World Racing League Offers a New Amateur Endurance Racing Alternative

News, Racing I By Bradley Iger I February 26, 2014
It’s not every day we get to report on the founding of a new option for amateur racing. So it’s with a fair bit of excitement that we bring you news of the World Racing League, a recently founded sanctioning body which seems to bridge the gap between the "almost anything goes" fast and loose style of ChumpCar and the 24 Hours of LeMons endurance leagues and the costlier options from sanctions like SCCA and NASA.
 
WRL describes itself as a "grassroots road racing club created on the premise that road racing should be simple, safe, fun and affordable." In terms of simplicity, the WRL’s rule book weighs in at a shockingly featherweight 16 pages, boiled down to the bare essentials of what it takes to enter a race, comply with safety standards, and how to determine what class your vehicle will run in. Here’s a summary of some of the particular highlights of the WRL ethos:
  • Vehicle contact is not condoned.
  • WRL does not use car value limit rules.
  • If your car is eligible to run in other series, WRL probably has a class for it. Mass-produced passenger cars or trucks sold in North America between 1960 and 2004 weighing less than 4500lbs are eligible, with some exceptions for vehicles that do not fit this criteria. 
  • Classes range from 100% factory stock to "slightly modified", with some options for more heavily modified vehicles as well.
  • Classification is primarily determined by a vehicle’s power-to-weight ratio.
  • Power-to-weight ratio is determined using a car’s weight as-raced (less driver and cool shirt water) divided by the motor’s factory rated/published brake horsepower (bhp). The result will be rounded down to the nearest tenth.
  • Teams may add ballast to bring their car into compliance with a given class requirement.
  • Novice drivers must complete the NOOB Program (Novice Obviously On Board) before they are considered fully licensed by the WRL. To be admitted into the NOOB Program, drivers must show proof of completion of at least one HPDE event (through WRL or another recognized sanctioning body) and attend a NOOB school classroom session the day before a race event. Licensing from other national sanctioning bodies, including ChumpCar and LeMons, will also typically apply as a proof of eligibility for a WRL license.
  • Safety equipment approved for use with SCCA, NASA and other national road racing sanctions will likely be compliant with WRL rules.
  • Any changes to the rules will be made 6 months prior to the upcoming season. Any major changes that will require significant expenditure will be announced at least 18 months prior to the effective date, or will include a grace period for teams to come into compliance, with the exception of safety rules, which may be updated on an as-needed basis.
 
So essentially World Racing League looks to be less "formal" than some of the more well-established sanctioning bodies while also providing a more "serious" option than that from ChumpCar or LeMons. Interested? We certainly are.
 
Here’s a look at the inaugural season schedule (with more dates coming):
 
"Eights to Open, Trips to Win"
Motorsports Ranch Houston

Angleton TX

March 22-23
Duration: 8 and 8
Minimum Drivers: 2
Entry fee: $1000 covers car, 6 drivers/crew, and transponder
“Fast-In” Entry: $850
Register Here | Supplemental Rules 

"Fast In Fast Off Gran Prix" 
Brainerd International Raceway

Brainerd MN
May 31
Duration: 12 Hours
Minimum Drivers: 3
Entry fee: $950 covers car, 6 drivers/crew, and transponder
“Fast In” Entry: $800

Register Here | Supplemental Rules 

"High Plains Lifters"
High Plains Raceway, CO

Byers CO
June 7
Duration: 12 Hours
Minimum Drivers: 3
Entry fee: $950 covers car, 6 drivers/crew, and transponder
“Fast In” Entry: $800

Register Here | Supplemental Rules 

"All the Heartbreak Money Can Buy"
Texas World Speedway

College Station TX
June 14-15
Duration: 8 and 8
Minimum Drivers: 2
Entry fee: $1000 covers car, 6 drivers/crew, and transponder
“Fast In” Entry: $850

Register Here | Supplemental Rules 

“A Fool and His Traction are Soon Parted” 
Hallett Motor Racing Circuit

Jennings OK
Oct 18-19
Duration: 8 and 8
Minimum Drivers: 2
Entry fee: $1000 covers car, 6 drivers/crew, and transponder
“Fast In” Entry: $850

Register Here | Supplemental Rules 
 
An overview of the WRL’s registration system can be found here.  
So given these ground rules, what are your thoughts on this new league? Express yourself in the comments below!

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