Rules 2023

ILLINOIS STOCK PULLERS ASSOCIATIOn



Membership/Driver Rules

1. All tractors will be a member of ISPA. No other sanctioned tractors allowed.  Membership dues are $75 per driver.
    Must be a paid member to pull.
2. Membership dues for pervious year members will be due on June 1st of current pulling year.
    Dues paid after June 1st by previous years members will be 10.00 more than current membership fee.
3. Drivers must be a minimum of 13 years of age.  Drivers between the ages of 13 and 16 must have approval of the Board
    of Directors.  A parent or legal guardian must be present during the pull.
4. Drivers are not allowed to consume alcohol prior to or during the pull.
5. No unauthorized persons allowed on the track during the pull.  No guiding, coaching, or hand signals oncethe tractor has started pulling.
6. Drivers will remain seated during pull.
7. Disobeying the flagman will result in disqualification.
8. No riders allowed.
9. Anyone who deliberately does not abide by the rules will be permanently barred from the ISPA.


Tractor Rules
1. A certified weight system will be used.
2. All previous seasons tractors must be certified by the first 3 sanctioned pulls of the current pulling season. Any tractor
    that would wait till the 4th or later pull will be assessed a $25.00 fee for later certification.
3. Weights, or any part of the tractor lost while under green flag will be cause for disqualification.  If weights or any part
   of the tractor are lost while under the red flag, the pull will be measured.
4. Excessive loss of fluid will be cause for red flag.  If the driver obeys the flagman and stops immediately, the pull
    will be measured at that point.
5. Any tractor operated in an unsafe manner will be disqualified.

 Track/Pulling Rules
1. Pullers should be at the pulls a minimum of 30 minutes prior to the start of the pulls.
2. Pulling position will be drawn at the fair.
3. Entry fees will not be returned once the class has started.
4. No tractor will be allowed to pull twice in the same class.
5. The on deck tractor should be ready to pull with the driver at the tractor when the sled returns.          
6. Extension of the full pull mark will be allowed on the first tractor only.
7. The first puller in the class has the option to pull over in the third or last position; a reasonable amount of time will be
    allowed to return.
8. Tractors will have the option to restart one time if they stop before the 75 foot marker.
9. If any part of the tractor or sled goes out of bounds the pull will be measured at that point. The out of bounds lines will
   be indefinite. The flaps on the sled are not considered part of the sled.

10.Out of bounds lines end at 300 feet

 10000-12000 lbs. Class Rules
ISPA Officers and Directors must approve all new or questionable entries.

Safety Rules
1. Tractors must be equipped with a deadman throttle.
2. Tractors must have tip over bars.  Bars must pass inspection by ISPA Director or Officer.
3. Fenders are required.
4. Tractors must have working brakes that will hold on an incline.  Example-Trailer ramps.
5. Engine fan must be shielded.
6. All Tractors must have some type of Air and/or Fuel injection pump supply line shut-off, bypass-dump valve.
7. A Tech Check must be performed during the tractor certification.  The Tech Check consists of:  brakes, deadman
    throttle, drawbar, tip-over bars, magnet (sensor equipment), tire size, side shields, engine fan shield,
    scatter blanket or shield, fuel shut off or dump valve or air shut off.
8. A scatter blanket or shield will be required. The blanket may be new or used.  The shield must be 12” wide X 3/8”   

    thick minimum and must surround the clutch housing 360 degrees.  The Olivers are exempt from the 360 degrees and
    do not have to cover the bottom and lower sides of their clutch housing. 

9. All tractors are required to have a working 2  1/2 # or larger fire extinguisher mounted on the tractor

Engine Rules
1. Maximum cubic inch is 650.
2. Maximum engine RPM is 3500.  Tractors must have a positive throttle stop for setting maximum RPM, and working Tachometers.
3. No aluminum or aftermarket heads.
4. Engine must be stock block or factory replacement for that make and model of tractor. Massey 1150 and 1155 tractors
   can use a Perkins 640 engine as an upgrade.  Any IH NA tractor that came with a 400 series block can run any 400
   series block in that tractor.

Air/Fuel System Rules
1. All tractors are to be Naturally Aspirated. Defined as No turbochargers, superchargers, or add on injection.  No air-
    cooling agents.  No water or alcohol injection.  No nitrous oxide, oxygen, or nitro methane.

    Tractors may not have been  " NA " in their original form
2. Tractors must run on diesel fuel.  
3. Tractors can run a Bosch A or P fuel pump (stock Robert Bosch housing), or a stock fuel pump.
4. No electronic governors.   


Tires Rules
Maximum tire size is 18.4-38.  No duals, chains, or four-wheel drive.

Chassis Rules
1. Tractors are to be stock appearing.  Prior to any sheet metal upgrades, the members at the Annual Meeting must
    approve the changes.  No tractor will be allowed to pull without the member’s approval of these changes.
2. All housings must be stock appearing for that make and model of tractor.  Must run OEM axles and axle housings for
    that make and model of tractor.
3. Engine side shields are required – 6 cylinders must be covered from the bottom of the hood to the center of the crank  V- 8’s must

    be covered from the bottom of the head to the center of the crank.
4. All weights must be safely secured to the tractor.  No weights or weight frame to extend beyond 24 inches in front of the tractor.
5. Wheel base length will be that of stock length plus or minus 6” for each make and model of tractor.  Length will be
    measured from the center of the rear axle to the center of the front wheel hub.  If a tractor model had more than 1 front
    axle option, the longest wheel base will apply.

 

Drawbar Rules

1. Tractor must have a rigid drawbar with a fixed pulling loop 3 inches wide  X 3 3/4 long, no higher than 20” from the ground, and no
    shorter than 18” from the center of the rear axle to point of hook.  Pulling point to be no more than 1 ½” thick.
2. No drawbar supports to be attached above the centerline of the rear axle, unless using the stock drawbar support for that
    make and model.  Absolutely no drawbar supports designed to pull only from, or to be attached only to, a point above
    the centerline of the rear axle.
3. All drawbars will be measured immediately prior to hooking to the sled.

 RPM  Box
1. When an ISPA flagman is not used, then the Directors are responsible for watching the RPM box light except when driving.
 2. If a tractor sets off the RPM monitor box, the driver will be required to park the tractor at the end of the track,
    out of the way, so as not to hamper the rest of the pull.  Everyone (including the driver) is to get completely away from
    the tractor.  After the class is over, the Directors will check the tractor’s RPMS with ISPA’s hand tach, and determine
    the tractors legality.  A tie vote by the Directors will be broken by the flagman (if he is an ISPA member).  If the tractor

    to be checked is a Director’s tractor, he will not be allowed to vote.  If the tractor is determined to be illegal, it will be
    disqualified for that class, and will receive no points, no prize money, and will not receive a refund of entry fee. 

Protests & Handling of Rules
1. PROTEST RULE:  A Protest Sheet must be signed by the Protester, stating what is being protested.  Protest is for the
tractor only. Protester can protest only one specific item for the $250 fee.  If the protest requires a teardown, the owner has the right to have the teardown at the owners shop that night.  If the protest is for cubic inches, this will be measured
 from the bottom of the engine.  Protester will put up $250.  If protestee is found to be legal, protestee receives the $250.
If the protestee is found illegal, the protestee will be permanently barred from the ISPA. and the protester will receive their $250 back
2. The Directors and/or Officers are to handle all protests, rules violations, and safety rules.
3. Directors, Officers and Judges decisions are final.
4. The ISPA Officers and Directors reserve the right to change, correct, delete, or add any rules that may become
    necessary during the pulling season.
5. In the event of a teardown for cubic inches, a 1% tolerance will be allowed for wear.

GUIDELINES FOR HAND TACH
1. When the RPM box light is set off on the track, the driver needs to be told immediately by the ISPA
    flagman or Director (if an ISPA flagman is not used) that the tractor has set the RPM box off.
2. As per the rules, the driver will be required to park the tractor at the end of the track, out of the way, so as not
    to hamper the rest of the pull.  Everyone (including the driver) is to get completely away from the tractor.
3. After the class is over the Directors will have the driver take the tractor to a discreet location to be hand  tacked.
4. The RPM box is to be plugged into the tractor and the tractor is to be hand tached 3 times.  The 2 lowest or
    highest readings will be used to determine if the tractor is legal or illegal. 
5. If the readings are 3501 RPM or above, the tractor is disqualified for that class.
6. The driver is to have complete control of the throttle.
7. The driver has the option not be hand tached.  If the driver decides not to be tached, the tractor will be disqualified for that class.
8. While the hand taching and decision is being done, only the Directors, flagman, and driver shall be around
    the tractor.  Everyone else is to stay completely away.