Oildowns by Top Fuel and nitro Funny Car drivers are a nightmare and often a byproduct of racing hard. They can also be the result of inattention to detail.

NHRA, facing the time constraints of live television and declared time windows, as well as curfews and canceled sessions, has determined the issue must be addressed through policies intended to cut down on event delays.  

NHRA recently outlined their penalties for drivers in Top Fuel and Funny Car who have oildowns during the upcoming 2024 season – which consists of 21 races – beginning at the Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., March 7-10.

The memo sent to their nitro-burning racers detailed that penalties may be imposed on teams depositing oil on the racetrack surface during any qualifying and/or elimination round (including the final round). 

NHRA has long defined a violation as any incident requiring the use of mechanical equipment (i.e., tractor, truck, sweeper, etc.) to clean up an oil spill. Spills or drops of oil cleaned up by hand are not considered violations, and penalties will not apply.

Depositing liquids other than oil (i.e., fuel, fire extinguisher) on the track surface is not classified as a violation and will not be penalized under this policy. An oil cleanup resulting from a crash would not result in a penalty unless the accident was a result of depositing oil on the track. 

This policy encompasses the entire length of the track surface. The track surface includes the area where the vehicles are started, the burnout box, the starting line, the racing distance, and the shutdown area to the point the vehicle exits (including the turnout area if cleanup results in a delay of the race). 

TF and FC PENALTIES: 

The first violation of the season will result in the following: 

• Loss of five (5) NHRA Series points regardless of whether qualifying or eliminations. 

A second violation of the season will result in the following: 

• Loss of ten (10) NHRA Series points regardless of whether qualifying or eliminations. 

Subsequent violations: 

• Loss of fifteen (15) NHRA Series points per violation regardless of whether qualifying or eliminations. *Point penalties will be waived during the final six (Countdown to the Championship) events of the season. 

The memo confirmed that repeated and excessive violations will result in an NHRA review of the teams’ season performance. Any team experiencing multiple/continual violations or demonstrating a disregard for the oildown policy will be subject to additional punitive action as deemed appropriate by NHRA at its sole and absolute discretion. NHRA confirmed such action may involve monetary fines, immediate disqualification from the event, denial to participate at future National Events, testing requirements, and/or suspension of competition privileges. 

NHRA has said that if the number of oildowns goes up, additional penalties beyond those listed could include the loss of a run and/or the loss of points. In the end, it’s the event director who has the final say. Those decisions are unappealable, though NHRA reserves the right to reverse decisions or review actions or inactions on its own initiative if it determines that such action is warranted.