end to frame, nothing thru body ( # 9 wire can have 2 loops, 4 strands together in center twist only.) One or the other, can’t do both do no attach to frame just loop the frame Aftermarket Cable Shifters, Gas Pedals, Steering Columns & Headers are allowed, do not use to strengthen car. Lower engine cradles only. No pulley protectors, skid plates, protectors of any kind, no aftermarket parts of this nature at all.
-You may swap engines, example: Chevy in a Ford.
Driver Compartment
-4-point square cage only with one 2x2 down tube per side to frame top side only. Max 60-inchside bars 6inch max. Halo bar allowed to back seat bar or frame , so you can have a total of 4 down bars to frame. Gas tank must be mounted horizontally and 8 inches off floor. -Gas tank protector may be used but must be not wider than 24”, centered in car, 3” off any sheet metal including floor. Roll over bars are allowed to go to the frame.
-Gas tank and battery must be moved and secured. Tank behind the seat, Battery centered in the passenger front floor. Nothing may be mounted in a way that strengthens the car.
Trans coolers allowed. Must be mounted inside 4-point cage area.
Bumpers
-You may weld on any loaded (loaded on inside only, nothing on the outside) factory OEM bumper that is legal for the class you are running or a replica bumper. All bumper material longer than 4” back must be removed. Shocks may be collapsed and welded. All shocks and brackets in stock location only and extended one inch in front of frame.
Or You may shorten to one inch in front of the core support body mount and run a 6x6x1/8 plate as a bumper bracket.
-You are allowed 1 square 6x6x1/8 plate per side fresh and add 2 plates total on a pre run. The pre run plates must be on physical bends if it is not on a physical bend that we can see with our eye or scope it will come off.
- Broken frame seams may be stitch welded back together starting by skipping the first ½ “and then weld ½” skip ½” weld ½” etc.
03 & Newer Rules:
-MUST BE 100 % FACTORY SUSPENSION FOR THAT CAR- NO MODIFICATIONS
-Must use factory rack & pinon, no steering box conversions.
- Must run the factory aluminum cradle, NO added metal.
- May use bolt in strut spacers can not strengthen car in anyway
- A simple gray area or like cradle will be allowed. 1 bolt in each tower to hold in. Can not wrap the aluminum. Must be 2” inside the inside frame rail. Call with any questions!
-Only welding allowed is doors, bumper, engine mount, cage, and plates and rearend gears!
-THIS IS NOT A SET OF RULES BUT A SET OF GUIDELINES OF HOW TO BUILD YOUR CAR. IF IT DOESN’T SAY YOU CAN SPECIFICALLY DO SOMETHING THEN YOU CANT.
JUDGES DECISION IS FINAL!!!
-This is a simple build, keep it that way! If you call me on these the answer is likely NO! Do not get creative or read into the rules, this is a back to the basics build.
If you cannot read these rules and don’t follow them you will not run.
MJC Promotions holds the right to refuse any car that does not seem safe enough to compete. This is in the best interest of the driver, and other competitors.
