Vermont Tractor Pullers Association

Vermont V8 Minis (2017 update) Driver Eligibility: 1. General rules apply.  2. Driver must be 16 years of age or older.  Those under 18 years of age must have written parental/guardian permission.  3. VTPA Minis follow the NTPA and ASTTQ rules and guidelines for safety, competition, chassis, engines, shielding, and safety unless otherwise stated in the following rules.  Safety:   1. VTPA registered competitor driver must be in the seat at all times when vehicle is running or being started and must have complete control at all times.   2. Helmet: Full face Snell 90 rating or SFI rating 41.2.  NO modifications or alterations of the helmet are allowed with the exception for safety modifications.  3. Head sock or helmet skirt: Single layer Nomax driving gloves, driving suit of SFI rating 3.2A-1 minimum.  360 degree neck collar SFI speck 3.3 or Hahn’s device.  Fire resistant shoes, NO leather boots.  All protective clothing  be SFI approved. 4. Seat and driver restraint system must be securely fastened to roll cage independently mounted from chassis.  5. Roll cages to meet or exceed SFI rating 47.3. 6. Vehicle must have a quick release or swing away steering wheel.  7. Must have a neutral start switch.  Automatics MUST be in park.  SCS or Lenco type transmissions MUST be in neutral.  8. MUST have reverse light with a minimum one visible to driver and one at rear.  Lights can be clear or have white lens.  9. Vehicles with on board batteries or electric fuel pumps MUST have a battery disconnect switch mounted at the front of tractor so that a track official can kill power in the event of an accident. 10. Vehicle MUST have a five point driver restraint system that is quick release and be securely fastened during competition.  Failure to use restraint is grounds for disqualification.  11.  Vehicle  must  have  a  2½  pound  B/C  fire  extinguisher or a 16  oz  cold  fire  extinguisher,  fully  charged,  with  working  gauge  and  in  a  convenient  place  reachable  by  operator.   12. Blankets:  Automatic transmissions MUST be equipped with an SFI rated 4.1 blanket. The blanket must extend from rear of engine block to front of tail housing.  It must be fastened forward securely with 2 straps on each side, one above and one below the crank shaft centerline.  The blanket should have a 6” overlap.  Straps must be 2” wide, with not more than 1” spacing between each strap.  The opening at the bottom of the transmission must be closed by steel plate, original steel plate is accepted.  All Lenco type and planetary type transmissions, excluding reverser must have an SFI rated 4.1 blanket.  13. Fuels: Legal fuels are: Ethanol, Methanol, Water, Diesel, Aviation gas, Gasoline, or Propane gas.  Oxygen carriers and combustion accelerators are PROHIBITED.  Illegal fuels are Nitromethane, including nitrous oxide and propylene, as fuel or additive. NO pressurized fuels allowed, except in UL approved pressure tanks or fuel cells.  14. Clutches and cans must have current verification papers valid for two consecutive years.  15. Kill switches:  Electric fuel pumps must be tied to safety kill switch. 16.  Any competitor or crew member under the influence of an intoxicating agent, drug or having a measureable blood alcohol content during competition activities shall be considered under the influence and be barred from any further involvement with VTPA and may face fines and/or suspension.  Chassis:  1. Tread width (footprint) not to exceed 72” or 6’ measured at the widest point of tire touching the ground. 2. NO portion of tractor shall exceed 96” or 8’ in length from center of rear wheels to farthest point forward on tractor (weights, tires, fuel tanks, and toe hooks).  3. Front skid plates MUST be one of two types. Type 1 - Center mounted, must be a minimum of 10” wide with rolled edge front and rear.  Must be a minimum of 4” in length and securely mounted to front axle and/or frame.  Must be on center and must equal in strength to frame rails and/or front end.  Type 2 -In line with each frame rail (on both sides), equal in strength to frame rail material.  Must be securely mounted and braced to chassis, minimum of 2” wide and 10” long with minimum of 2” curve on front of skid.BOTH TYPES MUST extend down a minimum of 2” to what it is attached to. BOTH TYPES MUST be able to support the weight of vehicle with a jack. 4. Drive line shielding for drive train, excluding transmissions or gear boxes, must be enclosed in 5/16” steel minimum or 3/8” aluminum round in shape.  Inside diameter not to exceed 2” larger than outside diameter of largest drive train item.  If U- joints are used in the drive shaft application, the shielding must be 5/16” steel or 3/8” aluminum with a 1/8” steel insert in the aluminum.  Insert to be a minimum of 6” in width and centered over the joint.  5. Draw bars and hitching device to be one piece construction with a minimum of 1”solid steel construction.  NO hollow tubing allowed. The hook point is to have a minimum 2” and a maximum 2 ¼” round hole.  Material around the hole to be a minimum 3/4” thick steel. Maximum height is 13” to the point of hook and measured from a flat level surface.  6. Tire size is limited to 18.4 x 16.1 with a maximum 143” circumference when mounted on an 18” rim and inflated to 10 psi.  The ground patch is not to exceed 19” on original read.   7. Wheelie bars: wheelie bars and hitch height same as NTPA specifications.  Engines-Class A:  1.  Automotive  type  engines.  Only  2  valves  and  one  spark  plug  per  cylinder.    Automotive engine  is  an  engine  available  in  a  passenger  vehicle.   Maximum  8  cylinders,  and/or replica  of  this  engine  that  is  able  to  swing  and  run  a  stock  crank  shaft.      a.  Stock  bore  spacing  must  be  maintained  for OEM  block  that  the  engine  is  based  on  (i.e.  Chevy,  Ford, Dodge,  etc)   2.  380  cubic  inch  maximum  for  all  super  charged  engines,  inline  valve  wedge  head  only.  a.  575  cubic  inch  maximum  for  all  naturally  aspirated  engines,  14  degree  valve  engine  maximum  for  big  block  engines.  (Grandfather  rule  is  in  place  for  the  Aggravation  Tractor).    If  engine  configuration  (i.e.  block  or  rotating  assembly)  needs  to  be  replaced  than  those  components  will  hve  to  conform  to  current  engine  specifications.   Class   A  Mini’s  follow  the  existing  rules  such  as  big blocks  naturally  aspirated  engines  no  larger  than  575  cubic  inch  and  no  super  chargers.    Small  blocks  can  be  super  charged  up  to  380  cubic  inch.     3. Blower/Supercharger limited to 8-71 maximum supercharger size.  Supercharger size is to be determined by rotor length.  For 380 cubic inch small blocks with 6-71s maximum overdrive is 18% faster than crankshaft.  For 8-71s the maximum overdrive is 10% faster than the crankshaft. 4. If an engine is not defined by manufacturer as small block designation that such engine is limited to 671 with 0% overdrive or the same speed as crankshaft.  Owner/driver will have to provide valid written documented information from manufacturer as to the engine’s designation of small block.  It is not up to VTPA.  5. NO high helix rotors allowed.  Rotors must be standard helix.  Maximum of 60 degrees total pitch over the length of the rotor and no modified configurations of superchargers. One supercharger per engine, no multistage or stacking of superchargers.  Supercharger case width limited to 11.25” at its widest point, no variable speed or multispeed superchargers allowed. Supercharger must be mounted with aluminum studs only.  No other stud material will be accepted.  6. Supercharger restraint consists of 4 SFI approved straps, one on each corner of the engine with each strap securely fastened to the engine by its own bracket.  7.  Small  block  engine,  380  cubic  inch  maximum,  are  allowed  to  run  single  turbo  limited  to  17  PSI  of  boost.    Puller  must  have  tools  and  equipment  to  test  waste  gate  pressure.  a.  Turbos  not  meeting  rule  or  other  forms  of  forced  induction  will  be  looked  at  by  VTPA  Officials  and  determined  if such  configuration  will  be  allowed  to  run  and  with  what  restrictions.    8. No. 5 inch bore spacing big blocks Chevrolet allowed.  Engines-Class B:  1. Class B Limited Minis: big blocks up to 468 cubic inch, cast iron blocks only.  May run cast iron or cast aluminum heads on big blocks, NO Big hiefs, NO Pontiac heads on Chevrolet big blocks. Single or dual carbureted or injected.  Small blocks up to 410 cubic nch cast iron or aluminum blocks and heads allowed.  Naturally aspirated, single or dual carbureted or injected.  Weights:  1. Ballast and safety equipment must be secured on the tractor.  If they fall off, you will be disqualified.  Weight Classes:      2050  lbs  with  driver.