Roll Race Information

TX2K23™ Roll Race Nationals

LOCATION:
Houston Raceway
2525 South FM 565, Baytown, TX 77523

DATES: Gates open Wednesday, March 15th at 7:00 am and the event will finish around 7:00 pm on Thursday March 16th. Wednesday will have us focusing on acclimation runs, grudge matches and qualifying.

NUMBER OF CARS: Number of cars will be limited to approximately 160.

COST: Price is $340 per car and includes entry for one registered car into the roll race portion of the event and allows the driver access to Houston Raceway for all 5 days of the event. This is NON-REFUNDABLE, however you may request to transfer your entry if your car cannot make it (acceptance of transfer not guaranteed, subject to approval by Peter B. and until 2/1/23 – NO EXCEPTIONS TO THE DEADLINE, NO SELLING SPOTS PAST THE DEADLINE, NO SWAPPING DRIVERS/CARS PAST THE DEADLINE). Keep in mind that non-refundable means that if the weather ends up cancelling the event, there are no refunds.

HOW DO YOU RESERVE A ROLL RACE SPOT: registration closed, TX2K23 Roll Race Nationals sold out

CAR RULES: In the spirit of the type of event TX2K has been for the past 20 years, we are looking for STREET CARS. That means no tubbed cars, no stripped race cars (must have 2 front seats, must have OEM door panels), no lexan window cars, no fiber glass body/panel cars, etc… Also, skinnies will NOT be allowed.  Furthermore, cars will need to run a DOT approved tire (DOT stamp must be present). While TX2K has never allowed skinnies to stay true to the “street” car event that we are, we fully realize staggered setups are common and safe. In that regard, you may run 20mm narrower than the factory size tire for your car make, or you may take the “blanket” minimum size of 245mm width. This means if your car came factory with 245mm, you can run a 225mm. However, if your car came with a 295mm, 315mm, etc, you may run as small as a 245mm.   All cars must have a belly pan or engine diaper (diaper must provide full engine coverage, pan must have at least 2″ lip and liquid absorbent pad at bottom of pan).

ATTIRE/SAFETY RULES:

All drivers: Driver must wear closed toe shoes, long pants, long sleeve shirt, SA2015 or SA2020 rated helmet.

140 mph+ trap cars: all of the above plus fire rated gloves and fire rated jacket

160 mph+ trap cars: all of the above plus fire rated pants and fire rated shoes

190 mph+ trap cars: all of the above plus head/neck restraint system that meets SFI 38.1 AND used according to that manufacturers recommendation (HANS, Z-Tech, Simpson, Schroth, Impact, etc)

200 mph+ trap cars: All of the above, plus recommend a 5 or 6 point safety harness that is installed per manufacturers recommendation, recommend an FIA rated seat also installed per manufacturer’s recommendation.  Furthermore any car that traps over 200 mph must have a functional parachute and have the pin pulled for all roll race passes.

Tire Recommendations: we strongly recommend to match build construction of tires for front and rear

    • If you have bias ply rear, you should have bias ply front.
    • If you have radial rear, you should have radial front.

GATE FEE: Spectators/Crew members are encouraged to purchase event tickets prior to arriving to TX2K23.  Discounts are available online.  CLICK HERE to view the event pricing guide.

*All roll race participants will enter through Gate 1. Their race fee will include their entry into Houston Raceway Park for the full event.

STRUCTURE: Cars will qualify into one of four classes. The top 8 cars will be in the ELITE 8 bracket, the next 16 (qualifiers 9-24) will be in the UNLIMITED bracket, the next 16 (qualifiers 25-40) will be in the SUPER SPORT bracket and the next 16 (qualifiers 41-56) will be in the Sport bracket. We will have a VHT tractor and a crew responsible for “prepping” the full race distance.  During eliminations, there will be a 5.00 mph breakout rule for the UNLIMITED, Super Sport and Sport brackets (meaning no car can go 5.00 mph or faster than the number 1 qualifier in their bracket during eliminations).

AWARDS: The top two in all three classes will receive trophies and a cash payout.

LIGHTS GREEN/RED: For practice and racing, we will use our ‘traffic lights’ system that has been in operation since 2014. Just beyond the ‘start zone’ there will be a light on each side of the track right outside the wall, and another in the middle of the track. The lights can be off, red, or green. When you start a practice or racing run, the lights will be off. If they go green, the race is on. If they stay off, there is no race. If you see red, it means the track is shut down for a safety reason. 
 
HOW PRACTICE WORKS: For practice, cars will be paired up in the staging lanes and sent to the starter. The starter will hold the cars until the track and timers are ready. The starter will look to each driver to get a “thumbs up” and then *after both drivers have signaled the starter*, the starter will signal the drivers to go. As with racing, the left lane should get up to start speed (~65mph) and hold speed evenly through the ‘start zone’. Either the light goes green and the race is on, or it does not go green and there is a DNS (did not start). In the case of a DNS, please scoot to the end of the track at a brisk pace to clear the track for the next pair. In the case the lights go green, it is a race to the finish line (marked by 2 14′ tall checkered flags on the outside of each lane). During practice, expect a green light even if the cars are not pacing perfectly in order for drivers to get good practice in. 
 
HOW QUALIFYING WORKS: For qualifying, the starter will check to make sure both drivers are ready and then he will launch the RIGHT LANE first. The starter will hold the left lane for another 5-10 seconds and then launch the left lane. This is to ensure the right lane gets to the turn-off first and we reduce the chances of car contact at the far end of the track. Once rolling, each car will come up to pacing speed (~65mph) and hold that speed to the GREEN FLAGS. Please note there will NOT BE LIGHTS for qualifying. The 15′ tall green flags will be positioned on each side of the track in the middle of the ‘start zone’ and each driver, upon reaching the green flags, can then go. As always, we’ll have a radar gun running to ensure drivers don’t go too early, or pace at too high of a speed.  Any car exceeding pacing speed with have that run DQ’d. Elimination brackets will be set by fastest MPH. 
 

HOW THE RACING WORKS: Just like in practice, the cars will be paired up in the staging lanes. The cars will line up at the “start line” and leave upon being given the signal. Cars will have 400 ft to pace one another prior to getting to the “green zone”. The left lane driver ‘sets the pace’ and should hold a constant speed. The right lane driver keeps up. No sling-shots. The “green zone” will be lined with cones in the middle of the track and cones on the side wall of both lanes. These cones will stop at the end of the “green zone” and that last cone is the latest you may possibly see the green light turn on. Keep in mind that if two cars are in the “green zone” and are paired up close to one another, the green light may be triggered very early in the zone. When you see the green light turn on, GO! The lights, located in the middle of the track and up ahead, will be triggered manually by a starter that will be located up in the bleachers. If you pass the light and it hasn’t gone green then the run is aborted and cars will come back around and line up again. Cars will race for ~1,500 ft and then pass over a finish line and have 2,400 feet to slow down before reaching the end of the track. Total length including pacing area, racing area and shutdown is 4,400 ft. That is more total distance than other similar events. *Of note, the full 1,500 ft of race distance will have VHT on it and will be maintained throughout both days of roll racing, as will the full green pacing zone. First car to the finish line wins.

RE-RUN and DQ

During racing, if the light does not go green, go back to the grid as quickly as possible (paired up) for a re-run. Failure to show back up in a timely manner may result in forfeiting that race. The grid or starter folks will tell the two racers who is “at fault” for the re-run. The left lane can be at fault for either not keeping a constant speed or taking off too fast and not allowing the right lane to pace. The right lane can be at fault for attempting a sling-shot or simply not keeping up or getting too far in front of the left lane. TX2K is a ‘two-strike’ event, and each re-run will incur a penalty to one or both of the drivers. If the same driver has two penalties, that driver loses that race automatically by DQ. 

Of note, the finish line has been pulled back 300′ to allow for more braking distance.  For the last 5 years the finish line was 700′ past the 1/4 mile mark.  From this point forward, that finish line will only extend 400′ past the 1/4 mile mark.

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Wednesday March 15 – Roll Race Practice, Roll Race Qualifying and Round 1 Roll Race Eliminations (Unlimited, Super Sport, Sport)

  • 7:00 am Pit Gate and Spectator Gate/Vendor Midway opens
    • 7:00 am – 8:00 pm Tech open (ROLL RACE TECH ONLY 7:00 am – 11:00 am, ROLL RACE AND DRAG RACE TECH 11:00 am – 8:00 pm)
    • 9:15 am MANDATORY driver’s meeting (for Roll Race participants only)
    • 9:30 am Test & Tune and fun/practice runs for Roll Race
    • 1:00 pm Roll Race Qualifying until approximately 5:00 pm.  You will be able to make as many roll race qualifying passes as time allows.
    • 5:00 pm Round 1 Roll Race Eliminations for Unlimited, Super Sport and Sport classes

Thursday March 16 – Roll Race Eliminations and Drag Race Qualifying (if time allows)

  • 8:00 am Pit Gate and Spectator Gate/Vendor Midway opens
  • 8:00 am – 2:00 pm Tech open for all Racers
  • 9:30 am Round 2 Roll Race Eliminations
  • 10:30 am Round 3 Roll Race Eliminations
  • 11:30 am Round 4 of Roll Race Eliminations
  • 12:00 pm Drag Race Qualifying (including Exhibition Class, assuming roll race event doesn’t delay schedule)
  • 7:00 pm secure track
 

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