MIDWEST DRAG RACERS ASSOCIATION

                                  BYLAWS

 

 

I.                 NAME

 

                        The name of the Association shall be the Midwest Drag Racers Association (MDRA).  The mailing address will be P.O. Box 29353 Brooklyn Center, MN 55429-6353.  The Chairman and the Treasurer shall both have possession of keys.

 

II.               PURPOSE

 

                        The purpose of the Association is to promote, maintain; and improve the sport of drag racing in general.

 

                        A.        The Association will promote, schedule, and participate at drag racing events and other fund-raising events as directed by the Board of Directors.

 

                        B.        The Association will run MDRA events using National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) rules or International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) as they apply to the various classes, as designated by the track operator.

 

                        C.        The Association will work to maximize its position with track owners and operators, specialty equipment suppliers, government agencies, the general public, and all others that it depends upon for support and participation.

 

                        D.        The Association will operate on a not‑for‑profit basis.

 

                        E.         The Association will be comprised of sportsman class cars, E.T. bracket cars, trophy cars, and junior dragsters and will provide incentive to build such vehicles.

 

III.              BOARD AND ELECTIONS

 

                        A.        The Association will be self‑governed by an elected Board of Directors.  The Board will consist of a least nine but no more than nineteen positions which include Chairman, Co‑Chairman, Bracket Chairman, Sportsman Chairman, Trophy Chairman, Junior Dragster Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Advertising/Sponsorship Chairman, Newsletter Editor, Membership/Data Management Chairman, Media Coordinator, and one to five members‑at‑large.

 

                        B.        The function of each Director position will be as follows:

 

                                                Chairman/Co‑Chairman: Guides and controls the Association               business

 

                                                Secretary:  Records business meetings and writes letters.

 

                                                Treasurer:  Maintains true and accurate financial records/reports          monthly to the board of directors.

 

                                                Chairs (Bracket, Sportsman, Trophy, and Junior Dragster): Provides sign‑up sheet at racing events and provides information to the track tower about scheduled races; records the points of each racer in their perspective classes.

 

                                                Advertising/Sponsorship Chair: Promotes, raises funds, gets support from sponsors and plans for banquet and door prizes.

 

                                                Newsletter Editor: Coordinates the publication of the newsletter

 

                                                Membership/Data Management Chair: Recruit’s members and maintains membership records.  Runs mailing labels and keeps data files updated in accordance with U.S. Mail regulations.

                                               

                                                Media Coordinator: This position is to act as a liaison between The Board of Directors and vendors, sponsors, print and audio media as well as any other interested parties and will be ever aware of how MDRA presents itself to the public. Responsible for online (i.e., Website, Face book etc) presence to be accurate and relative along with the webmaster. Also reviews and summarizes meeting minutes for web posting. 

 

                                                Members‑At‑Large:  Provide supports for the Association and assists any of the chairs when requested

 

                        C.        The term of office will be two years.  Vacancies on the board due to resignation, removal, or other cause will be, filled, by majority vote of the Board of Directors. Such appointment will be for the remainder of the term filled.

 

                        D.        Any director may resign at any time by giving notice to the Board of Directors.  Additionally, if a Director is absent from three (3) consecutive meetings of the Board, including regularly scheduled meetings and special meetings, the board may at its discretion, replace the Director.

 

                        E.         Election will be held at a general membership meeting scheduled by the Board (usually at the banquet).  Notice will be printed in the newsletter the month prior to the meeting date.

 

                        F.         Nominations for a vacant office may be submitted to a Board member either verbally or in writing prior to the election meeting.

 

                        G.        Elections will be conducted by secret written ballot.  Only MDRA members attending the election meeting may participate in voting.

 

                        H.        Election results will be announced by the chairman at the election meeting and in the newsletter following the election meeting.

 

                        I.          In the event of a tie vote, the members of the Board of Directors will vote between the two candidates at the next scheduled Board meeting.  Only Board members in attendance at that meeting may cast a vote.

 

IV.                   MEETINGS

 

                        A.        Membership/ Board meetings will be held monthly.  Special meetings/banquets will be held at the discretion of the Board. The date of special meetings/ banquets will be announced by the Board of Directors and printed in the newsletter before each meeting.

 

                        B.        Special membership and board of directors’ meetings may be called by the Chairman or Co‑Chairman, or by one‑third (1/3) membership of the Board of Directors.

 

                        C.        A quorum of, at minimum, one‑half (1/2) of the Board of Directors must be present at a scheduled Board of Directors meeting for any decisions or votes to be binding.  The Secretary is responsible for ensuring that a quorum exists before decisions are made and recorded in the minutes of the meeting.

 

 

 

V.               MEMBERSHIP

 

                        A.        Membership classifications will be defined as follows:

 

                                    1.         Competitor Membership:  E.T. Bracket competitors, Sportsman class competitors, Trophy competitors, and Jr. Dragster competitors.

 

                                    2.         General Membership: Non‑competitor members interested in promoting the Association and the sport of drag racing; are ineligible to receive contingency awards or points money but are eligible to vote.

 

                        B.        All current members will receive the MDRA newsletter, an MDRA membership card, decals and one vote at Board Member elections.  Membership is non‑transferable.

 

                        C.        Membership discounts may be granted by the board.

 

                        D.        Resignation from the Association may be made at any time by writing to the Board of Directors.  Voluntary withdrawal from the MDRA will result in the loss of any association benefits forthcoming and the forfeiture of all fees paid.  The Board of Directors reserves the right to request the return of the MDRA decal and membership card from resigning members.

 

VI.              QUALIFICATIONS AND REGULATIONS

 

                        A.        All competitor membership applicants, except Jr. Dragsters, must have a valid driver’s license.  Applications must be accompanied by the appropriate membership fee, car information, and picture, if requested.  Jr. Dragster members must have a current and valid NHRA and/or IHRA participant card. 

 

                        B.        Members' racecars and must meet the racetrack inspection requirements, and members must follow NHRA, IHRA and/or track regulations while racing their vehicles.

 

                        C.        To be eligible for points, the MDRA decal or painted logo and any other decal as communicated in the Eliminator must be visibly displayed on both sides of the race vehicle during an MDRA event.  Small decals (2‑1/2x4) are for Jr. Dragsters only. 

 

                        D.        Every racer must dial within the MDRA bracket in which he/she is entered in order to receive points for that event.

 

                        E.         The Association may use all information concerning a member and his or her race vehicle for publicity to promote the Association.

 

                        F.         Revocation of membership can occur when a member behaves in a manner detrimental to the good name of the Association.

 

                                    1.         A written protest must be submitted to the Board of            Directors by any member giving all the facts and information about the incident and member in question.

 

                                    2.         The individual in question must then appear before the Board of Directors.  He or she will have the opportunity answer to the protest and, give his/her rebuttal.  If the member in question does not appear, the Board of Directors will review the situation based on information that is available.

 

                                    3.         After review, the Board will make its decision and issue one of the following findings:

 

                                                a.         The infraction was serious enough to warrant permanent revocation of all membership rights and privileges from the individual in question, including loss of all points earned, fees paid, membership card, and all association identification on his or her race vehicle.

 

                                                b.         The infraction was not serious enough to warrant revocation of the above‑named privileges.

 

                        G.        The Board reserves the right to immediately and permanently revoke all membership rights and privileges from any member who is found to be under the influence of any illicit drug or alcohol while competing during any racing event that is designated by the Association.  There will be no exceptions to this rule.

 

                        H.        Each member agrees that the act of entering an Association event shall constitute an agreement by him or her to be bound by all the rules covering the event.  He or she also agrees to be bound by all decisions of the event or technical directors and to release said Directors from liability for an alleged erroneous decision.

 

                        I.          All members must sign a form releasing the Association from any liability resulting from accident or injury incurred while participating or attending any association racing or social event.  Further, no individual member of the Board of Directors will be liable for actions taken by the Association as an entity.  All competitors under the age of 18 must have the release of liability signed by both parents and/or legal guardian(s).

 

VII.             ASSOCIATION POINTS

 

                        A.        Points will be awarded to a current MDRA member for competition at a designated MDRA event. Only one racing vehicle and class, per membership, per event is allowed.  Racing more than one class requires a competition membership for each class entered.  When competing in a combined class, your vehicle must run under MDRA guidelines for the entire race.  MDRA points will NOT be awarded to vehicles using delay boxes, while running in MDRA Junior, Trophy or Bracket II classes.

 

                        B.        Any member racing more than one vehicle or bracket must specify which one vehicle or bracket they will receive points for, before eliminations.  Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of points potentially earned for that event.

 

                        C.        In order to receive points for an event, each competitor is responsible for signing in with the Bracket Points Chairman, or the sign-up sheet at tech card purchase, on the day of the event. Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of points potentially earned for that event.

 

                       

                         D.       Partnerships must have one competitor membership and one general membership per MDRA class. Any partner will be eligible to earn points towards the partnership total.  Membership is non‑transferable.

 

                        E.         Points may be transferred to a new car during the race season, but they may not be transferred to a new MDRA Class, i.e.: bracket one to bracket two, sportsman to brackets etc. To transfer points to a new car combination, you should notify the Points Chairman, preferably in writing, before the next event.

 

                        F.         The point’s total for all classes, for the season, will be derived from the following:

       

                                      1. The total number of rounds won from the members best 5 of 8                                                             MDRA designated races.

                                   

2.      The total number of Show Up points earned from all MDRA designated races entered during the season. (Show Up points are earned by initialing the sign-up sheets for that day’s race.) Maximum points that can be earned is 800 points. Sportsman must report their points to the Points Chair.   

 

3.       The total number of staging points earned from best 5 of 8 MDRA designated races. (Staging points are earned by staging the car for 1st round) Maximum points that can be earned for the season is 500 points.

                                   

4.      The total number of round wins at a MDRA designated race, based on best 5 of 8 races.

 

5.      The Board of Directors reserves the right to award points for MDRA designated non-racing events. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      6.   The Following is a list of points for all classes.

100 POINTS FOR ENTERING AN EVENT

100 POINTS FOR STAGING CAR FOR 1ST ROUND

101 POINTS FOR ROUND 1 WIN

102 POINTS FOR ROUND 2 WIN

103 POINTS FOR ROUND 3 WIN

104 POINTS FOR ROUND 4 WIN

105 POINTS FOR ROUND 5 WIN

106 POINTS FOR ROUND 6 WIN

107 POINTS FOR ROUND 7 WIN

108 POINTS FOR ROUND 8 WIN

5 POINTS FOR WINNING AN EVENT

3 POINTS FOR RUNNER UP FINISH AT AN EVENT

1 POINT FOR SEMI FINAL FINISH AT AN EVENT

     

 

 

G.    Sportsman points will be tabulated by using points from your best five of the first eight races you attend. Races consist of NHRA or IHRA competition. Bracket races and Gamblers races do not count towards sportsman points. Points must be reported within two weeks of the event to the sportsman chairman or mailed to the MDRA PO Box.

 

 

 

H.                Rainouts

1. Rainout points will be awarded on a point‑in‑time system based on how far the competitor has advanced at the time a rainout is declared.  Points will be awarded through the last complete round.  

 

2. If an MDRA‑designated event is rained out before competition starts, only Show Up points will be awarded to any competitor who has initialed the sign-up sheets at the event. Members will have the option to opt out of receiving show up points for a rain cancelled event, after they have signed in. Members must notify the points chair if they want to take that opt out option.

Points for all events are posted in the Eliminator.

 

 

VIII.    ASSOCIATION PAYOUTS

 

A.        Following are recommended guidelines for first place winners.  Payouts are                        awarded at the annual banquet.                                                                

 

B.                 All payouts are subject to available funds and may be adjusted by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.

 

 

 

The following formula has been developed to assist the Board in dispersing the year-end payouts.

1.         The Treasurer will determine how much money we have available for payouts.

2.         Board will determine the amount of money to be allotted to Trophy and Junior Dragster.

3.         The remaining money will be divided by the total number of competitors we have in Brackets, Sportsman classes.

4.                  This resulting number will be multiplied by the number of competitors in each class.  This will give us the total number of dollars available in each class.

5.                  This is the approximate breakdown for dividing up the money available in each class.  We will attempt to pay back 11 places in each class with over 30 participants.

1st.-33% of funds available to this class

2nd-18.5%

3rd.-11.5%

4th-8.5%

5th-6.5%

6th-5.25%

7th-4.6%

8th-3.9%

9th-3.2%

10th-2.7%

11th-2%

*Per funds available/the board may adjust the above numbers as they see fit.

 

           

C.        First place Trophy winners will be awarded a trophy/plaque and $100.00 cash, as funds are available.

 

D.        Trophy, second place and down, payouts adjusted according to available funds.

 

E.         $100 Bonus Bucks paid to winners while earning MDRA points but are subject to available             funds.

1.      Each class with over 10 members gets the above full bonus bucks.

2.      Sportsman members eligible only at first 8 races.

3.      Bonus Bucks will be split if there are multiple winners per class each event.

4.      Maximum payout $800 per class per season subject to available funds.

5.      Maximum payout for Junior Dragster is $400 per season.

 

F.         The Board at its discretion may hold Fun Races and pay out a $300 first place prize with                   some help expected from the track operator to cover the 2nd, 3rd and 4th places. 

 

 

 

IX.              BYLAW AMENDMENTS

 

                        A.        The Board of Directors reserves the right to provide an exception to the Bylaws if it is deemed necessary or beneficial to do so.  All requests for exceptions must be brought to a scheduled Board meeting, and a majority vote of the Board members in attendance is required to grant the exception.

 

                       B.         Requests for permanent amendments to the Bylaws must be made in writing to the Board of Directors at a scheduled Board meeting.  A majority vote of the Board members in attendance is required to permanently amend the Bylaws.  However, if one‑third (1/3) of the Board members elect to bring the amendment to the general membership, the amendment may not be implemented until there is a vote among the general membership.  The vote will occur at the next scheduled general membership meeting (usually the banquet, or a special membership meeting if appropriate, only competitor and general members in attendance may vote.  The majority vote of the general membership supersedes any decision made by the Board of Directors regarding the permanent amendment to the bylaws.

 

                                   

 

 

                        C.        All permanent amendments to the bylaws will be communicated to members                                       in the Eliminator.  Copies of the Bylaws will be made available to members                                        upon request. 

 

X.                                       MDRA Hall of Fame

 

                  The following criteria for establishing the MDRA Hall of Fame has been accepted for                      incorporation into the by-laws, as follows.

 

                              A. The inductee must be retired from active racing.

                                    B. The inductee is recognized for outstanding contributions to MDRA.

                                    C. Board of Directors must approve by a majority vote.

                                    D. After initial inductee’s no more than one entry per year.

                                    E. Nominations must be in writing and from a current member.

 

                        The benefits of being inducted into the MDRA Hall of Fame are as follows:

 

A.    Free General membership with voting privileges for life.

B.     Free issue of the “Eliminator” for life.

C.     Two passes for the year-end banquet.

D.    New inductees will be honored at that seasons Banquet with a presentation.