All written documentation is comprised of words. These words have a distinct "meaning". The problem with many words or combination of words, is that they may have one meaning for one person and a different meaning for another person. This can cause problems. Sometimes we have to ask the writer of the "words" exactly what he meant when he used that particular word. For instance, one of the restrooms in our shop is marked "MEN". Of course "boys" are also permitted to use the facility. In this case, to be exactly correct, the restrooms should really be marked "NON FEMALE". The thing is that we understand the meaning of the door marked "MEN". We don’t need an interpretation.

Now let’s discuss the FFW Official Rulebook. This document is made up of words. In most cases, these words do not need any interpretation to understand their meaning. In instances where there is not a clear understanding as to the meaning of the words, FFW tries each year to clarify the meaning in the next Rulebook.

In the RENEGADE class, the Rulebook could have stated "Hydraulic lifters only". Even though FFW knew exactly what they meant by this statement, it was not necessarily clear to the racers. For 1999, this particular statement was altered to read "Stock OEM, unmodified lifters only". Much more clarity, right?

There are plenty of words, phrase, and statements in our Rulebook, however, they do not offer this kind of clarity. For this we apologize. As problems arise as to the exact meaning of a particular rule, FFW tries to clarify the rule. This clarification may be in the following years Rulebook or, in some cases, included in the newsletter. We have found that we don’t always "say" exactly what we mean. This is not meant as an excuse. Even the Constitution of the United States needs clarification and interpretation.

If we say in the rules that "two seats are required", we assume the racers know that the seats are supposed to be next to each other, not one behind the other. These assumptions are all through the Rulebook.

Since the FFW Rulebook was written by racers rather than lawyers, there will always be problems or potential confusion with assumptions. It’s usually no big deal. If a racer is unsure as to the exact meaning of a rule, all he has to do is give us a call. Even in this "high tech" world, the telephone is still a great way to communicate.

So, in the interest of further clarification, I present the following information for the PRO 5.0 Class. When the rules say "no tube frame cars permitted" they mean "no tube frame cars permitted without original front sub frame in place". When the rules say "engine compartment area may be reinforced" they mean "in the interest of structural integrity, the engine compartment area may be reinforced, including tying the front chassis to the roll cage". When the rules say "approved front air dams permitted" they mean "in the interest of aerodynamic safety, approved front air dams permitted, from the front bumper to the leading edge of the front wheel openings". When the rules say "front A-arms must bolt to the K-member in the stock location" we define the "stock location" as meaning "the center-to-center of the A-arm bushing". When the rules say "stock, unmodified strut towers" we have always permitted modifications to the top flat surface of the strut towers (to allow a lower ride height) or the addition of camber/caster plates.

And this is only a few things in the PRO 5.0 Class. Every drag racing organization (AMERICAN AUTOSPORTS PRODUCTIONS, IHRA, NHRA, WFC, NMRA, etc.) Has assumptions built into the rules. That’s just the way it is. If a racer is unsure as to the exact meaning or interpretation of any of the rules, all they have to do is call for further clarification.