The Waumandee Time Trials event is designed to be a fun social occasion and a challenging test of vehicles and drivers. Due to the nature of the terrain and technical difficulty of the course, it is a serious event that could result in property damage, serious injury, or death. Participants enter at their own risk and peril. Drivers are required to drive well within their limits, and to use all appropriate and prudent safety equipment.
1. Any participant who receives a moving violation or noise citation in Buffalo County, Wisconsin at any time before, during, or after the event will be immediately disqualified and banned from the current and all future events with no refund. Aggressive or over-the-speed-limit driving on Buffalo County roads that are open to the public will not be tolerated. During the event, our spotters with radar guns will be clocking and observing along our return route to enforce this.
2. Any participant (or participant’s vehicle) doing burn-outs, brake stands, donuts, drifting, or any other inappropriate or reckless driving or automotive horseplay or improper conduct anywhere in Buffalo County, Wisconsin at any time before, during, or after the event will result in the vehicle’s owner/operator being disqualified with no refund and banned from future events.
3. Registration deadline is September 15th or sell-out, whichever comes first. This event has sold out more than three months in advance for the past two years, so register early! Each driver’s registration will only be accepted after payment is received. If for any reason you cannot attend the event, you are allowed to sell/transfer your registration to another driver, but the funds paid to Vintage Time Trials are not refundable. Please make sure that you and your vehicle will be able to attend the event before paying. Paid drivers who contact the chief steward by September 15th, explaining that they are unable to attend, MAY have their registration payment applied as a credit toward the next year’s event, at the discretion of the chief steward. After September 15th, any driver who announces they are unable to attend will be considered a “no-show” and will not receive any credit. Any driver who simply does not show up at the event will be considered a “no-show” and will forfeit their registration payment.
4. Only “vintage” cars, trucks, and motorcycles are allowed. We define vintage as 20 years old or older, so for 2025, vehicles manufactured in 2005 or prior years are allowed. Both street-legal and race vehicles are allowed. Replicas and kit cars designed to look like vintage vehicles may be allowed at the discretion of the chief steward. If you are not sure, please inquire before registering.
5. During the event, no alcohol may be consumed by any person participating in the event until after the course goes cold at the end of the day. This includes all drivers, passengers, spectators, and workers. No illegal drugs of any kind, including marijuana (which is still illegal in Wisconsin) are allowed in the restricted area at any time. No illegal drugs are allowed to be consumed by any person participating in the event, at any time during the event.
6. All drivers, passengers, spectators, and workers must sign our liability waiver as they enter the restricted area. Drivers must be at least 18 years of age. Passengers must be at least 12. Only one passenger is allowed per run. Everyone entering the restricted area must follow all safety precautions related to the running of the event.
7. Mandatory registration will be open in the paddock from 7:00AM to 8:00AM on the morning of the event. Drivers receive wristbands at registration. Only officially wristbanded drivers may drive cars on the course.
8. A mandatory driver safety meeting will be held at 8:00AM on the morning of the event. Drivers who do not attend the entire meeting will be disqualified with no refund.
9. Vehicles must be in sound mechanical condition and will be required to pass a technical inspection for safety. Participating vehicles must use DOT approved tires (street or race). Driver and passenger must wear working seatbelts (lap belts at least, shoulder belts strongly preferred).
10. All drivers must have a current valid driver’s license.
11. Helmet use is required for all drivers and passengers. Snell SA2020 certification is strongly recommended. Helmets should be presented to the chief steward for inspection when registering if unsure. We will have a small supply of loaner helmets.
12. Non-synthetic clothing (cotton, wool, leather, etc.) covering the torso, legs, and upper arms is required. Nomex (fire resistant) clothing is fine too. Drivers must wear close-toed shoes. No high heels.
13. Each entrant must place numbers (readable from 200 feet) on both sides of the vehicle, and on the passenger side of the windshield. Number color must contrast distinctly from car color for readability. Number on the windshield should be made with light colored painter’s tape. We will have rolls of tape to loan out at registration.
14. No spectators are allowed within 200 feet of the course while the event is in progress, unless they are wearing a neon safety vest and standing at a corner worker station with the workers’ permission. All spectators and workers must remain on the uphill side of the course, at least eight feet above the level of the pavement, using the ladders provided. No one is allowed on the downhill side of the course while the course is hot.
15. The speed limit in the paddock (parking area) is 10 miles per hour. No high revving of engines. Any type of burnouts, donuts, brake stands, or other aggressive driving or horseplay in the paddock is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate disqualification. Any passengers must be seated in the normal seating area of the vehicle. No one is allowed to ride on the bodywork of any vehicle at any time. Offenders will lose course driving privileges with no refund. Please drive slowly to minimize damage to the farm field as much as possible. Many crops have delicate root systems that must remain intact over the fall and winter.
16. Participants will be held legally and financially responsible for any damage they cause at the event site.
17. Timing is done via a radio/stopwatch system and is the only official time. Every driver’s first run will not be timed. Use your first run to learn the course and the chicane placement, NOT to race.
18. Cones and hay bale chicanes are used to promote safety on the course. Hitting a cone or a hay bale will add two seconds to your official time for that run, and is an indication that you are not in proper control of your vehicle, so you will be put on DOUBLE SECRET PROBATION. Hitting more than one cone or hay bale during the day, even on your first (untimed) run, will result in an immediate BLACK FLAG and your course driving privileges for the day will terminate at that moment with no refund. DON’T HIT CONES OR HAY BALES! The first chicane near the starting line is exempt from the probation/black flag rule, but the two second rule applies to all cones and hay bales. The probation and black flag rules are additive between the course and the return route. For example, a driver who hits one cone on the course and is also clocked one time at 50-59 on the return road would be immediately disqualified with no refund. See also rule 23.
18a. Although these rules may seem overly strict at first reading, rest assured that very few drivers actually get kicked out. Usually only one or two out of a field of 50+ each year, and that usually happens on their 6th or 7th run, which would have been their last run of the day anyway.
19. Any driver who puts even one wheel off the pavement while driving the course will be immediately disqualified and lose course driving privileges for the day (black flagged) with no refund. STAY ON THE PAVEMENT!
20. A slight amount of oversteer may be tolerated, but any driver who spins their vehicle more than 90 degrees from the normal direction of travel will be immediately disqualified and lose course driving privileges for the day (black flagged) with no refund. DON’T SPIN!
21. If a vehicle crashes while driving the course and it is determined by the chief steward that it presents a safety or fire or environmental concern, standby towing services will be used to relocate the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle will be required to pay a reasonable and customary fee for the extraction and towing service.
22. If you crash, turn off your ignition as soon as your car comes to a stop. Wait in your car with your helmet on and seat belt fastened (unless your car is on fire) until help arrives. If you stop on the course for any reason, and cannot immediately start going again, you are required to sound your horn (if your vehicle has one) for a solid five seconds, and help will come to you.
23. We will have a standby ambulance on site. If a person requires transport from the event site via ambulance, the event will be suspended until a replacement ambulance arrives on site, which may or may not be possible before the end of the day. No refunds will be issued, and the event will not be rescheduled, if it is interrupted or ended due to ambulance use.
24. Before your runs, you are required to drive SLOWLY along the open public return roads down to the starting line. Driving distance from the entry gate down to the starting line is 7.4 miles and takes less than 12 minutes when driven below the SPEED LIMIT of 45 miles per hour. Follow the white chalk paint marks on the pavement. The return route will be patrolled by our volunteers with radar guns. At 45MPH or below, the radar operators will give a thumbs up and a smile. Since many vintage cars have inaccurate speedometers, 46-49 gets a courtesy “slow down” gesture but will not be reported. At a speed of 50-59 you will be shown the “SLOW DOWN 45” sign and you will be put on double secret probation. Over 49 a second time, you will be BLACK FLAGGED. Done for the day. 60MPH or above even once will also result in an immediate black flag, and so will any burnouts, drifting, spins, brake stands, or other “automotive horseplay” witnessed by our spotters. You will no longer be allowed to drive the course. Please respect the peace and quiet of the local residents and DRIVE SLOWLY AROUND TO THE START! The speed limit on Hwy 88 is 55MPH, so increase the above criteria by 10MPH for Hwy 88 only. The probation and black flag rules are additive between the course and the return route. For example, a driver who hits one cone on the course and is also clocked one time at 50-59 on the return road would be immediately disqualified with no refund. See also rule 18.
25. The course will go cold at 5:30pm, or when all remaining drivers have taken at least six runs each, whichever comes first. Every effort will be made to safely give all drivers six runs each before the end of the day, but if the event ends early for any reason, it will be considered a complete event if all drivers who are able to compete have taken at least three runs each. There is no guarantee that all drivers will get the same number of runs, especially two drivers sharing the same vehicle. See also rule 22 concerning ambulance use.
26. At the end of the day, please help clean up the paddock and the course. Carry equipment to the rental truck parked by registration. Collect the pink marker flags. Deposit all trash in the trash cans, and all recycling in the bins marked “RECYCLE”. We need to leave the entire area cleaner than we found it, so we can keep good relations with the local residents.
27. To reduce “red mist” and increase safety, there are no classes, places, or trophies. Drivers who attend the awards ceremony will receive a paper certificate listing their fastest time on the course.
28. Times will only be revealed at the awards ceremony after the event is over. Drivers who approach within 30 feet of the timers, or otherwise bother them during the day will be disqualified with no refund. Full results will be emailed to all drivers a couple days after the event.
29. The chief steward will have complete discretion to deny any driver the privilege of participating in the event and/or to remove any person from the event restricted area for any reason with no refund.
30. Rules interpretation will be at the sole discretion of the chief steward. Rules may be changed, amended, or created as necessary at the chief steward’s discretion.
31. The paddock for 2024 is located near the farmstead at W1237 Blank Hill Road, Waumandee, Wisconsin. The easternmost 2.5 miles of Blank Hill Road will be closed early on the morning of the event, so do NOT use Hwy 88 to get to the drivers meeting. Do not drive through the “Road Closed” signs at the bottom of Blank Hill Road. You will be DISQUALIFIED if you drive on the course before it is officially open. Use County E and the western part of Blank Hill Road instead. DO NOT TAKE HWY 88 TO BLANK HILL ROAD, EVEN IF YOUR GPS TELLS YOU TO!
32. KEEP BOTH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY OPEN. This event is challenging enough on dry pavement. We really don’t want to run it in the wet. CHECK YOUR EMAIL after 8:00AM on the Friday of the event weekend for the Saturday/Sunday decision announcement. If the Saturday forecast looks really wet and Sunday looks dry, we will postpone until Sunday. If we have to postpone until Sunday and you are unable to run that day, we’re sorry but no refunds will be issued. Here’s hoping for dry weather on Saturday!
33. Drones are prohibited unless specifically contracted and approved in writing in advance by Vintage Time Trials LLC.